Automatic reimbursement via Mutuelle?

[Daft Doctor]

For the first 2 years that we were in France, my son and I were covered through an early retiree S1. I got my carte vitale and CPAM reimbursed any medical costs up to the threshold, but as we also had a mutuelle, the balance of any cost was reimbursed automatically by the insurer within a few days.

Mrs DD on the other hand has a small business in France, so her healthcare costs are reimbursed by Harmonie Mutuelle (formerly RSI), and she has always had to send off the original statements of her reimbursement from HM to the mutuelle to (eventually) get reimbursement of any balance. When I queried with our mutuelle why this was happening, they told me that HM/RSI couldn't link their accounts with the mutuelle, so I just accepted it.

After my S1 expired, my son and I became 'ayants droit' on Mrs DD's health cover however, and I was given a new CV, etc. I have since noticed that any health costs incurred in my name or that of my son still get fully reimbursed automatically between a combination of HM and the mutuelle within a week or so, which suggests that linking of accounts through HM is indeed possible.

I want Mrs DD to benefit from automatic reimbursement as my son and I do, but there is nothing either on the HM or the mutuelle's website on this matter. Does anyone know who I should contact about it? To be honest, I am sick of sending bits of paper in the post to get a few euros back, given the time and cost involved, and if HM can do it for my son and I, it should be possible for my wife to similarly benefit.

Thanks in advance for any insight, as always much valued.

[idun]

Have you not rang the HM office and asked?

That is what I would do.

Or maybe lose her carte vitale, I take it she has one, and hope that the new one has a better system built into it. Mind you, the last time I tried that little trick, we simply got a new card with the same details on it.

[woolybanana]

Ah, DD the French system is testing you. Remember if the simplification you suggested were introduced, it might be necessary to get rid of a ......... fonctionnaire which can NEVER happen.

[Daft Doctor]

Hi, thanks for the advice, yes Mrs DD has her CV, but since it took 6 months to get my replacement when I moved from CPAM to RSI I'd rather not take the risk of 'losing it'.

I could phone them but I'd need to rehearse the relevant vocab a bit. Alternatively I could email and hope for a reply at some point........

I'll let the forum know how I get on.

[lindal1000]

For what it's worth I always find email better than phoning. Send with a read receipt and then you have a traceable record of your communication.