Daft Doctor Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Hi, just wondered if somebody could please clarify something for me as despite scouring around the web for info I haven't quite found the answer. We are shortly to move to France and I will have an S1 valid until Jan 2014 so can register with CPAM. My wife is starting an AE business soon after we arrive, so she will eventually have health cover available in her own right through (I believe) RSI. I realise that I could in theory piggy back my wife and 10 year old onto my healthcare arrangements, but equally my wife could theoretically do the same and piggy back my son and I on her cover through her AE business. What I wanted to know therefore is whether you can have both cover in your own right AND be a dependant on someone else's or are those statuses mutually exclusive. Either way my son will need to be listed as a dependant on one or the other (or both) of our arrangements. If duplication isn't allowed, chances are I will piggy back my son (and my wife if needed - until her own Carte Vitale comes through) onto mine, then as long as the AE business is still going when my S1 expires, then if needed my son and I can piggy back onto hers. Hope that makes an iota of sense, all info gratefully received as always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprogster Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I would thought it a safer bet and quicker for your wife and son to piggy back of your S1 initially, until youir wife's AE is established and you have succesfully gone through the application process, which can take a while. Another consideration, hopefully unlikely, is that the French tighten the rules under the AE regime making it more difficult for EU early retirees to use it as a back door to the French health system, by imposing a minimum turnover requirement for example. On the positive side, if Mnr Hollande becomes President, the AE route might become redundant, if under a socialist government the rules for joining are eased to revert to what they were prior 2007.If you are not far off UK State retirement age, it might be worth holding off the AE route so that you qualify for French health care under the reciprocal agreement with the UK as a pensioner, as the great benefit of this is it gets you into the French health care system without you having to make the 8% of income contribution, as the UK is picking up the tab. My understanding is that once you have gone down the AE route you cannot go back and unlike the UK you would be left having to make substantive annual contributions for health care even after you reach State retirement age. Assuming that as a retired GP you will be on a pretty good pension, by comparison to a lot of Brit expats in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Initially until she has the business set up and registered you should all be on your S1. Then it would be normal that you were on her french social security cover once her business has started up. If you want I'll pm you a number of someone at Newcastle that will probably be able to answer this question for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinabee Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 My experience is that you can only piggy-back on your spouses healthcare if you haven't got or cannot get any cover in your own right. I also read that some CPAMs are now asking expats if they are in receipt of a state pension from another EU country, presumably so that they can get you on an S1 and get their costs covered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daft Doctor Posted February 8, 2012 Author Share Posted February 8, 2012 Hi idun & Sprogs, thanks, more or less as I thought, but important to get all these nuiances understood. I'm 52 and Mrs DD is 42 so no chance of waiting until state retirement. I have the number for overseas health cover at Longbenton already idun from a previous query I had, but good idea to give them a bell about my S1 and so on again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Something else to think about, whilst on the S1 you'll need the EHICs from the UK if you are travelling. And if you piggy back you'll need CEAM's from France and they are only valid a year at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 What Tinabee says is correct. You can only piggy-back onto somebody else's cover when you are not entitled to cover in your own right. Therefore what would most likely happen is that you would all be covered under the S1, but as soon as Mrs DD registers her business she would come off your cover and pay cotisations in her own right. It may be better for your son to continue as a dependant under your cover if you get a choice in this.Health & SS works differently from tax in this respect - you are taxed as a couple (no choice in the majority of cases), but regarded as individuals for health cover. But as mentioned above, it could all change after the next election. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daft Doctor Posted April 19, 2012 Author Share Posted April 19, 2012 Question I wanted to ask but forgot. Once my S1 runs out, I presume as long as rules haven't changed and my wife's AE business is still going, it will be relatively easy to piggyback onto her health cover through RSI? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 DD you seem to be relying on the system remaining the same for AE, that may not be the case (depending on the elections) so it may be as well to research a Plan B (different regime perhaps?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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