Health Care Contributions After Retirement

[John Sergant]

My wife and I are moving to France in the Autumn to retire.  We are both 58.  My wife is receiving Long Term Disability Allowance that I understand that this will give us both access to the French health care system but we will need an additional top up insurance.  I have been told / heard different versions of what happens when we both reach retirement ages, one that we will have to continue with the top up insurance and one that all health care will be free, both these view were give by people well under the retirement age but one must be correct.  Can someone please clarify what the actual situation is.

Thanks

 

John

[Clair]

Start here: http://www.frenchhealthissues.eu/newcomers/am_i_inactif.htm

[Benjamin]

Welcome to the forum John Sergant.

Assuming that your wife will be eligible for an E121 and assuming that the FHI site has not yet been updated to take account of what I recently discovered, could I also suggest you look at the following thread?

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1632714/ShowPost.aspx

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Benjamin"]and assuming that the FHI site has not yet been updated to take account of what I recently discovered,


[/quote]Good assumption!

 

In broad terms, John, your wife should get 100% free treatment for life (assuming that she gets an E121 based upon her disability, not her age) and you should get around 70% cover as "ayant droit" via her - but only once your own entitlement to any E form (probably around 2 years of E106) has expired. 

 

[Âme]

[quote user="cooperlola"]

...but only once your own entitlement to any E form (probably around 2 years of E106) has expired.  [/quote]

Hi Cooperlola, this made me curious, is it a recent change? My experience is from 2005 so maybe out of date...

When Mr A requested his invalidity E121, the DWP suggested that I went as a dependent on his form from the outset. The person I spoke to at DWP said that this was the better option because "that way you won't have to renew every year."  I never had an E106.

 

 

[John Sergant]

Thank you all for your advice - very helpfull.

 

Re E121 - This is based on my wife’s disability.  Do E121’s have an expiry date and if so how are they renewed ?.  Another point which I didn’t mention before is the cost of prescription drug.  I am prescribed 2 drugs and at present pay normal prescription charges of 7.35 each.  I know the cost of these is much higher.  How will the cost of  these be met in France, will I pay the full price or will top up insurance pay all / part of these?

 

Thanks John

 

[cooperlola]

@ Ame.  I've heard of both things happening so my response is not difinitive.  However, I do know of some people (men, in the main!) who've been told that they must use up their own E106 entitlements before they'll be considered as dependent upon their female partners.  It makes sense really, although logistically it is more complicated, as you were advised.  In fact I suspect it's sexism rearing its ugly head here and that it's been easier to persuade the French authorities that a wife is dependent upon her husband than the other way about.  These days there is less wriggle room and if you are entitled to be ayant droit, the French end cannot refuse you, if you have a dependent's form.  Best to do whatever you're told to get an E form each out of the UK!

 

@ John.  A top-up will normally pay for the rest of your prescription costs, less 50cents "franchise" per item, up to 50€ in any one calendar year.  If you have no top up, or hospital only top up policy, then you cop for the approx 35% difference and the franchise also.  I also know of one top-up company which pays the franchise, even though legally they aren't supposed to.[Www]

[Âme]

Cooperlola, thanks, now I understand how that can be.

[quote user="John Sergant"]Re E121 - This is based on my wife’s disability.  Do E121’s have an expiry date and if so how are they renewed ?  [/quote]

An invalidity E121 does not expire. It is valid until cancelled. (at least that's what the DWP told me the day I phoned to ask. [Www])

[rockstitch]

I have been issiued with an E121 on my age (just turned 60), I did enquire about getting an E121 on my DLA also for my husband but DLA didn't know what I was talking about in Castle Court Belfast didn't even know what an E121 was for and kept saying I should go to the Post Office. Now I am really confused, will my age related E121 only cover 70% and I have get top up for the rest. My husband can piggy back off mine, but he also has a heart condition, Can he apply for an E121 in his own right, or can he get 100% from the doctor for one of the listed conditins (forgot the name for it begins with A). Now that I have been issiued with an E121 for my age will I be able to apply for replacement E121 for my disiablity??            Sue

[cooperlola]

Following the recent rule changes (or maybe I should say clarification) it is my belief that anybody in receipt of ICB can now keep their 100% E121s for life.  Benjamin recently went through all this, and his experiences are outlined in another thread (I've forgotten which but I'll have a look for it later and come back.)  However, it may be a pretty complicated and a lengthy process to get this done and the quicker way might very well be for your o/h to apply for an E121 in his own right.  But you wouldn't get 100% on the back of this and  what is more he won't get one until he's 65 unless he  gets ICB from the UK.  This is the only way in which 100% coverage is available.

[Benjamin]

It's in the "People with Disabilities in France" section.

[cooperlola]

Thanks Benjamin.  THIS IS THE THREAD referred to.

I realise my post (which I typed in a hurry as I was off for an afternoon of torture... sorry, physio.) isn't quite correct.  Your husband would of course get 100% cover for his condition (but only for that, not any unrelated problems) if his doctor here considers it to be an ALD.