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WendyG
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I am sure this must have been aired previously but I had an interesting conversation today concerning health costs for the British visitor in France.

I was told that if you had dentistry carried out you could get the costs refunded in full through the French Health Service, not the English..  Apparently if you are over 60 you get all health services free!

I am completely non-plussed about this as I understood that we only get what the French get - i.e. a percentage, our percentage being refunded through English system.  I tried to argue the point but was told that I was wrong and that all costs are refunded if over 60 and anyway all costs if applying via the French for a refund!

Is there anywhere a definitive answer (in English) so I can show this person the true picture.

A friend had to have an emrgency operation a few years ago whilst out in France and certainly the English system only refunded a percentage of the costs.

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Whether visitor or resident, the answer is the same.  You get the same as a French person : ie a percentage (usually around 70%) of the costs back from the state.  Either through an EHIC for visitors, or through whichever regime you are affiliated to.  Newcomers under UK state retirement age get nothing, if they have no E form cover from the UK.  Your age makes no difference - 60, 65 or 100, you still only get a percentage, except for long term chronic illnesses (ALD's), and then the 100% refund has to be agreed and approved by your French gp.

For more in-depth info, see our website (below).  But in essence, Wendy, you are quite correct and your friends are talking through their *****.

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Assuming we are talking about someone visiting France under cover of an EHIC...

The [url=http://www.nhs.uk/EHIC/Pages/EHICcover.aspx]NHS Choices website[/url] contains information relating to the EHIC:

What does the EHIC cover?

  • It will cover any medical treatment that becomes necessary during your stay because of either illness or an accident.

  • The card gives access to reduced-cost or free medical treatment from state healthcare providers.

  • It allows you to be treated on the same basis as a resident of the country you are visiting i.e. you may have to pay a patient contribution (also known as a co-payment). You may be able to seek reimbursement for this when you are back in the UK if you are not able to do so in the other country.

  • It includes treatment of a chronic or pre-existing medical condition that becomes necessary during your visit.

I believe that reimbursement of the 'co-payment' is a recent development and is limited in amount to the equivalent standard NHS charge.

 

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Thanks S/D, that is certainly a new one on me.  A friend who was caught out over here without travel insurance a couple of years ago, had to pay the difference herself.  However, I like the "may be able to" bit - nothing like covering yourself, is there?
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Can concur that you will have to pay percentage of costs. I fell ill while on holiday here (prior to making permanent move), which required ambulance to hospital and relevant treatment. I was presented with an €1100 bill to pay! Thankfully I was covered for full costs, although it took over two and a half years before it was all settled (due to an error made on the French side that is too complicated to go into!).

regards, Tina

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We're in the UK at present and do not have a lot of time but I wondered if I could just run something past you?

Irrespective of what I said on the D L A thread my own records say that I applied for D L A in November 2005 after a long fight with the DWP in getting them to send me an application form. Basically they were saying that they would turn the appllication down as we lived abroad but I said I wanted the letter that officially refused it so they sent it, we returned it and they duly wrote and refused the application so we have it in writing.

Up until November 2005 we were being paid IB but as my wife turned 60 that month the IB finished and she started on Retirement Pension. Obviously her NI contributions were  being credited whilst she was on IB.

Not knowing exactly what the October 2007 judgement actually says, and probably not being able to understand the legalese if I could read it, do you think, when we get our refusal letter this time, if we could use the Oct 2007 judgement based upon the continuity of contributions made up tp Nov 2005 to attempt to get the DWP to a reverse their decision of Nov 2005 and now to consider, obviously without any question of arrears being paid, our current application again?

Complicated I know but I suppose the baasic question is how far back does the Oct 2007 go and can it be used to go back to our application in Nov 2005?

We will not be doing anything until we receive the refusal letter but I was wondering with your obvious closeness to the situation if you think we have any chance at all of succeeding?

Best regards Bas (aka Benjamin) 

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[quote user="WendyG"]

I tried to argue the point but was told that I was wrong and that all costs are refunded if over 60 and anyway all costs if applying via the French for a refund!

Is there anywhere a definitive answer (in English) so I can show this person the true picture.

[/quote]

I think that you've got confirmation of what you already knew to be the case. Like most of us, you knew that you were right, but wanted some confirmation.

Suggestion: say nothing more about it to your friend / acquaintance. Someone who has been so dogmatic in the first discussion, won't take any notice of any further 'evidence' that you can bring to the debate. Allow him / her to continue to delude themselves over what really happens.

And yes, I know, there's more than a passing risk that he / she will mislead others. Possibly, but they'll probably be as doubtful / aware as you. 

Where do these people get it from?  All dentistry / health costs reimbursed in full if over 60!  Barking mad. 

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Good advice, Gardian

It doesn't surprise me that some people can be led down this way of thinking. I know of a couple who moved here on the premise that healthcare was 100% free for the over-60s - and ended up moving back to the UK when they realised it wasn't. All the time that they were here they kept nipping back "home" for treatment!

rgds, Tina

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[quote user="Iceni"]

[quote user="Gardian"]

Where do these people get it from? 

[/quote]

Probably from those who insist that re-registration of UK cars is not necessary under any circs.

John

[/quote]

So that'll be The Connexion then[blink][blink]

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Thanks to everyone for replies.

It is very difficult when you have someone dogmatically telling you that you are wrong - especially when they do not speak any French and have no real idea of the customs etc in France.  They will surely get a huge shock when they try and claim refund in full!

They are presently embarking on dentristry, scans and tests and it will be interesting to see what happens.  They keep saying - it is different as we are in the EU!  As you say barking mad.

WendyG

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[quote user="WendyG"]

It is very difficult when you have someone dogmatically telling you that you are wrong - especially when they do not speak any French and have no real idea of the customs etc in France. 

[/quote]

Don't worry too much. Certain English-speaking French forums are notorious for the know-it-alls who have no real experience of French life and practices, or who believe that if something worked in a particular way for them it will be exactly the same, with no possibility of variation, for everybody else.

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Quite, Will. [:)] 

I think other members of this forum would back me up when I say I know a bit about the health system here, and certainly about the new rules.  However, I am forever coming across new situations and rules which I know nothing about (for instance, SD's info, above.)  Anybody who says they know everything about any subject is kidding themselves, as well as others.

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