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Private ambulance taxis - how does the system work?


David
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Recently I had to go into hospital in Nantes, which is nearly two hours drive from our home near Bressuire, for an operation.  My daughter came over from UK to drive me there, and the hospital arranged an ambulance taxi car to drive me home.  I had previously gone for pre op appointments when we stayed at an hotel overnight, left the car in the hotel car park, and then got a taxi to the hospital.

Once home the taxi driver got me to sign a preprinted form and said, that as I am on a 100% CPAM Niort coverage for all medical matters, I would have nothing to pay.  Very good indeed, as I would have had great difficulty in getting home otherwise.

However, I now have to go back for a follow up consultation at the end of June, which will not involve hospitalisation (I hope).  The taxi driver said that I should phone his company (a local ambulance taxi firm based in Argenton Les Valles) and they would take me to Nantes and bring me back, and that it would cost me nothing.  He said that they would arrange all the paper work.

For several reasons I am very tempted by this, rather than try to drive myself, and I do not think that I am really fit enough to struggle with a a wheelchair in the hotel.  However, I am concerned that I do not understand the system, and I am very concerned that I might be left responsible for paying for a rather large taxi fare to and from Nantes, plus about one or two hours waiting time.

I have tried reading the French web sites, but it was far too much for my very limited French.

I would be very grateful if anybody could explain the French ambulance taxi system, what are the entitlements, and how should it be used.

Many thanks in advance.

David

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From my recent experiences:

I am not 100% covered as you may be but I have been hospitalised several times in the last year, I have always either driven myself or got a friend to help but the hospital told me that for going there for an operation requiring an overnight stay or the return return journey it would be 100% prise en charge. They would have to order the transport though as you require a prescription or ordonance for it to be remboursable. I was advised that transport to and from outpatient appointments even those involving surgical operations were not covered.

I recently had an ambulance journey to the casualty department, this was requested by Samu following my call to them and their assesment of my condition, this initially caused problems as there was no prescription or paper trail.

Th ambulance company helped me and claimed the remboursement direct, I had to pay the remaining 35%

For those that are not sure whether to pay for a mutuelle or not and are frightened by the possible high costs of emergency treatment below are the actuall invoiced costs and what I was liable to pay.

Ambulance with 2 paramedics, initial treatment of injury and stabilise patient, 45 minute journey to hospital, 20 minute (my estimate) handover time and return to base - €134.60 of which I had to pay €47.11

Hospital treatment of head injury including consultation, MRI brain scan, anasthetic and stitching of wound, preparation of discharge papers and ordonnace - €56.25 of which I had to pay €17.74

Infirmiere visting house to remove stitches as per ordonnace €9.40, I paid this in full and am waiting for the remboursement but expect to have paid 3 or 4 euros

A total of about €77 which is probably less than the monthly premium for a mutuelle.

I have only ever had to pay once for surgical operations during my many stays, that was 20% of about €2000 but is currently under dispute, the only other costs have been the forfait journalier that has only once been invoiced and all out-patients treatment and prescribed medication which has been surprisingly by far the major costs (albeit remboursable at 65%)) and possibly not covered by all mutuelles anyway.

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  • 1 month later...
Hi!

Basically you have to ask you " médecin traitant " or the doctor concerned ( it can be a hospital ) for a " bon de transport. NB. He can refuse it.

Make a note previously, because very often, they will forget it.

Important it must be asked before.

http://www.ameli.fr/fileadmin/user_upload/formulaires/S3139.pdf

With your "bon de transport" then you just contact the specialised firms and make an appointment for them to fetch you in good time ( they know how ling it takes ) - they will of course ask what type of vehicle is needed.

For mostly cases a VL ( voiture légère ) just a simple car, not an ambulance is sufficent.

Take a portable with you, because of keeping contact for the return trip if it is the same day.

For an urgency, no ' bon de transport " is required.

For each transport there is a franchise of Euro 4, you have to pay.

If you have a top-up, you need to make no payment the transport firm will handle all the red tape.

Yours,

giantpanda

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