US Citizens Needing Info on Health Insurance in France

[Fawnette]

My husband and I, both in our early 60's, will be moving to France in the near term future.  We have already applied for one year's International Health Insurance and have been told that after we are in France for one year that we can go on the French Medical System which entails them taking 8% of our income (is this gross or net?).  Is this indeed the situation? 

Also, my husband receives a VA disability and through the VA is given medications for a back injury received while in the Navy.  He only pays a slight percentage for this medication.  Is there a way that he can continue receiving these medications even if we live in France?

Thanks so much!

Lyn, Winter Park, FL, USA - soon to be in Bonneval (28)

[Sunday Driver]

You need to be in stable residence in France for three months in order to to qualify for state heathcare insurance (couverture maladie universelle).  Your contributions are calculated on a basis of 8% of your revenu fiscale de reference (taxable income after allowances) over a 7,083€ threshold.

CMU covers around 70% of your treatment costs (in general) and you would normally take out a 'mutuelle' (top-up policy) to cover the shortfall.  If you do this, then (with a few exceptions) you will be fully covered  for your medication costs.

When you arrive here, you should register with a doctor.  He will assess your future medical needs and prescribe the appropriate treatment/medication for your husband's back condition.

 

[Joerger École]

Faenette,

We are Americans who to France several years ago.  If you plan to reside here then you might consider some sort of very short term insurance to provide cover for the three month period before you are eligible for French medical insurance. That is, unless your income for the prior year would make your contribution to the French system exceed the cost of the private insurance. When we applied they used our US tax declaration for the year before to determine our contribution level. The tax declaration used depends on when you apply.  If I understand it correctly, if you apply after Oct. 2007 they will use your tax declaration for 2006.  Before Oct. 2007 they will use your declaration for 2005. Check out the exact information as we applied a few years ago and there may be some changes.  I do think that once you have the Carte de Sejour in hand you can apply right away.

As the earlier posted mentioned, once you are covered by the French system, you will receive reimbersement for about 70% of your costs.  Our top-up insurance is about 125 euros per month and that brings us up to nearly 100% coverage for everything except dental and vision which are reimbersed a bit lower.

Overall our cost of insurance is considerably below what we payed in the USA.

Feel free to send me a PM or email if I can be of help in your adjustments.  We live not too far from where you will locate.

James

[samdebretagne]

[quote user="Joerger École"]

Our top-up insurance is about 125 euros per month and that brings us up to nearly 100% coverage for everything except dental and vision which are reimbersed a bit lower.[/quote]

125€ per month?  Is that for a family or just two people?  We pay 60€ for two people for 100% coverage...

[Benjamin]

[quote user="samdebretagne"][quote user="Joerger École"]

Our top-up insurance is about 125 euros per month and that brings us up to nearly 100% coverage for everything except dental and vision which are reimbersed a bit lower.[/quote]

125€ per month?  Is that for a family or just two people?  We pay 60€ for two people for 100% coverage...

[/quote]

The level of cover i e 100%, 200%,300% etc as well as age will come into the calculation. Two figures without any qualification aren't necessarily comparable.

[Joerger École]

Just to clarify, we are both in our early 60ties, have 200% coverage.  I do not claim to have the best price point or best insurance. I was just trying to give the OP an idea of how inexpensive health insurance can be here compared to the USA. Our total cost is about 220 euro a month right now compared to approximately $1500 a month for less coverage in the USA.

[WJT]

I know this is a little off subject but I thought that once you reach the age of 63 in the states Medicare kicks in and then you buy the top up insurance to cover what the state doesn't. So therefore once you reach the age of 63 the costs are much less than France. Just out of interest, is this not true?

[Joerger École]

I beleive the age is 65 for medicare eligibility.