Cost of subscribing to French Healthcare system?

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

If you have been permanently resident in France for more than three months, then it is mandatory to register for state healthcare. With some exceptions, private heathcare insurance is not allowed here.

You will find a full explanation of the French healthcare system, its operation, the registration requirements and the costs on the [url=http://www.ameli.fr/index.php]French Health Service[/url] website.

 

[/quote]Off-topic SD, but how do you get those great url's?  Any chance you could let us in on the secret? But maybe elsewhere as I don't want to hijack this thread.

[Keni]

Working on the same idea - but asking a question of a different ilk, can anyone give us a rough idea of what the costs would be for the insurance top-up fees that we should have. You are talking about two fairly healthy fifty-somethings living on a budget.

Are there a scale of fees that the insurance companies apply? We are just trying to budget costs for the future and the two items we seem to have a stumbling block are with what our health costs could be and believe it or no,what our car insurance would be  - but that's another story.

Is there a website where we could get rough information about the top-up insurance we are meant to get?

Many thanks

Keni & Chris

[chessfou]

[quote]can anyone give us a rough idea of what the costs would be for the

insurance top-up fees that we should have. You are talking about two

fairly healthy fifty-somethings living on a budget.[/quote]

It is difficult to find this information other than by applying for a quote and even then each mutuelle has different "levels" or "formules" which provide increasing levels of cover (because sometimes it is necessary to have more than 100% cover in order to get a full refund). Anyway:

We (2x57) pay €118/month (another quote was 10% less but looked problematic on the "100%" issue). We have full 100% medical cover, 100% basic dental (but less for fancy stuff like ceramic crowns) and less than 100% for optical.

On another thread I noted that hoverfrog (4x?? - presumably 2xMA & 2xchild) paid €83/month.

When budgeting, don't forget to allow for the steady accretion to the sub as a result of inflation/age (looks like 2.5% p.a. for us).

[More2Learn]

Folks.

Just a note regarding so called piggy backing on anothers E121.

Prior to leaving UK, I spoke to DWP in Newcastle.

I'm 62 just retired from Civil Service, MOH is 66 hasn't worked for years but now recieves a retirement pension.

DWP said no problems, would issue her an E121 and it would cover me, a so called piggy back situation.

 Great got all the forms and went to register with the CPAM in Begerac.

No problem with MOH her registration went okay but I needed to have an E106 in my own right.

Got onto DWP again, no problem it was sent out pretty quickly.

Haven't got any further than both having our Carte Vitale sorted out, looking at the top up insurance situation right now.

I found DWP to be very responsive when I called them. Being an ex civil servant I know that all Gov departments and agencies work to a performance code especially for complaints.

Never be afraid to go up the chain and quickly too if your not getting what you think you should be in the time you should be.

P.S for approximate costs of top up health insurance look up Exclusive Health Care, they have a brochure showing costs against differnet plans and ages.

http://www.exclusivehealthcare.com/

More2learn.

[Me0wp00]

If you live off capital transfers alone is that classed as no income ??? except for the tiny amount of interest, do you have to declare the capital amount anywhere.  I'm struggling with a CAF form at the moment.

thanks

Pippa

[Sunday Driver]

The interest on your capital is the unearned income that you declare.  The capital is not income so you don't declare it as such.

 

[Keni]

Just to let you know we went on the site you recommended and we have just had out quote - the base level is around a thousand euros for  us both a year - that is for the hospital plan, then it goes up a bit (!) at a time for doctors' visits and other stages of the plan. I must say I think it is higher than we realised - although it is only one quote from one company.

We will continue contacting insurance companies to see what they say. We though it would be around 50e a month for the two of us, but it is higher !

Keni & Chris

[More2Learn]

Hi all.

I am 62, my good Lady 66, we have just taken on the Swiss Sante Medical cover at P4 level.

See www.soficas.fr who was the agent in Bordeaux who we went through.

The cost nearly Euros 1700 a year covers us both and is payable monthly but we do get  200% on Dental and quite a high recovery on other things.

We didn't used to go to Doctors in UK, seemed to be pretty healthy, here we seem to be using Health Service more.

Have to say this was not a cost I took into account in working out our living costs as it makes a dent in our pension income.

Have just got a Dental estimate for a crown replacement as one just fell out, it's one tooth and costs are Euros 900 and we both need to have an examination and possible work done.

More2Learn.

 

 

 

[TreizeVents]

[quote user="Suninfrance"]

OH's income is his Incapacity Benefit.

1. Because OH receives Incapacity Benefit, will his E106 continue as long as he receives IB?

Just can't get my head around it.

Jan

[/quote]

Hi Jan,

I have incapacity benefit from Britain.  Because of that, and a low income, I get 100% coverage through being apart of the French health system.  You might even qualify for the incapacity benefit from the French instead of the Brits, if you can pass the French tests.  They are strict.  Otherwise, just tell the French CPAM you are incapable of work in Britain, show them the papers and it should eventually work out.  No idea how a E106 fits in, join the French health system.

[TreizeVents]

[quote user="More2Learn"]

Hi all.

I am 62, my good Lady 66, we have just taken on the Swiss Sante Medical cover at P4 level.

The cost nearly Euros 1700 a year covers us both and is payable monthly but we do get  200% on Dental and quite a high recovery on other things.

Have just got a Dental estimate for a crown replacement as one just fell out, it's one tooth and costs are Euros 900 and we both need to have an examination and possible work done.

More2Learn.

[/quote]

I did some pricing awhile back for two sixty somethings.  As far as I learned, the one question thay all asked was how old are you.  That's it.  I think you should be able to get two people of your age in for about a grand.  Unless you want serious cover, then you can pay as much as you like.

I also get the impression that some of you might think that 100% refund by your mutuelle might mean you get a hudnred percent of the cost of eyes, teeth etc.  You don't.  You get a hundred percent of the cost that the CPAM pays.  In the case of eyes and teeth it is not much.  So you end up paying lots.  Unless you pay lots for your mutuelle.  You can, if you pay enough, get 300% from your mutuelle.  Which in the case of glasses and teeth can sometimes mean you STILL pay a lot. 

Suppose the total cost of a treatment is 100 euros.  You have 100% mutuelle top up.  CPAM can pay anywhere from 10% to 80% for a given treatment.  Suppose they pay thirty percent, then the mutuelle pays 30%, if you have a 100% deal.  You end up paying the forty euros left from two 30 euro payments (CPAM plus the mutuelle).  Maybe you already knew that, but I didn't when I arrived.  I thought 100% meant it would be free.  What mutuelles pay for is never obvious.  In any case, you can't go down the list and say, well, I won't have that problem, but I will have that one. As one gets older, its hard to predict what will strike when.  But whatever happens, you end up paying for the paper pushers.  And often get some very fine care for a low cost.  Handy if you are not well off.