french health system while travelling

[Cerise]

I live in France, have no residence elsewhere, have had CEAM until last week and now on renewal -as stated above - have only got a bit of paper.  No sensible reason was forthcoming for the lack of replacement card, but the attestation is only valid for 3 months.  However on the attestation it does say I will be getting a card and the card will expire Jan 2008.  Mine is not to reaon why - just agree with the nice fonctionnaire.  I assume Poppy and Cooperola are in the same boat.

[Poppy]

[quote user="Ron Avery"]

"Just been refused health care in Spain because I only had 'the bit of paper' not the nice quality plastic card"

But you don't live in France do you?  So CPAM did not issue your piece of paper which has been outdated in the UK for a long time, so there really is no excuse for your being in Spain with a piece of paper is there?  What applies for UK citizens in Spain is not the same as that applied to French residents.

[/quote]

Ron are you telling me I dont live in France? I guess I must just imagine I do same as I just imagined CPAM issuing the paper.

Situation is exactly as Cooperlola and Cerise have kindly explained.

 

[cooperlola]

Like you, Poppy, it was France that was outside the window the last time I looked.

[Cerise]

Well there's a strange thing - the new cards came this morning!  Only 2 days after the attestations which said I wouldn't be getting the cards for a while.  Guess I'm now personally responible for a minimum of 4 functionnaires.

[Ron Avery]

Poppy wrote

Ron are you telling me I dont live in France? I guess I must just imagine I do same as I just imagined CPAM issuing the paper.

Apologies Poppy, when you wrote

.".............Earlier this year we tried to find an answer as to whether the lump sum was taxable in France. We came to a dead end but luckily still have a couple of years to investigate." I assumed obviously wrongly that you were moving to France in two years after retiring and getting a lump sum, and not getting a lump sum in two years. time when you are in France.  By the way as you now live in France your lump sum will be taxable here even though it is tax free in the UK plus any interest that may accrue from any investment of it [:(]

 

 

 

 

 

[mickey jim]

Can anyone help - I'm getting a bit confused.  I assumed (and I know that's a dangerous thing!) that CPAM issued everyone's EU Health Card, but I have just applied on line (thanks to this thread) but unfortunately I've been advised that CPAM can't give me a card because I don't belong to their organisation. 

We pay our cotistations to the MSA so I'm now wondering whether I need to go to them and ask for one, despite everyone telling me that it's CPAM that issues them all.  It seems odd that a standard EU card comes from lots of different organisations - it doesn't seem very consistent.  Can anyone throw any light on this?? Has anyone else had this problem?

[Chancer]

I am still using my UK card which is valid for 5 years, I have reclaimed some expenses via the local social security office and they were paid directly into my French bank account.

What surprised me is that by doing this I have been given a social security number.

If anyone is concerned with the delys in getting (and/or) renewing the French card one option would be to apply on the internet for a British 5 year one, you need your NIC number (assuming that it is still valid!) and a UK mailing address, mine came by return of post.

[Cassis]

[quote user="mickey jim"]

Can anyone help - I'm getting a bit confused.  I assumed (and I know that's a dangerous thing!) that CPAM issued everyone's EU Health Card, but I have just applied on line (thanks to this thread) but unfortunately I've been advised that CPAM can't give me a card because I don't belong to their organisation. 

We pay our cotistations to the MSA so I'm now wondering whether I need to go to them and ask for one, despite everyone telling me that it's CPAM that issues them all.  It seems odd that a standard EU card comes from lots of different organisations - it doesn't seem very consistent.  Can anyone throw any light on this?? Has anyone else had this problem?

[/quote]

The CPAM is responsible for administering health care for salaried employees and anyone not insured with of the other 'special' bodies - there are separate bodies for professions libérales/independent workers/agriculteurs etc.   CPAM deals with most people - about 80% of the population.

Le régime général

L'Assurance Maladie (régime

général) est l'assureur solidaire de quatre personnes sur cinq en

France. Elle finance 75 % des dépenses de santé.

Le régime agricole

Il

couvre les exploitants et les salariés agricoles. Il est géré par la

Caisse centrale de la Mutualité sociale agricole (M.S.A.).

Le régime social des indépendants

Il

couvre les artisans, commerçants, industriels et professions libérales,

et est géré par différents organismes, notamment la Caisse nationale

d'Assurance Maladie des professions indépendantes.

Les autres régimes dit « spéciaux »

Les autres régimes dit « spéciaux » :

• régime des marins et inscrits maritimes (ENIM) ;
• régime des Mines ;
• régime de la S.N.C.F. ;
• régime de la R.A.T.P. ;
• régime d'E.D.F. - G.D.F. ;
• régime de la Banque de France ;
• régime de l'Assemblée nationale ;
• régime du Sénat ;
• régime des clercs et employés de notaire ;
• régime des ministres du culte ;
• etc.

[Will]

Mickey Jim, I have often corrected people on that one. There's a clue in my post on the previous page; I was fully expecting one of the knowalls to pick me up on that and say that mutuelles don't issue the CEAM (but we both know better). [:D]

Most forum users will deal with CPAM but as you have found they don't issue everybody's card. Basically you have to request your European Health Insurance Card (CEAM) from whoever issues your Carte Vitale, refunds your health charges and/or receives your health assurance cotisations. In your case that will be MSA. It's a quirk of the French system.

JR, I am amazed. Your experience must be a one-off error. Or maybe it is a way of (unofficially) belonging to two health services at the same time that will be exploited by all who are looking for a fiddle. I don't understand how you can get a French social security number and refunds just by having an EHIC from another state. There must be more to it than that?

[cooperlola]

Some rum things seem to happen Will.  I have just been talking to an English lady who has lived here for 5 years (no UK address) who has just come back from England having had an operation and follow-up treatment at a hospital in the UK. She seems to have just continued a long-term treatment over there and not informed anybody of any changes.  Her post is still being forwarded from England and she seems to have just carried on quoting her old address.  Hmm....

[mickey jim]

Thanks Will.  Unfortunately MSA's website doesn't seem to have the facility to apply online, so another hour to waste going into the office! 

On the point about being covered under the NHS still, I too have heard of people going back to UK for NHS treatment yet they are fully in the French system.  Knowing my luck, I'd go back to UK for hols, break a leg and then get charged hospital fees for it!

[Cassis]

Are you sure your MSA does not have any online services, Mickey?  The Ile de France MSA says you can order your CEAM online, or at least that's how I read it.  You just have to register your number etc. online first, same as anyone affiliated through a CPAM.   This is what they say on the page I have given you the link to:

Les services sécurisés proposés par la MSA vous éviteront un déplacement ou un courrier en vous permettant d'effectuer les démarches.

Depuis le 2 décembre 2004, la

MSA de l'Ile-de-France a mis à votre disposition deux nouveaux services

sécurisés relatifs à la gestion de votre dossier maladie.  Vous pouvez

désormais  :

• Consulter vos droits maladie
• Consulter vos paiements maladie, et savoir en temps réel quand vos remboursements ont été effectués.
• Demander une carte européenne d'assurance maladie (CEAM)

Si vous n'êtes pas encore inscrit à ces services,vous pouvez le faire en quelques minutes. Nous

vous enverrons sous 72 heures un mot de passe qui, associé à votre

numéro d'adhérent, vous permettra d'accéder aux services proposés.

Vous avez en plus l'entière liberté du choix de votre mot de passe dès la première connexion.

[Will]

Can't you apply by phone, or by post, to save you a journey?

[quote user="mickey jim"]

Knowing my luck, I'd go back to UK for hols, break a leg and then get charged hospital fees for it!

[/quote]

As long as you had a current French CEAM you would be assured of free treatment, just like any British resident.

The problems, highlighted recently in the TV programme about the people who had moved to Spain, arise mainly with those who do not have a CEAM - either because they have not bothered to join their host country's health system, have not applied for CEAM, or have not realised that whereas you didn't need an E111 to visit Britain, you do need the CEAM.

[Cassis]

Are my posts here invisible? [blink]

[Miki]

What was that..............................no one there, strange, thought I saw a soz  [:D]

[Will]

Well, I can read them.

 I know what you mean, you go to lengths to answer a question and a few posts later somebody asks it again or rips off your answer, and gets all the thanks... Anglo Info is the place for that.

[Will]

[quote user="J.R."]

I am still using my UK card which is valid for 5 years, I have reclaimed some expenses via the local social security office and they were paid directly into my French bank account.

What surprised me is that by doing this I have been given a social security number.

If anyone is concerned with the delys in getting (and/or) renewing the French card one option would be to apply on the internet for a British 5 year one, you need your NIC number (assuming that it is still valid!) and a UK mailing address, mine came by return of post.

[/quote]

J.R. - are you on an E106 (or other E form)? Looking at another topic it seems that there is some confusion, to say the least, about who covers you under these circumstances. It appears that then, even though you are resident in France, you have to have a Fench CEAM for visiting Britain, and a British EHIC for anywhere else in Europe. It sounds a bit odd to me but I could never entirely fathom the bureacratic mind.

[mickey jim]

Have I missed something???

Cassis - I confess, I have delved a bit deeper and have discovered that I can apply on line - it's just didn't slap me in the face as quickly as the CPAM website! A job for me to do in the morning.  Thanks again.