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Oxygen


KathyC
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I wonder if anyone on the board has any experience of oxygen provision in France? My husband has COPD (emphysema) and although he's not on it yet it's likely to be only a matter of time. The service in the UK has recently been revamped and this has led me to wonder about the situation in France. As well as/instead of this, could anybody direct me to any French health based forums; I think my understanding of written French would be up to it (with the aid of a good dictionary!) Thanks.
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[quote user="KathyC"]I wonder if anyone on the board has any experience of oxygen provision in France? My husband has COPD (emphysema) and although he's not on it yet it's likely to be only a matter of time. The service in the UK has recently been revamped and this has led me to wonder about the situation in France. As well as/instead of this, could anybody direct me to any French health based forums; I think my understanding of written French would be up to it (with the aid of a good dictionary!) Thanks.[/quote]

Your Doctor will arrange for the delivery of an oxygen machine and a back up of an oxygen tank. The delivery driver will give you a phone number for tank refills and they will service and test the machine on a regular basis. We received a refund by cheque to cover the cost of electricity used by the machine.

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Thanks both for the replies. Leslauriers, I presume that when you say an oxygen machine you're talking about a concentrator; when you say an oxygen tank, are you talking about the large, old oxygen tanks or liquid oxygen? I'm particularly interested in whether ambulatory oxygen is commonly available in France. You're the first person I've found who knows anything about it so I hope you don't mind me picking your brains.

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[quote user="KathyC"]

Thanks both for the replies. Leslauriers, I presume that when you say an oxygen machine you're talking about a concentrator; when you say an oxygen tank, are you talking about the large, old oxygen tanks or liquid oxygen? I'm particularly interested in whether ambulatory oxygen is commonly available in France. You're the first person I've found who knows anything about it so I hope you don't mind me picking your brains.

[/quote]

Yes I think that "concentrator" would be the description. The tank was about a metre tall and about 150mm diametre and very heavy, we had to secure it to the wall. Sorry, I didn't get into the technical descriptions for the kit.

Availability?  The Doctor gave us the prescription and called the supplier - after that it was all automatic, including replacement consumables being delivered on a regular basis when the unit was serviced. 

My father was housebound  and any visits to hospital were by ambulance with a continuous supply of oxygen.

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Leslauriers, I hope you don't mind me jumping in here, but you mentioned your father.  Mine is in UK but with increasing health problems, including being on oxygen (which is why I looked on this thread).  I would like to bring him out here and get him on the system so that he can be with me and receive the care he needs.  Could you give me any advice on this at all please?
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[quote user="Bluebee"]Leslauriers, I hope you don't mind me jumping in here, but you mentioned your father.  Mine is in UK but with increasing health problems, including being on oxygen (which is why I looked on this thread).  I would like to bring him out here and get him on the system so that he can be with me and receive the care he needs.  Could you give me any advice on this at all please?[/quote]

Apply to the DWP at Newcastle for an E121 as soon as you have a leaving date, when it arrives you take it to CPAM who will arrange a carte vitale.

Your Doctor should be able to arrange oxygen prior to arrival, however you may need to arrange a portable supply in UK for the journey across.

On arrival in France visit a Doctor straight away to have your father registered as ALD which will provide 100% cover for serious illness.

Any payments you make for healthcare should be reimboursed once he is registered with CPAM.

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[quote user="Bluebee"]Leslauriers,  thanks for this. You've also been really helpful on my other post aout moving my parents out here.  However I'm still a little confused as to what cover they will have to take out and please tell me, what is ALD?[/quote]

affection longue durée (ALD)

There is a list of serious illnesses which are categorised as ALD by the French health service, and these conditions qualify for 100% cover.

For most ailments the cover is 70% and you have to fund the rest. There are set scale of payments for each treatment and the 100% is based upon the set scale, however a specialist may decide to charge 2, 3 or 4 times that scale charge, but the basic state health cover will only pay 70% of the 100% leaving the rest to be paid by you or your mutuelle (unless it is ALD).

You can insure against a 100% charge, 200% charge etc etc. Like any insurance you make a choice, pay your money and take your chances.

I have never experienced anything other than the set scale charges, and due to most of my Fathers illness being designated ALD he paid very little. He suffered with emphysema, heart problems, stroke, and finally cancer.  Whilst we did not have a mutuelle, we probably paid out less than 100€ in the two years he was with us including his final two weeks in hospital.

I guess that if you live in an expensive area then the specialists may well charge more for their services.

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