How to join the French Health system after an E121 and E106 arrives?

[Berlioz]

10 weeks after 100s of phone calls, lost forms etc my E121 (I'm on long term incapacity benefit) finally arrived yesterday.  There is no sign of Him-self's E106 yet so we are still chasing it.

How long will it take us to join and can it be done by post/web site ? As usual I am trying to sort this out while my other half is away working. My french is not up to it so I will ask my daughters French tutor to help me once I know what is needed and get all the paperwork together.

I am looking into insurance to cover us until we join and top up afterwards. I have the Exclusive plan details and will probably do the gateway plan ASAP. We have PPP in the UK and I haven't cancelled it yet in case of an emergency.  (There is no way on earth I would rely on the NHS again!)

Merci,

Donna

 

[Will]

You should get a social security number (albeit maybe a temporary one) pretty quickly, which will enable you to get refunds on what you pay to the doctor, pharmacy etc. The full number, carte vitale (which eases and speeds up the payment and reimbursement process) etc will take a bit longer.

It probably will involve a visit to your CPAM office, and take passport, marriage certificates, bank details, utility bills and everything else you can think of. Many CPAMs have somebody who may be prepared to try out their English if your French isn't up to scratch - there is a CPAM English help line which you should definitely call first. It's on (from France) 0820 904 212. They will advise you on what paperwork is likely to be needed.

If you have E121, then it may be possible for your husband to be included on that, as long as he does not intend to work in France, so he may not need the E106. If he is working, then an E106 may not be the right form for him anyway.

You will probably find that you  need a French social security number before you can take out top-up insurance.

[Berlioz]

Thank you Will,

I will call the phone line tomorrow.

Regards

Donna

[Sunday Driver]

There are CPAM reps who regularly visit the local smaller towns once a week/fortnight.  You'll usually find they hold sessions at your local centre socio-medicale. Ask at your Mairie for the dates, then pop along with your original documents (plus photocopies) - birth and marriage certificates, E forms, passports, a utility bill and a bank RIB. The CPAM will send you an attestation containing your social security number which confirms you're on the system and covered for immediate reimbursements.  As Will says, your plastic carte vitales will come later. 

Once you've got your attestation you can then arrange a top up insurance.  

 

[Berlioz]

an update:

E121:

the English speaking helpline lady told me to go to my local CPAM.  I took my daughter's lovely french tutor and they told me that they did not deal with Estrangers.  But they booked me an appointment with the correct person in the main office in Toulouse.  That person did not speak Englsih but himself french is good.  we took the birth, divorce, passports, RIB and photocopies of all and she said that the English are very organised and have the correct papers but the Germans are terrible! The paperwork and numbers etc arrived yesterday so I am in the system, Hooray!

E106

Spent a whole morning chasing this up and finally got through last week they said it had been issued, dated 1st September  and was on its way.  Nothing has arrived yet.

Child benefit:  still trying to get them to read their own rule book. 

Thank you all for the advice.

 

[BJSLIV]

Child benefit:  still trying to get them to read their own rule book

Which bit have they got wrong this time?

 

[Deimos]

When I visited my CPAM office with my E106 I got a temporary social security number there and then. The notification of my proper number was a week of so later and I had my card within 3 weeks of my visit (maybe even two). My European Health Card thing (which I asked for when visiting to register) came through within 4 weeks. I thought the European Health Card thing would not happen as they only scribbled a note on the paperwork in their offices - I never filled out any application.

I believe you have to go to the main CPAM departmental offices to register rather than any local offices.

Registration was simple and quick.

Ian

[Berlioz]

The bit where (in my case)  if you are in receipt of Incapacity Benefit, have an E121, are not directly paying into the French system then Child Benefit continues from the UK rather than being paid by France (because we are not directly contributing to the system) The same also applies if the wage earner is working in the UK paying UK tax and NI but resident in France (also applies to us).  I have lost my link to the original details I'm afraid.  I also spoke to someone in the Child benefit Dept ages ago when we were thinking of moving.

 

 

[Will]

The French officials in CPAM offices and the like tend to think of E121 as only applying to those over state retirement age (which if course it does in the vast majority of cases) and cannot understand why the over-60s should be entitled to child benfits. And few of them seem to know about E forms other than E106 and E121 - like the E109, which is the one that gives dependants access to health etc services in one EU country while the main earner is working, and paying contributions, in another.

So keep on at them. [:)]