Some basic information on health insurance

[heather]

Sorry if this has been covered before and I just haven't found it.

I have now moved to France permanently and, although I intend to to start earning money as an artist and by renting out another small house I own here, at the moment I am living on savings. I know that some form of health insurance is compulsory here and I want to be covered in the event of illness. What steps do I have to take to enter the French system?

[Sunday Driver]

If you have moved to France and you are not working, then you can apply to the DWP for a form E106.  This entitles you to register for couverture maladie universal (CMU) which is the basic health insurance cover. The E106 is a temporary arrangement which provides CMU cover free of charge for up to two years (based upon your recent UK contributions).  The DWP will provide further details of the scheme and confirm your personal entitlement.

If you are of UK state pension age or in receipt of UK disability benefit, then you will qualify for an E121.  This has the same effect as the E106, but is valid for life.

Once you have your E106, you should register with your local Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie (CPAM).  You will need your E106, birth/marriage certificate, passport, bank details and a utility bill.  You will receive an attestation confirming your state insurance cover.  You will also subsequently receive a carte vitale which is used for automatic re-imbursements of health costs.

Next, you have to nominate your medecin traitant (GP).  There's a form to fill in which you send to your CPAM.

Under your CMU cover, you pay for your treatment up front and your CPAM will then re-imburse around 70% of your healthcare costs directly into your bank account.  You will need to purchase a top-up or complimentary insurance (sometimes known as a "mutuelle") to cover the shortfall.  Costs vary dependent on the level of cover you require. Once you have your carte vitale, there is no requirement to pay in advance as the whole CMU/complimentary insurance transaction is handled automatically. 

Once your E106 expires, then you will need to re-register with your CPAM and pay for your future CMU contributions.  These will be based on 8% of your French tax reference (taxable income less allowances).

If your tax reference is less than 6,965 euros, then your basic CMU cover is free. If your tax reference is marginally over this, then you may qualify for assistance.

 

[Will]

You will probably find the English language French health insurance advice line helpful (in France, 08 20 90 42 12).

[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

Once you have your carte vitale, there is no requirement to pay in advance as the whole CMU/complimentary insurance transaction is handled automatically. 

[/quote]

Not quite - in many places (e.g. doctors' surgeries, dentists, many outpatient clinics but not, as a rule, pharmacies) you still pay in full for treatment received. The carte vitale does speed up the reimbursement process though.

[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

Once your E106 expires, then you will need to re-register with your CPAM and pay for your future CMU contributions.  These will be based on 8% of your French tax reference (taxable income less allowances).

[/quote]

If you are working as you say you intend to, you will probably have to register with another caisse (not CPAM) and pay your health contributions there, as well as several other social charges to various other bodies, including URSSAF, which will, altogether, amount to around 46% of your pre-tax income.