Health Cover - E106 not available or appropriate

[bryansmith]

I have read the FAQs and the various postings re Form 106 but none of them seem to cover my own circumstances.

I am retired and living on an occupational pension which is paid in UK. I am currently renting a house long term with a view to living in France permenantly. I have a European Health Card (old E111) but I now wish to join the French Health system as I am unlikely to return to the UK. I have not worked or paid NI for ten years. I rang Newcastle to enquire about a Form 106 as a preparation to joining the French Health system, but was told that because I had not worked or paid NI for the last 2 years I was not eligible.

How can I now begin to enter the French Health system and what documents from UK Health system will I need.

Thanks in anticipation

 

[LesLauriers]

Under 65 you will need a letter from Newcastle refusing you an E106, you present that to CPAM and then they will bill you for 8% of your taxable income (after allowances) over 6956€.

Over 65 you ask Newcastle for an E121, you then present that to CPAM and you are covered.

You may wish to take out a mutuelle or an insurance policy to cover the excess.

[bryansmith]

Thanks very much for the useful information

[londoneye]

Not sure if you will pick this up as this is a few days late - not terribly au fait with how the site works yet !

What is the situation if you are not earning at all?

Could you opt to pay into the CPAM say 8% of the minimum earnings - if you understand what i mean?   Try again - could they 'assume' you are earning the minimum eg 6956 or whatever it is, and charge you 8% of that?

Sounds like my partner will be in a similar situation - I have applied for E106 and assume will get it as I have worked for same company for many years and paid full contributions - thus my understanding is that even though I won't be earning for a couple of years (although I would like to !  but dont want to assume something will come up) I will be covered for the 65-70% roughly and top up with private medical cover.

My partner however is in similar situation to person above, will definitely not be eligible for E106 thus how could we arrange to pay for him and how much rougly might it come to ?

Or am I losing it ?

[Will]

If your income is less than the minimum quoted, chances are you may not have to pay anything (and may even get other free benefits). A lot of British living off capital and interest seem to do very nicely out of this, although, as has been discussed here several times, it does not always go down too well with some French who see their apparently rich neighbours getting free health cover under the CMU, so it may get a bit less easy in the future.

I say 'chances are' you may not pay as it is up to you to prove low income. This is normally done by French tax assessment, but for those who have not been In France long enough to have made a tax return you may get asked  by CPAM for British tax documents, bank statements or similar.

[londoneye]

Thanks

Main concern is getting some kind of health cover for both of us, not the money - thats not to say that we are rolling in it - far from it (bang goes our fags and booze money though - heh heh - mind you there wasnt much in budget for that to start with).

Understand what you are saying ref system - dont especially want free benefits, dont need them right now.   Prefer people (whatever nationality or creed they may be) who need them get them.     Might need them one day though so never say never.  

Hopefully by time we run out of money I will have managed to scrabble together some earnings.    Anyone need an English employment law specialist ?    ha ha only kidding - not advertising - dont event have a web site !

Will - since I have seen you on here so often, and you at least on paper look like you know what you are talking about (thats a compliment by the way), in all seriousness, if this is going to be a big problem we would probably have to not make the move.     Whats your view?

For info both strapping healthy 40 ish somethings with (to all extents and purposes) plenty of life in us at the moment and no health probs ..?

 

 

[Will]

I don't se it as being a problem, plenty of people manage it (including us, but we work so are a bit different). As long as you have either an E form or written evidence of non-entitlment you can get into the system. Just be prepared to deal with bureaucracy, as with every aspect of French life.

[le bouffon]

We have just gone through the whole process as my E106 at the end of last year,I do not know if you can just turn up in France and claim CMULlike everything else in France it a paper chase.

[londoneye]

Thanks for response.

Hopefully I can contribute at some point to the system.

Bureaucracy I think I can deal with - it cant be any worse than having to be nice to the Dell call-centre man (Dehli I believe from his accent and his name) who rings me twice a night because of that spurious enquiry I made the mistake of making a few weeks ago about a new computer ...    I cant help but get visions that his family are starving because I will not be badgered into a new computer!  

I truly believe that if I can continue to be pleasant to this man (and continue to tell him that I wont buy his computer) then I can deal with such bureaucracy (spelling ?  - had some wine now!)

Sincerely appreciate everyone's responses even though I tend to be flippant by nature !

[chessfou]

Having just, this morning, been clarifying a couple of things with

Newcastle, I found out something about the EHIC (former E111). It is

valid:

(a) while you are a UK resident

or

(b) for the duration of your E106.

That seems very clear to me but it does mean that if you don't qualify

for an E106, then you are not covered by the EHIC (although I didn't

pursue the point to discover whether there is a transition period).