E121 plus mutuelle cover

[Worcester]

I have searched for the perhaps definitive answer but cannot find it in the archives.  Without wishing to upset anyone please can you help on a subject I am sure has been covered many times.

My husband and I have recently moved and before we left we had our E121's (fortunately I know that is not the appropriate word but you know what I mean) in that we both suffer from long-term illnesses and mine and for which I have suffered for over 30 years appears on the French list of grave maladies.

CPAM have agreed most if not everything at 100% and issued carte vitales but someone suggested top up insurance and then to AXA and for the last ten months we have been paying almost 200 euros a month. 

Naturally we have not been able to claim anything from them and we are now beginning to think that this is a futile exercise and indeed a fairly expensive one.

I truly do understand that you are no able to recommended or indeed suggest anything that would compromise you in respect of an introduction to another insurer or mutuelle but I really would welcome some feet on the ground advice.

thanks

 

 

 

 

[Weedon]

If you mean by 121s, you mean that you are both of state retirement age, or one of you is and the other is a dependant on it, then the UK pays, up to a point.  For the malades covered 100% you won't need a mutuelle, but there may well be ancillary treatments to do with the 100% that are only covered at a  lesser percentage and for that you would be wise to keep your mutuelle going.  As time goes on, inevitably, nobody gets more healthy and you should keep paying for a mutuelle as protection against other illnesses. 

Just look upon it as you would for insurance against your house catching light and burning down.  You pay for years without any benefit,  but god forbid, there comes a day it catches light it's worth every penny you have ever paid.

The 121 business is from personal experience and is as I have understood it to work.  And the Mutuelle advice is my own take on insurance generally.  Others may have a different view.

weedon

[Ron Avery]

As mutuelle premiums are based on age and risk if you have an maladie grave I  think 200€ for the two of yiou seems reasonable for all risks based on what I pay to Groupama for 100% cover for all categories plus 150% for glaesses and dentistry, and I have no illnesses.

 As weedon says, insurance is not based on what you can get back from it but the peace of mind it gives you.  You can ask other comopanies for quotes there are 100's but do not expect to reduce your premiums by much

[Worcester]

Thanks and I now understand.  Yes I have a long standing illness of Rheumatoid Arthritis and have special medication which was approved in the UK by the National Hospital and only after a fight with our Primary Care Trust.

I can see where you both are coming from and have taken aboard your comments. 

We are truly not adverse to paying for insurance but it was perhaps the case the our judgement was clouded by the 100% concept.  Of course it is only the 100% of those illnesses and for which the E121 was issued and nothing to do whatsoever with other illness (God forbid)

However by way of further confusion please have a look at the article in the FPN of this month.  It does to my mind add confusion?

I would welcome your views.

thanks

 

 

 

 

[Weedon]

I regret I do not read French Property News?

The thing about insurance is that these companies are not there waiting for the day you want to take advantage of their good nature.  It is a matter of mutual risk, the insurers hope that the ones that do not claim pay for the ones that do, broadly speaking.  And the insured would be ill advised to wait until the day before they get sick to commence paying,  because if they  were aware of some of the actual costs of some treatments they would immediately rush out now and insure themselves.

To my mind it shouldn't be called health service or health insurance because healthy people don't need it.

Good luck with your treatment

weedon