Health Cover From Day One of Residency?

[Redcap]

Hello Everyone,

I've spent some time looking but still not sure of the answer to this question.

How will my family and I be covered for healthcare from day of arrival/taking up residency in France?

I understand about applying for affiliation to CPAM, and have some weeks ago applied to Newcastle for E106 to which we will be entitled. If this has arrived at our French address by the time we get there, fine (some hope from what I've been reading, but you never know). 

If we were not going to be entitled to E106, I know we would apply immediately for attestation provisiore, until documents are available, so is it simply the same in the case of E106?

In the meantime how will we be covered if say an accident happened, what if we needed a doctor? As we would be resident we would not be able to use E111, so I'm a little confused.  Do we need to take out some form of temporary insurance, but I thought private insurance was not allowed for EU nationals?

I'm hoping someone will be able to set my mind at rest and point me in the right direction.

Regards,

 

Bob

[Boiling a frog]

You pay for doctors etc keep the receipts(can;nt remember name) and when E106 arrives and you take it to CPAM take the receipts as well and you will be refunded any charges made at the appropriate rate .Make sure that E106 is dated from your arrival date in France

I dont think you can take out a top up (mutuelle) until you register with CPAM and get a social security number but I might be wrong .

 

[Redcap]

Thanks for that, I think you are correct about the Mutuelle, I believe you must be affilliated first. I'm useless at keeping receipts!

 

Bob

[Val_2]

In the old days you were entitled to stay three months here before you had to apply for residency, so in your case you could easily get away with using the E111 as though you were on holiday for a while. No one gets health cover from France from day one, it takes a few weeks for the CPAM to get their act together for a start and the Mutuelle to kick in. Meantime, pay as you go then go to the CPAM with your E111 to claim at least some of it back.

[Teamedup]

Also remember that many mutualists do not cover for the first three months either and you have to pay up for three months before they will pay out a cent. La Poste certainly don't and they are certainly not the only ones.

[Redcap]

Thanks for the replies, looks like it will be E111 then, I understand that it takes time to get sorted out with CPAM, but I find it hard to accept that as EU citizens we could be in limbo land for a period until we get our number.  So I for one will have no hesitation in using the E111 to protect my family.

Digressing a little, needed to see my doctor today, I knew this last week but you cannot book in advance anymore you have to phone on the day.  Did this at 0845hrs (took 15min to get through), only to be told nothing until next Tuesday!  When I said I thought one could not book in advance she was lost for words!

Anyway, managed to get cancellation.  Get to see Dr (not mine), needed to discuss some issues as agreed with my own Dr, then get told off for not booking a double appointment!!  In effect rushed out of the door and never really fully resolved my issues.  I decided that's it, I'll wait until settled in France.

That, hopefully will be my last routine visit to UK Doctor!!

Regards,

 

Bob

[Boiling a frog]

[quote]In the old days you were entitled to stay three months here before you had to apply for residency, so in your case you could easily get away with using the E111 as though you were on holiday for a whi...[/quote]

E111 is for emergency treatment only and by the letter of the law is not applicable if you reside in France,in fact you are meant to return your E111 to the UK authorities

When you apply for your E106 newcastle will flag up that you have left the country and if you attempt to use an E111 they will in todays computer age be able ,from your NI number,to identify this and possibly refuse to reemburse. Safer and easier to do as I suggest pay and keep the receipt and claim once you are registered. You can get health cover from day one my wife did albeit that she had to wait 3 months for the E106 to arrive She was then reembursed all the payments she had made from the day of arrival  

[Redcap]

Hi, B a F!

Yes, I see your point, I suppose if it was anything big (and expensive like hospital) they would, once convinced we are waiting for affiliation, wait for the payment?  Doctors visits & prescriptions one can stand, hope I get my moneys worth; unlike today!

Regards,

 

Bob

[Boiling a frog]

[quote]Hi, B a F! Yes, I see your point, I suppose if it was anything big (and expensive like hospital) they would, once convinced we are waiting for affiliation, wait for the payment? Doctors visits &...[/quote]

Sorry to disapoint but my wife had to pay up front for her op but at the end of the day was only 300euros out of pocket after CPAM had refunded on arrival of E106.,but you can never be certain that each region will act the same.

[Val_2]

[quote]Hi, B a F! Yes, I see your point, I suppose if it was anything big (and expensive like hospital) they would, once convinced we are waiting for affiliation, wait for the payment? Doctors visits &...[/quote]

Sorry but in France no one, but no one waits for payment with something like this and especially with non-french nationals. You may find that interest is added weekly or monthly of 10% for delay in non-payment, URSSAF,CAPM etc and the like do it to us when we are even a little bit late paying and its quite legal. There have been cases of british passports and bank cheques for thousands of euros being held as guarantee for payment upfront for serious medical treatment too.

[Redcap]

[quote]Sorry but in France no one, but no one waits for payment with something like this and especially with non-french nationals. You may find that interest is added weekly or monthly of 10% for delay in no...[/quote]

Of course, must remember that!

I've dug out an info pack that I got from a company called EXCLUSIVE HEALTHCARE, apparently a French company with English staff.

They have healthcare insurance for people not yet affiliated with CPAM, which one can take out for up to a year. For something like a hospitalisation only i.e no GP/prescriptions etc it's about 54€ each p/m 20€ child, so about 129€ (£88)pm for the three of us.

For their normal Plans Complementaires, the same type of plan is about 49€ (£34) for us three.  You also have to pay upfront 3 months as deposit if paying monthly.  This 'entry' plan all seems a bit expensive to me, but then I have no experience of any other plans.

I wonder if we should just fork out £264 for the 3 months, and hope our E106 comes through (I have already applied).

It looks like their full cover plan works out about 94€ pm (£64)for us three, that does not seem too bad, does it?

As usual, I value all your opinions.

Regards,

Bob