Prescription exemption in France

[Simonmac]

Hi,

In the UK I receive all my presciptions free of charge due to the nature of my illness (long-term)

If I were to move to France, will the same or similar rule apply? Any guidelines or experiences of this?

I ask mainly because I am hoping to live over there, but obviously need to know how much I *may* end up paying in regular presciption charges.

Thanks,

Simon.

[Will]

The norm is that basically you pay the cost of the medication - incidentally often cheaper than the standard UK prescription charge - and a percentage is reimbursed by the state system (CPAM). The standard reimbursement is 70% but it can be 100% for some serious illnesses if you meet certain conditions. It's also less for some medicines.

Once fully integrated into the system you get a 'carte vitale' which means money doesn't change hands at doctors or pharmacies equipped to deal with the cards. Most people have a top-up insurance which covers the cost of treatment and medicine not reimbursed by CPAM - in my experience it doesn't seem to matter for acceptance into a scheme if you have a long-term condition requiring regular treatment.

I accept that this is a gross simplification of a very complicated (as in everything French and official) subject; if you want more detail Peter Owen's website http://www.expathealthdirect.co.uk - I have no connection with him or his enterprise - gives a good overview.