New member

[Nickel]

Hi - I am new to this forum and want to thanks all those people who are putting a lot of time and effort into this , for us all!

I have been here 3 years now and count as 'inactive' hmmmmmmmm. Affiliated to CMU and paying top up.

I count myself as a French Resident and agree with those members suggesting this ( residency)  may be the best way of approaching the issue.

Not sure what I can do but happy to lobby, write to anyone - the more of us the better!!

 

 

[cooperlola]

Welcome Nickel - as you say the more, the merrier!

In this list you'll find some places to begin your lobbying efforts :

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1038102/ShowPost.aspx

plus links to relevant legislation etc.  The lobbying thread

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1029167/ShowPost.aspx

has a few copies of letters which various members have already sent, if these help.

[Nickel]

Many thanks - certainly plenty to read!

Sorry, but I didn't really mean to start a new thread here-though maybe it could be used for a bit of number crunching - I think there are some 7,000 in the same boat ? Would there be some way of  'registering' those concerned - or am I being stupîd? ( don't answer that bit!) 

[cooperlola]

I don't know that this sort of info' is available to the general public (the individuals' names and addresses, I mean) as it's probably data protected - although I've no doubt some insurance companies will work out how to buy the list!  I have written to the DWP though to ask them to write to those people to warn them of what's about to hit.[Www]

[Nickel]

Strangely enough I received a letter today ( admittedly dated August - so much for la Poste) from an insurance company in Bordeaux and written in English wondering if I would like to obtain a quote for 'top-up' health insurance

As I have never had any dealings with this company and I live in the Lot it does perhaps suggest that already there are insurance companies out there who know who to target? Although this one seemed oblivious to the changes in store.

[Tony F Dordogne]

Mine arrived yesterday Nickel.

[Jazzer]

I don't know where they get your names and addresses from, but if it is the company I am thinking of they approached me 3 years ago on the same basis. as a matter of interest my broker (who handles business for a lot of expats) was totally unaware of the changes in procedures. He contacetde the local social security office who also said they did not know where these rumours came from! They had no private insurance on offer as of last week. If he does not catch up he will be loosing a lot of renewal business.

[Nickel]

If we are now to believe that the 5 year rule for residency will apply - then presumably some of the 7,000 of us who will leave the CMU in March 08 will be eligible for residency at that time or maybe shortly after?( The most any of us will wait is 2 - 3 years I imagine)

One can envisage a scenario where someone nearing retiring age might : leave the CMU, obtain private health care insurance for a few weeks,  become a resident, rejoin the CMU and then retire a few weeks later  with an E 101!! What a fiasco.

And to stretch that a little further what if that someone has a "non-insurable chronic" condition? Apparently they would not be allowed to stay in France without health care cover - but would be eligible for residency a short time later - What are they supposed to do in the interim?

Does that make sense - sorry to ramble on it's just that there seem to be too many variables.

 

 

 

[cooperlola]

All E106's last for 2 years + an odd few months depending on when they started.  Ergo, all E106 holders will have between 2 and 3 years to wait before they qualify for 5 years' residency.  They may of course, reach E121 age in the meantime.  However, they will have to prove that residency, so they'll need to make sure that they get into the tax system as soon as they get here (fill in their first tax returns in the Spring of the year following arrival.)  If they "didn't know" or "forgot" or whatever, to fill in tax returns - I cannot imagine that they'll have much luck trying to persuade the authorities that they qualify for a permanent titre de sejour.

There is at least one poster here whom I know will need just 4 months full private healthcare - there are bound to be more in this situation!

Some will indeed feel pushed into the corner whereby they will have to return home - but five months or so isn't very long to sell up, is it?  It does sound as if discussion is going on in the background with the French authorities as to how the chronic sick will be treated - hopefully we'll learn more shortly.

Minefield.

[Nickel]

I agree entirely - I was just trying to put a different slant on things - the 7,000 of us ( "we few, we happy few") come next March will have reduced in number - some having moved elswhere, some having died ( sorry) , some rejoining as residents and as you say two and a half years later we will all be back in the system anyway, so what will France have achieved during this time in trying to reduce their Health Care budget deficit - apart from creating a few more employment opportunities  to help sort out the 'minefield'??

Maybe they think once we are in the 'private sector' there we shall remain.

 

 

  

[cooperlola]

The 7,000 are current E106 holders.  The far greater number are those between E106 and E121, whose number, it has been admitted is "not known."  Many will be paying quite a lump of money into the CMU each year - obviously most of it unwelcome!!  As far as I know, my own membership of the CMU is only known to my own CPAM for example, insofar as my status as an "inactif" from Britain is concerned.  I'm not convinced that anybody really knows what the effect will be.  We've heard about the cases of those who are, sadly, ill at present, but I'll bet there are loads out there who have put far more money into the system than they have taken out.  We are two.

The total number of Brits in France is 200,000 or so.  Who knows how many of those will be affected?  More importanly, how many of them know they will be, and in what way?

[Maricopa]

[quote user="cooperlola"]

All E106's last for 2 years + an odd few months depending on when they started.  [/quote]

As a new member on this forum, I  don't like to disagree with a longstanding member quite so soon, but in this instance I feel I must!

Not all E106's last for 2 years+.  It all depends on when the E106 runs from and how much NI has been paid in the TAX year of issue.

For example, our own E106's were issuen in June2006 and are valid until 8th Jan 2008, because we hadn't paid enough tax in the 2006/2007 tax year (about£4,500) for vailidity until Jan 2009. 

I have no idea why it is the 8th of Jan, but that is what it is? To get New Year out of the way perhaps!!!!!![:D]

[Glyn]

Nickel,

I tend to agree with you. It would seem that if the 5 year rule applies we are only talking about having to 'go private' for 3 years. Seems to be a lot of work for nothing, which makes me think that maybe the '5 year' rule is just a smoke screen to calm things down a bit. Just like the other message from the British Embassy about the changes not applying to existing residents[;-)]

I also think that the changes make the cover provided by the E106 a bit of a risk. OK so you will get free membership to the health system for up to 2 years but what happens if you contract a long term illness during this period and are then forced to find private cover when the E106 expires.

It seems that there could be an argument for not getting an E106 and taking out private insurance from day 1. At least then you know that anhything you contract from then on wil be covered.

It feels like sorting out your healthcare cover is like going to the casino or races. Just one big gamble[:)]

[Nickel]

Glyn

a very valid point -I think if I were still in the UK contemplating moving to France I would include the costs of full private health insurance in my calculations and  budget accordingly ( a luxury we who are already here no longer have - and this is why the retrospective element is so unjust).

One hopes that the insurance companies will need and try to be  attractive to its new clientelle - the thought of us being able to "leave" them after 2-3 years may result in premiums encouraging us to stay with them longer - or is that just wishful thinking?

[cooperlola]

Yes, Marcopia, you are right, sorry (mine only lasted a year, for a kick off![:-))])

[Maricopa]

No probs cooperlola, I guess all our thoughts are getting as addled as your spelling of my handle![Www]

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Maricopa"]No probs cooperlola, I guess all our thoughts are getting as addled as your spelling of my handle![Www][/quote][:D]  Ooops.

PS Do you think private health insurance would cover addling of the brain?

[Maricopa]

Only if you could convince them that it wasn't pre-existing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![:D]