MORE new changes to health cover

[idun]

And this is about the french health cover for those living in France, and maybe for tourists too using their EHIC's as it could well affect them too.

French news tonight said that they were considering making radical changes to the reimbursements. Starting with no reimbursement for the first visit to the GP building up to patients paying 330€ worth of 'soins' and then the hospital would be free.

All under discussion at the moment.

I know that there have been changes since we left as friends have said that  lots of things are no longer reimbursed. And in the region I used to live there is the minimum of an 18 month wait to see an optician and long waiting times to see consultants in many fields.

[EuroTrash]

But it's only a month since they were talking about making it better by making it so that you don't have to pay upfront!

http://www.europe1.fr/Sante/Remboursement-de-la-Secu-ce-qui-va-changer-1805051/

[idun]

And today it is this.

The trouble is that for as long as I can remember the seçu has a huge black hole in it and they have to cut costs, so I daresay that we'll see even more 'ideas' coming up in the near future.

[NormanH]

For the moment it is just an idea from some economists..

http://www.lefigaro.fr/conjoncture/2014/04/03/20002-20140403ARTFIG00015-un-rapport-prone-la-gratuite-totale-a-l-hopital.php

[idun]

I know that NH, but it is being discussed never the less. Let's face they are going to do things to it one way or another, and as the french are experts at sneaking things in, who knows![Www]

[Gardian]

[quote user="idun"]French news tonight said that they were considering making radical changes to the reimbursements. Starting with no reimbursement for the first visit to the GP building up to patients paying 330€ worth of 'soins' and then the hospital would be free.

[/quote]

Forgive me if I say that this is scaremongering bollocks .................. but its scaremongering bollocks !!!

Unless somebody is able to categorically refute what I say, health care for UK bods living in France and holding an S1 is reimbursed to the French system by the UK. It used to be on a basis of 'average cost per person', re-negotiated annually. Annectodely, its now done on an 'actual cost' basis. Don't know whether that's the case - doesn't matter much.

Whatever ............ any change would have to be agreed with the UK and any such discussion would take ages.

Oh and the waiting times that you quote are quite simply non existant in this neck of the woods. Sure that you haven't mixed up the UK with France?    

[idun]

I think you have read both threads gardian and are mixing them up. I am not talking about the S1 at all. Although any changes to the reimbursements will affect holiday makers if they send their forms into the CPAM when using their EHIC's to get reimbursed.

This is not at all scaremongering, the french government will do something and whatever it

is, will hurt people's pockets, nothing is going to get 'better' at all.

Simply it is about them trying hopelessly to balance the secu books, which they have been trying to do for years now with little success. CSG etc etc well has that worked? Until now they have been eroding what people would get reimbursed  and bit by bit people have  had to pay for more and more, as  the top up does not always pick up the slack.

Egalité in the french health system does not exist. And I do understand that due to France's size they have to have equipped hospitals that are staffed in every region, but due to the lack of population in many areas, if one goes in, the chance of being seen fairly promptly must be on the cards, and I would be shocked if I was not seen quickly, IF I was ever in a region that I considered under populated and needed hospital care. As opposed to say a regular 8-10 hour wait at my old A&E.

But please, do not even imply that I don't know about where I used to live. I am in an excellent position to 'compare'. I go back fairly regularly. My son lives there with his french girlfriend, and I have loadsa friends who I speak to regularly too and we discuss such things. ie I spoke to M last week and she said that in spite of being quite ill she could not see her GP for a few days, my friend is rarely ill, she simply could not get an appointment earlier. Same friend, the specialists had the meds for her Dad all to pot and he has been very ill, they had to fight to sort that out.

Is MY France that different to the UK? I actually doubt it.  It would seem that it is very different to the other France which I really do not know. What I do know is that the deficit for the secu is horrific and they are addressing the problem.