Semi-resident in France and UK: what's the best route to health care cover?

[Le Bastiais]

My wife and I (68 and 65, both in pretty good health generally) alternate between our house in the UK and flat in France. We ahve just started a 5-month stay in France - our first really extended stay - and are baffled as to what to do about health cover. We are not really planning to become "residents" here in the sense of abandoning our UK base, but we may well spend up to 50% of our time here (though with trips back and for). Should we get an S1 and register for a carte vitale? We have our (UK issued) EHIC cards, and travel insurance for trips up to 90 days, but these only cover "urgent" care. We are perfectly prepared to pay for top up insurance but the first thing is to get the basics sorted. Help please!

[Will]

For a five month stay your EHIC will give you exactly the same cover as you would get through S1, or indeed if you joined the French health system outright, so stick with that. A lot of people think that EHIC is merely a replacement for the old E111 which was for urgent treatment during temporary stays, but the EHIC replaced other forms too so its scope is wider. You can, for instance, get treatment for existing conditions, though 'health tourism' - i.e. going to another country specifically for treatment - is outside its scope. This explains the extent of coverage: http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/Whatiscovered.aspx

If you spend more time in France than anywhere else then strictly speaking you then need to join the French system. That can open many cans of worms, though as you are both over state retirement age it is more straightforward, but you would would be well advised to use the EHIC if you possibly can.

You say travel insurance covers you up to 90 days, and ask about top-up assurance. I understand Exclusive Healthcare, and no doubt others, can arrange top-up cover for EHIC holders.

[Le Bastiais]

Thanks, Will, that's extremely helpful. I had indeed assumed that the EHIC was more or less the same as the old E111, and the difference is important to us. I did suspect that changing our "official" country of residence would open a can of worms so I am happy to avoid that.

[Loiseau]

[quote user="Will"]...This explains the extent of coverage: http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/Whatiscovered.aspx

...

[/quote]

I found that link brought up an NHS page that required username and password, Will.  Not sure if it's a temporary glitch, but anyway I have found another source of the information from the NHS here.

Angela