CPAM How will I be covered?

[sony]

I am 27 years of age and have been very ill for quite a few years now- the NHS is letting me down badly and I'd like to go back "home" and would like to start afresh with doctors who have more than 5 minutes to listen to you and offer more solutions that giving you paracetamols and signing you off with stress.

I have dual nationality French / English, and I left France in 2000 for England to study. I returned to Versailles in France briefly in 2003 for a year. I held a "carte vitale" whilst in Versailles and of course I still have my social security number.

I will definitely return to settle in France in January 2011 - but I would not have a job for a while.

What happens healthwise? If I need tablets / surgery, etc. ... Will I be entitled to the same level of care of a French citizen who has lived in France continuously?

Will my card be still valid or should it be renewed? Is there a mandatory waiting period before receiving care? What is the rate of reimbursement by the basic health insurance?

Should I go for a "mutuelle complementaire"?

[cooperlola]

This was the best I could come up with:

http://www.ameli.fr/assures/droits-et-demarches/par-situation-professionnelle/vous-etes-sans-emploi/vous-etes-chomeur/vous-n-etes-plus-indemnise-par-pole-emploi.php

There's a lot more info' on this website including a lot about going abroad but not much about what happens when you get back.  However, as a French citizen I cannot see how you can be refused CMU entry - whether you'd get Complementaire (in which case you may not need top-up) will much depend upon your financial situation (ie whether you have any income, either from work or another source.)  I'd go direct to your CPAM and they will either issue you with a new card or renew the old one - I doubt it still works as it has to be updated when your Attestation renews. 

Sorry, I'm not very helpful but it's a situation that's a bit rare for most of us on here - the majority are either non-native French who work or are retired here, plus a few native French who've worked here for some time.  Hopefully, though, somebody will know if you don't find what you want on the Ameli website.

The other website which can help is CLEISS which is Europe based:

http://www.cleiss.fr/docs/regimes/regime_france.html

They have a helpline which is pretty clued up and an e-mail facility:

http://www.cleiss.fr/presentation/contact.html

[sony]

Thank you very much for your help! I hope it won't be too much of a nightmare. I need to know all the facts before I leave the UK for sure though- I can pay my way in everyway but wouldn't have a penny left for paying the full cost of healthcare.

What does the couverture de base cover though?

[cooperlola]

De Base (what I'll refer to as CMU -B) and complementaire (CMU-C) cover the same things (sort of!) but B you pay 8% of your income for, and C you don't pay for.  

The state pays around 60 to 70% of your costs and you can buy top-up for the rest.  However, if your income is really low, then you get the rest free also.  The level of aid and cover is related to your earnings (or lack of them.)  Long term chronic illnesses are covered 100% but must be on the list of ALDs (as they are know) to qualify and must be signed off by your doctor.

Both are compared here:

 http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/N19717.xhtml

It's pretty clear to me from looking at that that a French citizen has virtually automatic entry into CMU after three months (if he or she has no rights via an employment scheme) - stable residence seems to be the only criteria, thus it looks as if a home address and  French nationality are  all you need.

You therefore need to think about how you'll cover the first three months.

 

[sony]

I genuinely can't thank you enough- all this info is very helpful. I hope the French will get to the the bottom of what's wrong.

[cooperlola]

You're welcome.  Note that I've edited my post a bit because it seems you need to have been here for three months.  Are you working in the UK?  Do you pay a stamp for social security?  Because if so you probably have rights to some cover paid for by the UK also (known as an S1 - formerly the E106.) 

[sony]

Sadly, no, I haven't worked since 2004 in the UK. It's been a while, it's been hell. I've waited too long and now am in a bit of a mess. Still, hopefully, it's not too late!

[cooperlola]

Bon courage, whatever! 

I would certainly put your problem to CLEISS to begin with and see what gives.  Sadly, without an employment history, the UK won't foot the bill for you, even for a short time.If you have even a bit of a plan as to where you will settle, then it's probably worth approaching that department's CPAM direct and asking.  As you say, the last thing you want to do is to arrive here with no cover if you have health problems.

[sony]

[quote user="cooperlola"]

Bon courage, whatever! 

I would certainly put your problem to CLEISS to begin with and see what gives.  Sadly, without an employment history, the UK won't foot the bill for you, even for a short time.If you have even a bit of a plan as to where you will settle, then it's probably worth approaching that department's CPAM direct and asking.  As you say, the last thing you want to do is to arrive here with no cover if you have health problems.

[/quote]

I've emailed cleiss earlier- they should be of help so looking forward to their response.

I should have some form of cover either way- as you pointed out surely having the French nationality should help!

[Albert the InfoGipsy]

My wife is French and moved (back) to France a while before me. She went straight onto cover via CPAM with an attestation, although it took ages for them to sort out her Carte Vital.

[5-element]

I too have dual nationality.  When I returned to France after decades away I still had my French social security number (but it was all on file anyway), I was "taken back" into the system straightaway. For that, I had to go to CAF and register with them first, also register as a jobseeker with what is now Pole Emploi. Somewhere within the sequence, I registered with CPAM. If you have no work lined up, CAF is the place to start with (Caisse Allocations Familiales) - unless it has changed a lot in the last 10 years.