tigerfeet Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 they need to update their website ,it still has this adviceIn France, it is normally possible for people living there without any other form of sickness insurance cover to join the Couverture Maladie Universelle (CMU) scheme. This is a low cost contribution-based health insurance scheme. They will need to make enquiries about this with the French Embassy or at the local sickness insurance office - Caisse Primaire d'Assurance-Maladie (CPAM) - in France, when they move there.http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1113059900934 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krusty Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 Unless they are playing the waiting game like most of us , see what happens ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 See THISupdated pageClearly the Paris branch is out of step. I feel another letter coming on.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 What still continues to worry me is that there is no mention of dependants on that page.The following is extracted from the page that Cooperlola quotes.People already over retirement age who are holders of an E121 which isregistered with the French authorities will remain unaffected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 OK Benjamin, I'll add another sentence![:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 So kind Cooperlola and even after I gave you a ticking off. [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 Water off a duck's back, Benjamin![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 E-mail sent :"Dear SirI am disturbed to note that your websitehttp://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1113059900934continues to suggest to prospective movers to France, that they are able to join the French state healthcare system. It has been quite clear to "those in the know" that the French government is withdrawing this right from non-nationals. Even your sister site in the UK reflects this:http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1165343995323#healthAnd furthermore, no mention is made of the fact that dependents are included on most E forms.Given that life-changing decisions may be based on your information, surely you have a duty of care to ensure that it is at least correct?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramac Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 Oooh she's good isn't she![:D]Many thanks for all your continuing efforts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 You're welcome. I'm just off to Jim Murphy's bloghttp://blogs.fco.gov.uk/blogs/jim_murphy/default.aspxto point this out to him too.[Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 Just to keep everybody up to date on my response re this - I got this reply this morning:"Thank you for your message. I am sorry that you do not find the information we have given out to be sufficient. However, we are only giving out the information which the French Ministry of Health has given us. This is French law, therefore all the information we publish has been issued by the French authorities. I assure you that the information on our website is, to this date, accurate. Our Health Attaché is in regular contact with the French government and we update our website according to the information we are given by the French Ministry of Health. There has been no change in the information given to us by the French Ministry of Health, therefore I confirm that the information on our website still stands." So I replied: "Thank you for replying to me. However, I find your response very odd. Considering that the French government itself has published this information on its Social Security website http://www.securite-sociale.fr/comprendre/europe/europe/cmu_inactifs.htm Also, as said before, you OWN site in the UK actually does seem to know about the above. http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1165343995323#health Are you saying that the French government has informed the FCO in London about the changes, but not those of you based in Paris. I find that hard to believe!" To which I got this response (it gets better, keep going..) "Our website does not imply to prospective movers that they can continue to receive health care in France once they have settled here. It sets out the elements of the new measure very clearly and all information on our website has been provided to us by the French Ministry of Health. This is a French law, so we only communicate what the French Ministry of Health has communicated to us. The link you refer to as our "sister site" in the UK, is our own site in Paris and the information is accurate and not in any way misleading:" Me again: "Thanks for that. However, I'm sorry but to me, this ( a direct quote from the page I indicate) http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1113059900934 "In France, it is normally possible for people living there without any other form of sickness insurance cover to join the Couverture Maladie Universelle (CMU) scheme. This is a low cost contribution-based health insurance scheme. They will need to make enquiries about this with the French Embassy or at the local sickness insurance office - Caisse Primaire d'Assurance-Maladie (CPAM) - in France, when they move there." implies that CMU is possible - in fact however many times I read it,it still says that! "There is a very slim chance that it might be possible in very rare circumstances" would appear to me to be a better way of putting it, the way things are going. Especially as this is aimed at new movers to France and it suggests that they enquire once they have moved." Then her again :"You are looking at an out-of-date web page. See the following link for the updated version: http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1064572873553#SSHC Aha, I think, that's my problem; so I click on the link.... and.... guess what? My next reply: "Thanks. I've followed that link and here's a quote from it: "If you have been resident in France for longer than 3 months and have proof of income, you can apply to be covered by Universal Health Cover (Couverture Maladie Universelle or CMU). The CMU is a medical health cover scheme designed to ensure that everyone (people on low income or in receipt of the RMI Revenue Mininum d’Insertion) are covered by the Social Security for basic medical costs. It is not available to people already compulsorily insured under another scheme; e.g. if you are in salaried employment. For more information, in French, please visit the French Social Security site below:" The amelie website to which this links (which is the healthcare, not the social security site, btw - different beasts altogether), still suggests - once you get there that the CMU does not discriminate against the non French born. http://www.ameli.fr/fiches-synthetiques/c.m.u.-et-c.m.u.-complementaire_charente.php Ever felt like you were in a Whitehall farce?" I await a further response.....[:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 Coops, this is indeed kafkaesque. For people who don't know or have never read Kafka, I can only tell you that the situation Coops is describing is pure Kafka. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maricopa Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 [quote user="cooperlola"]http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1064572873553#SSHC[/quote] cooperlola, another clue to how up to date this page is, lower down it still talks about E111's[:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I am surprised that anyone would expect a British Embassy to advise them on the law in France any more than I would expect a French Embassy to advise me on the law in the UK.If you doubt me read the **** printed on your passport "......... without let or hindrance ..............". Perhaps someone should tell the mandarins of Whitehall that (sadly) Palmerston is long gone and the Navy doesn't have any gunboats to send anyway.Johnnot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 [quote user="Iceni"]I am surprised that anyone would expect a British Embassy to advise them on the law in France any more than I would expect a French Embassy to advise me on the law in the UK.If you doubt me read the **** printed on your passport "......... without let or hindrance ..............". Perhaps someone should tell the mandarins of Whitehall that (sadly) Palmerston is long gone and the Navy doesn't have any gunboats to send anyway.Johnnot[/quote]The inner front page of my passport does not mention gunboats but contains a perfectly reasonable request albeit written in "diplomat-speak" so what exactly is your point in the above Palmerston / gunboat comment????? Perhaps you dont like the words "let or hindrance," however, they are perfectly normal English language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Yes pd, I dont understand the problems with the wording either. In fact it is a rather nice turn of phrase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Iceni, I sort of take your point, but why give incorrect advice? Better none at all than to continue to mislead people.And yes, I agree Woolyb, lovely language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 It may be a rather nice turn of phrase but it means nothing - and IMHO harks back to the days when Britain was a great power. I cannot travel the world without let or hindrance (or a visa in many cases) and the days when HMG might have come galloping to rescue me from Johnny Foreigner are long gone. As with the inaccurate info on the Embassy website, better to say nothing than mislead.Johnnot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 [quote user="Iceni"]It may be a rather nice turn of phrase but it means nothing - and IMHO harks back to the days when Britain was a great power. I cannot travel the world without let or hindrance (or a visa in many cases) and the days when HMG might have come galloping to rescue me from Johnny Foreigner are long gone. As with the inaccurate info on the Embassy website, better to say nothing than mislead.Johnnot[/quote]I still dont get your point Iceni, the whole statement is a request, it only means nothing if the person requested ignores the request. Nowhere on a passport does it state or imply that HMG would or might come galloping to rescue you, it never has said that, not even on the old blue one.As a point of interest, there are still some places in the World where being British does actually mean special (ie preferential) treatment, a number of those are in the Middle East. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boiling a frog Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 The Embassy and Consular staff do offer assistance and advice in case of emergency.We had excellent service from the vice consul in Chicago earlier this year after my wifes sister died leaving a handicaped son .The vice consul went to the hospital,liased with us,met relatives at the airport,arranged the funeral,arranged for the handicaped son to be admitted to a care home,gave us legal advice,arranged for a lawyer and all at no charge.She also apologised being absent for half a day as she had to visit a British citizen who had been arrested in another city in North west America.So you could say that the Embassy staff come galloping to the rescue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 [quote user="powerdesal"]As a point of interest, there are still some places in the World where being British does actually mean special (ie preferential) treatment, a number of those are in the Middle East.[/quote]I should hope so too - the bribes must bring some benefits.Johnnot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 [quote user="powerdesal"]I still dont get your point Iceni, the whole statement is a request, [/quote]Hmm, mine says "requests and requires" . Does that mean that I have a valuable misprint ?Johnnot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Well, I have lived in the Middle East for some 22 years and I've never paid a bribe yet, nor anything that could be construed as a bribe. Niether have I ever been offerred one [:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 [quote user="Iceni"][quote user="powerdesal"]I still dont get your point Iceni, the whole statement is a request, [/quote]Hmm, mine says "requests and requires" . Does that mean that I have a valuable misprint ?Johnnot[/quote]Being a tad pedantic somewhat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 To add insult to injury, the health attache is on annual leave for 2 weeks now, and nobody will answer any queries "in her absence."[:@] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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