Long time Australian residents moving to France - Health cover

[allan37]

My wife and I will be retiring to France. We both hold British passports, but I have lived in Australia since I was 14 and neither of us have worked in the U.K. My wife holds an Australian passport as well as British. We both receive a part Australian age pension. What sort of health care will we be entitled to? Can somebody point us in the right direction?

Thanks,

Allan

[Sunday Driver]

Once you have been permanently resident in France for three months, you are required to register with the state heathcare insurance regime - known as "couverture maladie universelle".  Under this arrangement, the state will meet around 70% of your healthcare costs and you are advised to take out a commercial top-up policy (usually known as a complimentaire or mutuelle) to cover the remaining shortfall.  You can obtain one from most insurers.

You will need to register with your local caisse primaire d'assurance maladie (CPAM).  That's the office that will issue your new social security number and manage your health insurance account.  You will need to produce your passports, birth and marriage certificates, proof of address and a bank RIB (account details for your reimbursements).  You'll receive a paper attestation detailing your cover, then later on, you'll receive plastic carte vitales, which automate the charging process and avoid you having to pay up front for treatment.

You will have to pay CMU contributions, currently calculated on a basis of 8% of your taxable income less allowances, over a threshold of 7,083 euros.  The threshold is reviewed every September.  These are are collected from you on a quarterly basis (normally by direct debit) by an organisation called URSSAF.

The costing system for French healthcare is complex - treatments are covered by standard tariffs, but in some cases where the costs are permitted to exceed the tariff, you should make sure your top-up will cover the excess.  Certain serious illnesses (affections de longue duree) are covered 100%, subject to recommendation by your doctor and pre-approval by CPAM.

You can find full details of the French healthcare system and schedules of specific costs on their [url=http://www.ameli.fr]website[/url].

 

 

 

[allan37]

Thanks so much for that information - that's just what we were looking for.

Will our birth and marriage certificates need to be translated into French?

Allan

[Sunday Driver]

Our's didn't need to be....[:)]

 

[allan37]

Thanks Sunday Driver.

To my delight, I noticed that the CPAM has an English speaking advice line. Will we be able to get everything organized with them with our limited French? Our French language skills are questionable atm!

Allan

[Sunday Driver]

You will have to register with the CPAM office which is based in your department.  The English speaking helpline is (I believe) offered by one of the CPAM offices in a "Brit" area up north and gives advice on the procedures as well as helping you sort out any problems by telephoning your local office on your behalf.

If you check with your Mairie, you'll find that the local CPAM representative visits the towns in the area (usually one morning a fortnight) to deal with any queries.  If you meet up with him/her, they will help you fill in the forms and sort things out for you.  You'll need to fill in a simple CMU application form and a short questionnaire, and provide proof of income for the past three years, eg tax returns, bank statements, etc.  It's not too complex and if you bring all the right information/papers, they are usually helpful.  Good practice for your French as well.....

 

[allan37]

Excellent. Thanks Sunday Driver!