Health cover

[Darren, Vicky and Amelia]

Hello

 

Can anyone help with my query, My parents have decided to move here as soon as their house sells in UK. My father has been ill all his life with kidney failure, although he now has a transplant. They have decided it is time to slow down the pace of life. Both my parents are around 55 years old. My father has to have medicines every day, and blood tests every 6 months.

If they went ahead and got their carte vitale would this be covered on it?

Would the cost of the carte vitale be high for them?

If no one knows the answer where is the best place to find out this info?

Thank you in advance for any info,

 

Vicky

[La Vette]

No medical questions are asked when applying for a carte vitale and there is no charge.  You need to prove you are who you say, birth certificate, marriage cert, passport (all of these) and prove where you live, (utility bills) plus they will want bank account details for any reimbursements.  When you have treatment you pay up front but it is not very expensive, for example a full range of blood tests cost me 24 euros and I received a refund of 17.  If your father qualifies for 100% refund (for certain life long illnesses) he will get back everything he pays out for that illness except for 1 euro.

You can take out top up insurance but someone else will have to advise on that as I have not yet done that (I already get back 100% for diabetes).

 

[Sunday Driver]

When your parents arrive in France, they will need to register with the state healthcare insurance scheme (couverture maladie universelle).  They will then receive the same benefits as any other french resident, ie they will be reimbursed on average, around 70% of their healthcare costs.  They should therefore take out a complimentary insurance policy (sometimes referred to as a "mutuelle") to cover the shortfall.  Certain serious/long term/life threatening illnesses (affections de longue duree) qualify for 100% reimbursement.  Your father's kidney complaint may qualify for this, in which case your doctor will submit a recommendation to your local CPAM who will then decide.  If this is the case, only treatment relating to that specific condition will be 100% reimbursed.

CMU contributions amount to 8% of taxable income (after allowances) above a 7,000 euro threshold.  However, if your parents apply to the DWP for a form E106 before they leave the UK, then this will exempt them from CMU contrubution for up to two years (this period is dependent upon their previous UK contributions history).  After that period of grace expires, they will have to start paying themselves, their contributions being calculated using their most recent French tax reference code.  Once either parent reaches UK state retirement age, they will qualify for a form E121 which exempts them from CMU contributions for life.

There are also provisons in place for low income families.  In broad terms, if their joint taxable income (after allowances) is less than 7,000 euros, then they will be exempt from paying CMU contributions.  If their joint income is below 900 euros a month, then they may qualify for free complimentary top-up cover.

 

[Owen]

Hello Sunday Driver,

Your information concerning contributions to CMU is incorrect.

If the annual joint income of a couple after allowances (as represented by the "revenu fiscal de reference" (RFR) on the "avis d'impot") is less than 10768 Euros then basic healthcare will be free and it will be possible to apply for a free complementary insurance. If this threshold is exceeded then the contribution will be based on the 8% of the difference between 6965 Euros and the RFR. If the contribution is 32 Euros or less per quarter then it will be waived.

The 6965 figure is likely to be increased with effect 1 October 2006.

Regards

Peter Owen

pjowen@expathealthdirect.co.uk

[Sunday Driver]

Peter

My information concerning contributions to CMU was intended to reflect the likely situation relating to the original poster's parents, on the assumption that, like most people on this forum, they would have a joint income greater that the euro equivalent of  £7,300 per annum.  I included the additional points about low income families merely as a general indication of the exceptions available. 

PS: I understand that the 10,768 euro threshold for free CMU and complimentary insurance is not based solely on the RFR, but takes into account joint resources and allowances in totality and a more detailed financial declaration is required (source: ameli.fr)

 

 

[Owen]

Hello SD,

Regarding your PS, I was very careful to say in my posting that "it will be possible to apply for a free complementary insurance". I did not say there would be an automatic entitlement for those below the income threshold for the reasons to which you refer, Indeed, proper advice should be sought before applying for a free "top up". Otherwise you can find yourself up to your a*** in alligators when the original idea was to drain the swamp.

Regards

Owen

pjowen@expathealthdirect.co.uk

[Darren, Vicky and Amelia]

Hello

 

Thank you for all your information, I will be passing this on to my parents.

 

Vicky

[Owen]

Hello Vicky,

You may want to to pass on to your parents that once they are affiliated your father will probably be covered 100% for the kidney condition because treatment following an organ transplant is so covered. Can't give you a sure fire guarantee on that because it would be subject to him being examined by a doctor here in France and a case put up to CPAM.

Regards

Owen

pjowen@expathealthdirect.co.uk

[Sunday Driver]

Also, when taking out a "mutuelle", the insurer will not normally require them to complete a medical questionnaire.  That said, I declared my heart condition (100% CPAM reimbursed) to Groupama and they allowed me a 15% discount on my premiums!