Charges for Medicines

[Dave@MossleyRegards Dave]

Hi, Thanks for the advice regarding epilepsy.

I've a few questions regarding precriptions

Do you get a precription in the same way as the UK ie go see a doctor?

Can you get a repeat precription from a doctor?

Are there set charges for each type of drug / medicine?

Are there any types of drugs that are "free" from the pharmacy?

Regards, have a good weekend,

 Dave

 

 

[Tourangelle]

This is just based on personal experience and I don't have any long term conditions to deal with, but

Prescriptions at the doctors, as in the UK

You can get repeat prescriptions. I have never heard of the rather good system in the UK of phoning your doctor and getting the repeat prescription sent to the pharmacy working here. A great pity.

There are set prices for prescription drugs, in the sense that if it is on the list of reimbursed medicines, then it doesn't matter what chemist you go to it will cost you the same. But there are not fixed charges. You will pay the cost of the medecine (and then get it back, well there are lots of ins and outs with this, in that for example with my social security and mutuel I end up paying nothing usually because they are linked on my carte vitale, so it is automatic. Others aren't always so lucky, it just depends)

Drugs are not as such free from the pharmacy, but some conditions reimbursed at 100%

Hope this helps, I am sure somebody else will correct anything that is wrong or missed out...

[Mpprh]

Hi

Your carte Vitale carries coverage for a certain amount. This is normally 70 %, but could be more or less according to the medecine.

Certain people : serious illness, long term illness, pregnant (I think), old aged, etc get 100% automatically.

Then your mutualite tops up (or not !) according to which scheme you are on.

Your local pharmacie has a computer, reads your cards, does the calculations and charges the net amount. Otherwise, you pay and then reclaim.

I put my stuff on my wifes card because she has a better mutualite.

Peter

 

 

 

 

 

[Hereford]

"Old age" as such does not qualify you for 100%!  My parents are 81 and 82 and they pay the excess over the normal 70% or so re-imbursement.

Mrs H.

[Coco]

Ah, now that's interesting, and something I've been meaning to check out.  When my mum went into a clininque here last summer to have a replacement hip op (her choice) she was asked if she had a mutuelle when checking in, and faces were pulled when she said she hadn't, but she was happy to pay the top-up part, just to get it done.  However, when her bills came through she was 100% reimburse for everything, except the private room.  Whenever she gets any prescription drugs from the pharmacy these are also 100% reimbursed.  My step-dad, who is younger than her, has had to pay about 40% for any drugs that he has, as one would expect.  However, he is 65 next week and has received a letter from Newcastle, with an E121 to give to CPAM and the letter states that he will now automatically be fully reimbursed for all medical bills (via the NHS) because he has paid adequate NI in the UK.  He was also told that he can have the choice of being treated in the UK by the NHS if he prefers, but he may have to wait a while  They've been living here for 2 and a hlaf years now and I was sure that even though they are both now pensioners, they would still need a mutuelle for top-ups.  Just as well I didn't bully them into getting one because so far absolutely everything my mum has needed has been fully reimbursed, and from the letter that my step-dad received it appears that he will be now as well.  Plus, I had no idea that as pensioners they could maintain the right to treatment under the NHS, even though they live permanently in France!!!

Has anyone else experienced this?

[Tourangelle]

I have just been looking into whether or not it is worth my (French) mother in law (70+) continuing with her mutuel at the same level, as when you hit 70 more things are reimbursed at a better rate, such as home visits from the doctor for example.

For Coco's mum, the operation must have been considered to be "d'une certaine gravité" and therefore reimbursed at 100% as explained on this goverment site

http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F164.xhtml

and the cost for the "private room" would have been the forfait hospitalier (which is supposed to cover food and so on) which is 14 euros a day, plus presumably extra for the private room. Mutuels seem to cover the forfait hospitalier and some the cost of a private room. It seems it is not random, but it is complicated!!!

Interesting about the NHS, would this work the other way around I wonder (not that I know anybody who'd go to Britain as a health tourist)

[Coco]

That could explain a lo then.  My mum's 75.  Also, with the hip op, she didn't go direct to the clinique as several people suggested, but followed the british route of asking her GP first.  He asked her to try some drugs for a month and when there was no improvement in her sleeping pattern, due to the pain from the hip, he referred her to an orthopaedic specialist, so presumably he had decided that it was "d'une certain gravité".  Thanks for the explanation.  As for the private room - I think the cost was still less than the monthly payments for a mutuelle, so she may as well stay as she is, on  "pay as you go"!!!

[Jackie]

My experience, having AS and Crohn's, is that the doc gives me a prescription for Sulfasalazine valid for three visits to the chemist. This means that I only need to see him about three times a year. It is important to note, that with many drugs taken long term, a check-up at intervals by the doctor is advisable as there could be early signs of problems due to taking the drug, which only he would notice. Blood tests may also be required for the same reason and the frequency here in France is greater than in the UK in my experience. In hospital or clinics I have found that the carte vitale and the attestation from the mutual covered most things so that little or no money changed hands and likewise with the chemist. My GP needs paying at the time of the visit but his taking of the carte vitale details in his desktop machine means a quicker response for refunds from the CPAM......................................John not Jackie

[Dorothy]

Hi,I'm new to this,so apologies if I repeat what other people have said.If anyone can clarify for me:

I am diabetic with consequent heart problems resulting in triple by-pass about 4 years ago.I retired prematurely then,but still pay class 3 contributions in Britain to enable me to get the full pension when I am 62 in 7 years time.We will be moving to France sometime in 2006.

So,do I need full private health insurance,or top-up,do I get free prescriptions as in GB,do I pay into the French social security,or what? I am really confused! Also,when do the French consider one to "be retired" - 60.65?Any help will be very gratefully received!

Dorothy