Health care in France beyond E-106....Please help!

[Sarahd]

Hello everyone.

Would much appreciate some help regarding necessary health cover in France for myself and young baby (born in France 10 months ago) after my E-106 runs out in a couple of months' time.

To cut along story short I am a full time resident in France but my husband is only a part-timer over here and still works and gains a salary back in England.

Therefore our house in France is my principal residence as it is for our 10 month old baby who was born in France. Both baby and I are registered with the French authorities although my son has both a French birth certificate and a consular birth certificate from the British Embassy in Paris. He also holds a U.K. baby passport as is the norm for a baby born in France to English parents.

I do not do any sort of work in France and take benefit of my husband's U.K. salary (not very high I'm afraid) to live over here. My husband pays all tax to the Inland Revenue on his U.K. salary as is normal for a U.K. resident and is fully up to date with his N.I. contributions. He obviously has full health care with the NHS back in England and uses an E-111 for emergency cover when he is in France.

My E-106 is about to run out and I wonder, under the circumstances, how myself and our baby stand for health cover in France.

As I earn no salary in France am I entitled to any degree of free health cover over here or do I have to pay for it in full once the E-106 runs out?

How does my baby stand for health cover as a European citizen born to English parents in France?

At present he is accomodated under my no. Securite Social with CPAM and my/his medical costs are reimbursed through the same procedure with L'Assurance Maladie (CPAM) courtesy of my E-106.

Will I be exempt from having to pay the normal rate for health care as I have no salary in France or because of my husband's U.K. salary will he have to pay for my healthcare in France, plus the cost of our son's healthcare.

I have heard that it could cost up to 8% of one's salary to fund health care in France -

i) Is this accurate?

ii) As I personally do not have a salary how much would I have to pay?

My husband also has full BUPA cover from his employer in England which extends to all immediate family members (spouse and children) - Will this help in anyway?

If anyone has been or is in a similar situation with their partner still working in the U.K. but they themselves living but not working in France could they please give me some advice.

Many, many thanks in advance.

Sarah.

 

[cheryl]

We're in a different position to you in that we both live in France, but our E106 runs out at the end of the year too.

I wrote to Newcastle and they have said that they will send a letter for me to take to CPAM saying that the UK will no longer pay for our health care.

My understanding is that we then pay 8% of income above a certain allowance to be covered in the same way as a French person.

I'll just have to see how it goes!

Cheryl

[Owen]

Hello,

Like so many others you have gone about this incorrectly. Fortunately in your case the situation is retrievable. Your husband should do what he ought to have done from the start and obtain E109 from Newcastle. E109 is issued when one spouse lives and pays NI contributions in one EU state and the dependants live in another which appears to be the case here. The E109 will be valid as long as this continues to be the case and you and your baby will be covered to the same level as any other French citizen ie; you should consider taking out a complementary insurance to cover the difference. As is the case now, your husband will not have the level of cover you have and should continue to use E111/private insurance to cover his stays in France.

Regards

Peter Owen

pjowen@expathealthdirect.co.uk

[Sarahd]

Thank you both very much for your replies.

Peter, thank you for the guidance and I think this does answer the question.

Only thing, however, I would point out is that my husband sent a detailed explanatory letter to Newcastle 2 years ago clarifying our exact situation to them.

Newcastle's clear advice and instruction to us was for yours truly (ie. myself as my husband's spouse located permanently in France) to make use of the E-106 form for full duration that it would apply. In my case this was a two year period.

Consequently I was issued by Newcastle with the E-106 Form and CPAM in France accepted this and my Health Cover in France was endorsed accordingly.

I have to say it does seem perfectly logical to me for Health Care provision in France to be initially provided to me and my son courtesy of my valid N.I. contributions to the U.K. Authorities transferred to France via the E-106 Form.

This just seems like common sense to me.

Surely under such circumstances the transfer of health care provision to myself and my son via the E-109 should not take place, logically, until the validity of my E-106 Form has run out?

Otherwise I would not be making use of my valid N.I. contributions already paid to the U.K. Authorities. Certainly, I would imagine, the U.K. Authorities would be keen for me to use up my own valid N.I contributions before providing "free" cover for me in France via my husband's health entitlement back in the U.K. - wouldn't they?

Maybe I am missing something here but it does seem to make sense that my husband should only now at this stage be applying for an E-109 Form on my behalf?

Nevertheless, thank you very, very much for the guidance and I think this does point me in the correct direction and solve the issue of future healthcare for my son & I.

I just wish Newcastle had explained things in a bit more detail at the time that my husband wrote to them.................................................................................................................