EXPERT


You present your carte vitale to every


healthcare professional with whom you interact


unexpected hospitalisation, insurers may allow you to do this straight away without penalty, although always check when you take the policy out, as there could be a waiting period involved.


EXPERT ANALYSIS Fabien Pellissier is managing director of Fab Insurance. They offer a service to English- speaking clients looking to integrate into the French healthcare system, and tailor insurance policies to suit their needs. Fabien explained to me how access to healthcare now works. “Until you are a French resident with a social security number (issued by CPAM), you don’t have a right to a mutuelle. “Instead, you are required


to have cover in place before you move to France. If you’re moving with a six-month visa, you will often find that your free GHIC is adequate, but if you have a 12-month visa,


You can get policies that To call an ambulance in France dial 15; this is also the equivalent of 111 in the UK


you will need to buy private health insurance. “There are significant


cultural differences in the French system and ‘private health insurance’ as other nationals may understand it doesn’t really exist here. We usually say to people that our goal is to get you into the system. After you’ve been issued with your carte vitale,


you can think more like a local in terms of your mutuelle.” Fabien also explains to me


the way reimbursements for healthcare work in France. He says: “Everything has an index of official fees and it works on a base de remboursement du régime obligatoire. So CPAM refunds 70% of the index fee and a mutuelle will top that up to 100%.”


offer 200% or even 400% cover though, which can be hard to understand. Fabien tells me that this is because the quote you receive, for example, for dental work, will often be much higher than the index level. A policy that offers higher cover will therefore pay more of the costs, leaving you less out of pocket. “There is always an option with a mutuelle that means you don’t pay anything, but you may want to pay extra, for instance, choosing different frames for glasses. This is where a higher level of mutuelle may be useful,” he tells me. I ask Fabien what he thinks


of the French healthcare system overall. “Like everyone, we’re facing shortages of medical personnel,” he tells me, “but overall the system here works very well. If, for instance, you receive a cancer diagnosis, everything will be fast-tracked so that you get the care you need as soon as


4 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2024 51


© SHUTTERSTOCK


© SHUTTERSTOCK


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