Accidents happen, and if you plan to buy property in France, or even just visit, it’s important to know how to get the medical care you need in an emergency.
France has one of the best health care systems in the world, which is funded by the working population. Around 20% of a French employee’s salary is deducted at the source, to go towards the Sécurité sociale, which finances the healthcare system. Every person in France has the right to see a doctor or other health care professional, and to receive emergency treatment. Treatment is paid for at the point of delivery, with those who subscribe to the Sécurité sociale being reimbursed a percentage of this fee around ten days later.
Within the French medical system, all medical treatment has a cost or ‘tarif’. Around 97% percent of French medical practitioners subscribe to this tarif, and charge standard rates for treatment; they are defined as conventioné. Medical practitioners who are non-conventioné are able to charge different fees. The average price for a consultation with a doctor is €21 or around £14 and for those who subscribe to the Sécurité sociale, around €13.70 or £9.20 would be reimbursed. However, even practitioners who subscribe to conventioné can charge more than the tarif de conventioné demands, if it is “reasonable and tactful” to do so. This extra charge is known as a depassement, and you are likely to come across them in affluent areas like Paris or the Cote d’Azur region.
It’s also possible to take out an insurance policy to cover the medical care that will not be refunded by the Sécurité sociale. You may just wish to take out a policy to cover emergency medical care, or you may choose a policy which covers the price of any regular medication you require. There are many companies – French and British - who offer such policies.
If you are not classed as a resident in France, you will need a European Health Insurance Card. This entitles you to necessary medical care, and you can apply online, or if you need an EHIC within a week, you can call the Prescription Pricing Authority on 0845 606 2030.
If you are a resident in France, you will not qualify for an EHIC, and will need to affiliate to the French medical system. If you are receiving state benefits, including pensions, you will need to fill out form E121, available from the Department of Work and Pensions. If you do not qualify for state benefits nor work in France, you will instead need to request an E106 form. If you are employed in France, your employer should help you to affiliate with the French healthcare system.