Will You Still Be Covered By The Health System In France?

At the beginning of September a wave of panicneed to worry as they can be covered for up to
and confusion passed through the expat2 years by using the E106 form- this cost being
community in France : radical measures bymet by the UK government. Private health care
France's new president would soon be introducedwill have to be taken out and paid for by these
meaning that thousands of Britons enjoying earlyindividuals in the long term though. Cover starts at
retirement in France could lose their rights toaround 1800 Euros per year for a healthy 60
state health care under a new law that limitsyear old requiring only basic cover and who is
benefits to nonworking expatriates. The new ruleswilling to pay a top-up himself for certain
will apply to all non French EU nationals, not onlytreatments. If the same person requires full cover
to the Brits. During his election campaign earlierthen the cost of insurance will be around 2700
this year Mr Sarkozy said: "If you think 53 makesEuros per year which when you compare it to
you old enough to retire, then fine, go ahead andthe cost of private medical cover in the UK is
retire. But don't expect the state to pay for it."actually still very reasonable.
The change concerns Britons who have retired toExpats who are employed, self-employed or who
France, are not working, and are not yet oldare living with or married to a French person are
enough to receive a UK pension, which representsunaffected. It is the same for those who are
around 6,000 people.living with or married to a person in possession of
Until now British expats were allowed to payan E121 or E106 form.
contributions (8% of their income) in order to getThe French government points out that, as laid
treatment through the French health-care systemdown in EU Directive 2004/38, it does not have
via the Couverture Medicale Universelle(CMU) butany obligation to pay the health-care costs of non
most of them previously covered by the NHSFrench EU nationals who have never worked in
took up French residence before retirement agethe country, and nor does it have any obligation
and benefited from France's healthcare systemto let them pay to join the French health-care
without even paying for it. This of course is unfairinsurance system via the CMU. With the highest
as France should not have to foot the bill of earlypublic spending in the EU, France is desperate to
retirees just because they were benevolentreduce its deficit and isn't willing to carry on
enough to do so in the past.spending to benefit immigrants.
There is a similar situation for these early retiredThere are however a good number of people
expats on low incomes who won't be able towho come to France who are disabled or with
claim free health insurance via the CMU anymoreserious conditions who may be denied free
or for those who have reached UK retirementtreatment. The negative publicity from this may
age but do not qualify for a UK pension.encourage the French authorities to re-think this
For all those expats insured via the CMU, theattitude to those specific groups of people. And
French authorities will give them until end of Marchthere is a possibility they will allow expats taking
2008 to find private health insurance. Howeverearly retirement in France to continue paying their
these changes won't affect retired peoplehealth insurance contributions via the CMU. We will
receiving a state pension from the UK. They willnot know for sure until the beginning of 2008
keep their health insurance in France via formwhen the final laws have been passed and will
E121.update you as soon as we hear about it.
In the short term, new arrivals in France don't