| At the beginning of September a wave of panic | | | | need to worry as they can be covered for up to |
| and confusion passed through the expat | | | | 2 years by using the E106 form- this cost being |
| community in France : radical measures by | | | | met by the UK government. Private health care |
| France's new president would soon be introduced | | | | will have to be taken out and paid for by these |
| meaning that thousands of Britons enjoying early | | | | individuals in the long term though. Cover starts at |
| retirement in France could lose their rights to | | | | around 1800 Euros per year for a healthy 60 |
| state health care under a new law that limits | | | | year old requiring only basic cover and who is |
| benefits to nonworking expatriates. The new rules | | | | willing to pay a top-up himself for certain |
| will apply to all non French EU nationals, not only | | | | treatments. If the same person requires full cover |
| to the Brits. During his election campaign earlier | | | | then the cost of insurance will be around 2700 |
| this year Mr Sarkozy said: "If you think 53 makes | | | | Euros per year which when you compare it to |
| you old enough to retire, then fine, go ahead and | | | | the 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 to | | | | Expats who are employed, self-employed or who |
| France, are not working, and are not yet old | | | | are living with or married to a French person are |
| enough to receive a UK pension, which represents | | | | unaffected. 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 pay | | | | an E121 or E106 form. |
| contributions (8% of their income) in order to get | | | | The French government points out that, as laid |
| treatment through the French health-care system | | | | down in EU Directive 2004/38, it does not have |
| via the Couverture Medicale Universelle(CMU) but | | | | any obligation to pay the health-care costs of non |
| most of them previously covered by the NHS | | | | French EU nationals who have never worked in |
| took up French residence before retirement age | | | | the country, and nor does it have any obligation |
| and benefited from France's healthcare system | | | | to let them pay to join the French health-care |
| without even paying for it. This of course is unfair | | | | insurance system via the CMU. With the highest |
| as France should not have to foot the bill of early | | | | public spending in the EU, France is desperate to |
| retirees just because they were benevolent | | | | reduce 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 retired | | | | There are however a good number of people |
| expats on low incomes who won't be able to | | | | who come to France who are disabled or with |
| claim free health insurance via the CMU anymore | | | | serious conditions who may be denied free |
| or for those who have reached UK retirement | | | | treatment. 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, the | | | | attitude to those specific groups of people. And |
| French authorities will give them until end of March | | | | there is a possibility they will allow expats taking |
| 2008 to find private health insurance. However | | | | early retirement in France to continue paying their |
| these changes won't affect retired people | | | | health insurance contributions via the CMU. We will |
| receiving a state pension from the UK. They will | | | | not know for sure until the beginning of 2008 |
| keep their health insurance in France via form | | | | when 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 | | | | |