| At the beginning of September a wave of panic | | | | In the short term, new arrivals in France |
| and confusion passed through the expat | | | | don't need to worry as they can be covered |
| community in France : radical measures by | | | | for up to 2 years by using the E106 form- |
| France's new president would soon be | | | | this cost being met by the UK government. |
| introduced meaning that thousands of Britons | | | | Private health care will have to be taken out |
| enjoying early retirement in France could | | | | and paid for by these individuals in the long |
| lose their rights to state health care under | | | | term though. Cover starts at around 1800 |
| a new law that limits benefits to nonworking | | | | Euros per year for a healthy 60 year old |
| expatriates. The new rules will apply to all | | | | requiring only basic cover and who is willing |
| non French EU nationals, not only to the | | | | to pay a top-up himself for certain |
| Brits. During his election campaign earlier | | | | treatments. If the same person requires full |
| this year Mr Sarkozy said: "If you think 53 | | | | cover then the cost of insurance will be |
| makes you old enough to retire, then fine, go | | | | around 2700 Euros per year which when you |
| ahead and retire. But don't expect the state | | | | compare it to the cost of private medical |
| to pay for it." | | | | cover in the UK is actually still very |
| | | | reasonable. |
| The change concerns Britons who have retired | | | | |
| to France, are not working, and are not yet | | | | Expats who are employed, self-employed or who |
| old enough to receive a UK pension, which | | | | are living with or married to a French person |
| represents around 6,000 people. | | | | are unaffected. It is the same for those who |
| | | | are living with or married to a person in |
| Until now British expats were allowed to pay | | | | possession of an E121 or E106 form. |
| contributions (8% of their income) in order | | | | |
| to get treatment through the French | | | | The French government points out that, as |
| health-care system via the Couverture | | | | laid down in EU Directive 2004/38, it does |
| Medicale Universelle(CMU) but most of them | | | | not have any obligation to pay the |
| previously covered by the NHS took up French | | | | health-care costs of non French EU nationals |
| residence before retirement age and benefited | | | | who have never worked in the country, and nor |
| from France's healthcare system without even | | | | does it have any obligation to let them pay |
| paying for it. This of course is unfair as | | | | to join the French health-care insurance |
| France should not have to foot the bill of | | | | system via the CMU. With the highest public |
| early retirees just because they were | | | | spending in the EU, France is desperate to |
| benevolent enough to do so in the past. | | | | reduce its deficit and isn't willing to carry |
| | | | on spending to benefit immigrants. |
| There is a similar situation for these early | | | | |
| retired expats on low incomes who won't be | | | | There are however a good number of people who |
| able to claim free health insurance via the | | | | come to France who are disabled or with |
| CMU anymore or for those who have reached UK | | | | serious conditions who may be denied free |
| retirement age but do not qualify for a UK | | | | treatment. The negative publicity from this |
| pension. | | | | may encourage the French authorities to |
| | | | re-think this attitude to those specific |
| For all those expats insured via the CMU, the | | | | groups of people. And there is a possibility |
| French authorities will give them until end | | | | they will allow expats taking early |
| of March 2008 to find private health | | | | retirement in France to continue paying their |
| insurance. However these changes won't affect | | | | health insurance contributions via the CMU. |
| retired people receiving a state pension from | | | | We will not know for sure until the beginning |
| the UK. They will keep their health insurance | | | | of 2008 when the final laws have been passed |
| in France via form E121. | | | | and will update you as soon as we hear about |
| | | | it. |