Your health in France

In June 2000, the World Health Organization reported on the state of the health systems of 191 countries. The UK came 18th, the USA 37th ... and France came 1st. So why bother with health insurance?

In a nutshell, because it's expensive not to!

In 1946, the French government decided to establish a social security system that covered 100% of its inhabitants, president and peasant included. It was not long before it was obvious that this would require a system of individual contributions. If you live in France and are not exempted (e.g. retired, serious/long term illness, disabled), you need to contribute to this system to benefit from it.

Even if you are registered through the Social Security system, the amount of health cover to which you are entitled will not cover 100% of the cost ... and this can be considerable. For example, a stay in a major University hospital in France - even without surgical intervention - can cost in the region of 800 euros a day.

With your contributions (if you pay them) guaranteeing that no more than 70-80% of this will be paid by the state, the remaining 20-30% would have to come out of your own pocket. That can add up to the equivalent of quite a few evenings in your favourite restaurant, even Maxime's in Paris!

Health insurance 'top-up' policies will give you either cover against most of your costs or the difference between your rightful entitlement (as a result of your contributions) and the actual costs ... but the small print can often be confusing, so you need to choose your policy carefully.

We will make sure that you understand what you pay for.
So this points to the wisdom of taking out some form of health insurance ... and your previous experience of this in your own country may not have been a positive one. How, then, can a good French-based insurance policy solve this problem?

Firstly, French insurance policies do not involve 'excesses' where you pay more the more you claim. That's not allowed.
Secondly, the French state cover will take you on even if you are disabled or ill. The State cover will always cover you as long as you are living in France. The French "top-up" policies generally cover you up to a certain level without question. There"s a law in France that states that if a policy is not cancelled in the first two years, the insurance company cannot cancel it themselves or even dramatically increase your premiums. Some companies, like us here at Generali, guarantee you this from the moment you sign!

Establishing what sort of entitlement you may have to the basic state cover can be a complicated business, even though the criteria are very specific. If you'd like to explore this further with us, we suggest you start by contacting us. We'll then be in a better position to advise you on your options.
For those of you who are self-employed in France things are slightly different. You need to talk to us, to guide you through the maze!

How to get into the French Social Security system
You really need to talk to us to help you through this, what we can say here is that you will need ALL your 'E' forms:
E111, E104, E106, E109, E112, E121.

They are a bit like the 'E' number additives, there's alot of them and they are bad for your health (stress)!

Without thEse it will be difficult, so be prepared!

The team