CPAM asking for all bank activities of the last 12 months

Health Care & Carte Vitale
#1

Hello,
I have been struggling to get a health card from CPAM (Assurance Maladie) for 6 months now. They keep asking us the same document again and again or they come up with new papers they have not requested before. I don’t work yet, first I need to be linked to my husband’s insurance. He’s French and always payed his taxes, social security in France, I am a foreign citizen, never lived in France before coming here this year.

Lately CPAM asked for all bank statements of the last 12 months, both for me and my husband, joint accounts, private accounts, current account, saving account, both in France and abroad. As this implies sending them hundreds of pages, we are reluctant to do this. Not to mention the confidentiality, we don’t understand why CPAM has to have access to all this data.

We tried to contact them, they are not answering, not calling us back. The respective admin person has no direct number, the most we could achieve is to talk to a general hotline, where they suggested to follow the contact person’s request and send everything.

Did someone have the same issues before? If so, I would be happy to know how it was solved.
Much appreciated,
Vera

#2

Makes me wonder if its really CPAM asking for this, but maybe it relates to is income and you being linked to him. If a person married to a French national is having problems what chance do us Brits have !!

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#3

We joined the French Health Service (ie CPAM) in the old days and they demanded a huge amount of documentation to show we met the resource threshold. I thought that had all gone now, and anyone who lives here permanently is entitled to join without question (once they have been here 3 months if ‘inactif’). The financial question is only then raised to determine whether you have to contribute financially.

Did you fill in the standard form to join? You might have confused the situation if you are trying to be joined to your husband’s account. This system of one person being the beneficiary of another person already in the system (ayant droit) has been withdrawn except, I believe, in a few circumstances such as the severely disabled. It is now normal to join in your own right.

If you want to apply to be an “ayant droit” of your husband then you will have to prove that you are entirely and permanently dependant on him. “Vous pourrez bénéficier des prestations en nature de la Sécurité sociale si vous êtes à sa charge totale, permanente et effective et si vous pouvez en apporter la preuve. Si ces conditions sont remplies la qualité d’ayant droit vous sera attribuée, quelles que soient vos ressources respectives.”

(Edit: thinking about this more I feel applying to be attached to your husband’s account is most likely to be the problem. Is there a strong reason you did this? As if not the simplest thing might be to start again in your own right? If you don’t speak French then explain that you made a mistake to english speaking helpline and see if they can reroute you in the right direction)

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#4

Hello V Delort … and welcome

Could you please amend your Registration to show your Full Name as per our terms and conditions…

cheers

#5

Thank you, done:-)
Regards,
Vera

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#6

Thanks so much for the detailed reply! I think we filled out the standard form but somehow my husband came into the picture too. We might have confused them as you write…I actually wanted to be linked to his account, so that I incur less costs until I start working. We used to live in Germany, where the monthly fee was pretty high (180 Euros) and it was normal to have a family insurance, the wife and kids being linked to the husband.

#7

You have a valid question there:-) We used to live in Germany, both of us being foreigners and we weren’t scrutinized like here, him being French…

#8

Seemingly CPAM are trying to establish the income and cash flow levels. Perhaps it might be easier to send them a copy of the last annual tax return. If it is in German perhaps you could send a brief explanation with it, and CPAM will then at least be able to verify the figures by looking at the tax return.
Overall, I would strongly recommend that ALL correspondence with CPAM should be in writing and sent by ‘Recommandee avec Avis de Reception service.’ Phone calls are often answered by staff who don’t really know too much about the intricacies of the system, whereas a letter will go to the desk of someone who actually knows what they are doing. If you don’t put your phone number on your letter then CPAM will be forced to reply in writing, and so the information you receive will be more likely to be accurate.

#9

I don’t think it makes any difference financially. He will pay via his work, and I believe the additional costs for you would be the same whichever way you join. If you are not working then it’s 8% of your income above about 10,000€, and if your income is low as a couple then you will not be charged, or very little. It is unusual now in France for anyone other than children and those mentally incapable to be linked.

Of course if you want to take out the top up insurance (mutuelle) that can be expensive.