Yes I agree with that Thea. We had a little house in Normandy until last year so know both ends of France. You learn as you go along but my d-in-law is a Provence girl so I think it helped me to cut my teeth!!
Hi Miriam,
When you're in Provence or some of the other parts of the South of France you can't really compare with other regions - bureaucracy is another ball game, it's chalk and cheese compared to the North of France or Paris. We love it here and didn't settle with any pre conceived ideas but it is different and I, for one, need to use all my diplomacy and not get anyone brushed up the wrong way - when you don't speak French with a local provençal accent here, you are a 'foreigner' so even the French from other regions find it tough. I did find a nice lady to listen to my woes regarding my CV in the end but I had to breath deeply and keep calm...
Crossing mine too. Freudian slip there Steve. They do own you! On a more serious note, if they owe you money, be careful the bills don’t time out. There is a time limit which I think is 6 months after which you can’t submit. You definitely qualify going by what I’ve read.
Cheers.
Thank you Jo Anne. Yet more sound advice. I do keep everything but didn’t know about the prescription being not from a doctor. Will bear that in mind if necessary.
We are both moved from the USA but are British Subjects! We received our CV's within 6 months of application. I am not sure if it was because they didn't have to check with UK or if we were just lucky. I know I have read on other forums that people have been waiting years and there is no help. I just thank my lucky stars. Bonne chance to all of you awaiting yours.
I knew, in order to be reimbursed, I had to keep all my forms from the doctor and the pharmacy BUT did not have all the facts.
1. Keep the forms but make sure you have the pharmacy apply the little white sticky from the pill box (no sticky, no laundry)
2. Keep all of your ordinances. Even though you have proof of the prescription being filled that apparently doesn't mean a doctor prescribed it. (YES, this is true!)
3. Scan all forms before you send them to the appropriate office.
Good luck - I only received about 30% of what I was owe due to not having the complete information.
Yes, Thea, we’re in Provence. I wonder if they don’t like us women because my husband had his in no time. When I get mine I’m going to make a copy and frame it!!!
Hi Don,
But that was ten years ago, I too had no problems with getting a CV all those years ago when they came out and was with RAM at Bourges which was the organisation that dealt with my contributions at that time. The trouble started when we moved to Provence in 2011and RSI Provence became our Caisse. My husband got his card within a really short time, I had to produce a whole lot of paperwork - whoever was dealing with my stuff decided that Jamaica ( my place of birth) was in the USA and that I had to prove my nationality ( British) and the whole thing went on and on. I now have my CV and won't be losing it I can tell you. I really sympathise with everyone who has a story to tell on this but still think it's who you get to deal with your file that can make things move smoothly or if you have someone officious or not ...
Being from the US I didn't have any problem at all with CPAM. I made the application in person, in Montauban, with all requisite paperwork in hand and had my card in less than two weeks. That was ten years ago. Since then I have to fill out the annual questionnaire that comes in the mail. It wants previous year tax info and proof of current address. I dutifully submit this is a timely manner, but on two or three occasions I received an appeal again for the information two or three months later. The first time I did the whole procedure over and mailed it back. The second and third times this happened I just wrote on their request letter that I had already sent the information on such and such date and mailed that back to them. This seems to have satisfied them.
:-)
I’ve just looked at & promise I will do so every day 'till Easter. Very useful & apologies for not knowing it was there 
Sorry if I did not make it clear. I do know that we used Ram for reimbursements, not RSI. My husband is dyslexic! 7.1 rather than 17% is somewhat better but for less than a grand a year, somewhat daft. I will go back to making jewelry in the UK where I don't have to worry until I reach basic tax levels.
We did not choose a medical expense provider with CPAM, they did it all. Confused!
Have you tried SOLVIT?
They help EU citizens who are victims of maladministration in their country of residence.
As someone has already said, please look at the useful links page, http://www.survivefrance.com/page/useful-links, before seeking advice. The answer you're looking for may well be there. I have spent a lot of time, and still do, creating and updating this page and it's frustrating to say the least that people still don't seem to use it.
Yes, I know, I'm feeling particularly grumpy today :-)
Jacqueline, CPAM is basically like the NHS & yes you are quite right they supposedly collect expenses from the UK where an S1 is in place. RSI is not the same as CPAM they are they collecting agent of cotisations towards healthcare for the self employed, that is when you have to choose your healthcare provider such as RAM who are then responsible for the reimbousement. If you are not working you have to go through CPAM, no choice. Just thought I would clarify this to all reading. Your first paragraph made it sound like, if you go to CPAM you do not have to choose a medical expenses provider. The 17% on you husbands pension sounds steep. We were told by our tax office and accountant it was 7.1% and that is what we pay. Are you sure they told you 17%? just edited this as I found this that explains it all nicely in English and includes the rates http://www.french-property.com/guides/france/finance-taxation/taxation/social-security/social-welfare-levy/
Yes, you’ve got a point there but I wasn’t picking on the French. We were both self-employed in the UK so I’ll go to my grave before the tax man releases his steely grip! What I don’t like is to feel I can’t criticize anything French on the grounds of not biting the hand that feeds etc. If I was back in UK I’d be on their doorstep refusing to leave until they sort it out but I’m not as articulate in French!! Again and you’ve made the point! Keep copies of absolutely everything. You won’t do much for the forests but it’s essential. Now I know why we all have so much storage 
Hi Steve,
Having had great games with all of this, I understand that CPAM collects medical expenses from the UK government and when you work in France, that stops and you have to choose a different service such as RSI or RAM who then collect your medical expenses through the French system. You no longer have an S1 form from UK and enter the French system as long as you reside here. We have been here 7 years and it took a little while to get our first Carte Vitale. It is really important to take every document you can think of with you. Birth certificate (the full one), marriage certificate, divorce papers if appropriate, passport, a utility bill or two to prove your address and then in Angouleme , for example, they photocopy everything and you wait.
We had reason to return and do it all again. I think that all retirees should know what happened to me. I sold jewelry as a hobby that pays for itself after I had retired. My husband who had not yet reached 65 but was already retired, was my dependent when we got our CV's. I decided to become an auto entrepreneur. I then had to change from CPAM to RSI and then use RAM for sorting medical payments. No-one told me that UK would stop paying my medical as nobody understood that neither I or my husband had ever worked in France. As Phil was my dependent he moved with me. He shouldn't have. After a couple of years he was asked for his S1 by the tax authorities in France because if he was using RSI he would be obliged to pay 17% social charges on his pension income for ever. I earned less than 1,000€ a year so it really was a ridiculous situation. I closed my business immediately. Just too honest! We are returning to UK as soon as the house is sold - hmm, we all know that could be a long time. Anyone want to buy a beautiful farmhouse with a maison d'amis, perfect to be used as a gite near to Aubeterre?
I don't think is is a French thing just institutionalised bureaucrats which you meet the world over. Having been living and paying tax in France for some five years I got a letter from the Inland Revenue (as it was back then) and a bill for £500 plus interest. I had not completed a UK tax form for five years so it was £100 fine per year x 5 years plus interest.
Luckily when we left the UK I wrote to everyone, including the Inland Revenue, to say I was leaving and sent them all by registered post and kept copies plus the receipts. So I phoned them and told them, gave the the number of the registered letter and offered copies of my French tax forms. Write it all down they said and post it to us so I did. Many months later I got a patronising letter back saying that on this occasion they were going to let me off, bloody cheek.
Thing is in cases like yours these numpties have no idea how much grief they are causing what with having to pay and claim back nor that at the end of the day it creates more work for them. Mind you on second thoughts perhaps they do understand the latter and how much extra work it creates thus garanteeing them and their mates jobs.
Thanks Clare!
Blimey Annette that’s scary isn’t it? All comments are useful and suggestions will be followed up. John Dislins just to say thanks for the offer and I’ll let you know on that one. I absolutely qualify on every level. I have supplied all documents including an S1 as I receive UK state pension. I also qualify under my husband’s contributions although on my own account I have 30+ years NI full contributions. We are permanent full time residents here who pay tax to France & have voting rights. All documents have been transcribed and apostillated (never knew any of these terms before living here). I even have a French daughter-in-law & a brace of half-French grandchildren!
I’m with Clare. I’m not being rude or complaining, I’m just on my knees begging for what I am entitled to & have paid for! I don’t feel that they are granting me a favour and nobody can accuse me of being anti-French. We came here because we love it and them but that does not mean I’m not utterly fed up with CPAM and their inability to issue my CV. There are enough horror stories just here to make me think they’re inefficient and should get their act together. Rant over for now and thanks again. I love this site. So far it’s helped with this as well as the never-ending satellite saga! Cheers all!
Miriam I have lived here for over 6 years, I pay all my cotisations and have supplied all the necessary paperwork (twice). I still don't have a Carte Vitale. Even my GP has phoned them to chase up the paperwork, but they fobbed her off just as they do to me. Appalling really.