Depends on where Mrs. Pigney has paid most “contributions” Joyce. That Country gets the privilege of being your “country of competence”.
Not in my case, John. When I claimed my UK State Pension earlier this year I received an S1, which CPAM refused to accept as it was recorded on my dossier that I had worked in France under CESU system. I will (eventually) receive a very small French pension and France is responsible for my health care. I was told by CPAM that even if I decided not to claim my French pension that France is still responsible for my health care and my S1 would still be rejected. Most of my contributions have been paid in the UK and I receive a full UK State Pension.
I’ve heard that too, which is why OH rejected doing a bit of work here are we didn’t want to end up in that position.
I’m not sure what happened there Joyce, but the rule as it was explained to me it is that the Country you have paid most contributions in is your competent State. That’s EU wide. I also have a small French state pension and I’m working on a UK one 
but Ireland is my competent State.
@John_Scully - I’ve copied this from another forum, which may be what you are referring to? I would be very happy if CPAM were wrong in rejecting my S1 as I then wouldn’t have to pay as much in the way of social contributions.
“If you receive a pension from both the UK and France the situation is a little more complicated:
Article 23 of the Regulation (EC) No 883/20042 states that if you receive a pension from two or more member states, and are resident in one of those states, it is your state of residence that is responsible for your healthcare.
To take a worked example provided by one of our group members:
AN Other worked in UK for 25 years, then in France for 15 years, then worked another 5 years in the UK.
AN Other is now retired and resident in France and receives a pension from both France & the UK.
In this case France is his responsible state and he is not entitled to an S1. Had he chosen to retire to Spain (or any other EU state) instead, he would have been entitled to an S1 because the UK is that state where he worked and contributed for the longest period.”
But that is also true if he retired to France. .
What the other site seems to be saying is that if you worked and paid contributions for 39 years in EU country A, and then worked and paid contributions in EU country B for a year (or even 15 years) then Country B is responsible for your healthcare for the rest of you life. That doesn’t make sense to me.
BTW who the hell who is the “Group”?
The advantage of having an S1 is that in the unlikely event of having to go back to UK, you are covered immediately, think eyetests etc.
Also for older people the advantage of immediate access to health care is obvious.
First time I’ve heard the S1 scheme called an advantage🤣
It depends upon your circumstances.
Who would have thought that we would have been facing all this Brexshit when we decided to come and live in France?
I’m with Joyce on this one. Having amassed enough NI contributions in the UK to receive a full state pension and then worked for 10 years here in France I now also get a French pension. I am totally funded by the French state via Carte vitale and my travel card is a CEAM not a EHIC.
I never considered applying for the coveted S1 as my resident country of France treats me as one of their own for health at least.
Should I happen to be in England and need treatment of any kind then as a british passport holder what would I be asked to produce if for example I booked an eye test at Boots. I maybe wrong but I somehow can’t see treatment being refused or having to be paid for???
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To me personally the most important ‘advantage’ of having your health care in France covered by an S1 is you don’t have to pay social charges (CSG/CRDS) on your retirement pensions. However if you do not have an S1, or CPAM refuse to accept it, then these social charges are payable.
Current EHIC’s are valid until they expire >>
I don’t wish to argue with you, John. I’m just stating my own personal experience of having paid the majority of my NI contributions in the UK but also having worked and paid into the French social security system too. I live in France permanently therefore my circumstances are similar to the example I gave, which I copied from an article on the Remain in France Together site. Perhaps you should do a little more research into your exact situation as people’s circumstances do vary.
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Not sure about social charges being payable? Since receiving my French and UK pensions and closing my French business activities I have never paid so little charges on my income. It’s a win win and should have retired years ago 
A lot of water has passed under the bridge since August 2018!
That’s good to know but my understanding is I will pay a certain % of social charges on my retirement pensions whereas if I was covered by an S1 then no charges would be payable. It will all become clearer after I submit my next French tax return in May 2021.
It has, its been updated and reflects the current situation
I hope that like me you are in for a pleasant surprise.
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Of course we won’t argue Joyce. When I get a moment I’ll look at the “Group” site and try and find something on competent states elsewhere too.
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Also very true.
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