What I am about to write in part seeks advice and for the rest of it should be a warning for others. Let's not bore you with the whole story of the downfall of my health over the last 15 or so months, but skip up to last year and a diagnosis of apnoea. The specialist who diagnosed it prescribed a respirator for when I sleep, which I have had for seven months. A few weeks ago I somehow pulled it off during the night and had a bad turn. My wife rushed me off to hospital where I was entered. Next night, tranquillised I went to sleep. I had my respirator there and set up but medical staff forgot it, I had another bad turn which caused a heart attack. They rushed me off to a Bordeaux clinic where blocked arteries and a ruptured one were discovered and over two short stays there I have had stents put in to open the blocks and the 'leak' repaired.
At the end of the first stay they considered it necessary to send me home in an ambulance. Since then I have had a diagnosis of hypoxia. With the apnoea it raises the likelihood of me having heart problems.
Now the real bit begins. I have recently started to get bills for part of the rental of the respirator from the company who own it. I have been trying to get my mutuelle to tell me whether they are paying for it or not but apparently have just established in the last couple of days they have no agreement with the company who own the respirator, so won't pay up. Then a bill came for the ambulance home!
I contacted my doctor, at least his very helpful secretary who said that RSI should be paying. Plus, she added, my doctor has applied for 100% cover from them. So, on the phone today. One thing I have to avoid according to my cardiologist is stress. After watching me boil several times, my other half took over. She is now near explosion point. Firstly, RSI claimed the machine is not approved, but we know that it is, so gave them the details. Then my OH tried to extract from them exactly why the ambulance that was ordered by the hospital has also been refused by them. Basically, no answer to anything. The people either of us speak to tell us it is against the law to divulge the details of such decisions. After two of us blasting away on a phone each, my OH finally got somebody in a higher position to talk to. She went through the whole story.
What she got back was that person X at RSI will make a decision in mid-June and I will be informed in mid-July. So hang on to any bills and if they decide in my favour then they will pay. However, as all French bills they are deadlined and I shall have people on my back before they decide let alone inform me. This senior person said that in that case I would just have to pay up and perhaps return the machine. OH exploded at her and said that that could kill me. She asked what that woman would do in the same situation? No response, of course.
OH then asked for details of everything but was told it is against the law to divulge such information. So the question was raised as to exactly which law that was so that we could look it up and refer to it in my complaint to the commissioner. Wait for.... The jobsworth at the end of the line told my OH it is against the law to say which law that is! That will of course be quoted when the complaint goes in. The point of this post for all I have said, is that if it is actually true that these public servants are legally prevented from telling us which laws they base their decision making on then what we heard today is that we are living in a totalitarian state where law is only for those who administer it but does not offer protection to it subjects.
I just had to say this, my faith in the social state in France died today. RIP.