Hello all!
well have been reading many posts and discussions on SFN over the past few months as we look towards a move back to France (used to live there years ago). We had it all planned- hubbie to set up an AE, and I (New Zealander)would get work once there. Now things have changed a bit as we are expecting our first bubs...so no work for me straight away.
What I would really REALLY appreciate is if anyone can confirm for me whether or not I would be covered under my husbands carte vitale? And will he get this carte vitale (or renewal) pretty quickly after registering his AE? (I think we have to go through RSI?)
also - does the health care cover, carte vitale , only kick in once he has started earning through his AE? - his work is quite seasonal so may not put anything through until December - baby due in January.- is it true that you have a grace period of a fewmonths- a year, until they query your business?
I have read hundreds of pages on the internet about this - and written many (unanswered emails)- to try and get this confirmed either way. PLEASE if you can offer any info , would be very much appreciated !
Merci beaucoup and bonne soiree. Kim
Hi Tracy,
I spotted your comment about saving up the "feuille de soins".
I am registered as an AE and have been following the process with RSI to get my carte vitale.
Whilst I have not yet received the actual carte vitale, I have now been issued with a French Social Security number (and my wife has been included - result!)
I now want to claim back the costs incurred as a result of seeking medical treatment prior to being registered. I have a few of the brown "Feuille de Soins" receipt forms from the doctor and pharmacist but am not sure who to send them to.
Do I send them to the RSI?
or to Mutulle de France Plus who are shown as the provider of the 'assurance maladie'?
or to CPAM? (I don't think this can be right but a well meaning friend of mine insists it is!!)
Appreciate any guidance that you can provide - thank you!
Tracy has already answered in great detail and I echo her warning - you must be ayant droit NOT conjointe collaboratrice! Don't forget to get yourself a mutuelle top-up insurance too.
Bonne chance ;-)
Thanks for the vote of confidence Brian - I'll be back on sfn soon, I hope!
Kim,
All medical care has to be paid for, including hospital and maternity care. After the 7th month all maternity is reimbursed at 100% but you have to have the procedures in place to be reimbursed otherwise you are liable for the lot. if you have been working in the UK for a certain length of time then you may be able to claim care from the UK, it depends how long you have been there
Thanks so much Brian, Tracy and Sheila ! felt good to look back at the computer and see such quick responses - and helpful. the mud is getting clearer!
As you can understand I do not want to make the definite move until I am sure that I won't be paying off the hospital for the next 10 years! thanks for the congratulations - still feels a bit surreal at the minute, and excited scared etc all rolled into one.
we are fortunate that we have already lived in the place we are (hoping) to move back to, Serre Chevalier. So already have a great group of friends there who are very supportive, bless' em!
thanks again guys - think that we will move with the AE application asap - and then keep at the various depts til we get our cartes. Good to know about the ayant droites.
- for the re-imbursement; this applies to prescriptions/ doctor's visits etc... not to hospital stays for maternity I hope? that would be a hefty bill to pay ( and a painful wait to be reimbursed!).
thanks again - hope to return the favour with some info one day.
Andrew Hearne would put you to rights in a trice but he is very busy at present, so unless you are lucky you might have to put up with the rest of us doing the best we can. Kim, first off, Sheila is being treated wrongly by the way, the whole history she might one day relate to you has been a nail biter. It can all go through very quickly. When we arrived three years ago my wife and I just rode on RAM/RSI and URSSAFs' backs by phoning, visiting their offices and emails. We both had our Carte Vitale within two months, our respective AE status and were in the system. We are still lacking the CAF cards for our two children because one office tells us we do not need them and another says we absolutely should, but they are not responsible for issueing so... My message is really, go at it like a bull in a proverbial china shop and you should be fine. You will be covered by your husband but you should have your own Carte Vitale, if only for convenience's sakes (who carries it, when, etc?).
Children are wonderful. But be warned, we have had birthday parties two Wednesdays in a row for our daughters, plus the school spectacle on Friday night, school Kermesse a large part of Saturday and are wondering where the big bits of our loves that went missing are. Actually we do love them to pieces, we just get tired sometimes and need a little gripe!
Hi Kim,
You will be covered as soon as your husband puts in his declaration as AE, he must put you as an 'ayant droit' NOT 'conjoint collaborateur' (not sure I spelled that right). Normally a female has no problem proving she is dependant on her husband but you can only be dependant if you have no other income whatsoever.
You will have to pay for your healthcare but just save all the 'feuille de soins' and you will be re-imbursed eventually.
Congratulations on your pregnancy, you will find France has excellent antenatal care. However you need to make sure you have systems in place for after the birth as once you have spent your five days in hospital, you are on your own. This can be very harsh for us foreigners just on the basis that we do not have our mothers/sister/best mates around. Keep in touch and there are many mums on here who will be happy to help out virtually - you may even find someone living close to you - where are you moving to?
Hi Kim. There are others here more expert than I, but he can put you as a beneficiary on his Carte Vitale. I applied on 1st June but haven't heard back from them yet. Congratulations re patter of tiny feet, and good luck with the move.