I had a consultation at CHU Rennes 122kms x 2 from my home. I now need a MRI which cannot be done at CHU Rennes as I do not live in the city, The nearest place to my home is at Plerin 43kms x 2. I then have to return to CHU Rennes for a follow up consultation as surgery maybe needed. If, surgery is required that means another taxi journey to CHU Rennes and back home.
Cideral organise Hospital Car Taxi Service but was informed that I do not qualify and have to pay the full amount by Taxi - 94€ x 2 and cannot claim on my my mutual. Any advice gratefully received.
If the consultation is covered by ALD then you should be able to arrange a transport (but beware of long distances >150km I think which require special authorisation i advance by CPAM).
If you have an ALD which covers this consultation, your MT should be in a position to provide an ordinance for it.
Best to seek his (her) advice at an early stage. Once the ordinance is in hand, you can arrange with your local ambulance provider (your pharmacie will advise your nearest one).
Hope that helps.
ALD = Affection Longue Durée
Long term illness prescribed as such by your MT and approved by CPAM with the appropriate attestation to confirm. There’s a prescribed list somewhere…
This useful post from @IzzyM help explain more…
Talk to your whoever ordered the MRI (GP or specialist). If you can persuade them that you need a taxi, they might be prepared to give you a “prise en charge pour transport”. But it tends to be linked to your state of health, not your ability to get to the medical centre. Unless you are vey poor. And you must do it in advance of the journey.
I have an ALD so qualify for help with transport, but only a contribution to costs of driving as I am considered able to drive to my specialist (135km each way). The only time a taxi was authorised was after spending a night in hospital for a minor intervention. The rules have been considerably tightened up, so even with an ALD a taxi is absolutely not automatic.
I don’t have a mutuelle, so don’t know rules for paying for transport - but I imagine depends on what level of mutuelle you have taken out with basic ones not covering it at all.
(94€ for a 122km journey doesn’t sound like the full cost? My return from hospital which was about that distance was over 300€,!)
It cost me 99 Euros to take a taxi to the airport in Clermont-Ferrand from home, a mere 45-50Km away, so yes that would seem pretty good value in comparison, but maybe it is simply much cheaper in that part of the world?
Medical taxis seem to charge much more than ordinary ones… the drivers have to follow a formation (this is France…) and other conditions to transport patients.
Somewhere a long the line my initial message has gone a wry, ref my taxi fare is 95€ each way and waiting time is 72,48€. This Taxi driver i have known for 8 years as he takes me shopping and doctors etc . As I have eye problems etc I feel more comfortable with someone I know he waits for me and helps me with the French language.
The Ambulance car drivers are usually specially trained to a very high standard of care and often spend time on emergency Ambulances after they have their accreditation.
They are much more than just taxi drivers.
Their rôle specifically is to stay with their patient to provide any assistance necessary and usually have the means to fast track patients through the registration process at the medical establishment. A person of confidence can sometime be allowed to accompany a patient in specific circumstances (but is currently more difficult due to Covid restrictions). For this to work, the person of confidence has to be attested as such by the patient and agreed in advance with the ambulance company as they may have already scheduled the seats in the car.
From personal experience, the drivers are extremely competent, caring , very worthwhile and respected health care professionals.
In France, you have the right to an interpreter for a hospital appointment either provided by the hospital or someone of your choice such as a person de confiance. The Assistant Sociale at the Hospital or the Associations d’Usagers should be able to advise on this.
I totally agree with what you say ref Ambulance car drivers etc - they have looked after me very well indeed - last time was a few months ago after my carbon monoxide alarm went off and they took me home after a night’s stay in hospital, My problem is not Life threatening so I have to organsise myself to go to CHU Rennes and GLOB Plerin - hence I have to arrange my own transport so I call upon my friend who is a bona fide Taxi Driver. My girlfriend who used to drive me has returned to England as her husband was not happy over here.
Just had 10 days in hospital, transferred to Biarritz by ambulance. Brought home by taxi which cost 700 euros on the meter. I was panicking when I saw the cost but it was all “pris en charge” … just had to sign for it.
Hope you are now fully recovered (recovering) Elaine.
Watching those numbers spin round on the meter can be a bit disconcerting… If you log in to your ameli account, you might probably see just how much was actually paid for that journey.
Our local ambulance car service sometimes uses a taxi for journeys - it’s their car (a high value one) and I’m almost certain that it’s a device for business tax reasons.
I am sure that this is costing more than it should.
I was brought from Lyon to Macon by ambulance and they shoved me in the back and never checked whether I fitted in or not.
I am not really tall 5’ 6", but it was uncomfortable all the way and I dread to think of the cost.
I have needed to go to Urgence twice and Jim has always taken me and we have not waited for the Pompiers or called an ambulance.
Initially my OH expected to have to go for radiotherapy for just one week but that’s now been increased to three weeks. The radiologist was ready to authorise a medical taxi but we didn’t take it up. On reflection we feel we made a bad mistake as the travelling and treatment is going to be very tiring. So having read all the posts on this thread it seems we need to go back to her GP who arranged for the ALD and ask her to give authorisation. I would need to accompany her in the taxi as her hearing is very poor so we would have to make that clear. Then as Graham suggested go to our chemist and get a list of local ambulance taxi services