Being an AE it means I fall under RSI on matters health. For the last year and a half they have had a lot of dealings with me. Recently I apparently got my 100% cover for my present condition. When my doctor looked at my Carte Vitale there was something missing, so he put it in the secretary's hands. I also wrote. On Saturday a letter arrived telling me all is now covered.
Yesterday I called in to the doctor to have a word with the secretary. She had not received a copy of the letter, so she photocopied it. What she did have was a letter telling the practice that I was unknown to RSI, nobody of my name appeared anywhere in their system. Not only that but a second letter had arrived with my name, etc, but with details about somebody else entirely that she happened to recognise. All three came from separate offices. She is dealing with the last one so that the person whose name should be on it can have his Carte Vitale and other records updated.
I had to go to the pharmacy anyway, so had my CV updated. I told the story to the pharmacist who shrugged in absolute disbelief. Not the usual French shrug but one of extreme 'they have no idea what they are doing at RSI' nature.
Any of you experiencing problems with such matters, I just hope you have a doctor's secretary like we do. She is gold. As for RSI. No comment.
Congratulations. I did not mention that in this thread, but I also received a nice repayment a few weeks ago as well as my 100% cover coming through with the part of RSI that acknowledges my existence. Nonetheless, they are an enigma.
Just to let you know that I have received my letter from the RSI confirming my reduced contributions. It has worked for me, so nothing but good at the moment!!
Beware. I also work as agent commercial and find RSI crippling. Very good that you managed to get a reduction. I'd be intrigued to hear how others manage.
Oh yes... Just looked at the post about half an hour ago. Letter from RSI addressed to me here telling me they need to have full details including my address! On Saturday I had the statement of repayments for doctor's visits and so on. It is tempting to write to them to ask them to send me their address so that I know where to send the reply to their letter asking where I live. Just for the sheer fun of it - trouble is, I suspect they don't have a sense of humour.
Agreed. I always let the accountant deal with them. I also had the problem of the office at Periguex and Bruges not knowing what each other is doing and not knowing me.
the first two years are based on estimates or a "forfait", then things get serious when they want all their money you should have paid in the first two years together with what you owe in year three...! :-O
When we first arrived in 2004 the carte Vitale came through OK - although with my DOB incorrect.
We then had to apply for new ones as they stopped working. We innocently expected this to be a formality as we had already been issued with CVs. TWO YEARS later! we eventually received replacements having had to provide certified copies and certified translations of our birth and marriage certificates and then my wife`s divorce decree as her birth certificate did not match the surname on our marriage certificate!
The cost of the official translations was significant each time.
Unfortunately you are left with the feeling that the people at RSI have absolutely no pride in their jobs and despair that this attitude is prevalent in so many other government organisations in France.
I visited my local URSAFF offic as I had received a request for payment fo a full years cotisations based on "expected" earnings. As I am an Agent Commercial in Immobilier I have no idea how much, if anything I would earn. Fortunately a friend said get them to change the amount you expect to earn.
So after paying the first tranche of over 1m000 euros I got it changed. They told me don't worry just pay the small amount on the final demand. However if you think your earnings will be much more let us know by the end of September and we will alter our records and you will pay the new amount. Severe penalties if you are too wrong! Well last week I got a request for the late payment of my cotistations - told I had to pay nothing this time. Rang them and they said OK, sorry, we will alter our records.
Question is - do I trust them or what else should I do after reading the horror stories?!!
Still waiting for my CV - the wait will have it's 4th birthday in January - time it went to school I think!
And for some bizarre reason CPAM decided we (me and brats) were no longer covered by husband's S1 (he works in Luxembourg) after 2 years of being covered with no problem I was aware of, so transferred us to RSI wholesale. The really daft thing is youngest son is autistic, and all his fees for the IME (some 2.5K per month) could be paid by Luxembourg rather than France ...... I feel a huge Gallic shrug coming on!
I struggled for over a year to get a refund from the RSI. In the end I paid them a visit as I wasn't getting any replies to my letters. They explained what I Needed to do and once I supplied the necessary paperwork, I got written confirmation I would get the refund by bank transfer within a few weeks, I actually received a cheque 3 months later.
the MSA, CIPAV and CPAM can be just as bad. Having said that it took the RSI over a year to transfer my dossier and change of status from one branch to another, and they still haven't got everything sorted. The situation is that bad that they've set up a direct access for accountants to sort out problems. It would seem from experience that they only answer enquiries from accountants and don't bother/haven't got the time to answer emails etc from the people who actually cotisent...!