Using your mutuelle abroad

Health Care & Carte Vitale
1

Hello, I’m heading to the UK for probably 2 months at the beginning of August.
Notwithstanding Covid, I’m wondering what benefits my mutuelle might give me?
(i’ve mailed the company they’re coming back to me)
With have a medium level top up policy with Generali. I had a hip replacement a couple of years ago and the mutuelle was amazing. I had a private room, ambulance, a home visit nurse for 6 weeks, 6 weeks of 3 x weekly physio - a ton of medication & ‘equipment’ - a walker, walking sticks, dressings and bandages and sacks of medication. It was an absolutely fantastic experience - and the hip is like new thanks!
So, I’m an EU citizen, resident EU France. I have a UK passport.

If I’m ill I know there is reciprocal healthcare - but would my mutuelle provide a similar sort of top up? How does it work (realise i may be opening a can of worms…)

keep well dear sfn.ers
x teresa

2

All I got told when I had my hip replaced in 2017 was to walk, walk, walk. No physio, nothing.

Your EHIC cover would deal with emergencies but thereafter you’d be relying on travel insurance.

3

It’s a CEAM card in France, not EHIC.

Here:

https://www.cleiss.fr/faq/carte_europeenne_d_assurance_maladie.html

If you have a good (aka expensive) mutuelle you may find it does give some cover in european countries, or may top up to do so for a modest fee. Worth asking if yiu’re not planning to take out the standard travel insurance for luggage, cancellations and health.

4

Surely, as a UK citizen you would be covered by the NHS anyway Teresa, on the same basis as if you lived in the UK.

5

No. Not at all.

"Hospital treatment is free to people who are “ordinarily resident” in the UK.

To be considered ordinarily resident and entitled to free hospital treatment, you must be living in the UK on a lawful and properly settled basis for the time being. You may be asked to prove this."

6

You are probably entitled to healthcare under the NHS as your French healthcare is probably provided through an S1. As Cat has pointed out that is not generally the case for British passport holders resident in France as the NHS is residency based. You are an immigrant with advantages fought for and won by others in your position.

7

Thanks All - I kinda thought that the EU (!) had reciprocal health care… obv not so.

But anyway - my orig. question is/was
“Will my mutuelle be any use - and if so how does the system work…”
(they’re short staffed at the mo - and I guess way too busy to answer a question that most french people probably know)

8

EU does have reciprocal healthcare, but to the level that a national of that country would receive. So you won’t have to pay in the UK as healthcare is free at the point of service. But a UK resident would only get the normal SS percentage, and would have to pay the rest.

I assumed you were asking about private care, which is not provided free. You’d be lucky to get a same sex room in a UK hospital, and private ambulances are a thing of the past! i had a knee arthroscopy in the UK and had to take the bus home…

9

Thanks jane. So, when I go to the UK I can use the NHS free of charge.
But even though my mutuelle covers me for private care in France, that’s irrelevant in the UK
and finally…
do I need some sort of card/form/paperwork
(god help me - I bet I do…)

10

Your CEAM card…if you haven’t got one you can order one through your personal space on ameli. I don’t know how its organised now, and whether that will be accepted straight off or whether you have to pay and reclaim in France.

Best thing of course is not to need a doctor!

11

YES. You need to take with you your S1.