Sarah Daly looks at the French healthcare system and what you can expect if you need routine or emergency care while you’re in France
Having lived in France for five years, our regular interactions with the French healthcare system began in earnest when my then 76-yearold mother moved in with us in 2021. Suddenly, I needed to arrange district nurse visits, personal care and GP house calls. When Mum was taken ill in the night, just a couple of days after arriving in France, I got dramatic first-hand experience of the emergency services and hospital care in action. Two years on, and with two teenagers and my own aches and pains, as well as Mum’s continuing needs, I feel as though I’ve had as thorough an insight as I ever want into being ill or injured in France.
The first thing I would say about French healthcare is that it’s excellent. I’ve experienced everything from A&E with a teenager who'd dropped a castiron fireback on his foot (yes, really) to regular consultations about ongoing, serious medical complaints with Mum.
The second thing I would say is that getting fully into the healthcare system takes perseverance, the repeated presentation of every official document you’ve ever owned (it feels like) and either a good understanding of French or someone to translate for you.
JUST VISITING
If you’re a second-home owner, or not yet a French resident, you don’t need to go through this process. A Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), or equivalent if you live outside the UK, combined with comprehensive travel insurance should be enough to allow you access to care when you need it, without an excessive bill. In this case, you’ll need to provide ID and evidence of your right to access healthcare and then retain the paperwork, known as the ‘feuilles de soins’, together with prescriptions and receipts. You will probably pay up front for care you receive, claiming some or all of it back later, depending on your circumstances.
ACCESSING CARE IF YOU LIVE IN FRANCE
If you are a resident or plan on becoming one, there are two main ways of accessing the healthcare system. If you are retired and have made all necessary National Insurance contributions in the UK, or occasionally if you’re a posted or frontier worker, you’ll need to apply for an S1. If you work in France, you will pay French social charges, making you eligible for health care.
GETTING A ‘CARTE VITALE’
In either case, your first port of call will be your local Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM). You should be able to have healthcare fees backdated to your d
