Back in 2021 when Bill and I became eligible for the then-brand-new Covid vaccine I felt as if we were a porcupine with needles sticking out of us. First we had the initial injection and then a month later we could get the booster. Afterwards was our annual flu shot and not much later it was an empty needle that went in our arm to draw out blood for the yearly prise de sang previously known to us as a blood test. In addition, there were at least another 6 jabs that were either recommended in general or if we were in a particular health situation. Although it wouldn’t generally involve a needle, we mustn’t forget our annual physical, eye exam, and dentist visit to fit in there too. But now that we live in France we were in no rush.

When we resided in Georgia I remember the challenge of scheduling an annual physical before the end of December when everyone else was trying to squeeze in their medical appointments before a new insurance deductible year began on January 1. Here, that’s not a concern since you’re covered just as much on the first of January as you were one day earlier on December 31. Typically when we see a medical professional we pay the practitioner directly and are then reimbursed a few days later by the national health system at a rate of 70% (minus 1€ service fee) of what we paid. Our family doctor charges 26.50 € after which we see a deposit of 17.55 € in our bank account. Some people opt for private top-up mutuelle insurance that would even cover that 30% difference but for us it’s not worth the extra cost, although we do pay 24 € each per month for a mutuelle to ensure that we would have no other costs in case of hospitalization.

Just as the national health system covers you the same when the calendar changes from one year to the next, there is no differentiation between pre-existing conditions and new ones; they are all covered. This also applies to top-up mutuelles, although they can take age into effect when determining premiums.

This topic came up on the France Expat Forum (link to the right) where someone moving to this country was concerned about having a chronic illness. This person’s health problem was included on the government’s “Long-term conditions” list that allows for 100% coverage of 29 ailments including:

• Stroke
• HIV
• Cancer including breast, skin, prostate, etc.
• Diabetes
• Heart conditions
• Alzheimer’s
• Parkinson’s
• Mental health issues

I’ll put a link at the bottom of this post to the page on the national health website, AMELI, with the full list and further explanations in French that will detail how even with 100% coverage there can still be minor related charges to pay.

According to the Expat Forum conversation, the only time that a pre-existing condition would matter for someone living in France is when they need health insurance for their visa. However, after living in France for three consecutive months, they can apply for national health coverage, which might take several months to process. By the way, in what I believe to be a testament to the spirit of Fraternité that is part of the national motto of France, low-income residents receive full coverage regardless of their health condition.

Affection de longue durée: https://www.ameli.fr/aude/assure/droits-demarches/maladie-accident-hospitalisation/affection-longue-duree-ald/affection-longue-duree-maladie-chronique

Illustration notes: The pincushion featured photo is from Dvortygirl and Bill took the Belfort city hall picture. The rest are from the French government’s Service-Public and Ministry of Health.