Travel Insurance for French resident (1 Viewer)

Sep 2, 2016
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Just read the thread about travel insurance but none of the companies will insure people resident in France.

Tried to do this before and failed - has anyone living in France found a way to get reasonably priced but comprehensive travel insurance? Thinking initially EU, but also possibly USA and Asia for the future (not in the MH for the latter two!).

Thanks
 
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SmithsInFrance
Sep 2, 2016
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Well when I tried some years ago, it didn't really seem to exist. Managed to find one option, which was expensive and offered practically zero cover. At the time, it seemed that the French health system effectively covered everyone worldwide if they were ill, but nowadays with Brexit and the fact that we are effectively covered from the UK because hubby is retired (so we have a French health card, but need our English EHIC for rest of Europe) I think we need something more.

When we travelled to Asia a few years ago I got cover from Trailfinders but think things may have progressed in France in recent years and wondered how other people manage.

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Jul 3, 2008
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If you have a French residence and health card you should be able to get an EHIC from the same department who issued your health card, when we lived just outside Cognac we went to the Social Health office and they issued one, valid for 12 months, just used to renew every year
 

sedge

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Shedloads of GAN and AXA offices all over France and AXA certainly underwrite Travel cover in the UK - so I'd visit their French websites and delve in - or visit an office and ask.

Or ask a French resident of curse, in which case can @yodeli assist - what does she do when visiting other countries?
 

Minxy

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Well when I tried some years ago, it didn't really seem to exist. Managed to find one option, which was expensive and offered practically zero cover. At the time, it seemed that the French health system effectively covered everyone worldwide if they were ill, but nowadays with Brexit and the fact that we are effectively covered from the UK because hubby is retired (so we have a French health card, but need our English EHIC for rest of Europe) I think we need something more.

When we travelled to Asia a few years ago I got cover from Trailfinders but think things may have progressed in France in recent years and wondered how other people manage.
I'm curious, if you are permanently resident in France how on earth can you be covered by a UK EHIC card? o_O

... just answered my own question!

https://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/healthcareabroad/ehic/pages/about-the-ehic.aspx

If you live in Europe
If you live in another EEA country or Switzerland, you will be entitled to a UK-issued EHIC if one of the following applies to you:

  • you receive a UK State Pension or exportable UK benefit and have a UK-issued S1 form (certificate of entitlement) registered in your country of residence
  • you are a worker posted to work in another EEA country or Switzerland by your UK employer, or a frontier worker living in the EEA and working in the UK
  • you are a family member of a posted worker or of someone working in the UK and you are not covered in your own right by the EEA country you reside in
  • you are a student going to another EEA country or Switzerland to study

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Oct 12, 2008
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Shedloads of GAN and AXA offices all over France and AXA certainly underwrite Travel cover in the UK - so I'd visit their French websites and delve in - or visit an office and ask.

Or ask a French resident of curse, in which case can @yodeli assist - what does she do when visiting other countries?

MACIF : car, motorhome, house, personnal insurance for civil prob (fight in a shop for example or a TV set falling on my head in a supermarket) covers me where ever I go. Ill, accident, any prob and they take it all on their shoulders.
MACIF assistance.
 
Nov 5, 2017
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You must get EHIC card from UK if you can, if you have top-up insurance you will be covered with that and your carte vitale. But to be sure ask your insurance company.
 
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SmithsInFrance
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It's a bit of a grey area now that we are covered with EHIC from UK. A Brit out here had DVT on a trip to Dubai some years ago, hadn't taken out any travel insurance, but CPAM (French medical system) and top-up health insurance paid up.

However, I have heard in recent times of retired Brits resident here going to say Spain on holiday and CPAM refusing to reimburse "because you are covered by UK and must take it up with them". The top-up health insurance only pays out on items that CPAM have already processed, so if CPAM won't pay then they won't either.

Thanks for the other tips, will investigate. When I looked into it for the Asia trip years ago, GAN offered the very limited insurance (something like €60 per day from memory) and no travel agents would offer anything. However France has moved on since then and the French go much further afield now so will look into it.

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Nov 5, 2017
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I know when we go to Spain we are covered from UK and our top up, we have hospital cover only our agent rechecked for us and we are covered if we go in hospital any where, that's with Aviva not all are the same. I don't know about outside Europe.
 
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SmithsInFrance
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@yodeli or anyone - I've just looked at the Europ Assistance website and under the details for medical expenses it says:
"FRAIS MÉDICAUX
• Remboursement complémentaire des frais médicaux à l’étranger
Zone 2 : Europe et Pays méditerranéens
Zone 3 : Monde entier
• Urgences dentaires
Franchise des frais médicaux
• Avance sur frais d’hospitalisation à l’étranger
Zone 2 : Europe et Pays méditerranéens
Zone 3 : Monde entier".
and then states the limits in the next box.

I've highlighted the "complémentaire" - does that mean that they will reimbourse the additional costs (that aren't covered by CPAM)? Really interested to have your advice, thanks.
 
Nov 5, 2017
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Can't help don't understand, another thought we are with credit agricole and have a debit card we have cover on that for medical cover and repatriation So take a look at that too.

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SmithsInFrance
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Can't help don't understand, another thought we are with credit agricole and have a debit card we have cover on that for medical cover and repatriation So take a look at that too.
I know, it's complicated and I'm struggling to explain myself.
Our debit card has cover as well and was just thinking I must check that. I'm worried that it may be the same issue that it won't pay up if CPAM won't, and nowadays CPAM won't (the office for this area - may well be like the tax offices and each interpret rules differently) for out-of-France medical expenses.
 
Oct 12, 2008
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@yodeli or anyone - I've just looked at the Europ Assistance website and under the details for medical expenses it says:
"FRAIS MÉDICAUX
• Remboursement complémentaire des frais médicaux à l’étranger
Zone 2 : Europe et Pays méditerranéens
Zone 3 : Monde entier
• Urgences dentaires
Franchise des frais médicaux
• Avance sur frais d’hospitalisation à l’étranger
Zone 2 : Europe et Pays méditerranéens
Zone 3 : Monde entier".
and then states the limits in the next box.

I've highlighted the "complémentaire" - does that mean that they will reimbourse the additional costs (that aren't covered by CPAM)? Really interested to have your advice, thanks.


YES !
 
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SmithsInFrance
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So then if CPAM won't reimburse, they won't either... If the insurer reimbursed the total amount, it wouldn't matter about CPAM.

To me, that means that if I become ill in Spain and I have to use my UK EHIC card (France won't issue them to retired Brits any more), then the insurance won't pay out the balance. Hmmm.

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Nov 5, 2017
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No my understanding is you use your which ehic card but if you went in hospital the insurance will pay BUT you got me thinking now I will put the question to Aviva tomorrow.
 
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SmithsInFrance
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No my understanding is you use your which ehic card but if you went in hospital the insurance will pay BUT you got me thinking now I will put the question to Aviva tomorrow.
Good luck and make it very clear to them that you will be using a UK issued EHIC which ISN'T reimbursed by CPAM, otherwise they may not grasp the full implications. Be interested to know how you get on.
 
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So then if CPAM won't reimburse, they won't either... If the insurer reimbursed the total amount, it wouldn't matter about CPAM.

To me, that means that if I become ill in Spain and I have to use my UK EHIC card (France won't issue them to retired Brits any more), then the insurance won't pay out the balance. Hmmm.

( Sorry had to go and feed Dad!) Sometimes CPAM don't reimburse medical acts if it is under the label: "comfort", understand not really necessary. For example a dentist might propose a temporary tooth to hide a hole let's say when you smile. This is "comfort" , they won't pay for it. And sometimes these "comfort" acts can be taken as normal (according to the top-up kind you have chosen: level 1basic or 2 or 3 or...etc...)by your private insurance. It was the case with my previous one. Unfortunately Latécoère firm has changed insurance. It's compulsory for me to stick to their insurance. I am not allowed to have another one ...pah !
There's also an important point . Being french resident is not enough, you can't be unemployed. Yannick my son, had to pay a private insurance which did it all CPAM + top-up. He couldn't be with CPAM anymore, as he was going to be away visiting the whole world during 2 years.
I could TRY to have more info , but I'm not sure they do phone calls anymore, it's all with metallic voices ...if such and such, press 1 ...blablabla!

Who is resident and has an account on Ameli.fr?
 
Oct 12, 2008
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Can't help don't understand, another thought we are with credit agricole and have a debit card we have cover on that for medical cover and repatriation So take a look at that too.

Yes , true, quite a few credit cards do it . The better the card is, the highest are the services.
My ex-husband has been totally taken in charge from Guyane to France with his actual partner for his mum's funerals, only a few days ago.
 
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SmithsInFrance
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Who is resident and has an account on Ameli.fr?
Yes, we are - although I don't use Ameli.fr very much.

I see what you are saying @yodeli about things that aren't covered by CPAM. We need to find a retired Brit resident in France who has used their UK EHIC card in another country and the costs have been reimbursed by CPAM/complémentaire/travel insurance. Anyone?

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Wife uses these
http://www.europesuretravelinsurance.com/




If you have a French residence and health card you should be able to get an EHIC from the same department who issued your health card, when we lived just outside Cognac we went to the Social Health office and they issued one, valid for 12 months, just used to renew every year
No.it all cahnged a few years back if you are in receipt of a UK state pension . Your healthcare is supplied by the EU state in which you live , in this case the OP is France, so the French provide it & receive from the UK a fixed yearly sum for doing so BUT the EHIC is provided by the Uk. This stops double billing whereby before the French would provide the ehic then if the Op was ill in Germany they would then claim off France who would then claim it back, additional to the fixed sum, off the UK. The UK pensioners EHIC means that the Germans would bill the UK direct.
Additionally the Pensioners EHIC is also different in that when presented in the UK, & yes a non-resident oap should be asked for it, it immediately identifies them on the system as non-resident UK pensioners entitled to full health care rights.

I'm curious, if you are permanently resident in France how on earth can you be covered by a UK EHIC card? o_O

... just answered my own question!

https://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/healthcareabroad/ehic/pages/about-the-ehic.aspx

If you live in Europe
If you live in another EEA country or Switzerland, you will be entitled to a UK-issued EHIC if one of the following applies to you:

  • you receive a UK State Pension or exportable UK benefit and have a UK-issued S1 form (certificate of entitlement) registered in your country of residence
  • you are a worker posted to work in another EEA country or Switzerland by your UK employer, or a frontier worker living in the EEA and working in the UK
  • you are a family member of a posted worker or of someone working in the UK and you are not covered in your own right by the EEA country you reside in
  • you are a student going to another EEA country or Switzerland to study
Yes as above stops additinal costs.
 
Jul 3, 2008
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Wife uses these
http://www.europesuretravelinsurance.com/





No.it all cahnged a few years back if you are in receipt of a UK state pension . Your healthcare is supplied by the EU state in which you live , in this case the OP is France, so the French provide it & receive from the UK a fixed yearly sum for doing so BUT the EHIC is provided by the Uk. This stops double billing whereby before the French would provide the ehic then if the Op was ill in Germany they would then claim off France who would then claim it back, additional to the fixed sum, off the UK. The UK pensioners EHIC means that the Germans would bill the UK direct.
Additionally the Pensioners EHIC is also different in that when presented in the UK, & yes a non-resident oap should be asked for it, it immediately identifies them on the system as non-resident UK pensioners entitled to full health care rights.


Yes as above stops additinal costs.
Hi thanks for the update, it was about 10 years ago that I used the system as it was then
 
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SmithsInFrance
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No.it all cahnged a few years back if you are in receipt of a UK state pension . Your healthcare is supplied by the EU state in which you live , in this case the OP is France, so the French provide it & receive from the UK a fixed yearly sum for doing so BUT the EHIC is provided by the Uk. This stops double billing whereby before the French would provide the ehic then if the Op was ill in Germany they would then claim off France who would then claim it back, additional to the fixed sum, off the UK. The UK pensioners EHIC means that the Germans would bill the UK direct.
Additionally the Pensioners EHIC is also different in that when presented in the UK, & yes a non-resident oap should be asked for it, it immediately identifies them on the system as non-resident UK pensioners entitled to full health care rights.
Thanks for that @gus-lopez, that was my understanding of the situation as well. So as far as I can see when we travel outside of France we need a travel insurance that does not rely on 'just' topping up CPAM.
 

Scattycat

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If you have a French bank account then talk to your bank.
We are with CA and there is a telephone number on the back of the Debit card for medicL assistance.
 
Nov 5, 2017
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Our insurance agent has come back with the answer and yes if you go out of France you are not covered by France at all so suggests take out holiday insurance if you want. Thanks for starting thread at least we have all learnt something.

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