Guide to French healthcare and the Carte Vitale

Guide to French healthcare and the Carte Vitale: Why you need a carte vitale which gives you access to France’s universal healthcare system, and how to obtain one.

When you are legally resident in France, you will qualify for state healthcare and can apply for a carte vitale. This universal healthcare card proves your eligibility.

Getting the application process right and obtaining this important card will not only reduce the cost of medical care but also make attending, paying for, and claiming back fees for medical treatment much simpler. We asked the experts at French Admin Assistance to explain how to get your healthcare organised in France if you’re an expat.

What is a carte vitale?

A carte vitale is issued to every French resident over 16 who applies for one. Any children under 18 will be covered by one of their parent’s accounts but will be issued with their card and social security number when they reach 16. The carte vitale facilitates reimbursements of healthcare costs but it does not grant healthcare access. Your carte vitale is linked to your numéro de sécurite sociale (social security number). When the card is presented at medical appointments, hospital admission, or the pharmacy for prescriptions, reimbursements are processed automatically. In many cases you wiull still pay part of the consultation fee, unless tiers payant (third party organisation) applies, or the remaining cost is covered by a mutuelle. In some cases, Assurance Maladie may cover 100% if you suffer from a long term illness. You can receive care even without the card, provided your are affiliated with the system.

Guide to French healthcare and the Carte Vitale

The whole system is under the umbrella of Ameli, and you can create an account with them to monitor your reimbursements when you have received your carte vitale. They also run a site called mon éspace santé (my health site) on which you can upload and view your medical documents, get test results and share information with health professionals. Before you have a card, you will need to pay for all care you receive but retain all the feuilles de soins (receipts) that you are issued with as you may be able to claim costs back from your local CPAM once you have your social definitive security number.

Can I get a carte vitale straight away?

When you first arrive in France, depending on the visa that you entered France with, you may need have private medical insurance before you travel. This doesn’t mean that none of your medical costs are covered – that will depend on France’s relationship with your country of origin: for British citizens for instance, an S1 is your proof that you have paid or are paying social charges in the UK, and this can be arranged in advance so that it applies from the date of your arrival in France. An S1 certificate confirms that another country remains responsible for funding your healthcare while you reside in France. However, the application process then can take a few months, so you should keep your receipts whilst going through the process. Depending on your situation, you should begin the application process as soon as you can after your arrival, though. For those applying under the PUMA system (Protection Universelle Maladie), proof of three months’ stable residence in France is usually required, although some categories such as students, employees or S1 holders may be eligible immediately.

Your first step is to apply for a social security number. How you do this will depend on whether you are working, setting up a business, studying or retired. You will need to provide many documents, including your birth certificate (with your parents’ names on it) and marriage or civil partnership certificate (where appropriate), passport and proof of residency status. Depending on your situation and country of origin, you may be asked for additional documents, and the process can be time-consuming and complex.

Do I need private insurance?

Once you are established in the French system and have your social security number and carte vitale, applying for top-up health insurance called a mutuelle can make sense. Unlike in the UK and some other countries, having this doesn’t allow you to jump the queue, but it does cover a lot of the healthcare costs which aren’t reimbursed by the state. If you are on a very low income, schemes are in place to cover these costs for you. Still, these are unlikely to apply to foreign nationals moving to France, as you are expected to demonstrate financial independence as part of the immigration process.

Finding a mutuelle can be complicated as there are so many available depending on your situation and the level of coverage you require. Still, policies can cover an individual or a whole family.

Can I get help applying for my carte vitale?

Help is at hand when it comes to applying for your carte vitale, and it can often be that having a professional company like French Admin Assistance to help you will save you money in the long term as you may be able to close down your private insurance costs quicker.

“Like much else in France – getting your carte vitale is all about the paperwork, or rather getting it right which can seem daunting and make for a frustrating experience. We’ve been helping clients navigate through the often confusing and time-consuming forms and documents required in many aspects of life here – including the carte vitale application for many years” says Andy at French Admin Assistance “whether you need help filling in forms, setting up systems, choosing the right mutuelle, or making a phone call on your behalf, we can help. We can complete the entire process for you and with you and do all the follow up calls, right through to receipt of your carte vitale. When you receive any letters or requests for additional information, as is often the case, we will ensure that you understand the next steps. We will even write any letters you need and send to get your paperwork file completed and receive your carte vitale.

“Once your carte vitale has been received, we will set up your online ameli account so that you can follow your reimbursements and request your CEAM card (Carte Européeme d’Assurance Malaide) allows you to access necessary healhcare when travelling temporarily in other European countries.

It is common for the process of obtaining a definitive social security number and carte vitale to take between two and six months, depending on the complexity of the application and the CPAM processing time, and on you providing documents required and dealing with administration questions in a timely manner.

Whether you need just a little help or more, Andy and the team can help.