Is there a healthcare payment option for elderly second home owners in France?
Exploring insurance options and state healthcare access for British expats
A British GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) will cover you for medical emergencies in France
fizkes / Shutterstock
Reader question: My wife and I are British with a second home in Brittany. We are here for six to seven months a year and so have visas. We are over 70 and I am finding difficulty finding travel insurance to cover us for health. Can we pay a fee which will cover us for healthcare under the state system?
As a non-resident you cannot be covered by the French state system, however, for any temporary visit, including under a six-month temporary long-stay visa, a Global Health Insurance Card (Ghic), for people covered by the NHS, can be obtained provided free of charge from NHS Business Services Authority.
When visiting a doctor or pharmacy, holders usually have to pay upfront then apply to be reimbursed up to a certain percentage (eg. 70% of the standard fee for a GP is reimbursed).
For necessary treatment at state hospitals, you do not usually have to pay upfront if you present your card; when you leave you will however have certain non-reimbursed costs to pay.
Read more: Do Britons lose access to NHS healthcare when moving to France?
Doctors issue feuilles de soins forms which you should send with any prescriptions, bank details and a copy of the card to the caisse primaire d’assurance maladie covering the area, for repayment.
Existing medical conditions are included and the system covers eg. prescription medicines, dental care, lab tests and medical transport.
Most French people have complementary health insurance which covers some or all of the remaining part of bills, however most are not available for people who are not in the French system.
Few French providers cater for non-residents on temporary stays, though a few specialists exist, including certain Generali and Swiss Life agencies. AXA International also proposes an annual multi-trip policy.
Otherwise, UK travel insurance with a good health element can work, though some exclude serious pre-existing conditions and you may need to shop around.
You should, as a separate issue, be careful if you intend to regularly stay more than six months a year in France – for example by combining time under a visa with time under the 90/180 days rule – as you are liable to be considered to become French tax residents.
Read more: Ceam or Ghic: Which health card is right for Britons in France?
