DENTISTS have been added to the list of health professionals whose details are available through a phone call to your local CPAM.

You can find out about the nearest professionals who work within the state healthcare insurance system and accept a carte vitale.

Information on their tariffs and reimbursement levels is also available.

Note that Médecins conventionnés secteur 1, are paid at a state-fixed tariff (€22 for a GP visit) and you are reimbursed at a set level (70% if you see, or are referred by, your nominated family doctor - médecin traitant - otherwise 50%).

If you go to a médecin conventionné secteur 2, who have “honoraires libres” (unfixed fees) you will be reimbursed the same sum as if you had seen a secteur 1 doctor, but the actual fee paid is set by the doctor, and usually higher.

There is a third, rare, non-conventionnné kind, where you are eligible only for a tiny reimbursement of about €1.

From September this information will also be available for costs of such procedures as scans and surgery.

Find your Cpam in the phone book, or see www.ameli.fr

Click assurés - on the top right is a box where you can input your postcode to find your nearest branch.