Early retirees to regain healthcover

EARLY-retiree expats in France will be given easier access to the country's healthcare reimbursements system, following pressure from the EU.

The European Commission has been investigating France's policy of denying state healthcare rights to Europeans under state pension age who moved to the country without having worked here and without plans to seek work.

A spokeswoman for the European Commission told The Connexion: "France is on the way to publish a circular before the summer break that opens access to CMU on the basis of EU regulation 883/2004."

She added that this regulation, relating to the coordination of social security systems, applies to all EU citizens.

The CMU (couverture maladie universelle) is a system allowing people to receive state healthcare without rights accrued from work, which all early-retirees had previously joined.

A spokeswoman for the Direction de la Sécurité Sociale, in charge of healthcare reimbursements, said: "A new ministerial circular will be published this summer, replacing the one from November 23, 2007.

"It clarifies the different ways in which an inactive EU citizen can legally live in France through French state health insurance, bearing in mind new regulations on coordination or national legislation, or a private policy with a basket of care comparable to the state's.

"A case by case examination of people's situation will if necessary allow access to the CMU."

The current policy dates from autumn 2007, when expats started receiving letters from their Cpams (local health insurance authorities) telling them they were to lose their healthcare rights.

They were told that in order to have health cover - an obligation for legal residence in France - they would need to buy private policies.

After the uproar that followed, France published its final position on the matter in a circular dated November 23, 2007, in which it outlined limited circumstances in which so-called "inactive" people could access the CMU.

The European Commission said last year that it believed that France's policy may break rules regarding compatibility between different countries' social security systems.

The Commission spokeswoman said that as soon as the circular is published, the commission will close infringement proceedings against France. However, it will be carefully monitoring the application of the new circular.