November 23 CMU deadline

ANY resident who held an E106 on November 23, 2007, can join the French state healthcare system (under a regime called the CMU), the government has confirmed.

It follows an announcement that early retirees already in CMU on the same date can continue affiliation. The latest reversal is welcome news to the many people whose E106 forms recently expired.

They had been told, following a November government circular, there was no longer any “automatic” right for E106 holders to join the CMU. They would only be entitled to join if they could prove an unforeseen life change making private insurance impossible – an accident de la vie.

This included divorce, separation or unforeseen medical changes which made private insurance impossible.

However, this has been reversed and anyone in possession of an E106 on November 23, 2007 - or before - is now eligible for state healthcare via CMU.

The U-turn follows a campaign by the expat community, a topic highlighted in Connexion since September. The change was outlined in a letter from Health minister Roslyne Bachelot to British ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott.

It is now also mentioned in the “Question and Answer” section of the social security website (www.securite-sociale.fr - see actualité and then point d’information).

The “accident de la vie” stipulation will apply to those who arrived in France after November 23.

Pam Djordjevic, 52, from Poitou-Charentes, whose E106 ran out in January, is among those delighted at the news.

She had sought private insurance omitting pre-existing conditions, which could not be covered, relating to previous treatment for breast cancer and hypo-thyroidism.

She said: “This is good news, although it remains to be seen how it is implemented. My CPAM has not been briefed yet.”

She said insurers AXA would give her a statutory 30-day cooling off period after signing final documents, which she had not yet done.

As her adviser stated it was necessary to take out a year’s policy and there would be no refunds possible if she later found she was eligible for the CMU, she said she was hoping her CPAM would soon confirm her entitlement.

She said: “There’s a lot of confusion still and people like me don’t have health cover - we are stuck between a rock and a hard place until the CPAMs implement the change.”

She added that some people would still fall outside the changed system - such as holders of E109 forms (for dependents of working people in the UK) or those with E121 forms by virtue of eligibility for incapacity benefit, in the case of this eligibility running out.

A spokeswoman for CNAM, the national body in charge of France’s health authorities (CPAMs) said all local offices should now be fully briefed on the changes.

There has been considerable confusion at CPAMs since the release of the circular. CNAM blamed the government’s unexpected U-turn on its previous decision to exclude all early-retiree expats from state healthcare.

The spokeswoman said there were many internal procedural matters to clarify and explain to workers.

Asked what people should do if they have already returned their cartes vitales – as many expats were originally told to do - or the cards no longer work – she said: “It is normal people were asked to send back cards.

“It was a matter of applying the EU directive which required all inactive expats in France to have private health insurance.

“They should go back to their CPAMs – advice will be available on what to do.”

If your CPAM is not accepting the above changes please email health@connexionfrance.com

We will pass the information to the relevant authorities.