Can I continue to go to UK for healthcare after moving?
Visitors from France may be asked to show their French Ehic form
I am taking early retirement aged 56 and applying for a visa for France as a long-stay ‘visitor’. Apparently I'll be classed as inactive. I cannot get an S1 form and the Ghic will not apply. I currently have several HRT medications on prescription in the UK. Will I have to pay in France? Can I pop over to the UK for appointments and medications?
You cannot, as a general rule, continue using the NHS unless you have your ‘ordinary residence’ in the UK, having said which, some GP practices will allow visitors to the UK to register as a ‘temporary patient’ during a stay of less than three months.
Primary care in the UK – including GPs, but not specialists – is free to everyone but visitors from France may be asked to show their French Ehic form (anyone in the French system can obtain one of these, apart from UK or EU/EEA state pensioners with S1 forms).
For specialists and hospital care, those not in the UK system may be charged. There are also charges for medicines.
Healthcare in France should not pose an undue problem for you but as an early-retiree the consular officials will expect you to take out a private healthcare policy at least to cover your first year.
After three months in France you can apply to your local Cpam to join the French system, which is free unless you have substantial investment incomes (The Connexion publishes a guide to Healthcare in France if you want more detail about this subject).
HRT medications in France can be paid for by a combination of state healthcare (usually covering 65%) and a top-up health insurance policy, known as a mutuelle.
You should see a GP or endocrinologist for a prescription.