FRENCH ADMIN HELP

I’m going to study in France, will I be covered if I get sick or injured?

Health insurance in France is managed by the national social security system. This is made up of a network of local branches, called the Caisses Primaires d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM). In each county, you have a local Caisse primaire d’assurance maladie.

The general French social security system is open to all students free of charge. After you have registered, a social security number and a Carte vitale are delivered to you. You can ask for reimbursements of your medical costs,

Will I be fully covered ?

The answer is NO. To have a better coverage, you must have a private health insurance.

On average, the social security system will reimburse :

  • 80% of your hospital bills.;
  • 70% of your doctor’s bills;
  • between 15 to 100% of the costs of medication. It’s depend of the medication prescribed by the doctor,

About 80% of your hospital bills…..

The coverage may vary. It depends on the nature of the care received, like dentist visits or surgery. It also depends on the status of the health institution providing the care.

To be eligible to a coverage, make sure that the health institutions and the health professionals are registered with the french healthcare system.

A directory lists the registered institutions. It also includes the health professionals. You can find it on this link : http://annuairesante.ameli.fr/

What if I want to have a better coverage ?

You can register with a private insurance called mutuelle. It guarantees the coverage of the medical expenses you would incur during your stay in France.

Some mutuelles offer attractive packages for students in exchange of a monthly contribution.