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Thursday, 09 August 2007 |
Medical Underwriting:
 Due to the fact that the insurer does not bear the full cost of medical treatment, only the Top Up element to the prescribed level of cover. This means that premiums are very competitively priced considering the high service standards required. Equally, it means that the insurer does not require details of your medical history, simply to exclude it from cover. Nor does the policy operate a moratorium on pre-existing conditions like that often applied in the UK.
Quite simply, you are covered for your entire Medical History as you would be in the UK under the care of the National Health Service. The key difference being that as France has invested far more into its healthcare provisions; waiting lists and poor service are virtually unheard of.
Joining Criterion:
The principle requirement to become eligible for a French Top-Up policy is qualifying under CPAM. If you do qualify you immediately benefit from reduced healthcare costs – requiring only a Top Up rather than full insurance.
Your personal CPAM number forms part of your application for cover, so is scrutinised closely.
There are no maximum age requirements to join the plans and no medical underwriting is applied.
Scope of Cover:
Cover is based purely upon the French domestic state healthcare service. The policy affords a degree of cover throughout other EHIC participating states, however it has been designed with the French healthcare tariff in mind.
If you require more extensive cover within Europe or indeed throughout the remaining world, ask your policy adviser.
Medical Benefits:
The complementary (top-up) policies provide two levels of benefit, Bronze: the basic hospitalisation costs and Argent: the more comprehensive plans which covers out-patient treatments and other areas. Argent currently enjoys three levels of reimbursement. The benefits differ slightly from each option and indeed the degree of reimbursement as well. This means in regions of France where doctors routinely charge higher than the National Tarif (such as Paris); you would require a higher degree of reimbursement – say 150% or even 300%.
The policy also covers a degree of Optical and Dental cover; especially that needing hospitalisation or non-routine work. Cosmetic surgery is not covered under the plans unless in a reconstructive capacity following an accident, illness or trauma.
Just how much top up cover do I need?
Is it correct that if I want to cancel my 'top up' policy I must do so at least two months before the expiry date of the policy?
 That is correct. If you do not, then under French Law, the policy will be automatically renewed and payment will be due.
View other Frequently Asked Questions by clicking here |
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