Living in France
Taking care of yourself while in France
All hospitals have an emergency room that is open 24 hours a day. Physicians and pharmacies are on call nights and weekends.
Social Security in France
1. What is the French "Sécurité Sociale" or "Sécu"
The Health Insurance in France is called as "Sécurité Sociale" or "Sécu". The French Sécurité Sociale guarantees particularly the handling of medical expenses.The person who receives treatment is generally reimbursed between 15% and 70% of a rate established by the Sécurité Sociale. It is therefore advisable to separate reimbursements made by the Sécurité Sociale from expenses that remain your responsibility.
Example:
For an expense of €10 for medication:
€6.50 are reimbursed by the Sécu and €3.50 are not reimbursed.
For a €22 consultation with a sector 1 government regulated General Practitioner (meaning he or she does not practice extra billing):
€14.40 are refunded by the Sécu (€15.40 - €1 of fixed contribution), and €6.60 are not reimbursed.
2. What is the French Sécurité Sociale Student Insurance ?
For all students (French and foreign) the Sécu is managed within the framework of the Sécurité Sociale student insurance. Developed in 1946, the Charter of Grenoble, founding text of French student trade unionism, defined the student as a "young intellectual worker", who as such is entitled to "particular social welfare".
In 1948, based on this text, a law was established to create the Sécurité Sociale student insurance and to decide to entrust its management to the student mutual insurance companies. The creation of this specific insurance form the general health insurance plan established student autonomy, student who is acknowledged as doubly major: major with regard to health management and major to manage one's own Sécurité Sociale insurance.
The reasons that propelled the enactment of this law dating September 23, 1948 still apply: specific health problems faced by students, their aspiration toward autonomy, increased precarious situations on campus and the place students must legitimately occupy in our country's democratic life.
Student Sécurité Sociale reimbursement rates are identical to those of the general health insurance plan.
2.1) The General Rule:
You are under the age of 28 on October 1 and you are not on a European exchange programme:
You must register with the Sécurité Sociale student health insurance plan and select a student mutual insurance company.
You could choose La Mutelle des Etudiants (LMDE)as the organization to manage your health insurance. LMDE-center 601 of the Sécurité Sociale, with 153 offices in France, is the only student national Sécurité Sociale center.
Registration with the student health insurance must be made during enrollment in your establishment. The registration cost for school year 2007-2008 is €192.
To help students with their application, LMDE-center 601 has documents in foreign languages available, which present all of the Sécurité Sociale student health insurance plan's particularities. Furthermore, its telephone platform (3260 and say LMDE - €0.15/min, taxes inculded) allows you to contact representatives speaking English.
Following your registration you will receive a card attesting to your membership with the student health insurance plan: the "Carte Vitale". Personal and non-transferable, your Carte Vitale must be presented to healthcare professionals. It will allow you to be reimbursed simply and without delay.
LMDE (centre 601) providees all new enrolled students with a guide that explans clearly and in simple terms the Carte Vitale's particularities and how the healthcare system works.
2.2) Two exceptions
You are more than 28 years old on October 1.
You are not entitled to the student health insurance plan.
As for French students, your interlocutor is the "Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie (CPAM)" closest to your residence.
You will find your CPAM address on the website - www.ameli.fr
You are on a European student exchange programme:
In this case, most formalities will have been completed when you enrolled in higher education in your country of origin. If this is the case, you became affiliated to the National Health Insurance in your country.
Your receiving institution in France is in contact with your institution at home.
With your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), that you will have requested in your home country, you can benefit from the Sécurité Sociale in France.
3) What is additional Health Insurance Policy ?
Similar to French students, it is essential to complete your Sécurité Sociale reimbursements with those of a supplementary mutual insurance company.
Example: You spend €50 at the pharmacy for medication (blue sticker-vignette bleu):
You will receive a €17.50 reimbursement from the Sécurité Sociale; you are therefore responsible for paying €32.50.
Hence, to obtain a reimbursement of the remaining €32.50, it is in your interest to subscribe additional health insurance policy.
To enjoy better coverage of your healthcare expenses, you could subscribe additional LMDE health insurance policy. LMDE offers a complete range adapted to student's situations.
Since it is managed by students, LMDE wants to meet your needs. It recommends additional health insurance policies that are developed together with healthcare experts and students such as you.
Thus, to optimally cover all the healthcare needs you may face, you could select the following additional LMDE health insurance policy: "Tous Soins" (all-inclusive healthcare), "Soins Courants" (routine healthcare), or "Forfaits" (package).
There is the possibility of receiving supplementary Universal Health Coverage (UHC-CMU).
LMDE = Sécu + Additional Health Insurance Policy = Optimal coverage of your healthcare expenses.