New member , basic question about French healthcare

Last activity 23 October 2019 by JohnVigilante

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diogenes77Member29 September 2019 17:31:48

Hello! I am a new member. I am an American who is of retirement age and am interested in exploring the possibility of retiring to France with my wife who is from China My mother (unfortunately deceased) was French but because she came here very young and did not do the correct paperwork, I can't get automatic citizenship. I did retain a lot of the language from two trips to France as a young child.

My question is about healthcare. Although I paid into medicare my whole life it doesn't cover me outside the US. In reading various forums I read conflicting advice about whether or not an american or other non EU person can qualify under the new PUMA helthcare law if he is over 65 years old. Some people say yes, some people say no. I am sure, though that there are expats who are over 65 and have arrived in France after 2016 (which is when they changed PUMA) who can answer my question.

thank you so much
Paul

Guest1230789Guest29 September 2019 18:58:04

214245

Hi Paul,
PUMa is for anyone inactif, age has nothing to do with it :-)
Anyone can apply after 3 months of residence in France.
Here's my main post on our experience, with links to all the previous related posts:
http://slowtravelin.blogspot.com/2017/0 … art-3.html
Julie

diogenes77Member29 September 2019 23:03:12

Thank you so much for your prompt reply! I hate to ask but are you and/ or Rick over 65? In reviewing some of your old posts you seem to be talking about the cost of the PUMA and from what I have read any expat with a pension is exempt. I like Montpelier as a city to live in. As a young boy maybe 10 or 11 I spent a summer in hosegord, the last time I was out of the US except for a honeymoon in Mexico during the 70’s.
Thanks again,
Paul

Guest1230789Guest23 October 2019 10:43:16

214245

Hossegor is nice but totally seasonal, it's dead with the exception of July/August. I used to have an import company based in Biarritz and every summer I'd open boutiques along the southwest coast including one in Capbreton beside Hossegor, Hendaye, St. Jean de Luz, Anglet and Biarritz.

Age is irrelevant with healthcare in France. It's fast to get treated too, but always get a second or third opinion to avoid doctors operating unnecessarily which unfortunately does happen from time to time in France as well as in other countries.

Montpelier is lovely. I once worked in offshore nearby Sète and absolutely loved it there.

JohnVigilanteNew member23 October 2019 16:30:11

Julie H - what a great set of posts thank you very much. I just recently started considering moving to France. I am 58 and my wife is 62. I am still struggling to figure out the basic questions of how to get health insurance in France. It looks like you need to live there for 3 months and they tax your income. Is that correct? What if you do not have income (we might retire)? I have read that you need to prove you have health insurance before you get there? Does that mean buying private health insurance? I have seen no information regarding that. Any guidance you can give would be very much appreciated.

phipiemarVIP Member23 October 2019 16:37:12

4733

JohnVigilante wrote:
Julie H - what a great set of posts thank you very much. I just recently started considering moving to France. I am 58 and my wife is 62. I am still struggling to figure out the basic questions of how to get health insurance in France. It looks like you need to live there for 3 months and they tax your income. Is that correct? What if you do not have income (we might retire)? I have read that you need to prove you have health insurance before you get there? Does that mean buying private health insurance? I have seen no information regarding that. Any guidance you can give would be very much appreciated.

Hi,

Welcome on our forum,

This part of the forum is just for the presentation of newcomers.

For the rest, if you have a specific question to ask, there are two possibilities:
- Read old articles already published by clicking on the magnifying glass next to your avatar to activate the search.
- Ask a new question.

But in 90% of the time, you will find the answers in the archives.

JohnVigilanteNew member23 October 2019 17:13:31

ok thank you

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