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HEALTH

How second-home owners can access healthcare in France

If you own property in France and spend a significant amount of time here you may need to access healthcare - here's how to get the care you need and make sure you won't get a big bill.

Accessing medical care in France can be done at pharmacies, doctors or hospitals
Accessing medical care in France can be done at pharmacies, doctors or hospitals. Photo: Martin Bureau/AFP

For those who live in France, accessing healthcare is pretty simple through the Assurance maladie system – click here for more.

But second-home owners are not counted as residents, so they have different rules on getting healthcare if needed.

Access to a doctor

Unlike in the UK, GPs or family doctors are happy to see anyone, there is no need to be registered at the practice.

The same is true for specialists, you can make an appointment directly with a specialist such as a dermatologist, gynaecologist or cardiologist without needing to be referred by a GP.

If you have an urgent problem you can go to a hospital A&E or emergency department as a walk-in and if it is a medical emergency you should call 15 for an ambulance or 18 for the fire and rescue service.

There is also a general European emergency number – this is 112 and operators speak multiple languages including English.

Most French towns have a pharmacy (look out for the green cross) and pharmacists are qualified to give out medical advice and consultations on less serious matters, so if you’re only mildly unwell consider consulting a pharmacist. If they think your condition is more serious, they will direct you to a local doctor.

READ ALSO Emergency in France – who to call and what to say

Booking a medical appointment

Booking a medical appointment is done directly with the doctor or their secretary and you can look up a phone number and call directly.

There are also several medical booking apps in France, the most widely used of which is Doctolib. You need to create an account with the app and can then search for the type of doctor (or dentist) you need near to your location.

The app also lists the languages spoken by each doctor, which can be handy if you want an English-speaking medic.

Payments

But while access to doctors is easy, don’t expect the appointment to be free.

The French medical system is a reimbursement one, which means that everyone pays upfront for medical appointments, procedures and prescriptions and is then reimbursed later – either by the state health system or through private insurance.

While for Brits the act of paying upfront for healthcare can come as a shock, Americans are likely to find the charges low compared to what they are used to.

The cost varies depending on the type of doctor and the treatment needed, but a standard appointment with a GP or family doctor is €25.

If you go to a hospital emergency department and have a consultation but are not admitted to the hospital, the standard fee is also €25, plus the cost of any prescription that you may need.

The standard charge for a hospital stay (excluding treatments) is €20 per day, or €15 per day for a psychiatric hospital. There are exemptions to this including pregnant women, newborn babies and victims of terror attacks.

If you need to call an ambulance the callout itself is free but you may be charged for the trip to hospital. Being taken to hospital by the pompiers (emergency fire and rescue workers who have extensive medical training and are regularly called to incidents such as car crashes or falls) is free but prank calls to emergency services can lead to a fine of more than €400.

Cost reimbursement

While everyone – French people, foreign residents and visitors – is required to pay for medical treatment, there are ways of getting some or all of your costs reimbursed.

For residents of France this is via the carte vitale (health card) that comes with registration in the French health system, however this is not open to people who do not live in France.

Non-residents will need health insurance, but some are eligible for government-run schemes.

EU – If you are resident in an EU country other than France, you can use the European health insurance card. This is an EU-wide scheme whereby EU governments agree to pay for the medical treatments of their citizens when they visit other EU countries. The card has slightly different names in different countries, but can be obtained from the state health system in your country of residence.

British – Brits are no longer entitled to the European health insurance card since Brexit, but for residents of the UK there is a new card known as a GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) which France has agreed to accept.

Coverage – both the European card and the GHIC, however, only cover emergency or unplanned treatments, and almost never cover the cost of repatriation, so visitors are advised to also have their own travel insurance with health cover.

Non-Europeans – once you’re outside of Europe things become more complicated since it’s a question of bilateral agreements on medical cover, so you need to check what your state health insurance (if it exists) covers – for example Canadians are covered for medical treatment in France over a maximum period of three months.

If your country doesn’t have a bilateral agreement with France, or does not provide state medical care, then you will need a private health insurance policy that covers visits to France in order to claim back the cost of any medical treatment.

Vocab

Médecin généraliste – GP or family doctor

Une ordonnance – prescription

Je veux prendre un rendez-vous – I would like to make an appointment

Le cabinet médical – a doctor’s practice 

Y a-t-il un médecin anglophone dans le cabinet ? – Is there an English-speaking doctor in the practice?

Un chirurgien dentiste – a dentist or dental surgeon

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For members

PROPERTY

Explained: France’s new property renovation grant

Ma Prime Logement Décent, which came into effect on January 1st, offers financial assistance to property owners for major home improvements.

Explained: France’s new property renovation grant

The French government has several financial assistance schemes that are open to property owners to help finance renovation projects, especially those aimed at making homes more energy efficient.

GUIDE: French property grants you might be eligible for

Now a new one has been launched, aimed at property that is in a dilapidated and run-down state. The idea is both the ease the housing shortage that is a problem in several French cities and ensure that people are living in decent conditions. 

Launched on January 1, 2024, Ma Prime Logement Décent (My Decent Housing Bonus) has enabled property owners to obtain financial assistance for renovation work on run-down housing. 

Homeowners on a modest income can apply for the Ma Prime Logement Décent financial aid, which is – in certain cases – up to 80 percent of the total spent, up to a maximum of €70,000.

The scheme is open to people who own their own home and people who own a property that they rent out, but is not available to second home owners. You do not need to be a French national to apply, but you must be resident in France, have a French tax number and complete the annual French income tax declaration.

The aid can only be used for work to remedy a proven health or safety risk at a property, such as:

  • unsanitary conditions;
  • a risk of lead exposure;
  • significant deterioration to a property’s fabric.

Work may include :

  • renovating an electrical or gas network;
  • replacing a roof;
  • reinforcing the foundations.

Who’s eligible?

Owner-occupiers on ‘modest’ or ‘very modest’ incomes whose main residence requires renovation can apply for the Ma Prime Logement Décent aid, if:

  • the property was built more than 15 years ago;
  • the work is carried out by qualified professionals (except very particular cases);
  • your home has been assessed by a qualified assessor.

After work has been completed, it must achieve a minimum energy efficiency rating of E.

READ ALSO What do energy ratings mean for French property owners?

Owners renting out their property can apply for this aid in the following circumstances.

  • The unfurnished property must be rented to a low-income tenant, who cannot be a family member, or a member of the landlord’s household for tax purposes;
  • The property has a capped rent – ceilings are defined annually by commune or arrondissement;
  • It has at least a level D energy efficiency rating after the work has been carried out.

READ ALSO GUIDE: French property grants you might be eligible for

How much is the help worth?

When you use Ma Prime Logement Décent as an owner-occupier, you’ll be reimbursed for :

  • 80 percent of the cost of the work if you’re part of a ‘very low income’ household (rising to 90 percent if the work also means that your home is no longer a so-called heat sieve);
  • 60 percent of the cost of the work if you are part of a ‘low-income’ household ( rising to 70 percent if the work also prevents the home from becoming a so-called heat sieve).

In both cases, the total cost of the work must not exceed €70,000.

Owners renting out their property can benefit from 35 percent of the cost of your renovation work.

An online simulator can help property owners check whether the work qualifies for the Ma Prime Logement Décent scheme.

You use terms like ‘very low income’ and ‘low income’. What does that mean?

Your revenus fiscaux de référence (RFR) are important. You’ll see the figure on your annual tax assessment – it’s basically an amount calculated by the tax administration from the total income of a tax household intended to reflect the financial resources of that household.

It helps decide what social assistance you may be entitled to.

READ ALSO MaPrimeRenov: How France’s property renovation grants will change in 2024

In the greater Paris Île-de-France region, a single person living on their own is considered to be ‘very low income’ if their RFR is €23,541 or less (€17,009 for the rest of the country), and low income if it’s €28,657 or less (€21,805 outside Île-de-France).

The scale rises to €55,427 for a very low income household of five in Île-de-France (€40,002 elsewhere); and €67,473 for a low income household of five (€51,281 elsewhere).

Okay, I think I qualify. How do I apply?

The first thing to do is create an personal account on the Agence nationale de l’habitat website

You will be directed to an information point, where you can choose an adviser for your renovation project, who will help put together your application.

Once the application has been approved and the work completed, funds will be released to cover the cost.

READ ALSO French home renovations: What grants are available to the elderly and the disabled?

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