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05/06/2008, 11:45 Newcomer Joined on 26/09/2007 Posts 39 Re: Is top-up health insurance really necessary? Blossom,   I am inclined to agree with you.   We have spent weeks looking at top up insurance.  When we ask for Hospitalization Quotations only we are made to feel this is inadequate.   It is amazing.  I do not think the french people pay these high charges for insurance.  We have been given a quote for less than 400 euros for 2 people for hospital cover only.  It seems too good to be true.  But reading the threads if you are in hospital and have serious illness you will not need this anyway so it is money for the insurance company.      Report

09/06/2008, 15:11 Nearly Retired Joined on 23/07/2005 Posts 267 Re: Is top-up health insurance really necessary? I haven't really paid much attention to the top up insurance issue as up to now we have spent most of our time in England. As part of the calculations regarding possible long term living in France in the future I'd like to know if the top-up cost figures are standard for each level of top-up or do they vary (upwards) depending on pre-existing conditions like holiday travel insurance and UK health insurance. PS A note on the Insurance vs Save It issue. We got fed up with paying UK private health insurance after being hit by an exclusion clause. We stopped it and just payed the monthly premium into a ring fenced savings account. I reckon the lump saved represents about 25% of the cost of our maison secondaire.      Report

09/06/2008, 15:37 Owen Joined on 23/08/2004 Var (83) Posts 219 Re: Is top-up health insurance really necessary? Hello Blossom, The answer to your question; Is top up insurance really necessary: the simple answer is "No". Is the purchase of some level of top up insurance (perhaps hospitalisation only) advisable/recommended? For most people I would say "Yes".  It is particularly the potential costs of a hospital stay (assuming one enjoys general good health) which makes the choice to insure or not a vexing topic. The post by Keith Channing alludes to this. It is not the treatment of life threatening conditions, expensive as they may be, because such treatment may well be covered 100%. Major surgery may also be covered 100% depending where it is performed. But a hospital stay does not, by a long way, necessarily mean treatment of life threatening conditions or major surgery. It can be a matter of minor surgery, observation, tests, scans etc which will be unlikely to be covered 100% - 70% - 80% is more likely. Add the hotel costs and a private room (if desired) the costs mount up. Apart from privacy I see other advantages of a private room. But even if you are admitted to hospital for something life threatening such as a heart attack and covered 100% this will not be the case when it comes to convalescence if so recommended. Only 80% of the costs will be covered plus hotel costs and again a private room. 30 days in a convalescence/rehabilitation establishment can begin to be quite expensive. You can of course put money by in a deposit account but how much? Impossible to calculate or forecast. For people like Logan I can only agree that a mutuelle offers less than decent value because it will undoubtedly offer benefits which are surplus to requirements for someone in general good health. But shop around amongst the commercial insurers for hospital only cover and there are some pretty good deals about. Depending on age you may obtain such cover for around 30 - 50 Euros per month. Of course many providers will look askance at you when you require hospital cover only. We are, after all, living in a country where hypochondria is one of the top national pastimes. Why people have hang ups about providers making profits/surpluses defeats me. I am sure this factor does not stop them from shopping in Carrefour. Worthwhile for most people therefore to have at least a degree of cover afforded by a top up. A pot of gold in a Livret A account can be available for other emergencies. Regards Owen pjowen@expathealthdirect.co.uk    Report

09/06/2008, 15:52 LyndaandRichard Joined on 01/05/2005 Posts 842 Re: Is top-up health insurance really necessary? If the French government take about 40% of my wages just in social charge taxes (before any other taxes), why the hell can't they afford to pay 100% of any health requirements I (or anyone else) might have? Somebody somewhere is taking the micheal I think. Your Property in France    Report

09/06/2008, 16:29 KathyF Joined on 17/02/2007 Mid-Wales & Southern Manche (50) Posts 119 Re: Is top-up health insurance really necessary? I think the answer to that is that the French health system is prohibitively expensive to run in its present form. There are lots of posts comparing the NHS unfavourably to the French health system, but the lavish supply of hospitals, medical staff and equipment which enables the lack of waiting lists in France also costs an unsustainable amount to finance. The French social security system is a financial black hole.    Report

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France Forum » Living » Health » Is top-up health insurance really necessary?

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