EHIC and S1

Add1e · #1 (**permalink**) 10th April 2012, 09:50 AM

Hi all,

My husband and I are currently living in France and using our EHIC. My husband works in France for a UK company and is still paying UK tax.

We have, after months of confusion and misunderstanding been advised that we should be on an S1 form and have access via this to a Carte Vitale.

Does anyone know how long this process normally takes?

My husband (as advised by HMRC) has been to the local CPAM office and they advised that we needed to deal with the UK as we should be entitled to an S1 form however HMRC have asked for written confirmation that the French agree, so the CPAM office are currently writing a letter to HMRC.

Has anyone else been in this situation?

Many thanks in advance for any replies.

Bevdeforges · #2 (**permalink**) 10th April 2012, 10:04 AM

Haven't been there myself, but we've had several folks through the forum here who have gone through the process. Technically, you're supposed to get the S1 form before you leave the UK, which is why the request for the letter from the French, etc. etc.

The CPAM may (or may not) take their time in issuing your Carte Vitale once you have all the paperwork completed, too. But just remember that France has a reimbursement system for health care. Save any and all receipts you are given when visiting a doctor, or going for tests or treatment. (They should give you a standardized form for this - save these.) Once you have your Carte Vitale, you can send in all the back forms you have saved and you should be reimbursed (at the Sécu rates - usually not 100%) for what you have paid out.

It's the Sécu that forwards the forms directly to your mutuelle (the top up insurance that pays the unreimbursed part of your health care costs) so you may want to get a mutuelle lined up while CPAM is processing the paperwork.
Cheers,
Bev

rynd2it · #3 (**permalink**) 10th April 2012, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Add1e

Hi all,

My husband and I are currently living in France and using our EHIC. My husband works in France for a UK company and is still paying UK tax.

We have, after months of confusion and misunderstanding been advised that we should be on an S1 form and have access via this to a Carte Vitale.

Does anyone know how long this process normally takes?

My husband (as advised by HMRC) has been to the local CPAM office and they advised that we needed to deal with the UK as we should be entitled to an S1 form however HMRC have asked for written confirmation that the French agree, so the CPAM office are currently writing a letter to HMRC.

Has anyone else been in this situation?

Many thanks in advance for any replies.

Basically ignore the French until you get the S1 from the UK, the S1 is independant of other countries so you either qualify in the UK or you don't.

When you get the S1, take it to the CPAM with birth certificates, marriage certificates, proof of residence, passports etc and they will arrange for the Carte Vitale. It takes up to three months, if in the meantime you need to consult a doctor or pharmacist amke sure they give you the brown forms (feuilles de soin) which you submit to the CPAM when they issue your Carte Vitale. You may also need a top-up insurance (mutuelle) to cover the difference between the Secu and the costs. After that it's easy, every time you visit a doctor, pharmacist etc you present your Carte Vitale and the Mutuelle and all the claims are submitted automatically.

It's actually a very straight forward system once you get into it

Cheers

Add1e · #4 (**permalink**) 10th April 2012, 06:09 PM

Hi guys,

Thanks for getting back to me. Bevdeforges, we did try to obtain an S1 before leaving the Uk and were given an A1 and after further investigation and via advice from a company offering mutuelle when we were looking in to getting full private health care, we discovered that we should in fact have been issued with an S1.

Thank you both for your advice. Do either of you know how long HMRC will take to process the S1? It took 5 months to receive an A1.

rynd2it · #5 (**permalink**) 11th April 2012, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Add1e

Hi guys,

Thanks for getting back to me. Bevdeforges, we did try to obtain an S1 before leaving the Uk and were given an A1 and after further investigation and via advice from a company offering mutuelle when we were looking in to getting full private health care, we discovered that we should in fact have been issued with an S1.

Thank you both for your advice. Do either of you know how long HMRC will take to process the S1? It took 5 months to receive an A1.

Our S1 took about 4 weeks, they need your address in France and the date of arrival before they will issue it but then it is pretty quick. After your visit to the CPAM they will issue an 'attestation' to say you are covered and your Carte Vitale shortly afterwards.

If you need any help with mutuelle contact Catherine Lewis at ARCC in Bordeaux - very, very helpful

Cheers

Add1e · #6 (**permalink**) 11th April 2012, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rynd2it

Our S1 took about 4 weeks, they need your address in France and the date of arrival before they will issue it but then it is pretty quick. After your visit to the CPAM they will issue an 'attestation' to say you are covered and your Carte Vitale shortly afterwards.

If you need any help with mutuelle contact Catherine Lewis at ARCC in Bordeaux - very, very helpful

Cheers

4 weeks would be great. I was expecting more like 4 months. Thanks for the contact as well, will give her a call.

Add1e · #7 (**permalink**) 21st May 2012, 10:25 AM

Hi, I have now received a non workers S1 form from the Overseas Healthcare team at DWP which covers until Jan 2013.

Can anyone advise whether it is possible to print out the forms needed from the internet for the CPAM office and if so which forms I need?

My husband is still having issues with HMRC who are now saying that he is not eliglble for an S1 because he is here on a temporary contract. We are here for 2 years which is quite a long temporary. I also think its ridiculous that I am no longer paying contributions to either country and I am eligible for an S1 to Jan 2013 via my previous contributions but he is still contributing and is not. We speak to one person at HMRC who tells us he is eligible and he just needs to get a letter from the French authorities (CPAM) to say that he should be paying contribution in the UK, so we go about getting this sorted, then CPAM advise they can not issue a letter as they can't set up a file without an S1. We then go back to HMRC and speak to another person who advises that he is not eligible. What?

rynd2it · #8 (**permalink**) 21st May 2012, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Add1e

Hi, I have now received a non workers S1 form from the Overseas Healthcare team at DWP which covers until Jan 2013.

Can anyone advise whether it is possible to print out the forms needed from the internet for the CPAM office and if so which forms I need?

My husband is still having issues with HMRC who are now saying that he is not eliglble for an S1 because he is here on a temporary contract. We are here for 2 years which is quite a long temporary. I also think its ridiculous that I am no longer paying contributions to either country and I am eligible for an S1 to Jan 2013 via my previous contributions but he is still contributing and is not. We speak to one person at HMRC who tells us he is eligible and he just needs to get a letter from the French authorities (CPAM) to say that he should be paying contribution in the UK, so we go about getting this sorted, then CPAM advise they can not issue a letter as they can't set up a file without an S1. We then go back to HMRC and speak to another person who advises that he is not eligible. What?

I can't answer the eligibilty questions but I would have thought that your husband could continue on an EHIC with you using your S1 to get a Carte Vitale. Or, can they put your husband on your S1 as a dependant and then he will qualify for a Carte Vitale as well. It seems your issues are with HMRC or DWP, not CPAM at this point.

BTW - we applied for and got our EHIC within 28 days so we can get medical cover in the UK on vacation trips should i tbe necessary.

Cheers

Add1e · #9 (**permalink**) 21st May 2012, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rynd2it

I can't answer the eligibilty questions but I would have thought that your husband could continue on an EHIC with you using your S1 to get a Carte Vitale. Or, can they put your husband on your S1 as a dependant and then he will qualify for a Carte Vitale as well. It seems your issues are with HMRC or DWP, not CPAM at this point.

BTW - we applied for and got our EHIC within 28 days so we can get medical cover in the UK on vacation trips should i tbe necessary.

Cheers

Yes our issue is definitely with HMRC. We do have EHIC cards and I did ask about getting my husband on my S1 as a dependant but as soon as I said he was working they said he needed to apply for a workers S1.

Do you know if I can fill in the forms for the Carte Vitale online and then take them to the CPAM office?

rynd2it · #10 (**permalink**) 21st May 2012, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Add1e

Yes our issue is definitely with HMRC. We do have EHIC cards and I did ask about getting my husband on my S1 as a dependant but as soon as I said he was working they said he needed to apply for a workers S1.

Do you know if I can fill in the forms for the Carte Vitale online and then take them to the CPAM office?

I could not find the applications online but they are pretty simple and it only took us about 20 - 30 minutes to complete and submit ours. Just make sure you have all the documents they ask for.

Cheers