[Bevdeforges]

The Pyrenees aren't the only "alternative" to the Alps - and being that far south in France, you may find the availability of medical facilities a bit more problematic. Have you considered the Juras? (East of France along the Swiss border) Or the Vosges (also in the East near the German border and with access to the Black Forest). There is also the Massif Centrale, made up of old volcanic fields. Maybe the mountains aren't quite as high - but all of those areas have year-round towns and may have better access to medical facilities (or more direct access to Paris if you should need it).

 

[Bevdeforges]

The bigger question, IMO, is how to balance wanting to move to France -- no matter where -- and wanting or needing some kind of expat support system.

That's an excellent point. There are plenty of expats (not just anglophone ones) who want to avoid getting involved with the "expat crowd" and then there are those who cluster together in search of other English (or other expat language) speakers or activities.

One thing to look into as you make your reconnaissance trip(s) is the availability of "associations" in the area. Not necessarily those devoted to "expats" but what is available for mountaineering, randonée (very popular here in France, especially in mountain areas), or any other activities or sports you take an interest in. There are some groups/associations for newcomers to an area, and those often include foreign newcomers (for whom English is very often a "lingua franca" while they are learning or improving their French. One organization that appears in many areas around France is the AVF - Accueil des Villes Françaises - a group for newcomers that promotes member-generated activities, tours of the area and some sportive type events, not to mention some language circles to practice your French or to share your native fluency in English with locals who want to retain or work on their English skills. There are other, similar groups in areas where there isn't an AVF per se - often with the word "Accueil" in their title.

The local mairies (town halls) often support or subsidize the local clubs and associations and many towns publish a listing of the groups and activities in the town - either on the official town website or in printed form. Definitely worth taking a look to see what's available for the newly arrived to settle in and to get to know the neighbors and the area.

 

[Bevdeforges]

"Private" medical facilities refers mainly to hospitals here in France. As far as treatment by an individual doctor (generaliste or specialist) you have to look to their sector, which gives you an indication of how much they can charge (and thus how much you can/will be reimbursed by the national system). But in a "medical desert" it really doesn't matter much since there simply aren't enough doctors available who can accept new patients. There is a much more complete listing of doctors available on Ameli - but there is no indication of things like "not taking new patients" or "coming up on retirement in a few months."

I don't know what Whatever means by Doctolib not working "well at all" - it's basically just a scheduling app, which is useful for finding doctors and other medical practitioners with available appointments (and getting an idea of how long the wait is for an available appointment). It's also not the only medical scheduling app - so these things aren't primarily tools for finding a doctor where there aren't any, just for booking appointments and evaluating the information the doctors make available on their "page." (Including whether or not they will accept new patients.)