 Poster: A snowHead
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I have recently suffered a heart attack and currently undergoing treatment and awaiting more tests. All that is keeping my spirits up is the prospect of going with family and friends to my apartment in Les Arcs over Christmas. My insurance company (Snowcard) said that they are happy to maintain the existing cover but will exclude anything resulting from my heart attack.
What I want to know is would a combination of Carte Neige and EHIC cover me instead? I have been warned that the EHIC gives pretty bad treatment in Italy, but what is it like in France? From my reading of Carte Neige insurance they will also repatriate you if necessary.
After being in hospital last week after showing more acute cardiac symptoms, the consultant said that I could go skiing over Christmas, but I am not sure if he understood the altitude and cold correctly. Of course his insurance company would never allow him to give me that advice in writing.
Any thoughts would be most welcome
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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johnE, EHIC in France gives the same level of treatment as a French resident would receive,but won't repatriate you. You will have to pay for the first 20-30% of treatment depending on what they are treating you for (emergency surgery for example is almost, but not quite free, as you have to pay a daily charge while you are in hospital). You have to get a cetain level of Carte Neige for repatriation, the insurance you add onto your lift pass won't do.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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And my best wishes for a speedy receovery.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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johnE, sorry to hear you've been ill. Is it possible for you to wait until all tests and treatment (other than any ongoing medication) are behind you before making the decision? You will then be able to negotiate with Snowcard, or any insurer, from a position of knowledge and strength. I recently had open heart surgery and only renewed my annual travel insurance - or rather took out an entirely new policy, with better off-piste cover - after I had been signed off by the surgeon and consultant cardiologist, and therefore really knew what the final score was. A telephone screening came up with a somewhat random list of cardiac-related exclusions, but I got cover for all of them simply by paying an extra £50 per annum, which I thought was well worth the peace of mind. If it's any help, I got my insurance through MPI Brokers, who were recommended on snowHeads.
But the most important thing is - get well soon!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Pedantica, thank you for the advice. At the moment everything appears very bleak. I am really hoping to be suitable for a bypass operation.
I've Just been talking to my friend in France and he says he has to carry extra insurance from work. And points out that everything in France is complicated. It is not clear what a normal citizen would receive.
Clearly I need to talk to a broker and be prepared to pay a lot more. There is also no rush since I do not plan to travel for 10 weeks.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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johnE, it's not that complicated, honestly. http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/countryguide/Pages/healthcareinFrance.aspx . Your friend has extra insurance from work (assurance mutuelle) to cover the costs that the French system does not, but there are clear guidelines and charges. We've had quite a bit of experience of French hospitals and health care after hubby broke his neck in a skiing accident. Bill was a grand total of around £260 for a major operation (because it was an emergency), 8 days in hospital, and included x-rays and scans. Ambulance was paid by the insurance (ambulances are private in France, so you will have to pay for one if you need it ), as were repatriation costs.
Some of the treatment costs were claimed back when we returned to the UK. I don't know exactly what, as insurance company did it for us.
You do need to be sure you are being treated in the French state system though, and many clinics in resort are private. (gp's should be 'conventionée and you will have to pay their charge upfront-about 30€)
A friend had an emergency bypass operation in France, he'd been waiting for 6 months for the op in the UK, but decided to go on holiday anyway. He was taken ill while in the Loire somewhere, ended up in hospital, where it was carried out immediately and cost virtually nothing because it was an emergency.
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johnE, best wishes for your test results.
I think repatriation is your main concern. I think I'm about to be classed as a French resident and so will be switching to paying into the French system but I recently had a non-emergency knee operation in France whilst classed as a UK resident. I did not travel to France to have the operation - I injured myself whilst staying in France.
I had EHIC and Carte Neige. Carte Neige meant I didn't have to hand over any money or make any phone calls before being rescued from the mountain and taken by ambulance to the clinic (in fact I didn't use the ambulance service but could have done with Carte Neige). From then on I paid full price for everything, from initial examination, X ray and leg brace, to physio and eventually an operation. This cost a few thousand euros. Any time I tried to show someone my EHIC they looked at me like I was a weirdo and wondered why I was waving some random card at them. I elected to have surgery with a specific recommended surgeon at a hospital in Annecy. EHIC meant nothing to them. This is a contrast to the experience of another snowHead's wife who had knee surgery at the hospital in Albertville, where waving their EHIC at the admin staff meant they only had to hand over minimal cash.
At each stage I kept receipts and finally sent them off last month for reimbursement. One month later, I was reimbursed for the vast majority of the costs (initial treatment at 70%, physio at 65%, operation 100%). Carte Neige will now pay for the stuff I didn't get back, up to a limit of about 3k I think (but I don't need anything like as much as that). I was told reimbursement would have been slower had I not had a French bank account.
The key thing for you, as Hells Bells, says, is that you will not have to hand over any cash for an emergency heart-related problem. By choosing to go to Annecy and have the surgeon I did, for an important but non-emergency operation, I thought my EHIC would not work. In fact it has been brilliant. Yes, I had to hand over the cash initially, but it has all come back and I have been absolutely delighted with the treatment I received in France.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Sun 14-10-12 16:34; edited 1 time in total
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Grenoble hospital have an office which deals specifically with 'étrangers'. I took hubby's EHIC card and the insurance company details to the office, and it was all dealt with from there. We handed over nothing, but that probably wouldn't have been the case if we'd only had EHIC and no other insurance.
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