Everything you need to know about health coverage for foreign students in France
Are we talking enough about health coverage for foreign students in France? Not enough ! Perhaps you never thought about it in your country of origin. But if you plan to study in France, it is essential to know what to expect. Indeed, no one is immune, and possible accidents or illnesses do not only happen to others. An illness can occur at any time during your stay. It is therefore important to anticipate any incident and prepare well for it. In order to carry out your study project and pursue it serenely, affiliation to social security is an obligation. In addition to the significant coverage, it also allows you to be reimbursed for your medical consultations and also for the purchase of certain medications. As a foreign student in France, here is everything you need to know about social security!
What is social coverage?
Student Social Security is also called "Mutuelle étudiante". It is an organization that partially reimburses health costs: consultation of a doctor, dentist, hospitalization, etc. With few exceptions, all students on French territory must subscribe to a student social security scheme. That said, you have to pay attention to the difference between the student mutual and the complementary health insurance. The first is compulsory social security coverage, the benefits of which are the same as that of the general scheme. It allows partial reimbursement of up to 70% of the medical costs incurred. As for the second, it allows a better refund, sometimes up to 100%, it is strongly recommended, but is not mandatory. It takes care of the rest of the remaining costs that Social Security has not taken care of.
To ensure good insurance, registration on the dedicated site is required. As an accompanying agency for foreign students in France, Excusez My French offers you this service
Get free social security coverage
Following the implementation of a law on student guidance and success, a reform of the student social protection system allows students to be covered in the best way. To do this, you need to follow some important steps.
The vital card
The vital card is a social security card. It allows you to certify your rights to health insurance. It is strongly advised to update it once a year (you can do it in pharmacies or using the terminals available in the health insurance funds nearest to you). Whenever you consult a health professional, remember to present it with the care sheet. On average, in 5 days, you will be reimbursed. The reimbursed amount is paid into your bank account up to 70% of the costs paid as the case may be.
The attending physician
In order to benefit from this advantage, you must respect the care protocol, in particular the choice of a treating doctor. Indeed, from the age of 16, there is a possibility of declaring an attending physician to be better reimbursed. You can choose your specialist doctor or general practitioner practicing in your city of study or residence, and even in the hospital. That said, an attending physician remains a privileged interlocutor, hence the interest in choosing one who can meet your expectations and needs for consistent medical follow-up. In the event that you do not declare your attending physician, you will be less well reimbursed by the health insurance organization.
Know the doctor sectors: 1 and 2
In France, to benefit from a decent health system, especially for students. To avoid excess costs during your consultation, we advise you to go to doctors (practitioners) approved by sector 1. In fact, they charge strict prices and do not exceed fees. For example, you will pay € 25 during a consultation and you will be reimbursed at 70%. As for sector 2, they are doctors with free setting fees, they therefore practice fee overruns, but nevertheless remain within reason. Finally, there is a category of non-contracted doctors, this is sector 3 who practice total free setting fees. We do not recommend that you go to a doctor in this category at the risk of not being reimbursed.
Download the Doctolib app
The Doctolib application is the leader in e-health in Europe. They offer professionals and healthcare establishments a new generation of software, fun and practical to manage their patients and their consultations. On the other hand, they allow patients to have a service allowing them to manage their health while being connected. We therefore recommend that you download it to your Smartphone in order to check whether the doctor you are about to consult has an agreement with sector 1 or 2.
Provide additional health coverage for total reimbursement
According to the feedback from many experiences, the health system in France is one of the best in the world. In addition to social security, which covers a good part of the consultation and medication costs, you can request additional health care. This will complement Social Security reimbursements. You can subscribe to the supplement of your choice. However, as a partner, we can advise you on the most advantageous and which perfectly matches your profile. We will try to advise you as best as possible in order to subscribe to the mutual benefit most suited to your student case, and this, according to your annual resources.
