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Diabetes Treatments in France for Expats

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ChrisM

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I am a newbie (diagnosed T2 in June) and need advice on diabetes treatments in France asap because I may have a job in Paris in January. I am currently (still) on insulin but can change to metf and glic whenever I want.

My concerns are what treatments are available in France, paying for treatments, and access to treatments, particularly metf and glic.

Any info would be gratefully received.
 
Hi Chris and welcome to the forum we have a member HelenM(least think she is lol) hope she wont mind me mentioning her who resides in France so she will be able to help,I however just wanted to say hi and wish you every sucsess with the job and hope it will be yours
 
We have some members here who live in Francce who may be able to advise.

Welcome to the Forums 🙂
M
 
Hi Chris, welcome to the forum 🙂 Do you have your EHIC card? https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/home.do - I would imagine you can get the same medications over there as here. Depending on how long you are away for you could take a stock with you, probably a good idea anyway if you are going permanently as it may take a little while to get set up with a doctor. There are more details about French healthcare here: http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-health/

Hopefully, one of our France-based members can enlighten you further 🙂
 
If you are employed permanently in France you will have to pay contributions for health care, bit like in the UK , France is very bueaurocratic so there maybe lots of forms to fill .
You will probably get an attestation to enable you to get health care quite quickly, though the carte vitale (health card) may take longer.

You find yourself a GP and fill in a form to name him/her as your medecin traitant .(important as it will cost if you don't name one) Many but not all T2s are just treated by their GP but you can be referred to a specialist and you can choose who/where you want to go.
Diabetes is an ALD (affection de longue dur?e) so your GP will have to apply for that and until you get it then you may have to pay normal rates, though the money will be reimbursed to the date of your ALD
(I was diagnosed in hospital, they applied for my ALD but we still had to pay a large bill, getting the money back later)

Treatment for an ALD is 100% reimbursed. (except for 1€ for each doc visit and 50c for each packet of medicine + odd things are't covered fully e gI had to pay for the dye for an eye examination).
I have to pay almost all my doctors upfront, the money is reimbursed directly to a bank account (usually quickly) Most pharmacies have computerised systems, they scan your carte vitale (health card) and for diabetes related things you pay nothing.
(they subtract the odd Euros from reimbursements, you receive regular accounts showing how much you and they have paid)

Non diabetes related health care may cost you something, ie a GP visit is 23€, with 70% refunded, drugs are reimbursed at between 30% and 70%. The same applies to hospital care where there is also a board an lodging charge. (I think there are rules on max cost also)
Most people pay for a 'top up' insurance policy to cover these charges, your employer may have a scheme for this. Insurers are not allowed to take pre-existing illnesses into account.

(You actually only get reimbursed for the cost of a standard GP/consultant this is a doctor operating under Secteur 1. Some GPS and consultants operate under 'secteur 2 conventionn? ? honoraires libres' This means that they can decide their own charges, and they may be more than the fixed rate. If it is more you have to pay the rest. A more expensive top up insurance may cover 200 or 300% of standard charges. ]
I' understand that in Paris, doctors often cost more than standard rates
)
http://sante-medecine.commentcamarc...es-medecins-le-secteur-1-et-le-secteur-2.php3
You can check out which secteur a doctor operates under here
http://ameli-direct.ameli.fr/

I think the drugs used are very much the same as in the UK
http://www.diabete2-patients.com/c3_1.php

This link shows you the care to expect as a person with T2
http://www.has-sante.fr/portail/jcms/c_419389/ald-n8-diabete-de-type-2

French health care is very good, it's extremely thorough and proactive. You have custody over all your tests, scans etc and are often sent the results directly. On the other hand it's entirely up to you to make all your own appointments to see the variou, s specialists.
 
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Thanks. And what about...?

Thanks Helen.

And what about taking needles/lancets and insulin through security? I am going to France next month for a meeting and will be staying overnight so need to take my insulin and equipment. The UK airport I am leaving from seems relaxed about it (letter from doctor, inform crew etc). But what about returning from France? Have you (or anyone else) any info on how the French treat diabetic air passengers?
 
Customs/ Security in European airports (Spain/Belgium/France) in my experience will accept the same NHS letter to allow you to carry everything you need in your hand baggage. Don't worry.
 
I have only had any trouble in an airport once - Brisbane. And that was because I hadn't declared my packet of digestive biscuits! :D I thought the word 'import' on the customs declaration meant 'for trade purposes'. Ooops.

So embarrassing!
 
I lived in France for over a year but (as a student/temp worker) just imported all my insulin & needles from the UK - probably naughty, but never mind! I never had any problems transporting needles etc back and forth, either by plane, train or automobile :D just the standard letter.

Good luck with the Paris job!
 
If you have a permanent address in the UK, a family member will do, you can probably get your meds delivered to that address and collect them. We used to do that with bank accounts and stuff when we lived in france, but it was long before any of my family had any serious medical issues...well, any medical issues really. I used to work with a girl who's parents lived in the south of france and her dad got all his oral anti-diabetic meds over the internet.
 
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