Health

As soon as you sign an employment contract in France, you automatically benefit from the French social security system from your first day of work and may obtain partial reimbursement of your healthcare costs (visits to the doctor, medication, etc.). The organisation in charge of health insurance in France is the Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM), which is responsible for registering beneficiaries and processing reimbursements concerning illness, maternity, occupational accidents, etc.

The Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM) is the organisation in charge of employees' health insurance. Researchers with a "passeport-talent chercheur" visa must submit an application for registration with the CPAM of Paris, which centralises applications from these type of employees.
Send your completed application to the CPAM of Paris at the following address:
Assurance Maladie
SRI/Talents
75948 PARIS Cedex 19

If you are a European researcher or doctoral student, all formalities must be carried out with the CPAM in your place of residence.
Before leaving your country of origin, make sure you:

• Request a European health insurance card, if you are still entitled to health insurance in your previous country of residence.
• Request an S1 form, which will enable you to exercise the social security rights acquired in your previous European country of residence.

Any person residing in France must have health insurance.

If your country does not have a bilateral agreement (see the CLEISS website), you have several options:

• Remain affiliated to the Social Security body in your country of origin or previous country of residence (check you are covered in France);
• Take out private insurance in your country of origin covering all your healthcare costs during your entire stay in France;
• Take out private insurance in France; many private French insurance companies offer insurance policies for researchers without health insurance;
• If you have no salaried employment in France but have been a legal and stable resident here for more than 3 months, you are entitled to health coverage.

If you are a national of the European Union or European Economic Area, you are entitled to the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which enables you to be partially reimbursed for your healthcare costs while remaining attached to the social security system of your country of origin.
You must apply for this card before your departure. It is free of charge and valid for one year.

 

This is not mandatory but is recommended. It tops up the sums reimbursed by the health insurance system for your medical costs. In effect, the social security system only reimburses a portion of your medical costs. The remaining sums, which you have to pay, may be relatively high depending on the treatment received (e.g. dental care, hospitalisation, optical care, etc.).

A number of complementary health insurance schemes exist offering more or less comprehensive cover for the portion of costs remaining payable by beneficiaries. The reimbursement levels offered by mutual insurance firms varies, so don't hesitate to compare their offers according to your needs:

http://www.mutuelle-sante.net/liste-des-mutuelles/

https://www.quechoisir.org/dossier-mutuelle-t425/