Hospital Payment in France

Fabio

Hi all,

Not sure if this is the right place to ask but here it goes anyway.

I had to have a scan in a hospital in France in 2005 due to a waterslide accident where i perforated my ear drum. I was 17 at the time so didn't quite keep track of what was going bar getting it sorted out and was with a friend and his parents so I don't know as much as I would do if it had been my own parents...you know how it is.

Anyway they sent me one or two bills a month or so after I came home. I didn't respond as they were in French with no English and I couldn't understand them bar the fact that they wanted €60 out of me but on top of that, more importantly, I was covered by the E111, EU medical cover, as all European citizens are when traveling abroad

Since 2005 I have heard nothing about it, thinking they copped on about the E111 but this morning I received a letter from them saying, in French, that they want payment in eight days! And again its all in French so I barely understand it.

Oh and there's no contact details, nor a method of payment.


Any advice?

flikflak

Was it a public or private hospital?

Even with the EU healthcard you can be expected to pay for some treatment which you can sometimes claim for when you are back.

Did you have travel insurance?

Does it mention what will happen if you dont pay up?

Ponster

I thought that the E111 just entitled you to the same health facilities of the natives of the country that you're visiting?

In France you need to pay a certain % up front which you can then claim back. You also need to check that the place where you were treated accept the E111 (they wouldn't have to if they were private)

I think that the 'law' is on the side of the people looking for the money as that's just the way things work over there, even if it means that later on you'll maybe be able to get some or all of the cash back.

Can you scan and post the last letter?

I don't know about the e111, but perhaps the sum is a standard excess charge?

Hagar

In France it's hard to know if you are in a public or a private hospital. The public hospitals should treat you free of charge but you must present your E111 at the time or else you are treated as if you/your medical insurance will pay. No good coming along later with it if they have already raised an invoice.

From my dealing with French bureaucracy it is far easier to pay and reclaim than it is to try and get a charge cancelled.

Ponster

Hagar wrote: »

From my dealing with French bureaucracy it is far easier to pay and reclaim than it is to try and get a charge canceled.

As an example, I changed address in 2001 from Versailles to Paris and had to pay taxes (3000-odd euro) in both cities before I could get one lot refunded because I hadn't declared the right things to the correct people at the right time.

Fabio

I thought it was a public hospital yeah but I can't remember about showing my E111 or whatever to them and its way too late to claim any travel insurance now I think.

As for scanning the letter up, will do later on thanks Ponster, but the thing is, there is no method of payment on it, nor any contact details that would be of use. There's no English translation, nothing...

At this point I feel like simply ignoring it to be honest but then if I ever go back to France they might have me...

Ponster

Fabio wrote: »

I thought it was a public hospital yeah but I can't remember about showing my E111 or whatever to them and its way too late to claim any travel insurance now I think.

As for scanning the letter up, will do later on thanks Ponster, but the thing is, there is no method of payment on it, nor any contact details that would be of use. There's no English translation, nothing...

At this point I feel like simply ignoring it to be honest but then if I ever go back to France they might have me...

Hagar and I can show off our French skills if you post the letter up

I think if they "wanted" you then they can very easily "get" you via the Irish health board. You wouldn't actually have to go to France.