Expat health insurance and a mutuelle are two separate products that can't be converted into one another. Once you're registered with the CPAM and have a French social security number, you can safely cancel your expat policy and sign up for a mutuelle as a top-up to your public coverage. For most people who have joined the public system (sécurité sociale), combining it with a mutuelle is the most comprehensive coverage option available in France. We offer 4 coverage levels to fit different needs and budgets.
What's the difference between expat health insurance and a mutuelle?
Expat health insurance and a mutuelle are two separate products that serve different purposes and can't be converted into one another.
-Expat health insurance is standalone coverage designed for people who aren't yet part of the French public health system.
-A mutuelle is a top-up policy that works alongside sécurité sociale, the French public health system, to cover costs that the public system doesn't fully reimburse.
How can I sign up for a mutuelle with my expat health policy?
If you have an expat health policy and are not yet enrolled in the CPAM (Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie), you cannot sign up for a mutuelle.
When can I sign up for the sécurité sociale?
You are eligible to apply for the Sécurité Sociale after 3 months of living in France as a resident. Processing times may take anywhere from to 2 to 6 months.
If you have become employed, your employer will automatically enroll you in the Sécurité Sociale as soon as your employment start, and in this case, the 3 months waiting period to become eligible is waived.
How can i sign up for a mutelle if I am enrolled in the CPAM?
You can only sign up for a Mutuelle once you're registered with the CPAM (Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie) and have received your Attestation de Droits with your French social security number. At that point, you can cancel your expat policy and sign up for a mutuelle separately as a top-up to your public coverage. Because expat insurance and a mutuelle are different products, the switch happens as two distinct steps: canceling the expat policy first, and then enrolling in a mutuelle, rather than as a conversion.
Why combine sécurité sociale with a mutuelle?
For most people who have joined the French public health system, combining sécurité sociale with a mutuelle provides the most comprehensive health coverage available in France.
Indeed, the sécurité sociale typically reimburses 70% of general healthcare costs and 80% of hospitalizations.
The mutuelle covers that gap and works alongside the public system through télétransmission, an automatic process that coordinates reimbursements between your public coverage and your mutuelle.
What mutuelle coverage options do you offer?
We offer 4 coverage levels for our mutuelle that you can sign up for once you are enrolled in the sécurité sociale, so you can choose the plan that fits your needs and budget. Each level provides a different balance of coverage and monthly cost, ranging from essential top-up reimbursements to more comprehensive plans that cover a wider range of care and higher reimbursement amounts. You can get a quote to compare them here.