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The French social security : the student status
In France, the foreign students benefit from a social coverage
in different modalities : general regime of Social Security, special
regimes (for the employees), student regime, voluntary personal
assurance. Let us remind that a social coverage is moreover required
by the prefecture for a residence permit
Unfortunately, all the foreign students can not benefit from the
French Social Security student regime. To be affiliated to it, it
is necessary to meet the two following conditions :
being under 28 years on October 1st of the current academic year
;
to have registered in an establishment approved for that purpose
by the Social Security (the orders of approval are published in
the Journal officiel de la république française).
If you meet these two conditions, you are then entitled to benefit
from the French Social Security student regime. It is the best solution
and the most interesting
financially. An annual fixed participation will be required. The
amount is 170,74 euros in 2001/2002. The membership is made in the
secretariat of your university or school.
You can opt for one of both mutual insurance companies in charge
of the management of the services of repayment of the Social Security
: the ME centre 601 (Mutual insurance company of the students) or
the SMER centres 617 (mutualist regional students companies). You
will be covered from October till September by an agreement signed
between the Social Security and these mutual insurance companies
(ME and SMER). Once the membership is established, these mutual
insurance companies ensure the repayment according to your expenses
of health taken care by the Social Security : they serve as centre
payer.
We advise you, although it is optional, to take an additional coverage
to obtain a better repayment. This additional coverage is different
from the membership to the Social Security.
Indeed, you'd better know that the Social Security pays off only
a part of your expenses of health. Mutual insurance companies propose
a wide range of options. To subscribe allows you, for example, to
benefit from the payment of what would be paid back to you in the
centres of health and the other mutualist establishments, at certain
doctors and pharmacists. This system avoids advance in payment on
simple presentation of the national insurance card (which means
that you do not directly pay because it is your mutual insurance
company which takes care of it). The objective of the additional
guarantees is to allow you to cover your health spending.
For the medical consultations, it is necessary to know that the
Social Security student regime pays off 70 % on the basis of the
subsidized rate of the sector 1 (that is 17,53 euros for a general
practitioner and 22,87 euros for a GP). However, 20 % of the doctors,
especially the specialists, are registered in the sector 2, in free
fees. They set their rates of consultation (generally rather expensively)
and the insurant is paid off only on the basis of the rate of the
sector 1 (example : if the consultation costs 45 euros, the insurant
is paid off in 70 % only sur 17,53 euros ; he gets 27 euros). Do
not hesitate to ask the doctor if it is in sector 1 (subsidized
rate) or in sector 2 (free rate). The doctors of the sector 1 are
not less skilled !
Particular cases :
If you are a grant holder of the French government you benefit automatically
(exemption from the right of membership) from a social coverage.
It's the same if you are taken refuge holder of the OFPRA or stateless
person of the agreement of New York of 1954.
If you are in 3rd cycle, you can prolong the student regime of Social
Security until 30 years old. You'd better know that a decrease of
age limit (28 years) is possible for a motive for civil order, for
medical reasons or still for particular studies (medicine, for example).
Students exempted from affiliation
: The exemption of membership is a possibility left with the foreign
student who already benefits from a social welfare. The foreign
student can be guaranteed :
In a private capacity : the most frequent case is that of a wage-earning
activity in parallel with the studies.
In quality " of beneficiary " as a spouse or to a child
for a health insurance with domestic character. Spouse's quality
is recognized for every married student whose husband (or wife)
exercises a professional activity opening straight ahead, to the
insurant and his family, to a health insurance.
Be careful : if both spouses are students, they should make become
members of the student regime. Each of them should present a different
membership with double payment of subscription.
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University Preventive Medicine
