Does social security cover me for a trip?

Social security, travel insurance or both? Find out what organizations to count on during your holidays abroad.

Travel abroad is a beautiful project that should not turn into a nightmare. No one is safe from getting sick or being accidental. It is therefore essential to protect ourselves. Before leaving, you need to know how you are protected by French Social Security and your mutual benefit. Is this coverage sufficient or is travel insurance required? Do you need to adapt to countries? Wanderlix tells you everything!

Do I keep my rights to social security when I go on a trip?

When you travel abroad, you are actually covered by Social Security. Your social security rights abroad are now:

• That you leave on vacation ;
• If you are worker in a member countryEuropean Union, ofEuropean Economic Area, in Switzerland or in a countries having signed a convention with Social Security;
• You are studentaccording to the country you study.

However, this coverage may be limited.

Does Social Security cover me during the trip?

We have just mentioned it, a stay abroad allows you to keep your rights. However, these rights will vary depending on whether you are going to the European Union and you have applied for a European Health Insurance Card (ECAM) or travel to a country outside the EU. These rights will also be different if you have not requested ECAM.

Does the mutual in France cover me during the trip?

It depends on your mutual. A comparison is needed to find a mutual offering the broadest guarantees. Each health supplement is different in terms of guarantees. Mutuals are quite free to offer the coverage of their choice, from the basic guarantee to the most complete protection.

Thus, your mutual trust can take care of your health expenses abroad, in the European Union, or even in another country in the world. But she can also offer you no compensation. Some will ensure coverage as part of a short stay guarantee, in which case you will not be covered for a multi-month world tour.

Before leaving, it is essential to consult your guarantees table and read the general and specific terms and conditions of your contract. Better, to be sure to master all the information, contact your mutual by phone or agency appointment and to ask all the necessary questions.

Leaving abroad represents a risk as to evolve in France. If you have to face some medical expenses , you must be certain to be taken care of. Otherwise, in view of sometimes exorbitant prices of care in some countries, your financial situation could be jeopardized.

Do you have to keep his mutual in France if I go on a trip?

It will depend on your situation. We mentioned it, the mutual health can take care of you, under certain conditions, if your contract provides. It can therefore be useful to retain this coverage.

On the other hand, if you go to a country where no care is provided, keeping your mutual trust is not really of interest. It may be preferable to subscribing travel insurance to benefit from a real coverage adapted to your situation.

Then it is the duration of the stay that will determine your choice. If you leave for a few weeks, it is not necessary to resiliate your health mutual, you will need it when you return. On the other hand, if you're going to make a world tour For a year, resiliate your mutual allows you not to accumulate the contribution of it with travel insurance that will be more than advised for such a trip.

But beyond all these considerations, it is important to understand that the mutual is a regulated contract. Since January 1, 2016, all employees in the private sector have to subscribe to the mandatory mutuality of their business. This can only be terminated when the contract is broken. So, if you travel abroad and you are still an employee of your business, you cannot terminate it.

If you are a civil servant, a self-employed worker, a retiree or a job seeker, you may have subscribed to a personal health mutual. Of course, you can resiliate it, but still there are rules. Unlike car insurance or home insurance that you can terminate at any time after a year of contract, the mutual benefit can only be terminated at the end of the contract. You must therefore respect this date to break your contract. Which indicates that it would have to coincide with your departure on a trip.

Let’s take an example: you leave for Australia for 6 months from March 15 to September 15. The anniversary date of your mutual is January 1. You can only terminate on that date. If you do, you will no longer have coverage in France from January 1 to March 15, it may seem risky.

So the question is not “must you keep your mutual if I go on a trip?”, but “is it possible and is it reasonable?”

What is the European Health Insurance Card (CEAM)?

The CEAM is a kind of Vitale card that you can use in Europe during holidays or a short stay.

You can simply request online on your Ameli account. It must be requested at least 20 days before departure. However, in the event of an emergency, a provisional certificate may be issued to you. The European Health Insurance Card is valid for 2 years. It is nominative, each member of the family, regardless of age, must have one for the care of his medical care abroad.

Well, we discussed the administrative aspect. Now, let's find out what ECAM is for. As soon as you leave in a European Union country, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland or Switzerland, this map can be very useful. It allows you to access the health system of the country in which you travel, it is enough to present it to be taken care of by a health professional or in case of hospitalization.

Attention: This applies only to unforeseen and medically necessary care (consultation in case of illness, hospitalization after an accident, etc.). Specifically, this allows you to obtain a refund for medical expenses related to care that must be provided on site. Care without which you would be forced to return to France.

The European Health Insurance Card also works for the treatment of chronic or pre-existing diseases.

How does the social security reimbursement work in the European Union?

If you leave in the European Union or in a country mentioned above, you will benefit from the CAEM (if you have applied for it). This is a real advantage because you just need to introduce it to the health care professional in order to provide care. But it also allows not to be forced to make a cost advance.

Be vigilant, however, only concerns care that is also taken care of in the country in which you stay. You thus enjoy the same conditions as the premises. If the care is paid, you will have to make the advance of fees. In this case, two solutions are available to you:

• You contact Health Insurance from your place of stay and ask for the rules in force to obtain a refund;
• You keep your proof of care and invoices to request a refund to French Social Security upon your return. To do this, you need to complete the cerfa form no.12267*04 called “Care received abroad”. You can choose to repay you according to the French Health Insurance scales or according to the reimbursement rates for your holiday.

How does social security reimbursement work outside the EU?

This time it's different. Outside the European Union, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Switzerland, you no longer benefit from the European Health Insurance Card.

As a result, you are no longer entitled to medical expenses in advance. However, you keep your rights to social security and have health coverage.

Only urgent and unforeseen care is taken care of. You pay your fees on site and can then claim a refund.

Again, you will have to fill out the cerfa form n°12267*04 “Receipt care abroad”. Send your invoices and payment documents to your request. The doctor will study your file to find out whether or not you can claim a refund. This will ensure that care was truly unforeseen and urgent.

The refund will not be made according to your actual expenses, but on the rates of French Social Security. In some countries, medical costs are extremely expensive, your French social protection will be far from sufficient. It is then advisable to subscribe a more protective travel insurance.

I'm finishing school and I want to travel. Do I want to lose student social security?

Today, the issue of student social security no longer really arises as it has been deleted. Previously, students had to adhere to social protection for their health expenses. Now they are automatically linked to the general health insurance regime, most of the time with that of their parents.

As a student, you can, as well as travellers, request a European Social Security Card if you are studying in the European Union or in the other 4 countries concerned. Apart from these countries, if you are under 20 years old, it is the Social Security of your parents who will take care of you if you meet the following conditions:

• The institution you attend prepares for an official degree ;
• You can provide a school certificate ;
• You return to France at least once during the school year.

If you are over 20 years old, you can register for the student regime in the country where you study, if that exists. Otherwise, you can join local social security. You also have the opportunity to join the Caisse des Français in the Abroad.

If you plan to travel to discover the world after your studies, you will be subject to the same rules as those mentioned earlier in the countries you are attending. You will always be affiliated with French Social Security if this was the case during your studies. Otherwise, you can make a request from CFE. However, it is important to bet that this will not be enough and that travel insurance will be necessary to get refunds to the height of your expenses.

How do I resubscribe to Social Security when traveling?

You were no longer affiliated to Social Security during your stay in a non-European country? To benefit from your rights again in France, several situations come to you:

• If you work in France at least one month and 60 hours, you are affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate affiliate at the end 30 days.
• It will also be if you have worked in a country not linked to France by a conventionbut you adhered to the CFE. Same if you have worked in a country linked to France by a convention Social Security;
• **You can't find work.**but had acceded to the CFE and be registered in Pôle Emploi;
• You had frozen rights in Pôle Emploi before your departure or have acceded to theExpat insurance Pôle Emploi services.

Was your stay in Europe? This time, if you work in France, you are immediately affiliated with the Health Insurance.

If you do not meet the conditions to open rights again, you can benefit after three months, from PUMA (Universal Disease Protection).

What is the CFE (Caisse des Français de l’Étranger)?

This is not the first time we are talking about the CFE, the Caisse des Français à l’Étranger. Let's focus on this subject a little more in detail.

CFE is a social fund for expatriates. The Caisse des Français à l’Étranger covers:

• Disease, maternity and disability ;
• Industrial accidents and occupational diseases ;
• Retirement.

The CFE price will depend on your age and composition of your home. Membership is quite optional.

The CFE allows for refunds in accordance with the rates in force in France. This is the flat of this system. Indeed, the prices of healthcare professionals around the world are often higher than in France. The French reimbursement scales are therefore not necessarily adapted to the actual expenses incurred abroad.

Refunds that are not at the expense level, it is more than advisable to subscribe a complementary health as you would in France or expatriate health insurance in order to minimize your rest.

Let's take an example. You see a specialist in the United States. It bills you 150€. The CFE reimburses you to 70% of the convention rate that is 23€. Your rest is too important, the risk is that you give up the care. This is why insurance that complements the CFE is required.

If I am no longer a member of Social Security, which agency guarantees my social protection abroad?

If you are no longer affiliated with Social Security, you have the opportunity to join the CFE or the local social system. This will depend on your status, your need, the level of care prices in the country you reside in, etc.

The social security system in France is quite favourable. This is not necessarily the case in a foreign country. As we have already mentioned, subscribing a specific health insurance to complete your refunds is necessary.

If you travel, even if you are still affiliated with French Social Security, the coverage will not be important enough. Especially, it will not be adapted to your needs. With travel insurance, you are covered in all situations according to the level of guarantees you have subscribed. Medical expenses, hospitalization, repatriation assistance, legal assistance, liability, baggage insurance, you are truly covered.

In addition, refund ceilings can be high and much more suitable for your financial needs during your stay abroad.

You now know the cases of figures where social security covers you. You can therefore take the necessary steps, depending on your personal case. Don't play with fire and protect yourself. Health is not waiting! On this, good trip and soon!