International health insurance

How to get insured?

Many solutions exist to be covered abroad:
• Subscribe to CFE (Caisse des Français de l’Etranger)
• Subscribe to CFE + an additional insurance
• Subscribe to an international health insurance.

The CFE is a welfare agency that aims at providing the equal coverage to its members than the French Social Security.
Only French citizens can subscribe it.
In order to choose a health coverage that suits to their needs, it’s important to understand the various solutions provided by CFE and international health insurances.

	With CFE	With CFE + additional insurance	With an international health plan
Who can subscribe	Only French expats, EU citizens, and Europen Economic Area + Switzerland citizens	Only French expats, EU citizens, and Europen Economic Area + Switzerland citizens	Everyone who is going to emigrate out of their native country
Coverage rate	Based on french standard health costs	Based on french standard health costs + additional reimbursement within the limit of your policy	Reimbursement within the limit of your policy
Medical selection	No	No with CFE	Yes
Waiting period	Not if you are affiliated to the social security in France when you subscribe. If you are not anymore: No waiting period if you - are under 30, - 3 months from 30 to 44 - 6 months from 45	Not if you are affiliated to the social security in France when you subscribe. If you are not anymore: No waiting period if you - are under 30, - 3 months from 30 to 44 - 6 months from 45 During the waiting period you can subscribe a full insurance from the first spent $	No waiting period excepted on optical, dental and maternity
Costs advance	Yes	Yes (excepted In-Network providers)	Yes (excepted In-Network Providers)
Reimbursement term	Usually long	Usually a bit long due to exchanges between CFE and the insurance company	Usually short
Your trip in your country of nationality	Covered if your stay isn’t longer than 3 months	Covered if your stay isn’t longer than 3 months	Covered if your stay isn’t longer than 3 months
Special case for French expats: when you come back to live in France	No waiting period to affiliate the social security system	No waiting period to affiliate the social security system	3 months waiting period
Cost	Depends on your current situation	Depends on your current situation, your age and your host country	Depends on your age and your host country