No free healthcare for foreign pensioners - France aims to end "paradise" from countries outside the EU
Foreign retirees who dream of spending their retirement in the sun on the French Riviera may have to reconsider their plans if free healthcare is scrapped.
France wants retirees from non-European Union countries who currently benefit from the public healthcare system to start paying for it. It's a move that would particularly affect American retirees, who have flocked to one of Europe's most generous welfare states not only for its food, scenery and culture but also, in some cases, for its world-class free healthcare.
Under French law, non-EU citizens who have a long-term visa and can prove they have sufficient income from pensions or capital (more than 23,000 euros per year), as well as private healthcare insurance, can, after three months, obtain a vitale card, which gives them free access to public healthcare.
At that point, they can cancel their previous private health insurance and take advantage of the French one. It has become a popular choice for American retirees in recent years. But most French lawmakers want to end this situation and make them pay a minimum contribution.
France wants non-EU pensioners who currently benefit from the public healthcare system to start paying for it. The idea was already approved in principle this month during budget discussions and could come into effect next year, as the government has also backed it.
According to the latest version of the proposal, only citizens from non-EU countries who do not pay taxes or contribute to other welfare programs in France will be forced to pay the new minimum contribution.
Lawmakers have not set the amount of the contribution, as it will be up to the government to do so later. According to experts, the value could vary depending on the level of health care coverage, but it would still be cheaper than private insurance in the US, which costs around 300 to 500 euros per month.
The debate comes as France is trying to cut spending and reduce its budget deficit to 5 percent of Gross Domestic Product next year.
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