Paris at a Glance
Paris: Social Security and Insurance
The Agence pour l'emploi des cadres is an agency for the highly qualified.
Social Security Agreements
There are similar international agreements with regard to social security contributions of foreigners working in Paris. If your home country has signed a social security agreement with France and your work assignment does not exceed 12 months, you can continue paying social security contributions in your home country. Please check the documentation section of the Centre de Liaisons Européennes et Internationales de Sécurité Sociale for a list of all conventions bilatérales de sécurité sociale.
However, only legal residents of France who pay their contributions in France can benefit from the French social security system. EU citizens are the only exception: In theory at least, they should be eligible for social security benefits anywhere in the EU, no matter in which member state they paid their contributions.
Social Security System
The French social security system is rated among the best in the world. It consists of various different agencies and insurances covering everything from health insurance to family, disability and retirement benefits. There are different régimes for employees, for civil servants, for the self-employed, etc. The state pension age, being gradually raised in France, has reached 62 in 2011.
The amount of money pensioners receive depends on how much they paid in over the years. It amounts to a maximum of 50% of their salary during the 25 best-earning years of their lives.
Healthcare and Insurance
Public health insurance in France covers roughly 70% of all medical expenses faced by patients. This includes visits to the doctor, the dentist, hospital stays and specialist treatment. In order to cover excess payments, most people take out a supplementary private health insurance, which may be eligible for financial support from their employer. Under new regulations, patients are required to seek advice from their family doctor (the equivalent of a general practitioner in the UK or US) before consulting a specialist.
When choosing your general practitioner (or any other doctor), check their policy on fees and charges. Most doctors sign an agreement with Sécurité Sociale, committing them to certain guidelines with regards to the fees they charge for particular treatments. Your public health insurance usually reimburses only 70% of this standard fee. New residents should consult the website of their caisse d’assurance maladie in Paris, which has a guide to all local service centers and also provides information for English speakers.
Hospitals and Clinics
Paris has 45 state hospitals supported by a vast network of private (often specialist) clinics. France is one of the global leaders in medical research, so most Parisian hospitals boast excellent facilities and state-of-the-art equipment. All public hospitals in Paris are united within the Assistance Publique Paris. This association includes general, university and specialist hospitals as well as entire hospital groups.
Please consult the AP-HP website for a detailed list of hospitals and their specializations, information on emergency treatments, etc. A directory of private clinics in Paris and the Île-de-France region can be found here.
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