For France visitor visa, will my employer's medical insurance suffice?

Question

I am visiting France in September and from the consulate's website, I gathered that they require a proof of medical insurance. I've medical insurance through my employer which covers medical emergencies outside of US and i will be getting a letter stating my coverage limits including out-of-network coverages. Is this sufficient to show to the visa officer during my interview or do I need to purchase a separate traveller's insurance

Answer 1

If you don't have a US passport, and are applying for a Schengen visa, then the rules are a little different.  While your employer's travel insurance might cover you outside the States, presumably that would only be in a work capacity.  If you're travelling as a tourist you will probably need to take out separate travel insurance to apply for the visa.  But it would be best to check this directly with the French Embassy.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

I am not really sure why you are visiting a consulate's website if you just planning a visit. The only thing you will need upon entering France is a US Passport. They are not going to check if every American citizen has medical insurance. Of course, if you have it, it never hurts to bring that along just in case of a real emergency. If you are going there to work, then yes, medical insurance will probably be required. Go to:

http://travel.state.gov for France entry requirements.  

Answer 4

As far as insurance is concerned, I worked for a U.S. company in France and continued to be covered with my U.S. insurance for the first nine years I lived here, including the births of all my three children. I even became a French citizen, still covered under Blue Cross in the States.

It complicated the paperwork but that was more because they kept assuming I was under the French system. I can give you about 10,000 examples but they aren't relevant to you. As a visitor, you wouldn't have that problem.  

All you have to do is tell them that you need to be billed separately since you don't have a French Social Security card (a.k.a. Carte Vitale). How you would pay is complicated and depends on what, where, etc. Make sure you have a way of paying a large sum in an emergency while there, even if it's just a high limit on your credit card.

Ask your company if they need the bills in English or can translate (and tell them that they should). Do NOT accept a brown and white paper. It's all in French and the treatment is coded and your company will probably not accept this. Make sure they can read what you were treated for, how much it cost and who/what treated you. Ask your company for details if unsure. Ask for whomever handles foreign claims when you call.

Health care costs are way, way cheaper here in France than in the U.S. Even with the poor exchange rate, once my company figured out that they only had to pay half or even 1/3 of what they would have if I lived in the U.S., they were more than happy to pay it.  

While you're covered for insurance, you may not be covered for re-patriation in case you had an accident. In other words, you would have to stay in France until you recovered enough to fly home on your own accord (though, the airlines could provide a wheelchair, etc.) A friend broke his leg while hiking in the South of France and had to stay in a hospital down there for several weeks while he recovered. It was too expensive to have him transported back to England and he was philosophical about it, figuring the medical care (if not better) was just as good and he could continue to practice his French.

Whether or not you get this sort of comprehensive coverage is optional and very personal. For a Schengen visa (no longer are they France-specific unless for work), you only need to prove health coverage. I would say you probably can skip it unless you have a medical condition and/or are planning on doing very physical sports while here.

Hope the visa interview goes smoothly and have a good time here in France!