Well I did being my blog with a post entitled 'Expect the unexpected' and indeed I unexpectedly found myself in hospital this week with a suspected heart attack!
I'm happy to report that it wasn't a 'crise cardiaque' (very important to get that right when you are phoning the emergency services, 'mal au coeur' means that you have a broken heart).
I was reluctant to go but my husband said that relying on him to pop downstairs and look it up on the internet for a few tips wasn't good enough and the Doctors agreed with him.
A hospital stay is another first in France and I was very very impressed. The staff were kind, patient and numerous, there appeared to be more of them than there were patients.
I had my own room & bathroom with wonderful views of the church in Ambert and the distant mountains.
The food was very good and the speed of tests & treatment was incredible.
Now I know what I pay all that money for. I don't know what healthcare is like in the rest of the World but in the UK it is free, apart from capped prescription charges. However there can be some incredibly long waiting times.
In France working entitles you to healthcover, but only 70% of the cost and you are advised to take out additional insurance to cover the remaining 30% as these things can add up very rapidly.
When I first looked at the insurance options I couldn't understand why you would need to insure yourself for 200 or 300%, but it is because 100% doesn't always cover the entire cost! It just covers the amount that the state has dictated is the maximum amount you can have refunded.
And who refunds your payments depends on what you do, so farmers, shopkeepers, builders and teachers would all obtain their refunds from different organisations.
I will admit to having complained about the unwieldy, expensive and bureaucratic system from time to time, but after my recent experience my opinion has changed dramatically. All part of the 'Art of living in France'
So happily back home preparing for guests this weekend. I have something really beautiful to show you very soon.
I'm happy to report that it wasn't a 'crise cardiaque' (very important to get that right when you are phoning the emergency services, 'mal au coeur' means that you have a broken heart).
I was reluctant to go but my husband said that relying on him to pop downstairs and look it up on the internet for a few tips wasn't good enough and the Doctors agreed with him.
A hospital stay is another first in France and I was very very impressed. The staff were kind, patient and numerous, there appeared to be more of them than there were patients.
I had my own room & bathroom with wonderful views of the church in Ambert and the distant mountains.
The food was very good and the speed of tests & treatment was incredible.
Now I know what I pay all that money for. I don't know what healthcare is like in the rest of the World but in the UK it is free, apart from capped prescription charges. However there can be some incredibly long waiting times.
In France working entitles you to healthcover, but only 70% of the cost and you are advised to take out additional insurance to cover the remaining 30% as these things can add up very rapidly.
When I first looked at the insurance options I couldn't understand why you would need to insure yourself for 200 or 300%, but it is because 100% doesn't always cover the entire cost! It just covers the amount that the state has dictated is the maximum amount you can have refunded.
And who refunds your payments depends on what you do, so farmers, shopkeepers, builders and teachers would all obtain their refunds from different organisations.
I will admit to having complained about the unwieldy, expensive and bureaucratic system from time to time, but after my recent experience my opinion has changed dramatically. All part of the 'Art of living in France'
So happily back home preparing for guests this weekend. I have something really beautiful to show you very soon.
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