Although its never happened to me, what do you do IF you have an issue where you need to see a doctor or a dentist?
And, how does medical insurance reimbursement work for travelers?
Thanks!
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I%26#39;d first ask at the front desk of the hotel -- or stop into a Pharmacie and enquire there. They%26#39;d be able to direct you to the closest facility.
Insurance reimbursement depends entirely on your insurance company -- you%26#39;d have to ask them to have even a prayer of having an answer. (I made sure I had the non-800 number with me, just in case -- so I could phone...or have someone else phone...if something happened)
When I needed a walk-in clinic in Barcelona a few years ago, my visit to the clinic and prescriptions cost less than $100...so I never even turned it in to my insurance company, as I figured it was less than I%26#39;d have paid in the US!
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When I was not on my carte de sejour, in other words I was a simple visitor, I needed a doctor. Not an emergency. There are many %26quot;cabinets%26quot; which are open during the day and take people off the street.
I paid 18 euros for the dr. visit, 10 euros for my prescription, and was given the social security reimbursement forms, which of course I didn%26#39;t use. I didn%26#39;t bother with my own insurance company because it was so cheap.
In the summer I brought my mom to the ER because she needed stitches in her head. They triaged her, took her home address and looked at her passport, gave her 4 stitches, and we haven%26#39;t heard a thing since (It%26#39;s been 8 months). Essentially it was free.
One time my mother was visiting us and she broke her ankle. She had to go to the ER and have it set. The cost was nominal, less than $100 if I recall. But her insurance did eventually cover it when she sent the paperwork in to them.
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We have always bought the Travel Guard insurance. It paid immediately the $3000 incurred when I was ill on a cruise, and also paid for a doctor to visit our hotel room and for the medicine in Florence when my husband was ill. That time I think we had to submit it first to our regular insurance and they paid what our insurance didn%26#39;t cover. My particular concern would be if one of us needed medical evacuation back to the U.S. so the cost is worth it to me. In Florence the hotel desk found the doctor for us, since my husband was too ill to go to a clinic. Luckily I haven%26#39;t needed to see a doctor in Paris, so I will be interested to read the postings of other TA members.
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I can%26#39;t help with the reimbursement question but if you have a medical issue in Paris, there are numbers to call. If you%26#39;re staying in a hotel, they will know who to call so ask the desk to arrange help. If you%26#39;re staying in an apartment, there are some useful phone numbers to have on hand.
Dial 15 for an ambulance if you%26#39;re in a situation that requires immediate emergency transportation to the hospital.
If you need to see a doctor, they%26#39;ll come to you, dial 01 47 07 77 77 for %26quot;SOS Médecin%26quot;, a house call from a doctor. It costs around 50€-75€. It%26#39;s an emergency service and the response is usually within an hour. I don%26#39;t know if US insurers cover this but... where in the US can you get a doctor to come to your house when you%26#39;re sick...
For dental emergencies, %26quot;SOS Dentaire%26quot; call 01 43 37 51 00
Other numbers to jot down, dial 18 for fire, and 17 for police (emergency).
When you use the phone in France, remember that dialing any number that begins with %26quot;1%26quot; will likely get you an emergency operator who will be less than happy with your attempt to dial a 1-800 number in the US.
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Thanks, Metromole! Those are great numbers to keep on hand just in case.
Are the SOS numbers strictly for Paris, or is it a national network?
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The %26quot;SOS%26quot; numbers begin with %26quot;01%26quot; so they%26#39;re Paris only.
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My info differs from Metromole. Ambulances are run by private companies in France and for MEDICAL EMERGENCIES we are supposed to call the fire dept (pompiers). The pompiers are emergency vehicules (ambulances are not over here) so they can get you there faster AND they will take you immediately.
I learned this when there was a med emergency in my home. I called an ambulance and they wouldn%26#39;t take the patient until we had paid for the transport. I was scandalized, but every single local I spoke to afterwards thought I was a moron. Everyone KNOWS you%26#39;re supposed to call the pompiers. I am not sure how this info gets transmitted, because it goes against our N. American logic.
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Even simpler : dial 112, the European number for emergencies. The operator will then redirect you to the appropriate service.
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Sorry, I didn%26#39;t phrase that very well. (I knew what I meant, why didn%26#39;t everyone else!?)
I recognised that those numbers were for Paris only -- my question was if that is a part of a system where there are similar numbers outside of Paris? Paris is the least of my worries -- we have dear friends who live there, so have no worries about finding help if it%26#39;s needed -- it%26#39;s when we are far outside of Paris that I wonder what we would do if we needed help.
Don%26#39;t worry -- I%26#39;m not offended, only slightly embarrassed that I phrased the question so badly.
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