France life Health

The french health system is said to be the best in the world but you pay!
If we set up a company and pay ourselves a salary the contribution from the company is over 40% to the health and social security and we would have to pay 11% of our salary as well. As a self employed person the contributions start at approx €3500 pa for the first year and then €4500 in the second. On top of this there is the TOP UP. The health service only pay a percentage of the cost of each visit or medicine. It ranges from 70% for the majority and for some key illnesses and conditions they cover 100% ( diabetes, heart attack etc)
So when you go to your GP he charges you €23. you get 15 refunded from the state and the top up pays another 7 leaving the customer to always pay the last euro.
Assuarnce as insurance is called here, is a different set up to the UK. No talking dogs who ski, no meerkats and no discounts. You sign up with a major company or the bank and it is assummed that you will carry on with them If you want to leave at the end of a years contract, you need to give them 2 months notice in writing, if not they carry on at their new rate.
The health top up itself offers 6 or 7 different levels plus add ons. This is because the base figure paid by the state for treatment stays the same even if the doctor or consultant charges more. An example a specialist charges €70 rather than the standard 23. the state refund 15 and then depending which top up level you have elected for you get the relevant return. 100% tariff returns €5 leaving you to pay the other €50 whereas the top level 300% pays the standard €23 three times over minus 1 so you get €68 and only have to pay €2. But at what cost? A mid range policy is approx €120 a month for the top up for J and I. So that's a starting figure from the business of €3500 per annum plus a top up of approx €1500 so €100 euros a week. We hope we dont have to use it but if we do it had better be good