Q & A

Subject: Satisfy health insurance requirement.

Question: I'm in the process of gathering required paperwork for a French long-term visa. My HMO does not provide health coverage (insurance) outside of the country. What can I do to satisfy that requirement of the visa application? I need to prove health insurance coverage.

Answer:

One trick is to use you Social Security card as proof of health insurance. The French will take this, at least it worked for a friend of mine in France, because they do not realize that there is not national health care in the states. Social security to the French means health care. Of course that will not help you if something happens. So your other option is to buy health insurance that is international, the one company that has been recommended to me is, http://www.globalinsurancenet.com/. Lastly, if you're able to work in France legally, after 70 hours on the job you will be covered by the France national health care system. Not having health insurance in France is not the end of the world, in general it is much cheaper than in the states and I have even heard stories of injured Americans using a French person health care card, and it being the idea of an hospital employee.

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