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Why Americans Are Moving To France
I’ve lived in France for a few years and have decided to stay as long as possible. Since I’ve been living like a real Parisian, I’ve benefited from the French culture and system, which can make life much less stressful and more peaceful than in the U.S. In this article, I’ll explain why you should move to France!
Free Health Care and affordable consultations
When I arrived in France, I got the carte vitale. It’s an identity card for health insurance and is useful for French people and foreigners! It allows me to track my medical data, such as vaccination dates for COVID, and most importantly, it allows me to be reimbursed for almost any medical consultation.
When I was in the U.S., I often tried to convince myself I could get through the day without going to the doctor because I didn’t want to stress about the bill and the expensive medication. The first time I felt sick in France, my boyfriend (now husband) forced me to see a doctor. He reassured me that the consultation was “practically free” and the medication was “affordable.” I was convinced he was telling a terrible lie. In what world is a medical consultation “practically free” and medication “affordable”? I went along with my boyfriend, who forced me out of love. I paid 25 euros for a consultation and was prescribed medication for my illness.
We went to the pharmacy, and I handed the woman working there my prescription and carte vitale. The pharmacist returned with the prescribed medication, and as I was about to take out my credit card, she said, “Here you go, have a nice day.” My boyfriend started making his way to the door, saying, “Merci, au revoir, bonne journée !” (Thanks, goodbye, have a nice day!) He guided me toward the exit, and I left the pharmacy with my wallet still in my hand, confused as ever by what just transpired.
My boyfriend smiled at my perplexed face and uttered a little, “See, I told you so!” but thanks to him, I could get treatment faster. On top of that, it was only later that I discovered that my 25 euro consultation was reimbursed at 70%. As a result, I only had to pay less than 10…
