Am i assigned a doctor in france or do i need to register?

Upon arrival in France, you will need to register in the French healthcare system by applying for a social security number and a carte Vitale. Read more:  How to get a social security number

and carte Vitale in France Once you have registered and are in the system, you are strongly advised to choose your own personal doctor to follow your healthcare.  This doctor is known as

your médecin traitaint, the equivalent of a GP in the UK_._ This is necessary in most cases to receive the best level of reimbursement payments from the state. AM I ASSIGNED A MÉDECIN

TRAITANT AUTOMATICALLY IN FRANCE? Unlike in some other European countries where people are allocated a doctor based on where they live, everyone in France is free to select a GP of their

choice (there is no geographical restriction) provided the doctor they want is not fully booked. You are also free to choose which hospital or clinic you go to for any treatment. The state

insurance system will fund your care on the basis of the medical act or service you receive (unless it is, for example, at an exclusively private institution that has no agreement with the

state). HOW DO I DECLARE A DOCTOR IS MY MÉDECIN TRAITANT?  Your GP can be any type of general practitioner (généraliste) or specialist, that provides healthcare cover under the sector 1 or

sector 2 schemes (i.e the prices they charge are fully or partially in line with social security limits). The doctor can either run thier practice (cabinet de médecine) alone or in

conjunction with other doctors, work primarily in a health centre, or even have their main post at a hospital.  Make an appointment with the doctor of your choice, and ask them to be your

GP.  If they agree, then they can use your carte Vitale to inform your local social security centre (caisse primaire d’assurance maladie) of the change. You do not need to do anything else,

as the change is made automatically. Alternatively, you can declare this via a form (downloadable here) that you and the healthcare professional must sign. Note that whilst you are free to

choose any doctor in France as your GP, it does make practical sense to pick one close to you.  In rural areas, however, it may be more difficult to find one because of a shortage of

available appointment slots and healthcare professionals.  If this is the case, you can tell local healthcare services about your struggle, and they may be able to help you.  Read more:  How

to see a doctor if you cannot sign up with GP in France CAN I HAVE A _MÉDECIN TRAITANT_ IF I AM NOT A RESIDENT OF FRANCE? No, you must be a resident of France to have a _médecin traitant_.

If your main residency is in France but you frequently return to the UK, you can temporarily sign up to local GP services free of charge, however it does not work the reverse way for

second-home owners in France.  Read more: Do Britons lose access to NHS healthcare when moving to France? HOW DO I CHOOSE MY _MÉDECIN TRAITANT_? Ideally, you will pick a doctor who knows you

and your health conditions best. During the consultation with the doctor who you want to be your _médecin traitant_, explain your wish and you will fill out a declaration form together. If

you want to change doctor, you just repeat the process with a new doctor. WHAT DOES A _MÉDECIN TRAITANT_ DO? Typically, the médecin traitant is the first point of contact for healthcare for

most people and the state health cover levels are higher for a consultation with this doctor. While the doctor will usually be a GP, those suffering from long term illnesses may

exceptionally sign up with a specialist as their _médecin traitant_. In most cases, it is usual to ask for a referral to a specialist from your GP – if you do not your reimbursements may be

worse. WHAT IF I NEED A SPECIALIST DOCTOR? When your doctor refers you to a specialist doctor, this is known as the _médecin correspondant_. This may be for_ suivi regulier_ (regular

treatment) or _avis ponctuel _(a one-off opinion) and both the cost of the consultation and the level of reimbursement might be different. Usually if it is an _avis ponctuel _the doctor will

not ask you to come back. In this case, the specialist may leave it to your GP to prescribe any medicines that the specialist recommends. If the specialist needs to see you again, or

repeatedly, for example due to a chronic (ongoing) condition, this will be _suivi regulier _and lower tariffs apply. Read more:  Explainer: Paying to see a doctor or health specialist in

France  WHEN DO I NOT NEED TO GO VIA MY _MÉDECIN TRAITANT_? Patients do not need to go via their _médecin traitant_ under certain circumstances, such as common gynaecological procedures,

seeing an ophthalmologist, a psychiatrist if you are aged 16-25, or a dentist. WHO SHOULD HAVE A _MÉDECIN TRAITANT_? Everyone aged 16 or more and using the French healthcare system should

designate a _médecin traitant _in order to benefit from the best levels of state reimbursement. Teenagers aged 16 and 17 need a parent’s permission and a signature. It is (optionally)

possible for a younger child to have a _médecin traitant_, chosen or declared by a parent or guardian, however in this case there are no financial penalties for not going via this doctor to

see another practitioner. This measure is intended to help keep track of any long-term issues a child may have, such as the early-onset of obesity or learning difficulties. Read more: HOW TO

FIND A DOCTOR IN FRANCE WHO SPEAKS GOOD ENGLISH