For large numbers of the early-retired expatriate community here in France, the last few weeks have been far from idyllic. The happy retirement many of us envisaged is being turned into a nightmare by speculation as to how new legislation on the right of residence for non-French European nationals, is affecting the future of our eligibility to state healthcare.

A change to the guidelines for acceptance into the CMU (Couverture Maladie Universelle) for 'inactive' citizens, on the French Social Security department's website in early September, sparked a flurry of speculation about the rules affecting their right to live in France.

In broad terms, anybody who was not covered by either an E106, E109 or E121 (the forms which confirm that the UK government takes financial responsibility for an individual's healthcare), and who was not working "would no longer be allowed to contribute to, or benefit from, the CMU, and would be obliged "by law" to have full and comprehensive private insurance, or face becoming illegal aliens in the country in which they have made their homes.

Many of the worst problems are arising from the definition of 'comprehensive' health insurance, which must include doctor's visits, medication, other treatments such as physiotherapy etc, as well as hospital cover. Apart from the expense involved and the difficulty of finding such full cover - which is hardly available at all from any native French companies who tend to specialise in 'top up' policies - all insurers whom we have spoken to will not cover chronic or existing illnesses.

His E106 runs out on 6th January and he still has no idea whether he will be able to continue to receive his life-saving treatment or find some way of making a home again in England.

The awful implications of the forthcoming legislation began to hit home, when it was realised that because full cover is by its nature impossible for a sick person to get, many face the stark choice of either going home or living here illegally. It was the topic of much discussion amongst the expatriate community in France, resulting in several members of the Living France and Total France fora deciding to get to together to try to do something about it.

Thus was 'French Health Issues' born. Within two short months it has grown from being a group of eight concerned people who wanted to fight against the changes, to having a website and a large following of fellow lobbyers, who have been bombarding parliamentarians and the media with the facts about their plight.

Mary Honeyball, a British MEP, together with two colleagues, has put a declaration to the European parliament, calling for a more cohesive Europe-wide health care policy, which so far "thanks at least in some part to FHI's efforts" has 59 signatures with many more to come.

Members of the team and its supporters have also posted on MPs and ministers' blogs, to the extent that Jim Murphy (the UK's minister for Europe) was encouraged to discuss the health issue with his French counterpart, during a recent visit to Paris. There has also been more and more media coverage, including a balanced and well-reported piece in the Standard in London.

Said Deborah Dudley, 53, a resident of the Sarthe and one of FHI's founders, 'We have been overwhelmed by the support we have received and the efforts put in by everybody in bringing this matter to the attention of the public, and politicians both here and in the UK.

We are daily being brought face to face with the shocking implications of what is happening. One of the more distressing cases has been that of Keith Askew, who has undergone eight operations following the development of colon cancer last year. His E106 runs out on 6th January and he still has no idea whether he will be able to continue to receive his life-saving treatment or find some way of making a home again in England.

We feel that this is particularly unjust as it is being applied retrospectively so that those who are doing everything legally, who pay all their taxes and have invested everything they have in their lives here will no longer be welcome in spite of complying with all the conditions for residence, as they stood when they arrived.

We embrace Europe, we embrace our adopted country but many of us face becoming illegal aliens within the next few months unless something is done.'

If anybody would like to help us fight these changes, or would like to keep up with the current news on this subject, as it breaks, then, please visit our website at www.frenchhealthissues.eu or e-mail us at mail@frenchhealthissues.eu '.


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