The sécurité sociale – CPAM (Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie) is a national health insurance plan that allows full or partial reimbursements of your medical expenses in France:

• 70% of medical expenses
• 35 to 65% of prescription drugs expenses

To claim additional reimbursement or have access to certain types of care for which the CPAM provides limited coverage (dental and eye care, for instance), we recommend that you subscribe to a fee-paying complementary health insurance plan, called a mutuelle.

Affiliation to the main CPAM is mandatory and free for international students, except for European students holding the European Health Insurance Card.

Proof of your CPAM affiliation will be required for various administrative procedures, including the renewal of your resident permit or the signature of a job contract.

To register to the CPAM and obtain additional information regarding the French health care system (general practitioner, Carte Vitale, medical exams), please check the Ameli website dedicated to international students 

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Complémentaires santé privées

To supplement the reimbursements covered by the French national health care plan (CPAM), you can subscribe to a complementary health insurance plan (also known as « mutuelle » ou « complémentaire santé »).

As an example, here is the reimbursement chart for a consultation with a general practitioner, one of the most common medical acts:

Having a complementary health insurance plan is not mandatory but strongly recommended, especially if you plan to spend a full academic year in France or if you need specific and regular medical care for an existing pathology.

Those complementary plans are fee-paying: you will be charged a monthly fee that will vary depending on the type of plan you choose.
To give you an idea, basic plans cost around 15€ per month and more elaborate coverage and premium plans can cost to over 40€ per month.

Here is a selection of insurance companies that have a long tradition of providing student complementary health insurance:

• MGEN
• LMDE
• SMENO
• HEYME

La complémentaire santé solidaire

If you live in France and earn less than 9000€ per year, you can apply for the Complémentaire santé solidaire (also called CSS), which is free of charge, by sending the dedicated form to your CPAM.

The CSS application is longer and more complex than subscribing to a private complementary health insurance.
Do not hesitate to contact the SSE to get help in this process.

University cener for medical prevention and health promotion (SSE)

Located on UNICAEN campus 1, the SSE gathers a team of health professionals: doctors, nurses, psychologist, psychiatrists and social workers. It provides students with free medical, psychological and social counselling.

It also contributes to supporting and integrating students with disabilities.

Note that SSE doctors are not allowed to write prescriptions, but they can assist you in finding a local general practitioner.

Once a week, the SSE offers a gynaecology consultation where you can get prescriptions for free birth control.

The general practitioner (GP)

Also called a physician, the general practitioner receives appointments at their practice. The general practitioner coordinates all your medical needs: you can see them when you get sick, when you are lightly injured or when you need an appointment with a medical specialist. They are also authorized to write drug prescriptions.

To make a doctor’s appointment, the easiest way is to log onto the Kedloc, Doctolib or Maiia platforms and search for an available general practitioner near your home.

The pharmacist

They provide you with the drugs prescribed by your practitioner in case of sickness and can also play a counselling role for minor health issues (cold, sore throat, non-persistent headaches, …).

They will advise you on medication sold without prescription and, if necessary, direct you to your GP for further medical examination.

There is always a Pharmacy on duty in urban areas. In Caen, the  Rives de l’Orne Pharmacy (near the train station) and la Grande Pharmacie du Progrés (tram stop “Saint Pierre”) are open 7 days a week.

Doctors on call / SOS médecins

If you are sick and cannot get an appointment with your regular physician (weekends, nighttime, national holidays), you can call SOS Médecins, a doctorson call service, at 36 24 (local call rate) or by making an online appointment directly on the SOS Médecins  web portal. at https://rdvasos.fr/

After a preliminary phone diagnosis, SOS Médecins will either give you an appointment call or direct you to the nearest ER unit.

The medical specialist

Unlike GPs, medical specialists are specialized in certain pathologies or specific parts of the human body (ophthalmologist, gynaecologist, dermatologist, etc.). They conduct appointments at hospitals or in private practices.

With some exceptions, you will need to go through your GP to be referred to a specialist and claim reimbursement for the consultation.

Specialists you can consult directly (without seeing your GP):

• gynaecologist
• ophtalmologist
• dentist

Hospital emergency units

In the event of severe injuries due to an accident, check into the nearest ER unit to receive urgent care or call 112 if you are not able to move (see below).

Please do not use hospital ER services because you cannot get an appointment with your GP (on weekends for instance). Contact SOS Médecins/Doctors on call or call 15, who will direct you to the ER if necessary.

• Dental emergencies: 02 31 85 18 13
• Eye emergencies: check into the Centre hospitalier universitaire (CHU) ER unit

One number for all emergencies: 112

112 is the European emergency number which can be called free of charge from any phone all over Europe, even if your cellphone plan does not provide European coverage.

If you have health problems that require accommodation for your studies, contact the relais Handicap Santé.