In France, the right to uninterrupted health care is guaranteed by the Protection Universelle Maladie (PUMa).
If your circumstances change from, say, being employed to becoming retired, or on death of a family member, PUMa ensures your continued right to health care.
If you have a professional activity, your social insurance contributions give you access to the health system.
As a general rule, economically inactive (normally retired) persons do not pay a specific State health insurance charge, although there is a liability for the social charges.
Nevertheless, as such a rule would exempt those who earn their living as 'rentiers' (those with capital income) there is a health charge for such people.
This charge is called the Cotisation Subsidiaire Maladie (CSM).
To be liable for this charge, three conditions must apply:
That you have no professional activity, or you have a professional activity but your income from this activity is below a minimum threshold;
That you have capital income (revenus de patrimoine) above an exemption threshold;
That you are NOT in receipt of a pension or unemployment benefit.
The relevant income thresholds have been revised this year, so that only those with professional income below €8,798 AND with capital income greater than €21,996 would pay the charge, provided they were not also in receipt of a pension. The income includes capital gains.
Those who are liable pay 6.5% (but tapered) of their capital income above the threshold of €21,996.
Although the social security agency URSSAF states on their website that foreign pensions do not give exemption, the law makes no distinction between French and foreign pensions. Their declaration is therefore invalid and unenforceable.
Neither does the law make a distinction between State or private pensions, meaning that all pensions are exempt, irrespective of age.
If you do happen to be liable for the CSM, you should be able to claim the charge as a deductible social security contribution.
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