It took almost three years but that's it: the reform of the Caisse des Français de l'Etranger (CFE) was unanimously adopted unanimously by the National Assembly on Wednesday 12 December.
The text, worn by the Socialist Senator Jean-Yves Leconte, aims to make the operation of this fund described as "social security of expatriates" more readable, while the size of the French community abroad continues to grow and that health is top of mind for expatriates.
The reform plans to make the offer clearer, revise the organization's fee schedule and modernize its governance.
Rates will now be based on the age (eight brackets) of the insured and the family composition, and no longer on salary. According to the CFE, these new rates will be "more advantageous for most customers". They will come into effect as of January 8 for individual client memberships taking effect from February 1, 2019. In January, the organization will launch new products to better cover expatriates in France in particular.
Among the other advances presented by the Caisse: "the retroactivity of contributions, due in the event of late membership after the departure from France, is definitively abolished; the option "care France" covering care in France from 3 to 6 months will now be included in the basic rate; and active spouses, French or not, can be covered under a family contract". The system will be open to French employees of local companies. The caisse will also be able to form partnerships with local partners.
Faced with a decline in the number of its members for several years, the CFE has nearly 110,000 members and a little more than 200,000 people covered in total, including the rights holders, according to Agence France-Presse.
