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Are Wealthy Foreign Nationals Seeking Medical Care in France with Residence Permits?

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Laurent Wauquiez highlighted the significant costs associated with the medical residence permit in France, which allows foreigners with limited access to treatment in their home countries to receive free medical care. While he suggested expenses could reach hundreds of millions of euros, the French Office for Immigration and Integration indicated that exact figures are hard to determine, with estimates potentially exceeding 100 million euros. Most applicants come from low-income nations, with very few requests from wealthier countries like the U.S. and Switzerland.

Immigration Costs and the Medical Residence Permit

In a recent discussion with *Parisien*, Laurent Wauquiez, the leader of the LR deputies, brought attention to immigration-related expenses. He pointed out that while the topic of AME (state medical aid) is widely debated, there’s another costly system that often flies under the radar: the residence permit for medical care. Wauquiez emphasized that this permit allows individuals to receive free medical treatment in France, including those from affluent nations such as Switzerland and the United States, with expenses reaching hundreds of millions of euros. However, this assertion may require further scrutiny.

Understanding the Costs of Medical Care for Foreign Nationals

A report presented to Parliament by the Medical Service of the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII) clarified the intent behind the residence permit for medical care. It is aimed at foreigners with medical conditions that lack accessible treatment in their home countries, particularly when the absence of care could lead to severe consequences. Applicants must have resided in France for at least a year to be eligible.

But does this system truly incur costs in the “hundreds of millions of euros” as suggested by Wauquiez? The OFII refrains from confirming such high figures, stating that the care provided to “sick foreigners” under this program is “without limitation,” resulting in an “invisible cost.” This makes it challenging to pinpoint how much the care associated with this permit actually impacts the Health Insurance or State budget.

A parliamentary information report from 2023 noted that while the exact costs are difficult to ascertain, they could exceed 100 million euros. The report also mentioned that approximately 30,000 residence permits for medical care were active. Based on the average expenses for AME beneficiaries, the overall cost could be around 90 million euros, though this figure likely underestimates the expenses, given that the treated conditions are often serious and costly.

Rarity of Claims from Wealthy Nations

Wauquiez appeared to rely heavily on the 2023 parliamentary report, especially regarding the residence permit requests from nationals of wealthy countries. The OFII did indicate that individuals from nations like Switzerland, the United States, and Canada do apply for these permits each year, as noted in the report.

However, the statistics reveal that such applications are quite rare. In 2022, only 687 requests for medical residence permits came from individuals in G20 countries (excluding the EU), making up just 2.8% of total applications. Notably, only 11 requests were made by Americans, indicating that the system is predominantly utilized by individuals from lower-income countries who lack access to adequate healthcare.

The OFII’s reports highlight that the majority of applicants for medical care residence permits come from countries like Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Georgia, and the DRC, with poor nations such as Haiti, Comoros, and Mali also prominently represented.

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