# French vs Swiss healthcare systems



## Catannecy (10 mo ago)

Hi guys would appreciate if some people with similar experiences would be able to answer my question cuz I'm having difficulty finding an answer online:

Just a bit of background:
I'm a non-EU national and my husband's a French national and we live in France. I'm unemployed, my husband was working in France but recently got a new job in Geneva, but we would continue to live inside the French border.

So my question is:
If we join the Swiss healthcare system, would I lose my French carte vitale? My husband called the local healthcare system number and they apparently said even if we join the Swiss healthcare system we would continue to be able to use the French system in france, including me even though I'm not a French national. However I've heard from some foreigners in similar situations saying that I would lose the French carte vitale if I join the Swiss 1 cuz I'm a non French/EU national, however husband will have no problem accessing both healthcare systems since he's French and would be able to keep his french carte vitale even after joining the Swiss system. Which version is correct??
Would really appreciate if anyone who knows could answer, thanks in advance!


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## Yours truly confused (Sep 12, 2017)

Catannecy said:


> Hi guys would appreciate if some people with similar experiences would be able to answer my question cuz I'm having difficulty finding an answer online:
> 
> Just a bit of background:
> I'm a non-EU national and my husband's a French national and we live in France. I'm unemployed, my husband was working in France but recently got a new job in Geneva, but we would continue to live inside the French border.
> ...


Sorry, I cannot answer this for you but you might find it useful posting the same question on the English forum in Switzerland, where other “ fronteliers“ who may have more information. 
Do be aware that the Swiss health care is expensive, as a couple, when we lived there, we were paying over 600 Swiss franc’s per month, that was with the lowest franchise. The care we received was excellent though.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

One thing to remember is that the Swiss health care system is private insurance based whereas the French system is a national system paired up with a semi-private top up component (i.e. the mutuelles). It might be best if your husband were to contact the HR department of his new employer in Switzerland. I'm sure they have experience with the frontaliers/Grenzenspringer issue as there are plenty of Swiss workers living in France. But to get you started, this is URSSAF's page for frontaliers: Le frontalier en Suisse - Urssaf.fr

You apparently have the right to choose under the "droit d'option" - but you only have 3 months from your husband accepting the job to make this choice.


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