Tags
becoming madame, bunions, France, french culture, french health care, health, health care, life, lifestyle, surgery, Travel
They did not give me the Valium pill before they rolled me into the operating room.
“I thought it was standard practice?” I asked the anesthesiologist in French as he sat on the edge of my rolling hospital bed, inserting the intravenous into my hand – the most excruciating part of the surgical experience.
“It is when the patients are nervous or worried, but you seem just fine,” he replied.
Looks can certainly be deceiving.
A few days ago, I underwent my first ever surgery and my first ever hospitalization in France. The experience was unforgettable on so many levels.
Health care in France, like in Canada, is public in the sense that all citizens or legal residents are entitled to basic care free of direct charge. French tax payers pick up the collective bill or at least 70% of it. The other 30% is taken care of by private insurance called Mutuelle if an individual chooses to purchase a plan. Most companies offer their employees group insurance, the cost of which is deducted from the individual’s monthly pay check. If no private insurance is bought, then the patient is responsible for those charges him/herself.
My husband and I pay about 90€ a month for our Mutuelle policy which covers us for 100% of all hospitalization as well as routine checkups, dental and optical health care. This means that when I left the hospital on Thursday afternoon I paid nothing up front.
Of course, a great deal of paper work is required before one enters a French hospital for a non-emergency procedure. At the base of the French health care system is one’s primary-care physician or médecin traitant. This doctor is responsible for the patient’s standard health care as well as giving referrals for any specialists the patient might need to see.
In my case, I had terrible bunions and needed corrective surgery after ten years of walking around in pain. My doctor referred me to an orthopedic surgeon in Bordeaux who performed the operation. I was also required to obtain a letter from my Mutuelle stating that the procedure was within my policy regulations (meaning that my médecin traitant deemed it was necessary). I needed a prescription for special orthopedic shoes which I am wearing right now and will be required to wear for the next month as I hobble around on my heels.
See, in France a patient’s family doctor is the epicenter of the whole health system. If a referral is given for a specialist, a gynecologist or a surgeon, a dermatologist or for a particular procedure like blood work or x-rays, then the national health care system and the complementary Mutuelle will take care of the totality of the charges. If, however, a patient goes directly to a specialist, the national coverage pays around 30% of the charge and most Mutuelle will provide no complementary coverage at all. In this way, family doctors in France wield a great deal of power.
Other than paper work and tedious bureaucratic hoops to jump through, both of which we can expect when living in France, my experience in a French hospital was nothing short of remarkably pleasant. I arrived on Monday evening for an operation scheduled for 8 o’clock the following morning. That evening a smiling nurse brought me a very French meal featuring, comme d’habitude, an entrée, plat, yogurt, fresh fruit, dessert and a mini baguette. No wine, though, which I suppose is as it should be in a hospital; although I half expected to be offered a glass. Even Air France offers its customers complementary wine with their dinner on overseas flights.
Upon my arrival, I was led to a private room with an en suite bath. The hospital itself was a 1960s cubic structure sparsely decorated with lime green and pale yellow accents. Squeaky clean and smelling of Pine-Sol cleaning products, I suspect the bathroom were recently renovated. My real luck, however, was having a host of nurses as kind and as patient as they could possibly have been doting on me throughout my three-day sojourn. Contrary to what we might think about Parisians, the nurses of Bordeaux’s Mutualiste hospital on the 3rd floor southern wing were charismatic and friendly from our first encounter. They gave me the impression that I was their one and only patient. Knowing that I was not a native French speaker, the team of nurses spoke slowly and articulately to ensure that I understood each step and procedure; a gesture for which I am eternally thankful.
I chose to have the surgery in Bordeaux rather than in Paris so that I would be close to my parents-in-law who offered to look after me during my extended recuperation period. Had I stayed in Paris, I most likely would have chosen the orthopedic clinic in the 16ème arrondissement not far from our apartment. Or perhaps the American Hospital of Paris, a reputable institution where I could have freely spoken my mother tongue. But I also chose Bordeaux because one of my sisters-in-law, a doctor, is good friends with the orthopedic surgeon there, so I felt I’d be in capable hands.
At the time of my release from the hospital, I was handed a thick packet of prescriptions, x-rays and referral letters. I was prescribed five different types of medication for various periods of time from 3 days up to a month-long – pain killers, anti-inflammatory medication, stomach protectors, etc. All of these medications are entirely paid for by the national health care and my Mutuelle in the customary 70/30 split. Most of the medications given in France are the generic versions which obviously cost the tax payer a whole lot less than their name-brand counterparts. I must admit that it was a relief not to have to immediately fork over hundreds of dollars for medication to be reimbursed a month later by my insurance. Even in Canada, medication is not included in the health care system, at least not in OHIP (Ontario’s Health Insurance Plan) with which I am familiar.
I am now off my feet for the next five weeks. Having had both my feet operated on at the same time, I find myself quite immobile. A score of acquaintances told me before I decided to have this surgery that they felt no pain at all during their recovery. To be perfectly honest with you, I’m in quite a bit of pain. One of my feet causes me no problem whatever, but the other one, my right foot, is acting up. The surgeon said there’s no real reason why one foot should respond differently than the other. It’s just the luck of the draw. The most difficult adjustment for me is having to sponge bathe and for the first 24 hours after the operation having to pee in a bedpan. The latter is just about as unnatural a process as it comes.
Given that my recuperation time is so lengthy, I am in the care of my beaux-parents down in wine country near Bordeaux. A nurse comes to the house to change my bandages and give me an anti-coagulant shot each evening. My change in situation explains why my posts have been rather irregular for the past ten days and why they will remain so until I get back to Paris. The family’s country house is not equipped with internet and my immobility makes getting to the local town’s internet café slightly problematic. I did prepare a few posts in advance, though, which my husband will publish for me throughout my absence.
I hope you enjoy!
Katia Singletary Art and Documentary Photography said:
Bon retablissement!
Becoming Madame said:
Thank you very much!
Spoon Feast said:
Wishing you a smooth and speedy recovery. Will you need physical therapy after you heal? Thank you for sharing your expierence. Hopefully you will be more comfortable when all this is behind you.
Becoming Madame said:
I will need physical therapy. I have a referral for 15 sessions of Kinesiotherapy which I am beginning today. And after the scar is completely healed, I have to go back to the surgeon for a checkup and he will prescribe more sessions directed toward relearning how to walk properly on my feet – for years now I have been walking on the outer-sides of my feet due to the pain and discomfort of the bunions.
The Scottie Chronicles said:
This could not have been more interesting! Truly. My peeps want to move to Paris (along with I’m sure is the rest of the civilized world) and are very interested in all thing French. We send you “get well” wishes for a speedy recovery!
Becoming Madame said:
Thank you very much!!
The Blissful Adventurer said:
This is a great post. I have some experience with European medicine that are quite hilarious and terribly frustrating 🙂
Becoming Madame said:
Please so share your stories. I’d be very interested to hear about your experiences.
The Blissful Adventurer said:
Then I will just have to do it 🙂
mytimetotravel said:
Best of luck with your recovery! And thanks for the look at the French health care system.
I feel sure that if you had had the surgery in the US, you wouldn’t have been in the hospital the night before. In fact, the whole thing might have been out-patient. And you’d still have been sweating the paperwork, just with the insurance company.
robincoyle said:
My daughter had bunion surgery last summer. While the recovery process is long, she is so happy she did it. She can walk, run, and play soccer without pain for the first time in YEARS! Speedy recovery.
Becoming Madame said:
I’m looking very forward to the full recovery. I’m still wobbling around, but can now walk slowly on my bare feet at home. Progress! 🙂
Pamela said:
Fascinating discourse on hospitalization in France. Thanks for taking the time – and here’s to a speedy recovery!
Becoming Madame said:
Thank you Pamela!
Anastasia said:
I’d take that insurance plan paperwork or no – I wish it was so easy in America. Hope you feel better soon!
ardysez said:
Poor you! Hoping you heal quickly and are as good as new at the end of it all.
Shtina said:
It’s interesting to hear about the French healthcare system. It sounds like they took really good care of you. Good luck recuperating!!
whitt88 said:
A disturbing subject to treat, but well done. Let me speak for the others in wishing you a rapid improvement and complete recovery.
Becoming Madame said:
Thank you greatly whitt88! Much better now and back home which always makes me feel better! 🙂
whitt88 said:
Good to hear it, health being so important. It makes me shutter to think that billions of people can’t see a doctor because of the cost. Bless the French for their approach to healthcare.
ninabaydoun said:
Hi. I nominated you for he Versatile Blogger Award..
Becoming Madame said:
Thank you!!
Randy Roberts said:
Before I rant, I thoroughly enjoyed this walk-through of French healthcare. Informative and well written.
Being trapped in the American Helathcare system and entirely at the mercy of private insurers who can afford really good lawyers and Washington lobbyists, you’ve hit that one very frayed nerve that boils my blood because I have health insurance I can’t afford to use.
A couple months ago I had my annual physical. I have to go in every year because of high blood pressure so I can get my prescriptions renewed. Cost me $459.00, of which I am responsible for $259.00. My insurance won’t even cover an annual physical, god forbid I should ever get sick. I pay fifty bucks a month for this insurance and my employer pays the rest. So my annual physical costs me about 850 a year.
As for my prescriptions, it was cheaper to join Walgreens than use my insurance to pay for my meds which run about six hundred a year. So just maintaining my health regimen as prescribed by my doctor costs about 1650 a year, and my insurance covers two hundred of that.
Nice, huh?
Becoming Madame said:
I well remember living in the US as a child and my mom being so scared that I would get sick and she would not have the means to get me the care I might need. I haven’t lived in the US since Obama’s health plan passed; has it helped your situation? I know that it is now under legal scrutiny, but I wonder how it is working (or not working) on a practical level. When we moved to Canada, I remember my mom being overwhelmed by the health care system there and how a giant weight was lifted from her shoulders. Funny enough, those who have public health care, like Canadians, Britons, the French, sometimes don’t realize what they have, how lucky they are not be burdened with worry regarding that one essential part of life. Thank you for your comment and kind words, Randy! Take care!!
Randy Roberts said:
I work, so on my level nothing has changed, other then I am now required by law to have insurance, which, if I don’t have, the federal government can, under Obama’s law, fine me. Mostly it’s just something new for the Republicans and Democrats to disagree and fight over.
I want to thank you for posting. I have thoroughly enjoyed your view of France.
Laura Leigh Goyer said:
Hope you have a speedy recovery!
My Punks Mom said:
Prayers for a speedy recovery for you!
Becoming Madame said:
Thank you kindly!
crumpetkitchen said:
Bon rétablissement ! (My hand hurts in sympathy from the idea of needles going in. Ouch!)
Tyler said:
Interesting to read about how the French medical system works. Sounds similar to UK – the doctor (or GP = General Practitioner) is the main man (or woman) as well, although health in the UK involves no payment at all. We pay a fixed fee for prescriptions and you have to pay for routine dental care. Otherwise it is pretty much just free, no checking of anything – you just turn up, get your healthcare, then go home.
Becoming Madame said:
This system sounds much like the one in Ontario (OHIP). Although, there we have to pay for our prescriptions or have insurance to cover them. Of course, none of it is actually “free”. Someone, somewhere (read: taxpayers) is paying for the services! 😉
Eva said:
oh,good luck to you!hope the pain will go soon and the healing process goes well.eva
Becoming Madame said:
Thank you Eva! After the month off my feet, I’m much better!
njbrown said:
So sorry about your suffering, but the French system sounds excellent. I hope you have lots of good books!
Best wishes for a speedy recovery,
Nancy
Becoming Madame said:
Thank you all very much for your well wishes! The pain has subsided and I am now able to hobble around on both feet. I can take myself to the bathroom and to the dinner table without help, but such efforts require me to put my feet up for an hour after the exertion. My life since the surgery has slowed down by about 200%. 🙂
Mandy being Mandy said:
I hope you continue to feel a little better each day! Glad to hear your recovery is going well.
Michi said:
Feel better!! It’s so lovely to hear what great health care you have in France. I also have bunions that will probably need to be taken care of down the road. I sincerely hope I’ll be well-covered when that time comes. I’m not entirely familiarized with how healthcare works here in Spain, but compared to the States, I’ll say that it definitely has had some pros for me.
Frances antoinette said:
This was an interesting post — it gave some insight on the French healthcare system.
gingerskeeper said:
I hope you have a quick recovery! By the way, I nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award 🙂 http://thisbountifulbackyard.com/2012/04/25/versatile-blogger-award/
Becoming Madame said:
Thank you kindly!! Congratulations to you too!