[Barrie Yates]

We applied for, and received, French Medical (Green) Cards. Just like a bank card which you had to produce at the Doctors, Pharmacy and Hospital. I never worked in France (well, a bit on the black), but we were paying tax - National and the two forms of Council Tax. For certain health problems everything was free but for everything else you paid a proportion - 3E at the GP Surgery, 1/3 of cost at Pharmacy, and 14E for food (?), per day in the Hospital. Top-up insurance was readily available if wanted, which covered all the additional costs.