I went to the American Hospital years ago for severe sore throat - i think they took Blue Cross or medical coverage like any American hospital would.

The American Hospital does not take American insurance (or at least not my insurance -- Blue Cross/Blue Shield). You must save your receipts, fill out a claim form (found on-line), and mail it in.

why are there so many pharmacies in paris but not a single doctors/MD office in the section near all the historical landmarks? can you get buy antibioticsin paris without a prescription?

<i>why are there so many pharmacies in paris but not a single doctors/MD office in the section near all the historical landmarks?</i>

That is a truly ridiculous statement. Just for a start, have you ever noticed that big building on the left hand side of the square facing Notre Dame?

My doctor is directly across from Les Invalides! On my last trip I almost did some sightseeing after my appointment.

I am also not sure that you would know where a dr was. There is a denist in the apartment directly below us.

Another option people should remember when travelling is to ask at the local tourist office for doctor's offices, or doctors who speak English.

I do this for our guests in Sarlat, since I can't always know who is currently available, who speaks English etc. They always have a list of doctors and dentists.

But do remember that doctors in France still make house calls. If you phone the emergency number(15) they will assess your condition and either recommend the closest doctor or send one to you.

My own doctor makes house calls every morning from 9 to 11:45 for 36&euro; and then receives patients in his office from 13:00 to 18:00 for 22&euro;.

&lt;&lt;The American Hospital does not take American insurance (or at least not my insurance -- Blue Cross/Blue Shield). You must save your receipts, fill out a claim form (found on-line), and mail it in.&gt;&gt;

Outside emergencies, one shouldn't go to a hospital hospital without finding out from your insurer what is covered. Even for an emergency, people ought to know that information ahead of time and find out before they travel, let alone reside, abroad. Blue Cross/BS is better than most American insurers in that they actually have international networks of physicians and doctors who do accept their insurance so you don't have to pay up-front. Also, BCBS has many different plans, each state is its own company, and each one may have different benefits and be accepted in different places. It isn't one big insurance plan that is the same for everyone in the US.

In Paris, the hospital in the BCBS network is l'Institut Mutualiste Montsouris at 42 bd Jourdan in the 14th.

MomDDTravel - I'm glad to hear you have got her on the mend. Starting the treatment asap was the right thing to do before she got any worse.
Bad strep throats can affect the kidneys.
Get well soon.

If going to a French doctor, as opposed to the American Hospital, the cost of the visit will be far less than a one night stay at a hotel. One should be able to afford the out of pocket expense, which probably will be reimbursed by one's medical insurance when presenting the bills and proof of travel. This is what we did with Blue Cross-Blue Shield eons ago when hospitalization was necessary, and this year when we needed a couple of visits to the doctor and a lab for tests (105&euro; total cost). Except for potentially big emergencies requiring operations and long hospital stays, and eventual evacuation, medical insurance is not necessary, at least not for France.

I gather that the American Hospital charges higher rates for treatment even though it now accepts French patients presumably at the standard rate.

Don't forget that &quot;American Hospital&quot; is just the name of the place. It is a French hospital with French doctors.

The emergency room of any hospital in Paris would have treated your daughter free of charge. And since some doctors in France have actually been to school, the majority of them have learned to speak English.

American prejudice about getting &quot;American&quot; treatment is great for the French economy, but it is an enormous waste of your money.

You do know, I hope, that France has been rated the #1 country in the world for medical treatment? That would imply that going to the &quot;American&quot; hospital is a request for inferior treatment.

I went recently to two ERs in Italy - after falling down in the street and bloodying my nose and though i had x-rays of my head ('showed nothing') and saw three doctors, had an ambulance ride, etc. did not cost me on penny - and i thought the facilities and treatment were excellent

but there was a communication gap - luckily one of the orderlies spoke great English and accompanied me thru the whole process.

In France i went to a local MD to get stitches out and exam and cost me all of 21 euros. That the doc failed to get one of the stitches out is besides the point.

In emergencies at least go to the nearest ER.

I wish I could have just gone to the Dr. or a closer hospital. I was only going off the information I was able to get. I am still thrilled - it would have cost me a ton more at home to take her to even just an Urgent Care. I will submit my paperwork when I get home. I got money back (I think all of it) when we saw the Dr. in Florence and I submitted my paperwork.

At any rate - as I wrote on my blog from that day:

&quot;LONG day in Paris. I know that many would say &quot;you do not want to be sick in another country.&quot;

I would say you would want to be sick in Paris more then in the USA.

The cost of her 3 prescriptions this morning? 15.00 Euros total. No joke. So for 135 Euros total she had an ER visit and three prescriptions. Hummm..maybe Michael Moore in Sicko was onto something eh? Come on Obama -- do something for our healthcare!&quot;

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the U.S. will finally understand about health care some day.

I am still stunned. I realize people paid less then what I did or that I could have paid less - but I am looking at the service I got on a Sunday night at a hospital and for RX as well. Amazing to me.

Let's hope the French and British keep their comprehensive health care systems under the weight of record deficits, etc.

Nursing home care in France costs even more than here i recently learnt from this Forum and the cost is automatically split amongst the kids - as to what each can pay.

At least here a family cannot be bankrupt by paying for a parents' nursing home.

But hand it to the French medical system for the world's finest care at an affordable cost. Bravo!

<i>At least here a family cannot be bankrupt by paying for a parents' nursing home.</i>

I have friends in France who had their parent in a nursing home. It undoubtedly was a heavy burden but did not bankrupt them, as the amount the children pay is dependent on their income.

But Michael what if it were an only child and one not wealthy? Hopefully there is a limit before the state starts taking over payment?

I'm so glad that things seem to be heading in the right direction. We all think about the &quot;what ifs&quot; when we travel, but nobody really expects health problems to hit when overseas. I had a similar experience many years ago in Mexico, and walked out of a hospital with a prescription for something like $18. Oh well--for better or worse, this will be a vacation you'll all remember well.