Carte Vitale

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Brian
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Carte Vitale

Post by Brian »

Any advice on how long it takes to get Carte Vitale? We successfully (!) applied for it at the back end of last year and I was given an Attestation No to cover basic needs for myself and my wife under S1 early retiree process. Despite 4 calls to English CPAM line who have then checked with Perpignan and confirmed 'it is being processed' we have not yet received it!
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Kate
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Post by Kate »

Fairly sure it doesn't normally take what sounds like going on a year Brian. I would go in person to your local CPAM and sort it out face to face.
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Sue
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Post by Sue »

If I remember rightly under the same process ours took 2 or 3 months. I would definitely do as Kate says and go to your local Cpam office and sort it out face to face.
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Post by Brian »

Many thanks for the advice both, rather afraid that would be the suggestion! Looks like a trip to Perpignan coming up.
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Kate
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Post by Kate »

There used to be one in Ceret Brian. I know it's not in the same place any more so I suppose its either moved or gone forever.
There are agences in other places tho
http://lannuaire.service-public.fr/navi ... _cpam.html
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Post by Brian »

Perpignan is where we started the ball rolling all that time ago so a re-visit to the original office or the other one in the centre of the City would seem the best option. You are correct regarding Ceret - a number of services/facilities seem to have left the town.
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Sue
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Post by Sue »

We always went to the CPAM office in the Remparts. All of them except one bloke were really good.
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Post by opas »

The office at perpignan has been undergoing renovation and visitors have had to go to a different building, not sure if the works have finished or not, but the directions are very clear and signposted, only about 5-7 mins walk from orriginal building.
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Carte Vitale

Post by Brian »

Office has indeed moved temporarily - visited it, possibly at a bad time, horrendous queues so have written instead, hope to live long enough to receive a reply!!!!
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Post by tia »

I don't think there is ever a good time to visit the cpam ( or the caf for that matter). If you have put in writing then you need to count approx a month before a chance of a reply. Best way of contacting them is via ameli .fr (if you have an espace personnelle), they reply in 48 hours . As you have a secu number you can set up the espace personnelle and it will tell you what stage your carte vitale is at.
Usually takes 3 months after having received the attestation to get a carte vitale.
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Sue
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Post by Sue »

Usually takes them 10 days to post you a code to access your espace personnelle!
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Post by tia »

Well to give people a laugh here is the explanation of an employee of cpam as to why it takes so long to get a carte vitale ( from december 2012) when a carte vitale is processed it then has to go to a office who puts it in an envelope and then to another office for someone to close envelope and put a stamp on it. They are always stamped with the cheapest and slowest ( non prioitaire) stamp which takes approx 4 days to be delivered. When asked why my carte vitale is done but has not sent out yet the reply was that it was probably sitting on someones desk waith a pile of other cv s waiting for the stamp to be put on . He didn't look as if he was joking but it made me laugh.
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Post by russell »

I always use the office at Mas Vermeil. Easy parking right opposite and I've never had to wait more than ten minutes.

http://allocpam.fr/pyrenees-orientales- ... .html#plan

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Post by Smiley G »

We also use CPAM at Perpignan but they actually come and visit our Marie on a regular basis in Argeles.
There is a timetable on display at the Marie and leaflets to take away detailing when CPAM are going to be at the Marie. It's seldom busy and much easier than going to Perpignan.
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Post by tia »

I went to mas vermeille recently to drop paperwork in the letterbox and there was a sign saying that you need a rendez vous to talk to someone in there . Not sure how you get a rendez vous though as did not say.
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Post by Brian »

Thanks for the helpful replies. WE visited the original 'sub' office where we lodged our original application and also found it is now by rendezvous only. Similarly don't know how to arrange same!

Can't access our espace personelle - English CV line say not possible as we only have an attestation number.

We will see if we get a written reply!
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Post by tia »

do you have the correct number though, or a temporary number? correct umber starts with either 1 or 2 then year of birth then month then you will have 99 if you are british and then 6 other numbers ( but not a load of zéros). if you have the zéros at the end then there is a problem. I would get someone to ring the french help line, they are pretty good on the phone
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Post by russell »

tia wrote:I went to mas vermeille recently to drop paperwork in the letterbox and there was a sign saying that you need a rendez vous to talk to someone in there . Not sure how you get a rendez vous though as did not say.
It's by rendez vous only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The rest of the week they are open from 08:30 to 16:30.

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Post by tia »

Ah that was me being lazy, just read first line saying by appointment only, didn't read the whole thing .-:)
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Post by Brian »

Regarding numbers on attestation, looks likely to be temporary as none coincide with advice shown. We equally didn't read whole notice regarding opening hours of sub-office! If no written response received may have to re-visit.
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Post by tia »

i would definately go in because if you only have a temporary number then that is why you still have not got your cv. Could be they are waiting for a document to appear by magic and while you say nothing they will not bother asking for it. Or if you are lucky then they have everything but nobody has pressed the magic button on the computer to confirm it. :D
when you go there sometimes you do have to insist a bit that they look into it and ask why you have not got a proper number if they say everything is ok. Have you ever been to the doctor yet, or even declared your doctor to them?
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Post by Brian »

Hi
Yes we have been to the doctors and in addition my wife was flown by air ambulance to Montpellier in Feb for a potentially life threatening problem - there were no issues raised with regard to the attestation number on any occasion and appropriate re-imbursement was paid.
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Post by tia »

That means that they must have everything so seems strange that they haven't sent you a carte vitale yet. Think it is probably just a question of someone pressing a button on the computer . Good luck - :)
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Post by Oxymoron »

tia wrote:I went to mas vermeille recently to drop paperwork in the letterbox and there was a sign saying that you need a rendez vous to talk to someone in there . Not sure how you get a rendez vous though as did not say.

CPAM is the ultimate "functionaires" department. We started our application 13th March 2013 and today, 13th October 2014, 19 MONTHS LATER, have received our cards. We are celebrating with chanpagne as I complete this posting. This has involved seven visits to supply copies of birth certificates etc. they demanded that they already had. They returned our papers once with 26 staples (they ask you not to use staples or paperclips) around the edges holding in place amongst them the copy marriage certificate they were demanding a copy of.
On our last visit I demanded they telephone their head office (it's always "their fault") but that was not possible as there were no telephones at the desks in the reception area were you supply your documents - true. I advised I wanted to complain about mass inefficiency or possibly racism (you do wonder). The functionaire placed special notes on our file. Within two weeks they requested our photographs (at last) and today we have our cards.
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Re: Carte Vitale

Post by Oxymoron »

Oxymoron wrote:
tia wrote:I went to mas vermeille recently to drop paperwork in the letterbox and there was a sign saying that you need a rendez vous to talk to someone in there . Not sure how you get a rendez vous though as did not say.

CPAM is the ultimate "functionaires" department. We started our application 13th March 2013 and today, 13th October 2014, 19 MONTHS LATER, have received our cards. We are celebrating with chanpagne as I complete this posting. This has involved seven visits to supply copies of birth certificates etc. they demanded that they already had. They returned our papers once with 26 staples (they ask you not to use staples or paperclips) around the edges holding in place amongst them the copy marriage certificate they were demanding a copy of.
On our last visit I demanded they telephone their head office (it's always "their fault") but that was not possible as there were no telephones at the desks in the reception area were you supply your documents - true. I advised I wanted to complain about mass inefficiency or possibly racism (you do wonder). The functionaire placed special notes on our file. Within two weeks they requested our photographs (at last) and today we have our cards.
correction "where" you supply.
Brolly1
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