What Is a CFE Top-Up?

In Hong Kong, one of the main questions French expats ask is whether or not it is worth joining the Caisse des Français de l'Étranger. As Hong Kong is one of the most expensive places in the world for healthcare costs, it is only natural to ask whether you need to take out top-up insurance. Here are a few explanations to help you make your choice.

What are the advantages of joining the Caisse des Français de l'Étranger (CFE)?

The CFE has several advantages:

• It gives you the same cover as French social security (Sécurité sociale) for the whole of your expatriation.

• It does not discriminate against pre-existing conditions. You are therefore covered whatever your medical history.

• When you return to France, you immediately rejoin French social security without any waiting period or exclusion.

• During temporary stays in France of less than 6 months, your healthcare costs are reimbursed just like those of anyone insured under French social security. This can be handy if you want to see your regular doctor during your holidays in France.

Are CFE reimbursements enough in Hong Kong?

As the CFE reimburses according to French social security prices in France, the answer depends on whether you choose public or private care.

Public:
If you hold a Hong Kong ID and want to be treated in the public sector, prices are very affordable and CFE reimbursements are entirely sufficient.

Private:
If, on the other hand, you want to be treated in the private sector, you may run into some limits on this reimbursement. Hong Kong is the second most expensive country in the world for healthcare costs, after the United States. As a result, a reimbursement of 18.55 euros (about HK$160) for a GP consultation in Hong Kong can seem negligible. Prices range from HK$250 to HK$1,050. Clinics for expats charge around HK$700.

For a more detailed description of the differences between private and public care in Hong Kong, read this article.

CFE top-ups

To solve this problem, French insurers came up with products based on the same principle as French mutuelles (complementary health insurance). In short, the CFE works like French social security, and the insurance works like a mutuelle by reimbursing the remaining costs.

The advantages of CFE top-ups

Here are the main advantages of this type of product:

• They are attractively and competitively priced, and annual premium inflation is lower than for other products.

• You get all the CFE advantages mentioned above without the drawback of limits that are too low.

• The top-up insurer or the CFE acts as a single point of contact for claims. You do not need to send your claim to both the CFE and your insurer. Thanks to an agreement between them, your insurer or the CFE handles everything.

*Did you know? Alea is the advisor for French expats in Hong Kong. As the CFE's exclusive representative for Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Singapore, Alea has unique expertise in every CFE plan and in the plans French insurers such as April, Henner, MSH and Assur-Travel offer alongside the CFE. We work with more than 25 international partners, such as AXA, Bupa and Cigna, to find you the best option!*Did you know? Alea is the advisor for French expats in Hong Kong. As the CFE's exclusive representative for Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Singapore, Alea has unique expertise in every CFE plan and in the plans French insurers such as April, Henner, MSH and Assur-Travel offer alongside the CFE. We work with more than 25 international partners, such as AXA, Bupa and Cigna, to find you the best option!

The disadvantages of CFE top-ups

Here are the main disadvantages of CFE top-ups:

• The main disadvantage of top-ups is that there is no 'cashless' (direct billing) network in Hong Kong for routine care. This means that for all your routine healthcare costs (excluding hospitalisation), you will have to pay up front and then make a claim. Reimbursement then takes a little longer than the average among insurers.

• The CFE has waiting periods for new members. This means that during the first 3 or 6 months of your policy, no healthcare costs will be covered. This is because the top-up can only start to apply once the CFE cover is fully in effect. To get around this, some insurers offer to enrol you in their "first-euro" product for the duration of the waiting period and then switch you to their "CFE top-up" product once your CFE rights are open.

Did you know? Alea is the advisor for French expats in Hong Kong. As the CFE's exclusive representative for Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Singapore, Alea has unique expertise in every CFE plan and in the plans French insurers such as April, Henner, MSH and Assur-Travel offer alongside the CFE. We work with more than 25 international partners, such as AXA, Bupa and Cigna, to find you the best option!