Inside a pharmacy, Paris, September 8, 2020. MARTIN BUREAU/AFP
Americans are growing increasingly fond of France. Hardly a month goes by without the 24-hour news channel CNN airing features that highlight French hospitality. The focus is less on France’s scenery and lifestyle, and more on the health care provided free of charge to American retirees. Since 1995, these retirees have been protected under an agreement between the United States and France, and they do not pay income tax in France.
At the end of August, Chiara Adorno told American media how delighted she was to live in Marseille. “Here, I am treated like a Fabergé egg. I’m not wealthy at all. I’m living on social security.” In the United States, this 66-year-old retiree from Connecticut, who suffers from a chronic illness, constantly worried about “falling into medical debt.”
Carole Carson, who is 80 years old, settled in Hérault on the Mediterranean coast. “I’ve seen some of the best doctors in the world, and I rate the medical care here better.” In the US, Debra and Eric Stillwell each paid $500 a month to treat their diabetes. Now, they don’t have to spend a cent. CNN cited many such examples, prompting more Americans to take the plunge and move to France. Some agencies even handle their entire relocation process.
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