Home insurance (”assurance multirisque habitation”) covers, as a minimum:

• fire and similar events (e.g. explosion and smoke damages)
• water damages
• burglary
• vandalism
• glass damages
• climatic events (storm, hail and frost)
• natural disasters
• acts of terrorism
• environmental disasters
• public liability related to your property
• consequential damages such as re-housing assistance.
  

On top of this you can choose a number of options of which the most important are:

• indemnification for lost or damaged items with no depreciation for wear and age (“new for old”)
• electrical damages (effect of power surges or lightning)
• personal third party liability for you and your family
• leisure equipment (e.g. golf clubs, surf boards, cameras)
• trees and bushes
• luggage
• physical assault.

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Third party liability insurance is mandatory in France. On top of this you can add cover for:

• windscreen and glass damages
• theft
• fire
• climatic events and natural disasters

which come together as a package or you can choose all of the above plus accidental damages (including vandalism) to have fully comprehensive cover.

Roadside assistance everywhere in France and Europe and personal accident cover for the driver (up to 450,000 euro) is almost always included.

If you drive less than 8,000 km a year, AXA offers particularly advantageous rates (20 to 30% below normal rates).

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The French health system is based on mandatory, individual membership of a public insurance scheme which covers part of your health expenses. This part could be anywhere between 0 and 100% of the rate agreed between the French State and the health providers (e.g. doctors, hospitals, dentists). Urgencies are covered 100%, a visit to the family doctor 70%, while glasses and some dental treatments are covered close to 0%.

The difference between the price paid and the reimbursement from the mandatory scheme can be covered by taking out a top-up insurance (“Complémentaire” or “Mutuelle”).
However, the actual price paid by the patient could exceed 100% as e.g. a family doctor is free to ask for more than the agreed rate. This explains why you can choose top-up insurance schemes covering more than 100%. AXA offers four varieties covering 100, 125, 150 and 200% of the agreed rate for general practitioners and specialists, but in case of in-patient treatment between 300 and 400%.

If you are employed, retired or not working the relevant mandatory scheme is CPAM (“Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie”). Your local town hall (“Mairie”) can advice you on how to apply for membership.