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When preparing to move abroad, we think about finding accommodation, choosing a school, opening a bank account, dealing with administrative procedures, etc.
But one essential issue is often overlooked: health insurance.
As a French citizen, as soon as you move abroad, you are no longer automatically covered by the French social security system. It therefore becomes essential to choose a suitable solution to cover everyday healthcare, but also unforeseen events — those that you never see coming… until they happen.
Looking back, this is undoubtedly one of the most important decisions to make in order to enjoy your expatriation.
There are three main ways to obtain cover when living outside France.
We have personally tested them — here is our feedback.
The CFE is often the first solution considered by expatriates because it allows them to maintain a link with the French system (securité sociale).
However, it also has some limitations:
We were covered by the CFE at the beginning of our expatriation.
But for routine care, our reimbursements averaged around 17% — too low for us.
It is also possible to combine CFE + MSH.
CFE as your main health insurance and MSH as your supplementary health insurance. This is the Relais’Expat+ package.
This gives you excellent cover and means you don’t have to submit two claims for reimbursement when you receive treatment (outside France).
👉 You only need to submit one claim for reimbursement via the MSH platform and MSH will liaise with the CFE on your behalf: a real bonus!
Then, we opted for a local Mauritian insurance company, which is well-known and very satisfactory on a day-to-day basis.
The advantages:
✔ attractive price
✔ rapid local support
✔ highly intuitive and easy-to-use mobile application
✔ perfect if you are young, in good health, and have no major medical needs
However, several limitations have emerged over time:
limited ceiling (3M–10M MUR depending on contract, equivalent to €50,000–€185,000)
treatment in France/EU with little or no reimbursement
reimbursement based on Mauritian rates, which are often lower (depending on the package chosen with Swan)
repatriation not included (local insurance!)
Certain medical conditions may require treatment abroad if they cannot be managed locally: a trip to India may be recommended.
no civil liability included
As long as nothing serious happens → everything is fine.
But if a serious accident occurs, the cover may be insufficient.
Less expensive than the CFE or international health insurance, we were very satisfied with their services and the speed of reimbursements.
One possible solution is to take out this insurance as a supplement to the CFE in order to have maximum coverage.
This is the most comprehensive package for a stress-free expatriation.
It allows you to:
✔ worldwide coverage, including France and Europe (and not just your country of expatriation!)
👉 Very handy if you are travelling in France or elsewhere (except the United States)
✔ medical repatriation
✔ coverage for major hospitalisations
✔ fairly quick refunds
✔ high coverage (from €250,000)
✔ ideal for families
✔ good reviews and feedback in general
This consideration led us to review our strategy. It is indeed more expensive than local insurance, but the range of services offered is much broader and more comprehensive, which is reassuring, especially when you are a parent.
We were satisfied with our local insurance… until the unthinkable happened to a close friend.
Even if you drive carefully — or even if you don’t drive and are simply a pedestrian — the roads remain dangerous in Mauritius.
Hit by a van while crossing the road on foot, our friend was rushed to hospital and underwent several operations.
As it was a serious accident, he had to remain in intensive care (ICU) for more than four months, which represented an extremely high cost.
Very quickly, the costs skyrocketed — to the point of exhausting the limit of his local insurance in just three months.
The limits offered by local insurance companies are often much lower than those offered by international health insurance companies, and are rarely sufficient to cover the costs associated with a serious accident.
They then had to finance a significant portion of the care themselves.
When his condition was deemed stable, he was transferred to the “general” ward, which was less expensive than intensive care, but where absolutely everything was billed: every syringe, every glove, every treatment.
Less expensive, yes — but still very costly.
In addition, he required close support with specific care, particularly in terms of rehabilitation (occupational therapy, for example), services that are not always available locally.
And above all 👉 it had become impossible to change health insurance: one cannot take out a new policy to cover an accident that has already occurred.
Once his condition had stabilised and logistics permitted, his family finally decided to repatriate him to Réunion island (at a cost of around €9,000), then to finance several months of care until he could rejoin the French social security system (with a waiting period of 3 to 6 months depending on age).
Beyond the financial impact, this accident caused stress, anxiety, administrative procedures, fatigue, etc.
A reality that is difficult to imagine until one is confronted with it.
With children to care for, we asked ourselves this question:
“If that happened to us… would we really be protected?”
This realisation changed everything.
Yes, we are young and healthy.
But no one knows what tomorrow will bring.
So we compared different offers, requested quotes, talked to other families…
And that’s how we ended up choosing MSH International.
From entry-level to high-end, MSH offers packages that can be tailored to suit your budget and needs, with the option to upgrade over time.
With management offices on several continents, urgent requests can be processed very quickly — sometimes in less than two hours.
It is not just about reimbursement:
there is real medical follow-up, support and assistance in the event of hospitalisation or evacuation.
MSH is an international broker and is also the leading French broker and fifth largest in Europe in the expatriate market.
Are you looking for supplementary insurance to complement CFE?
You can combine CFE + MSH supplementary insurance.
This is the Relais+ package.
👉 Even better: a single reimbursement claim is all that is required, as MSH manages the interface with the CFE directly.
While most insurers set an age limit of between 65 and 70, MSH allows people to join up until the day before their 76th birthday. This makes a real difference for senior citizens.
Online declaration, immediate confirmation email, clear progress tracking and reimbursement within 3 to 6 working days.
For us, it’s peace of mind.
We hope we’ll never need it — but if we ever do, we know we’ll be protected.
When analysing insurance, the figures often speak for themselves. Here are the ones that helped us make our decision.👇
🌍 +700,000 policyholders worldwide
🏢 7,000 corporate and organisational clients
✈️ 6 international customer centres (Paris, Tunis, Dubai, Shanghai, Calgary, Kuala Lumpur)
🏥 +2 million healthcare partners (hospitals, clinics, doctors)
🗓 Available 24/7
🗣 +50 languages spoken within MSH
🌎 Insured persons of over 60 nationalities
👩🦰 A team of professionals made up of expatriates or former expatriates who understand our needs perfectly.
🧭 In other words: wherever you are in the world, you will find an MSH centre that can respond quickly, in your language, and with an extensive medical network.
| Criteria | CFE | Local Insurance | MSH Internationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geographical coverage | France + limited abroad | Mauritius mainly | Worldwide (and by geographical area) USA not included |
| Repatriation | Optional | Non-systematic | Optional |
| France/Europe | Yes, according to the list | Low / not covered | Oui |
| Coverage limits | Variable | Often low | High |
| Civil liability | Non-systematic | Rare | Often included |
| Refunds | Slow | Quick locally | 3–6 working days |
| Subscription age limitation | No age restriction but increasing amount | Variable | Up to 75 years old |
If you would like to compare options, ask questions or obtain a personalised quote, you can use my dedicated form, which will enable you to be contacted by a dedicated MSH Expatriation agent:
An advisor will contact you to offer you the package best suited to your situation.
💡 Even as a supplement to your CFE subscription.
There are several options available: CFE (France), local insurance or international health insurance.
The CFE allows you to maintain a link with the French system but offers little coverage abroad. Local insurance is economical but limited in the event of a serious accident or treatment in France/Europe. International insurance (such as MSH) offers the most comprehensive coverage, especially for families who travel or wish to maintain access to healthcare in France.
Yes. Depending on the plan you choose, MSH covers healthcare in Mauritius, but also in France, Europe and other countries around the world.
This is a real advantage if you regularly return to mainland France or if you wish to be treated in France in the event of a serious medical problem.
Yes. It is possible to keep CFE and add MSH as supplementary cover.
The main advantage: you only need to submit one reimbursement claim, directly via the MSH platform/app, which then takes care of recovering the CFE portion.
Reimbursement is made by MSH, usually within 3 to 6 working days.
Most insurers limit membership to between 65 and 70 years of age.
From January 2026, MSH will accept applications up to the age of 75, or even up to the day before the 76th birthday, depending on the conditions.
And once you become a member, the contract is for life, which means that it cannot be terminated due to age or changes in health.
Everything is done online via the MSH platform or app.
The system is simple, intuitive and digital, ideal for expatriates.
Yes. Most claims are processed within 3 to 6 working days, which is very convenient when faced with an unexpected expense or hospitalisation.
Repatriation is always included in all offers.
| Option | Main advantage | Major limit |
|---|---|---|
| CFE | Connection with France | Low reimbursements outside France |
| Local Mauritian insurance | Economical for everyday use | Limited coverage amount, not well suited to major accidents |
| MSH internationale | Worldwide coverage + France | Higher price but maximum protection |
MSH is often the choice of families seeking security, flexibility and access to France / Europe.
Not compulsory, but strongly recommended.
In the event of a serious accident, serious illness or the need for repatriation, the costs can be very high.
Good insurance is above all peace of mind: we hope we will never need it, but if one day we do, it makes all the difference.🤍
📩 Request an MSH quote (free of charge and with no obligation)
Fill in the contact form — a dedicated expatriation adviser will contact you to offer you the cover best suited to your situation.
👉 Access the MSH contact form
I am sharing my experience in complete transparency. This article is not sponsored, but if you sign up via my form, I will receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you). This helps me to continue creating useful content about Mauritius 💛
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