If you are an expat working and living in the principality of Monaco, you may want to take advantage of the many sporting opportunities available here, from football to watersports.If you sustain an injury, however, you will need to know how to access treatment, and we will look at some of the options available to you below. We will also look at the kind of health insurance cover you will need in order to recover the costs of any sports-related injuries.
What cover is available for residents of Monaco?
Your treatment will to some extent depend on whether you intend to use the public or the private healthcare system. If you are covered by the national health insurance scheme, the Caisses Sociales de Monaco or CSM, then you will be able to access the public healthcare system. Check with your employer when you start work to ensure that they have registered you with the CSM.
What cover is available for visitors to Monaco?
If you are visiting the principality and sustain a sports-related injury, you will be treated for free if it is life-threatening. Otherwise, check before you go that any travel insurance you might have will cover sports injuries.
Note that Monaco is not a member of the European Union and thus you will not be able to use an EHIC. However, the CSM may cover you if you have been making national insurance contributions into the French or Italian social security schemes.
Where to seek treatment in Monaco
In the event of a sports-related injury, you will be able to seek treatment at your GP or, in the case of more serious injury, at the Princess Grace Hospital in Monaco. Moreover, the Princess Grace Hospital and the Monaco Institute of Sports Medicine and Surgery (IM2S) have an agreement of cooperation, so you will be able to access treatment at a top-class institution which specialises in sports-related injuries.
IM2S specializes in the management of osteo-articular pathologies. Treatment is organised anatomically according to sub-specialisations:
• foot
• ankle
• knee
• hip
• shoulder
• hand
• wrist
• elbow
• spine
• veins
It can provide a range of treatment for trauma:
• specialized muscular and articular consultations
• stress tests
• isokinetic
• ultrasound
• electromyogram
• shock waves
The Institute has an emergency department for traumatic injuries: this is open seven days a week (Monday to Friday from 8h to 20h, Saturday from 9h to 19h, Sunday and public holidays from 10h to 19h).
There are three doctors at the IM2S who specialize in sports injuries.
In order to access treatment, you must go a quarter of an hour before your appointment to the reception of the IM2S. You must take your current insurance certificate or carte vitale.
The Institute also has an orthopedic-pediatric activity. Children over the age of five are treated for wounds, fractures, and other forms of disability or injury.
Note that the CSM will not cover all forms of treatment and you should discuss this with either the CSM itself or the relevant institution prior to seeking treatment.
If you have complementary health insurance in the form of a mutuelle, note that this intended to cover all or part of your health expenses that are not covered by Social Security. IM2S is not part of the Care Access Contract and thus only limited reimbursement by mutuelles is in place. You will need to make some co-payment costs.
In the private sector, Monaco also has an International Clinic of Osteopathy, which offers a range of treatments including:
• osteopathy
• sports massage
• kinesiology
• medical acupuncture
The ICO also has English-speaking personnel. You will, however, find a wide range of private treatment centres in the principality, offering treatments such as the above and including deep tissue massage. There are in addition a number of chiropractors and physiotherapists in the principality.
How much will treatment cost?
Some osteopaths may offer treatment packages. Costs will vary depending on the clinic, but on average fees across the Côte d’Azur are in the region of €60 – 90 per session for osteopathy and acupuncture treatments; or €70 for massages.
Your first consultation will include a diagnosis. Note that most practitioners also offer workplace, boat and hotel room visits, so you do not necessarily have to go to the clinic itself if you are not able to do so.
Remember to check with your clinic to see if they will make assessments for insurance claims, if appropriate. If you have private health insurance cover, you may need to seek pre-approval from your insurance provider or your mutuelle prior to accessing treatment.
How much could I claim?
The amount that you can claim in the event of a sports-related injury depends on the nature of your injury and the time and expertise required to treat it. It may also depend on whether the injury is as a result of negligence or incompetence on the part of a company or not.
For a minor to severe leg injury, you would be looking at compensation in the region of up to €247,000. A minor to severe ankle injury would be around up to €12,000 – €61,000. A minor to severe back injury is in the region of €2,150 – €141,000, and a minor head injury €2,000 to £11,000.
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