Despite initial opposition by most local health authorities, it is clear many early retirees are eventually winning access to the French health system.

Thank you for the mails we continue to receive in large number, telling us of your experiences in making application to get into the French health system.

Although some of you are reporting disappointing news, it is clear that the walls of resistance can be broken with determined and informed action.

Success is sometimes being achieved as part of a local appeal process of one kind or another, either to the local Commission de Recours Amiable or the Conciliateur.

Another route that is also proving very fruitful is a formal complaint to the European Commission. Such a complaint can only be made once the local appeal process has been exhausted.

Jonathan Todd, European Spokesman for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, has stated to us that, "a good number of citizens' complaints to the Commission about refusal of access to the CMU have been closed as the citizens in question have in fact been admitted."

We would agree with that general statement, as your mails do confirm it. Of course, the process takes time, and this can be very frustrating and sometimes expensive, but at the present time there seems no alternative.

So for those of you who are being unreasonably refused access, we do urge you to make a formal complaint to the European Commission. We know that each and every case that is sent to them is taken up with the French health authorities.

We have published numerous previous articles that set out the process and the legal framework but a summary can be found at Appeals Against Refusal of Health Cover