If you’re like most Americans, you’ve probably heard that Strasbourg, France has a better healthcare system than the United States
Okay, that may be a teensy exaggeration. Maybe you’ve never heard of Strasbourg. But surely, you’ve heard that France has a much better system than the dog-eat-dog thing we’ve got going in the States. “Better” in this case meaning more accessible – I’m not trying to get into a quality comparison here. Although, in an extra point for France, I have yet to have a negative experience.
There are differences, certainly, and that’s partially why I’m writing this post now. I’ve been to at least 20 eye doctor appointments in my life (plus one or two after I got nailed in the face with the soccer ball at age 13). But, there’s just something about doing something routine and familiar in a foreign country. Maybe it’s because things like eye doctor appointments are so routine and it’s been so long since you’ve really thought about the process.
So, how do you even make an appointment to see an eye doctor in Strasbourg, France?
First things first. If you want to make an eye doctor appointment anywhere in France, you can go to DoctoLib. It works like a healthcare portal with a dash of Google maps and is utterly genius. And that’s not just coming from me – DoctoLib recently made LinkedIn’s list as one of France’s best start-ups in 2020. Alas, I digress.
So, you go to DoctoLib. If you don’t have an account yet, you can make one. While everyone should try to get their Carte Vitale (social security/healthcare card) as soon as possible upon arriving in France, you can both make and go to appointments through DoctoLib without having one. If it’s just a standard check-up you need, you’ll just pay “full price” for the appointment, which will still be pennies compared to what you’d pay in the U.S.
To search for an eye doctor on DoctoLib, you’ll want to look up “ophtalmologue” in your area
(Little French note: Women eye doctors are “ophtalmologistes.”)
For my part, I looked for eye doctors in Strasbourg, France, and secured an appointment for two days later, late morning.
I made sure to check whether or not Carte Vitales were accepted (they are) and what secteur the practice operated in. There are three secteurs practices fall into – 1, 2, and 3, with 3 being the most expensive. I took 1 and still have both my eyes, so I think I’ll keep taking the economic route, personally.
What was the appointment like in Strasbourg, France?
Sometimes addresses can be hard to find because medical practices sometimes operate out of what Americans would consider a residential space. Fortunately, this one was in a medical building on the outskirts of Strasbourg, so I just walked right in and hit the number for the floor marked for “ophtalmologues.”
I handed over my Carte Vitale and gave my basic info (address and phone number) to the receptionist. But, I stumbled a bit when she asked about my “medecin traitant.” This person is basically your go-to physician, and while we have the same system in the U.S., I actually have moved around too much to really have one here in France. I nervously panic-scrolled through the “past visits” feature in the DoctoLib app, apologizing as she gave a small sigh. Fortunately, the list wasn’t long. I gave the name of the doctor I saw in Paris for my physical before the 2019 Mont Saint Michel Half Marathon. No comment. Whew.
After going back to the waiting area for a few minutes, I was called in by an assistant who took me to a room with very familiar looking equipment
We did the machine with the eye puff and the one with the blurry image that automatically refocuses. The only difference here was at my eye doctor back home, the blurry image is a white house with a red roof, and this one was an orange hot-air balloon.
Next, the assistant said to follow her to the next room and to not forget my stuff before striding out of the room without waiting. Very French. I scooped my purse and coat into my arms and trotted after her across the hall. This one was different. A darkened room where the only light came from a desktop monitor. O-kay. Still a familiar machine though. I put my stuff down and sat down.
She told me to focus on the center of the blue dot and turned on the machine
A psychedelic, aqua blue dot appeared on the right. Then, she told me to keep focusing on the center of the dot as it moved around and a thin red, horizontal line appeared. Then said line started to move, occasionally flashing, all while I tried to focus on the center of the dot. To be frank, I didn’t enjoy this test, but it was over in two minutes. One more room. Grab stuff, trot, put stuff down, sit. Naming the letters I could read, saying “une” or “deux” a couple of times, and voila.
Finally, I met my eye doctor, a young, slim guy with brown hair. For about two minutes – just enough time to notice his round plastic glasses were blue on top and red on the bottom half. Or maybe it was the other way around? In any case, he was nice, mostly just letting me know my prescription wasn’t changing. By way of goodbye, he handed me two print-offs, one prescription for my glasses, the other for contacts.
At a different desk from the one I’d checked in at, I paid and haltingly asked where I should go to get new glasses
“Mais, un opticien,” the receptionist replied, looking bored. Okay and… and for the contacts, should I bring that prescription to the pharmacy? “Mais non,” she said, now looking slightly alarmed. “Un opticien.” I thanked her and paid quickly.
The total? 27 euros, or about 30 USD. I’m not sure, but I think that payment covered my glasses and contacts as well, which is crazy to think about. But, this is Strasbourg, France, and I have my Carte Vitale and a mutuelle, which is like a complementary healthcare top-up provided by many places of work. Always make sure you check the baseline cost for the appointment on the doctor’s profile, and whether or not Carte Vitales are accepted.
