Could any French-speakers help my friend with translating a medical bill from France?

[RustyBear]

My friend's DS recently had a medical emergency in France which has resulted in a bill which has to be paid in 20 days. (I have no idea why it wasn't covered by his E111)

She took the bill into HSBC 'the World's Local Bank' to be told that they couldn't pay it because they 'didn't know what it meant'

The relevant bit says:

Pour effectuer ce reglement

Par cheque bancaire ou postal:

Addresser sous pli affranchi a l'addresse ci-contre votre talon de paiement et votre cheque libelle obligatoirement a l'ordre du "Tresor public"
N'envoyez en aucun cas un cheque sans indication du beneficiare.
NE JOINDRE AUCUN COURIER A VOTRE PAIEMENT

If the "adresse ci-contre" means "the address opposite", the paying in slip, which is opposite this paragraph has the 'address'
Centre d'encaissement Du tresor public
TSA 2005
94974 Creteil Credit CEDEX 9

but I'm not sure if this is a postal address, or just bank details.
There is an address as the top of the letter, which is "Tresorerie" & an address in Saint Maurice.

I would assume my friend should send her cheque & the paying in slip to the address in saint Maurice - is this right?
And have I missed any vital points (I don't know what "sous pli affranchi" "Libelle obligatoirement" mean

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

TIA

Oh, and does NE JOINDRE AUCUN COURIER A VOTRE PAIEMENT mean 'Please do not include any other correspondence with your payment?'

bump

Hard to say without seeing the actual bill but I would read "ci-contre" as meaning "the address shown on this letter".

The address you quote is indeed an address (not bank details) - or, actually, more like a PO box.

The French itself I can definitely help with - line by line, it means something like:

Addresser sous pli affranchi a l'addresse ci-contre votre talon de paiement et votre cheque libelle obligatoirement a l'ordre du "Tresor public"

Send to the address shown in a stamped envelope (ie it's not Freepost) your payment chit (bit of a guess there - did you get some sort of chit or stub?) and your cheque which must be made out to "Tresor public"

N'envoyez en aucun cas un cheque sans indication du beneficiare.

Under NO circumstances send a cheque without indicating the person it covers (ie your friend's name - again, bit of a leap of faith - does that make sense?)

NE JOINDRE AUCUN COURIER A VOTRE PAIEMENT

Do not include any letter with your payment (if you want to talk to them, you'll have to contact them separately - I'm guessing this is just an accounts receivable office)

If anyone else is around and can do a better job, please feel free to correct me, but this is my understanding.

PS unless your friend was actually in St Maurice (Mauritius) then I'd say it was unlikely that you'd have to send it there - any more text near the St Maurice address?

Maybe the St Maurice address is the company HQ but they outsource their accounts receivable to the PO box address?

Now I see you have mentioned a paying in slip, then that is what the "talon" would refer to, I reckon.

Remember to write your friend's address on the back of the envelope just in case.

Sorry, realise I still haven't made myself clear - in your friend's shoes, I'd send it to Creteil, not Mauritius.

I think Mauritius is a red herring. The French call Mauritius "ile Maurice", not Saint Maurice.

V fair point ...

But I still think it's the CEDEX address, don't you?

Just seen on a map where St Maurice (as opposed to ile Maurice) is.

Red with embarrassment.

Geography never was my strong point ...

Thanks very much both of you - I'll forward this to my friend.

hello,

i can help with the french...

yes "addresse si contre" means the address opposite - definitely send it to:
Centre d'encaissement Du tresor public
TSA 2005
94974 Creteil Credit CEDEX 9

Addresser sous pli affranchi a l'addresse ci-contre votre talon de paiement et votre cheque libelle obligatoirement a l'ordre du "Tresor public"
N'envoyez en aucun cas un cheque sans indication du beneficiare.
NE JOINDRE AUCUN COURIER A VOTRE PAIEMENT

this means that you must send the payment slip and cheque in a stamped envelope, and you must indicate on the cheque that the beneficiary is the "Trésor Public". Don't send a letter with the payment.

hope this helps

Yoya's right.

It has to be sent to the Creteil address which is where they process the payments and the cheque must be made out to Trésor Public not blank.

Not all medical costs in France are covered by E111/EHIC. These cards give you the same rights as the people who live in the country you visit. In France (except for very low income households) the state picks up about 70% of the cost. I expect the bill relates to the remaining 30%. If your friend has travel insurance she may be able to claim on that.