Healthcare, esp for kids

[Penguin_ie 5,997]

I know health care in the US is very different from here in Ireland, so I hope it is ok to ask this here: We have health insurance here, but it will only last for 30 days after we move to the US. We are healthy, and we have savings should a major accident happen before we can arrange health insurance over there, but we also have 6 months old twins- they will need checkups, vaccinations, and maybe the odd doctor visit for a fever, tummy bug etc.

- Here in Ireland, the babies get free vaccinations and I pay for a regular GP visit if they are sick (60 euro, about 85 dollars). Can I go to a regular doctor if babies have a small ailment, and if so how much would that cost? Or do I need a special kid's doc/ pediatrician, and how much would that be?

- Can we "get away" without health coverage for a while- assuming my USC husband will find a job with health coverage within 6 months or so (I hope to be a SAHM)? If not, what options are there for a family of 4 where (maybe) nobody is employed for the first few months? With option I mean health insurance, we do not want to rely on the state!

- What, if any checkups, are normally done on babies between ages 8 month and 2 years? Are such visits free or do they cost the normal doct0or's visit amount? Here there would be a hearing/ developmental check at 9 months and the MMR vaccine at one year, nothing else.

[Mononoke28 135]

My sister lost her job when my niece was 18 months old and she didn't find another job with benefits until 8 months later. What she did was take her to her regular doctor for check ups and he gave her a discount for not having insurance, so the cost wasn't very much. Then she got sick a couple of times in the middle of the night and she took her to our closest Urgent Care facility and the consultation was only like $40. Urgent care places like that are usually open 24/7 and they're not very expensive.

Another thing you can look into is Wal-Mart since they now offer these type of quick services to treat fevers, minor accidents, common colds, things like that and are very, very inexpensive. Their generic prescriptions cost only $4. That should get you by until your husband is able to find a job with health benefits.

Diana

[*JG* 2]

I know health care in the US is very different from here in Ireland, so I hope it is ok to ask this here: We have health insurance here, but it will only last for 30 days after we move to the US. We are healthy, and we have savings should a major accident happen before we can arrange health insurance over there, but we also have 6 months old twins- they will need checkups, vaccinations, and maybe the odd doctor visit for a fever, tummy bug etc.

- Here in Ireland, the babies get free vaccinations and I pay for a regular GP visit if they are sick (60 euro, about 85 dollars). Can I go to a regular doctor if babies have a small ailment, and if so how much would that cost? Or do I need a special kid's doc/ pediatrician, and how much would that be? You need a family doctor or a pediatrician. How much? Pretty pricy. The visit will most likely be around $40 or so each time you visit, plus the cost of shots. You could contact the health department and see if there are any clinics available in your area. They do shots at reduced fees. There are also clinics that use sliding scales.

- Can we "get away" without health coverage for a while- assuming my USC husband will find a job with health coverage within 6 months or so (I hope to be a SAHM)? If not, what options are there for a family of 4 where (maybe) nobody is employed for the first few months? With option I mean health insurance, we do not want to rely on the state! I would never do without coverage. I worked in health care for years and I've seen the devestation not having health insurance cause cause in emergencies. I wish you luck on your husband finding that job. A family of 4 will most likely cost a bit in monthly insurance coverage. Employers tend to only completely cover the employee. The rest is at your cost.

- What, if any checkups, are normally done on babies between ages 8 month and 2 years? Are such visits free or do they cost the normal doct0or's visit amount? Here there would be a hearing/ developmental check at 9 months and the MMR vaccine at one year, nothing else. Depends on the doctor. I remember having to only go every 3 or 4 months at that age. There is no such thing as "free".

I wish you the best of luck with this.

[Dr. Obvious 49]

I would look into individual short-term health care coverage by searching on ehealthinsurance.com. Beware though, many tend to take only the healthiest of applicants. Some will deny you for things like having a history of migranes, allerigies, or c-section. Most do not cover well baby care and have no maternity should that happen again. You may very well find yourself forced to buy into a state plan for your children's sake. I would contact the public health department in your city or county.

My daughter had free vaccinations up to 2 years old. Vaccinations were on a sliding scale after that. Flu shots were 10 dollars. There are clinics here run by nurse practitioners that charge from a menu of diseases and conditions for about $50-$70 a visit. That was how we dealt with my husband's chonic ear infections when he first got here. I had to go for holes in a year after I got here with no coverage. It was nerveracking to say the least. Now I have group coverage through my employer and can relax a bit, but I still have large deductible before insurance kicks in for anything.

[*julez* 124]

I'm not sure where you are moving in the US, but from your profile I see your husband is from Arkansas, so I found this website that may be useful:

http://www.healthplanone.com/healthinsurance/arkansas/

Most states now offer low-cost care health insurance for families that earn "too much". It is not public assistance.

Edited August 19, 2008 by *julez*

[AlHayatZween 2]

Dear Penguin,

Health care costs usually vary from state to state, so where you live will make a big difference. A regular visit to a GP may cost upwards of $50 just to walk in the door, and then anything else they do while in the office is additional. Depending on where you live, some cities offer free or sliding scale services for women and children. i think the scariest part is if there is, Goodness forbid, a major accident or some sudden illness that might require surgery (i.e., appendicitus). It could eat up your savings very quickly... so that's something to think about. If it were just you, you might be able to wing-it for a few months, but with a spouse and kids to think about... it's a lot to consider.

i don't know where you live, but when i was looking to purchase individual insurance for myself, i found that Blue Cross Blue Shield was the least expensive of all the big name insurance companies. Again, the price will vary by state.

Good luck!

hz

[psiprez 3]

Health care costs vary greatly by region and state.

I was without health insurance up until a few months ago. I contacted family services for the county that I live in. They were able to direct to me doctors, dentists and clinics that would treat me on a sliding scale.

The idea of going to a low-cost clinic for heath care may not sound the most appealing, but you do what you have to do, and at least the kids will get the immunizations they need.

And I always took comfort in knowing that at least a hospital wouldn't turn us away for something serious. Even if we would get stuck with a huge bill later.

So why didn't I sign up for an individual plan? The lowest quote I got was $500 a month. And to continue with COBRA was $600. Pffft.

Edited August 19, 2008 by psiprez