health insurance in the USA

[sharky 2]

Hey guys,

Just a quick question about insurance. I'm sure I may have read a post on this somewhere on VJ but I can't find it now.

Can anyone recommend any good deals on health insurance for the first few months when I get to the states?, while I wait for the AOS to go through.

I guess that when you get a job over there your employer will cover health insurance from that moment on??? sorry if this sounds obvious or stupid, but it's not the same here in the UK!!

Paul

[digbeezgrl 0]

Hehehehe.

Guess you have some homework to do! Not being funny, but, No, insurance in many instances is NOT covered by your employer. Now, this varies tremendously depending on who you work for. So, when job hunting, look for 'health benefits' as part of your salary package. In most cases, they will not kick till you've been there 90 days (a normal probationary period to see if they're gonna keep you on) or as much as six months before health coverage kicks in. Remember, it's NOT required of ANY employer to provide ANY health coverage whatsoever, so many don't.

Then, other companies do what's called a 'health contribution' (mine does this) where they'll add a certain amount to your paycheck weekly as a donation toward your plan of choice. You are, however, responsible for paying the premium yourself.

Also note: Many times, health coverage is separate from 'dental' and 'vision', so these services will still come out of your pocket.

My fiance, who's from the UK also, almost $hit a brick when I told him it's not free, or even a given if you're employed.

Do a google search of 'individual' health plans if you will not be covered by your job, to get an idea of monthly premiums. Warning: They can be as high as a small mortgage, so brace yourself!!!

Hope this helps...

[americangirl 0]

Your employer may or may not provide health insurance. Depending on where you live and the job you have, they may not be required by law to do so, though it is always "highly recommended." It may vary by state - I know, for example, that in California it is not a law that employers have to provide coverage. (Also, even if you are covered by your employer, I believe it is universal that they can't start covering you until the 1st of the month AFTER you have been working for a month - so like, if you start July 10, you won't be covered until Sept. 1. This is the way it worked for me.)

You can find cheap insurance (the cheapest I've seen is $40/mo.) that will cover the absolute bare basics until you find a job with good health coverage. You may have a really high deductible (maybe $5,000), no prescription coverage, etc., but it will be better than nothing if you REALLY need it.

Just for contrast, in San Francisco (where I work), there was a new law passed recently that says that any company with over 20 employees has to pay at least $350 per month for health insurance for each employee. $350/mo. is considered a "standard" amount for coverage.

Another option is to be covered under your spouse if they have insurance.

[Lou Lou 1]

I used expatriate-insurance.com and no, health insurance does not come cheap or automatically with your employer. There are quite a few threads about it on this forum if you do a search back. Are you planning on getting on your wife's insurance? That is the easiest route but check with her employer that they will cover you fully as many do not. You said you need insurance while the AOS is going through...what happens after that?

[sukie175 0]

For ALL you Brits out there looking for medical insurance - listen up!

I saw a post in here last September recommending a UK company who do expat health insurance. I contacted them and I just cannot recommend them too highly now having used them 7 months.

I took out there policy in October last year whilst still in the UK (which you have to be when you take it initially). They were so professional, fast and well priced I was very impressed.

I have been here since mid-October and have probably had 5 claims since then. They pay fast, the hospitals can deal with them direct for billing, the paperwork is minimal, they have a US call centre and the coverage is excellent.

My hubby cannot believe that I get so much covered, even Dental, Chiropractor, Dr visits etc and it is alot cheaper than any USA based health coverage. To give you an idea, I am 39 and it cost me GBP840 for the whole year with brilliant coverage in all areas. His US policy costs him double for alot less coverage.

You would need to call Morgan Price International Healthcare Ltd on 01379 646730, they also have email at info@morgan-price.com and a website at www.morgan-price.com

Ask for Helen Barnard and tell her Sarah (who she used to work for) recommended you. This lady was once my assistant in the UK and I did not know she was there until I called them. She is very helpful and professional to deal with. Their policy is underwritten by Allianz Worldwide Care, a huge organisation with offices worldwide.

Edited June 8, 2006 by sukie175

[katand7 0]

I just wanted to say that my hubby (who is from Australia) has been a year now and we have had so many problems with health insurance. The first job he had we became eligible for health benefits after 60 days. The premium we had to pay for family coverage (as I have two kids from previous marriage) was about $190.00 a week. When you are only making $12 an hour, that means that half your paycheck just got deducted for insurance. We finally started to get used to that and hubby got a second job to kind of fill in the gaps. Then that company abruptly closed. To continue the health insurance through COBRA was $1200 a month -- which we didn't have -- especially since he had no job!!!! Took him a month to get on with another company. Then we had to wait 90 days for him to be eligible at that job. So that just happened on June 1st. We get hit with the news that it is $246 a week being deducted. He makes only $10 an hour at this job until his review (which of course was due at the same time as insurance kicked in but they still haven't done it) so now he brings home a check for $106 a week.

So even if your employer offers you health insurance coverage, you could find yourself in a situation where you basically work to have insurance. It just makes me sick how the system here works. Oh, and on another health insurance note: its now June 8th and we've made two payments already on the insurance but they don't even have us in the system yet!!!!!

I hope you have better luck with all of this than we have!!!!!!!

Best wishes and thanks for letting me vent,

Kathleen

[digbeezgrl 0]

KATAND7

Wow, your story is nauseating. I cannot believe the difficulty and hardship this has caused your family... I am so sorry to hear you're having such a difficult time with our lovely wonderful health system.

I was going to mention that, depending on what state you are residing in now, they may have a family supplement program for you since you have dependants.

When I lived in New York (single mom with one son) I qualified, based on my lower income (also $10 an hour) on a program called "Family Health Plus", which is, in essence, an extension of the Medicaid program, but for families who would not qualify for FULL medicaid due to their income being too high.

I paid $18 dollars a month for myself and $18 for my son, for FULL coverage, medicaid style, which includes all but vision and chiropratic.

Now that I live in Florida, we have no programs like this, I do not qualify for medicaid, and neither my son nor I have any coverage at all.

I would recommend doing a google search to see if you might have some help due to the fact that you have 2 young dependants.

I hope this helps. I've heard stories such as these over and over again, and it just makes me sick how our government consiously chooses to neglect the health of millions of taxpaying citizens and their helpless children. Very sad.

[Jo1973 0]

You could always try www.ehealthinsurance.com, they have some cheapish monthly costs of around $70 for a single policy.

It's probably best to browse the net for health insurance.

[hearsay 1]

Dios Mio.

[katand7 0]

Alot of the plans that are offered online or outside of an employer are just discount plans and are not really as comprehensive as actual health insurance. The job I work at I have to work as a consultant so I don't get benefits. We figured it would be wonderful if Gavin could find a job that offered health insurance. And don't get me wrong, we are grateful for it. Just wish it wasn't taking up so much of his pay. He is busting his butt in a warehouse 40 hrs a week to bring home $106. It just doesn't seem right!

My biggest frustration is that we are trying to be self sufficient. When I was a single parent we all had medicaid and I was very thankful for it. Now we WANT to pay our share -- just want to be able to make a living as well.

In the three months that we had no health insurance I spent over $2500 for health expenses. Both my kids have ADHD and their medicines totalled $347 per mth with no insurance. Each doctor appointment was $115. Gavin had to go to the ER for a breathing problem and that was when we had insurance. But since he didn't have any American medical history they called it a pre-existing condition because we hadn't been on the plan more than six months. So that was $700 we had to cover. I got pneumonia and the medicine alone was $385. I haven't even gotten the ER bill yet and I sure don't even want to think of what it will be.

It is frustrating that with any type of assistance it seems to be "all or nothing". I would have happily paid my share of stuff on medicaid but they didn't want it. Now I need someone to help us pay these dang expenses and premiums and because we aren't totally impoverished we get no help at all. Its really a disgrace.

But anyway, enough of me ranting (You all thought I got it out of my system the first time didn't ya?!!)

But despite all my griping, I wouldn't trade having my hubby here for all the medical care and money in the world!

Best wishes to all!

Kathleen

[Jo1973 0]

I can understand your frustrations Kat.

The thing I can't stand is you pay for insurance, pay the co-pay's and we still get bills for non co pay payments, then we have to battle with the insurance co. to pay it, and it just goes on and on until the hospital decide to send the ####### $15 co-pay bill to collections agencies grrrrrrr. My hubby has an extreme amount of medical debt that his insurance haven't paid for, so every month we get numerous collections notices.

Health Insurance sucks when you don't have it and sucks when you do lol.