Do prescriptions from other countries work in the US?

[beccaogingi 0]

My fiancé has recently started medicine for his back which has been helping immensely. When he comes over, can he just bring a prescription from home, or does he have to find a local doctor to prescribe it?

(also, there are no restrictions on getting foreign spouses onto your healthcare plan, right, once we are married I can just add him?)

Thanks!

[Jaylen Brit 0]

AFAIK he'd need a local doctor to prescribe - he should bring any case notes from his own doc pertaining to the prescription to assist.

As for #2, yeah i think so - not 100% on that tho

[john_and_marlene 162]

(also, there are no restrictions on getting foreign spouses onto your healthcare plan, right, once we are married I can just add him?)

Some require a SSN.

[zyggy 9]

(also, there are no restrictions on getting foreign spouses onto your healthcare plan, right, once we are married I can just add him?)

Some require a SSN.

By federal law, a SSN is not required to be able to add a immediate relative to your health plan. If any person from a Health plan tells you that they cannot add that individual, they are not informed. You need to find someone who is. THey will usually assign a number to the individual until a SSN is available.

[Lou Lou 1]

(also, there are no restrictions on getting foreign spouses onto your healthcare plan, right, once we are married I can just add him?)

Thanks!

It's probably best to check with your insurer whether or not there are any restrictions...

[peejay 327]

(also, there are no restrictions on getting foreign spouses onto your healthcare plan, right, once we are married I can just add him?)

Some require a SSN.

By federal law, a SSN is not required to be able to add a immediate relative to your health plan. If any person from a Health plan tells you that they cannot add that individual, they are not informed. You need to find someone who is. THey will usually assign a number to the individual until a SSN is available.

I don't know about Federal law, but I had no problem adding my K-2 stepdaughter to my Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance before she was eligible for the EAD to get her Social Security card. I added both to my employer based healthcare policy within days of marrying my K-1 fiancee.

That is my story, but it could be different with another employer, another insurance company, or another state.

[peejay 327]

My fiancé has recently started medicine for his back which has been helping immensely. When he comes over, can he just bring a prescription from home, or does he have to find a local doctor to prescribe it?

A US doctor must prescribe any future medication obtained here.

The rest of your question may involve some research on your part. He can bring a supply of his medicine with him to the USA, but I do not know the amount allowed (i.e.: 3 months supply, 6 months supply, etc.). Also, not all medications from other countries can be obtained here. Both my wife and my stepdaughter had to change medication here in the USA due to their foreign medicines not being available here in the USA. That is why I suggest your fiance bring the maximum amount of his medication with him until it can be prescribed here or a US replacement can be prescribed.

Maybe it is possible to have his medicine sent to the USA via mail if it is legal to do so and unavailable in the USA? Maybe someone on VJ has the answers to these questions.

[rob&ana 0]

Even though I was not suffering from any health problems. I did bring a stock of birth control pills from my home country, first we weren't sure when I'd be able to get health insurance, and second, they dont make me sick, make me fat, give me pimples, etc. So I wanted to be sure that I had enough until I could go to a doctor here to prescribe new ones.

(I still have a couple left, so I guess I'll be going to the doctor soon!!)

[Joel Halfwassen 0]

I was able to add Katya to my work health plan with no problem. They just asked for a copy of the info page of her passport and the plane ticket showing when she would arrive. But I would imagine that each case is a little different depending on what part of the US you live in.

Joel

Edited July 11, 2006 by Joel Halfwassen

[kittykatwoman 0]

To know if the drug he is taking is available abroad, he should first call the pharmaceutical company or ask his doctor to give him the name of the ICD (International Common Denomination).

The ICD is the name of the molecule, so he can know if this molecule is available and under which exact denomination in America.

I can't tell you tho about using prescriptions abroad.

[Kajikit 65]

He can't use the overseas prescription in the US... but if he takes it along to the doctor here he should be able to get a prescription for the US-equivelant, or something that will do the same job... my particular kind of ventolin isn't for sale in the US (bummer) so I had to get a scrip for something different instead.