Health insurance for families - how do people afford it?

[RUSSandRACHEL 3]

No, you haven't lost me. I haven't been back on VJ in a few days, sorry.

Thanks so much for all of your points, I truly appreciate your input. I have read each and every one of them and taken them all in.

A few of you suggested I get a job with a health care package or a job within the health care industry.... Unfortunately a job in that industry doesn't match my work experience and isn't something I'd be interested in. It's quite hard to explain in a nutshell but I already have a career which was put on hold whilst moving here - I have spent the last 18 months endlessly contacting the relevant authorities to get them to transfer and recognise my UK qualifications. That's now somewhat sorted now and I plan to find a new part time job in the new year to supplement our income a little. In the meantime since moving here, like I mentioned, I have built up my own business which is now going really well. I can't give that up and if I did and then got a full time job, we'd be far more worse off financially. My husband and I would also never see each other. Another part of moving that I never anticipated happening was how I'd feel about the change... Being far less independant... missing home etc. Therefore, happiness in life is of big importance to me.

Health insurance costs here are just a bit of a shock but theres not much I can do about it... We have discussed returning back to the UK (for other reasons aswell) but that doesn't fit well with our plans right now. We'll probably move in future years but as we both want to start thinking about having a family within the next year, we will probably get health cover for just me alone which is about $200 a month.

Thanks again for all your input!

Edited October 29, 2011 by RUSSandRACHEL

[Boiler 46,141]

Sounds low

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

It's a lot cheaper to have babies in Great Britain.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

There is a member here on VJ, Alan the Red, a British-American, who stated more than once that your red passport can save your life. Unless you have a horrible accident, seizure, stroke or heart attack, you can always travel to the Kingdom for major surgeries. What's the cost of a round trip ticket compared to a $100,000 heart surgery?

People who are "only" Americans don't have that luxury.

In response to Rebecca Jo . . . . yes, we won't have single payer in the U.S. for the forseeable future, and if there's any outspoken critic of Obamacare, it's me. But keep in mind, if everything runs as intended, every American will have health care coverage starting in 2013 and it will not cost them a penny more than 20% of their annual income. If it does, Uncle Sam will pick up the balance. So as sh*tty a deal as it is, it's a gazillion times better than what we have now.

[Boiler 46,141]

There has been little to attempt to control costs and I am not sure the Chinese are willing to pay for it.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Self-employed get to take a tax adjustment/deduction for their health insurance costs on line 29 of the Form 1040. It's all tied into Schedule SE or Schedule C for their business, but eventually can lower the adjusted gross income of joint filers on their 1040. That could be some bottom line relief for the OP if she pays for her own private insurance and is self-employed.