Temporary health insurance

[Brenda2010 1]

What have people been doing for health insurance while in transit? I assume it'll take me a couple week to get sorted once arriving in the US and don't want to go without (ie. in case I drop a giant moving box on my foot! ) I live in Ontario so have OHIP, but assume once I POE I'm no longer entitled...when you have a sec., thanks

[Canadiandggal 49]

The day you Poe you are no longer eligible for OHIP, I was lucky enough to get insurance through my husbands company as "immigrating" can be consider a life change. I was without insurance for a week till I found this out but I was lucky. Other people have got some temp insurance

I googled it and found

http://www.short-termhealthinsurance.com/

https://www.temporaryinsurance.com/STMConsumer/Quote/ContentPages/StartQuote.aspx

http://www.assuranthealth.com/corp/ah/HealthPlans/short-term-health-insurance

http://www.temporaryinsuranceplan.com/

Hope that helps.

Getting temp insurance will cover you in between and could be worth it

Edited November 17, 2010 by Canadiandggal

[Golden_State 2]

I bought 2 weeks of travel insurance online. It was something like $35 -- do some price comparison and you can find a good deal. Even if your OHIP coverage was still good, once you enter the US, you can't leave until your AOS is complete (unless you file additional forms) without having to start the process over again. So temporary health insurance is a good idea!

[Brenda2010 1]

Thanks guys, that's very helpful. Golden - you said you bought travel insurance as opposed to temporary health insurance...didn't think travel insurance would apply to us as you noted we're not really travelling, but you had no problems with it?

[Yellowhead 12]

Thanks guys, that's very helpful. Golden - you said you bought travel insurance as opposed to temporary health insurance...didn't think travel insurance would apply to us as you noted we're not really travelling, but you had no problems with it?

I know this is an old thread, but for people reading it, travel insurance does NOT apply in most cases to a move to the USA. Travel insurance is only valid with a return date with most companies. Temporary non-us citizen insurance is your best bet. Or being placed on your spouses plan. You do not need a SSN to obtain health care in the USA, so if a company will take you before residing in the US for a certain amount of time, that will work too.

Canadian health care will cover you for one month but the coverage is equal to what they charge in Canada. A doctors visit in Canada technically costs $30. In the USA it is a minimum charge of 100, just for regular physicians, so if something bigger happens, such as a hospital visit, you are screwed. Plan ahead. Nobody expects accidents to happen. That is why they are called accidents.

Edited April 9, 2011 by hithalynn