ian-mstm

No... not if you had the insurance prior to the house catching fire, your premiums were up-to-date, and the insurance was valid beyond the date of the fire!

Ian

scrubbedexpat099

Without getting too boring it comes back to the claims occuring vs claims made basis.

One of the reasons individual health insurance as structured is so inappropriate a funding mechanism.

Bluegrass Lass

Unfortunately, as you are finding out the hard way, you have no protection on an individual plan. They can drop you if you even sneeze. From state to state, laws may be different, but I know in my home state there aren't any protections. Under current laws/protections, you can expect that you will be turned down for coverage for any individual plan. You're only protections now are to get on your husbands' group policy. Otherwise, you should consider yourself un-insurable.

I have a pre-existing condition, and have had it for the last 10 years. My only protection has been either my company's group coverage, or my husband's.

As others have said, you can't afford to go uninsured now that you have an asset that a hospital or collection agency can come after, if you were to get sicker and couldn't pay the bills. You just have to find a way to make it work for you to get on your hubby's plan.

Since you have just lost your insurance, you should be able to sign up for your husband's plan without having to wait for his open enrollment period - however, you only have 30 days from the end of your coverage to do this. Otherwise, you would have to wait until his open enrollment period.

Giantaxe

That's great information - I'd forgotten that loss of insurance counts as a qualifying event to get on a spouse's (or parent's) group policy. So the solution for the OP is pretty darned clear (and always has been since she got to the US in fact) - get on your spouse's group policy regardless of cost.

Michael

We are back to the reason that health care reform is so important for individual policies. In my case I quit my job 10 years ago due to a fatigue problem and went on COBRA. When COBRA ran out, I applied to Blue Cross thinking that there shouldn't be a problem since I wasn't sick and had only seen the doctor a few times about the fatigue but was only offered high risk coverage ($600 per month, $10,000 deductible, 30% co-pay, and no prescription drug coverage). Fortunately I discovered that I was eligible for free VA health coverage due to military service in the 1960s so I had a good solution.

Brat1

Apologies if you think that the answer has been staring me in the face since I arrived in the US. The only reason that we never went ahead and got me on my OH's plan, was that the cost he was quoted was very high and once I had word that my back problem was not one that was going to require surgery, we were trying to get "affordable" coverage for our circumstances, which we did. Little did I know that I would be diagnosed with this tumor further down the line and I was ignorant to the fact that a renewal would not be issued because of this. We are looking in to his policy once again, and as I said, this would be easier if I could be earning, the issue of cost would then not be a problem. I thank you for your input and again, apologies if you think I ignored previous advice

Sally Redux

Surely getting on his policy will be a lot cheaper? I'm also confused about this.

Bluegrass Lass

Btw, I'm sorry to hear of the tumor diagnosis. I knew you were having yourself checked out, but I didn't see the outcome. Hopefully it's nothing you have to worry about, and you can continue to live with it!

Giantaxe

I hate to sound as if I am piling on, and really I'm posting for the benefit of others who may read or search this thread. I've specifically bolded some text, because the reality is that no one knows what's coming down the road medically for them. This is why, with the current horrendous lack of protections for holders of individual policies, you should almost always go on some kind of a group plan if one is available to you, pretty much regardless of cost. Group plans offer protections; individual plans really don't.

Brat1

Apparently not, the last time we looked into it. It was over 3 times more expensive than the one I've just lost. Does this seem unusual??? I have no clue about company plans but that was what he was told, and that was only for me, not including the 3 kids.

Brat1

You're not piling on and I thank you for your comments. I didn't realise fully the implications of an individual private policy and I am understanding things better the longer we're here. I'm just waiting to find out how much it's going to cost and see how we can work something out financially. Thank you again, it is appreciated and feel a bit of a numpty when it comes to this damn insurance, just when I think I've got to grips with all the terminology, I realise that I haven't

Brat1

Thank you, it's non malignant and is just sitting there and the only symptoms I get are headaches and some visual stuff that makes it difficult to drive sometimes. Apart from that they'll just check on it every 6 months to make sure it's not growing and if it stays the way it is, they'll just leave it alone. Thank you for the kind thoughts, much appreciated.

Bob

More so now that they own a house.

Without any assets, it's a risk whinging it, but blood out of a stone, there wouldn't be much the insurance/hospitals could go after.

Now there's a house involved, they'd take that in a heart beat...leaving a mortgage payment and no home afterwards.

So getting on the group plan is far more important now than before.

As shitty and as unwanted as that sounds, it really is a case of do that, don't buy the house, or as an individual, move back to the UK till greencards are in the bag...there is very little wiggle room for anything in between, without residing else where....though perhaps CT offers a better high risk pool option than others?

Bob

Adding family can be pretty pricey...but the cost not to can be more as well.

The missus if just her would only be paying $50 a pay cheque for herself, just her and spouse would be doubling it, just her and any kids would be $150, but the family plan is $200, well roughly, it'll be a bit more than that in the new year, we certainly can't afford that, but with kids we certainly couldn't afford not to either.

Brat1

Well, please believe me, the quote my husband got was way, way more than that for just adding me. This is how I find it all so confusing, the variance in prices and coverage, but as you guys have said, the way things are, I don't think we have much choice but to going with his and just need to try and work out how to afford it. I just get one thing sorted out and BAM, here we go again............ but I'll keep on smiling, as always