Bomjeito

Hi my UK husband (with PR) and I will be moving to Houston (I'm an American citizen) and he's self-employed as a contractor to the oil industry. He'll work in that status when we go as well.

The big question is health insurance. I've talked to a few companies (BC/BS and Aetna) and these policies are primarily like major medical only. We are looking to have a child in the next few years and without insurance, feel too exposed.

I do not work, so that is not an option.

Any thoughts or experiences are so welcome!

Duncan Roberts

Unfortunately, that is by far your best option.

Noorah101

There's really no way around it....a self-employed person is going to pay A LOT for medical insurance. Keep shopping around for a plan that works for your goals, and be prepared to pay dearly for it. My alien husband is self-employed as well, and we thank our lucky stars that I have a job with excellent health insurance that covers both of us.

Rene

penguinsix

It's going to cost, plain and simple. There really isn't much of a way around that.

You can try looking into various organizations (Associate of College Graudates of Houston) or something like that to see if any of them offer health insurance to their members. Perhaps your husband can join the 'independent oil men of Texas' or something and they might have a package they can offer their members. But really you should be planning to pay a bit.

https://www.ehealthinsurance.com will let you look at a few plans.

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Health_Insurance will explain some specifics.

fwiw, cash and carry medical care is asking for disaster. Our recent non-complicated birth of a child was $16,600, but others who have run into complications have had $250,000 bills. There was a thread recently about someone who didn't fill in the paperwork on time and then had an accident, resulting in $460,000 in medical bills in less than a week.

Bob

Get a job yourself? It sucks but it's your best option.

Alternatively, join a union if there's one, not cheap but they usually offer a group plan, there's a tech union if he's geared towards that.

Another possibly, short term, the IGDA are offering group rates for its members, $50 a year to join and at the moment they have no way of distinguishing members who are actual game developers from students or those taking the piss to get the group rate.....because they are that fantastically inept.

Songbird

You got a link for more info on that Bob, I checked out the IGDA site but couldn't see it. For a group rate medical insurance I can be a game developer

Bob

because the new website is so awesome...I had to google it myself

http://www.igda.org/board-blog/igda-...thcare-program

It's starting up beginning of January but I think rolling out the offer to all US members 16th Jan.

Songbird

Thanks mate! Looks like a goer!!

Bomjeito

Thanks so much. We are now also considering me to work (gulp!) and husband to go direct hire- there is a link here about an IT independent contractor and useful comments that maybe in USA the independent contractor has many more issues to contend with (like various other taxes and medical insurance) than a independent contractor in the UK.

Thanks for the ideas!