fetchfelix

Im new to this forum, & know this is the 1st place I might find good advice. My Mum arrived from the UK to stay Christmas with me, Im now a US Citizen & have lived here 11years. Unfortunately she fell down my stairs sustaining a severe head trauma. Thankfully she is recovering very well, & today will probably go to a Rehab hospital. My wife & I are both nurses & doubt very much that she will return to the UK any time soon, & quite probably never.
There are so many questions regarding the future! Where do we start? Anyway right now Im interested in anything people could suggest that might impact this situation. Obviously she is not insured, other than her travel insurance. Can we get NHS funds sent here? Can we get her pension sent here? What sort of visa would we need to apply for. Can we get insurance here? We cant be the 1st people that this has happened to, so any help or advice would be gratefully recieved! Thanks.

Clive

Manc

Well she is insured, she's just got to sue you and your homeowners insurance to get the medical bills paid.


No NHS over here.
Pension is possible
She was here on a VWP I presume, this can only be extended, if as your mum is, in bad shape. No AOS is allowed from VWP in this instance.
Health insurance over here won't probably touch her now with a bargepole.

BritGuyTN

Get ready to sell your home and declare bankruptcy - if you've been here for 11 years you know how different the health system is to the UK

why would she not return home? for health reasons or because shes likes it better with you?

you can't get NHS funds sent and although you could sponser her the process tlkes years

my advice is for your mum to go back to the UK as soon as the travel insurance stops paying, and for you to sponser her to come and stay with you if thats what you ultimately want (not actually sure if this is possible of worthwhile - check the visa forums)

unless you are loaded, i.e. having a household income of at least 250k USD a year then i would definitelfollow the above

Ray

I would have have though that the travel Insurance company would want her repatriated ASAP...

NC Penguin

Well, have you checked her travel insurance documents to see what to do in the case of a claim? That would be what I'd do if I were in your situation.

If your questions aren't found in the documentation, then check the insurers website (if one exists) and if necessary, call the insurer back in the UK.

I don't understand the point of your final paragraph. Are you wanting her to stay with you in the US? That's not possible unless she is eligible for a visa in her own right although you could sponsor her but that would take years and she is not permitted to reside in the US during the application process.




NC Penguin

Ray

A contentious issue..but I believe it could be done ...Think immediate relative...

Manc

well if it can be done then fair enough, takes forever though.

fatbrit

No longer than the rest of them. There's no quota for this one.

Manc

When you take into account the situation, what do you think the chances of her staying is?

fatbrit

Visa/GC-wise -- not a problem.

Everything else -- BIG problem!

Manc

yeah......
I think Ray hit the nail on the head when the travel insurance co. will want the mum repatriated ASAP.

They need to see if there is any monetary limit or time limit on the policy too.

fatbrit

Yes -- far better with the NHS back in Blight. Then, when she's back on her feet, maybe bring her over.

Just had a re-thought on the GC. Wonder if she'd have to take/might fail medical provisions?

Thydney

I agree with Ray and Manc I had an accident years ago and all they wanted to know when I could travel back the even offered an air ambulance and settled for paying £6000.00 to get my wife and i a first class bed seat. They won't bother with the niceties of your mothers health just the money they will want to get her back to the NHS PDQ.

Ben

Totally agree with Manc on your home insurance. My mum fell down our stairs and our home insurance company paid compensation for loss of income(she broke her wrist and was unable to return to work when she got back and it made no difference regarding the fact that she would still be paid a salary when she returned), medical expenses (her travel insurance actually paid her medical bills) and any other out-of-pocket expenses that we thought she may have to pay. We were advised against suing due to the time it takes and the amount it would cost. Mum and dad were only here for 4 weeks and it would mean having to stay here for the court hearing which would take a very long time and there would be no guarantee they would get any more. The bad news from all this was her broken elbow wasn't detected until 5 months after the accident! If she had stayed here, she would have received more due to the long term issues that this has created.

Manc will be able to correct me on this point but I understand that your household insurance will also pay for a consultation with a lawyer for you (not your mother but I'm sure you could use this to your advantage). I know we were offered one if we were not happy with the insurance company's pay out offer.

Manc

It's just impracticle I think.

I mean, the health insurance premiums would be crippling for a start. there would be no Medicare.
Also there would be pre-existing conditions to think about.

also what about Long Term Care Insurance........... for when if/when she needs 24/7 professional help?

I just think unless there is an bottomless pit here $$$ wise, it's all a bit pie in the sky.

I would however also contact the embassy / local consulate and let them know what happened. She may need their help getting re-patriated. They'll pay for the flight and bill the travel insurance co direct.



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