valdosta

Hi,

I have been browsing these forums for a few years whilst we waited for my husband's green card to come up! We are near the end of the process now so the move is more coming nearer.

I have not seen any posts on here about disabilities and health care so I apologies if their has been a similar thread posted.

Our little boy is chronologically 7 but has an mental age of about 5 . He has been diagnosed with autism and speech/ language problems. Although he is verbal his speech is very poor.
In the UK he see's a nurse consultant every 9 months to check on his development. He attends a special school. He is a very happy chappy and is not violent.
We have problems with his health when he is poorly as he has a very high pain threshold and because of his problems cannot articulate what is wrong. Although we have not had a hospital visit for a year in the past we have been admitted to children's wards in total of 8 times over two years whilst they figure out the problem as he is not able to tell us anything.
Me, my hubby and my daughter have lived in the USA for two years and I feel that it would offer us a lifestyle that we want. Although I have grave worries about my little boy's health care. Their is a strong possibility that he will become epileptic in his teenage years. Epilepsy runs very strongly in my husbands family and recently my sister in law in the US died of a seizure.
I really hope someone has some advice or knows of locations of information I can read.
Thank you in anticipation

Sara

meauxna

Where has your son been living for the past two years?

Are you asking about financial considerations, or gaining health insurance coverage for him, or more access to care or.. ?

ian-mstm

Sorry to hear about your son. A single hospitalization in the US could bankrupt you quite easily without good healthcare insurance - which might be difficult to get since your son has a pre-existing condition. You'll likely be able to get private insurance, but it'll be very expensive - probably close to $1000 per month.

Hopefully, someone will come along shortly with other options and/or better information.

Ian

Bob

Unless you've got a job lined up, with medical insurance, I probably would stay put, unless you get private insurance within 60 days so as not to break the continuous coverage for pre-existing, even then, premiums will be massive.

As for level of care, really depends where you are...some states will be great, some will be shit.

MA was a really good early development type program that doesn't cost families, but you've got to be a state resident for 12 months to be eligible for many of the programs they offer.

Rete

She should look at the posts from the young lady whose son was born here with disabilities. She found ways to get medical care for him without bankrupting them.

I know in the state of new york if you have a green card and are unable to get private insurance, you can get healthcare for children at a lower cost from the state.

Jerseygirl

Gingeret. Don't know if it makes a difference but her son was born here and is therefore a USC.

MsElui

i fainted recently and spent 5 hours in an er getting staples to my head. The cost for that little jaunt was about $2600. so do make sure your sort out the medical questions you have before you move.

scrubbedexpat099

Two issues:

What State are you in?

What Health Insurance do you have?

penguinsix

Hi

We've created a WIKI that addresses some of the basics of health care in the USA

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Health_Insurance

By and large, you get your insurance from your employer. If you are unemployed you end up having to buy direct from the insurance companies which is usually quite a bit more expensive, or you are pushed into the public health services, with all sorts of quality differences and eligibility requirements that vary by state.

In short, we really can't answer your question just yet with the information you've provided.

If you have some more information about your employer's insurance and the state you'll be living in, that will help us a bit more. Health care is primarily individual & employer based, and education is primarily city and state based, so we really can't answer as to what programs might be available.

valdosta

Thanks for all your info and the Wikki link was brillant in explaining the basics of the system,

We both hope to be employed I am a Specialised Teacher in children with Autism and my husband is a Business and ICT teacher. Does teaching in general come with reasonable health care coverage or a choice to match your needs?

I read on some past forums that they can not deny children with pre-exisiting conditions health care coverage and that will apply to everyone for 2014 is that correct?

Also on average if I am 30 will I have great difficulty in paying into the medi system for old age? just a thought to think of me as well!

We are hoping to move to Florida, we probably can afford to live in a middle or the range district. I am not as concerned about schools as health care as I feel confident to home school comptently if necessary.

Sara

Michael

Generally teachers have very good health care coverage. It is one of the complaints by conservatives saying that teachers should pay a higher health care premium.

That is true.

You will be eligible for full medicare coverage at age 65 if you or your spouse have 40 quarters (10 years) of work history.

Although most people also pay into the social security system for social security benefits at retirement, many teachers pay into a state teachers retirement fund instead which generally pays better benefits than social security benefits at the same cost.

meauxna

What visas are you getting? Your first post says you have lived here for 2 years already (but not your son?). What visas have you lived here for 2 years with?

Englishmum

I thought that was odd too where the O/P says

"me, my hubby and my daughter have lived in the USA for two years and we feel that it would offer the lifestyle that we want"...

Why did they leave their son behind in the UK? My nephew in England has a form of autism (Asperger's Syndrome) and there is no way my sister, spouse and family would ever leave him behind to live overseas, no matter what 'lifestyle' they thought another country could offer.

Jerseygirl

Maybe it was before their son was born.

fatbrit

Perhaps she used the present perfect simple to denote experience rather than an unfinished past. This usage is more common in BE varieties than AE ones. You could read it either way.