scrubbedexpat099

There are sorts of ways of potentially approaching this issue, usually people are looking for somebody else to bear part of the cost, Government or Employer or being able to access benficial terms, a cross subsidy on Health Insurance pemiums.

Being able to be added to a Family Plan does not imply affordability now, and provides no certainty for the future.

farmerwife

That's pretty accurate for short summary..... here's a link to the guidelines -

https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0600801131

- this is for buying into Medicare if you do not have the 40 quarters.

MargaretMary

We moved to Massachusetts over 10 years ago. We were both in our 40s with 3 young teenagers. It was a huge upheaval and took a lot of guts. (It helped that I had just read "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway"). Looking back, it's the best decision we ever made. I truly believe that my kids would have succumbed to the negative culture in their UK environment. The first thing they noticed was that US students were not embarrassed to admit that they were working hard at school! They've had opportunities & experiences here that they would never have had in the UK.
It hasn't been easy - we've had major health issues (open heart surgery) and an early retirement - but our kids have all graduated within 4 years from good colleges and, more importantly, see themselves as independent, free thinking, citizens of the world.
For UK residents thinking of making the move:
1. Location: Each state in the US is almost like a different country, schools, hospitals, jobs, laws all change as you cross state lines. Choose carefully!
2. Visas: Our move was facilitated by my husband getting a visa through his employer - they paid for the move & helped us with all the red tape on arrival
3. Healthcare: We've always had good health insurance through his or my employer, our co-pays are reasonable and we've had good doctors - be careful, once they see you have good insurance they can go overboard with tests & treatments that you might not need
4. Education is expensive, we've paid for 4 degrees in the last 8 years (I had to get my Masters to continue teaching) Total cost - over $250,000. However, I think my kids appreciate this and have worked hard to get the most out of the experience. They have also worked part time to help with the costs.
5. Jobs for spouse - I couldn't work for money for the first 2 years so I volunteered full time in my local elementary school. (I had 18 years teaching experience in the UK). This served my well. I was hired as soon as my green card came through & have enjoyed (to quote my superintendent) "a meteoric rise through the school system".

DollyLlama

Welcome to BE MargaretMary

Elvira

Your story mirrors mine............ except, for 2 of our sons and me, it has been a total disaster.

I would urge anyone who considers moving their family to the US to think very, very carefully.

If it ain't broke, don't attempt to fix it.

jumping doris

It mirrors mine as well. I fall somewhere between the two of you....it isn't the best thing I have done by a long shot but it isn't a total disaster.

I think we will struggle to stay here in retirement but all our children may be settled here
I haven't been able to work for two years and now I have my GC I have a feeling that I will find it difficult to restart my business here. It isn't looking hopeful but it's all I can do.

Health care is the big negative for me.
I personally think we were too old for such a big move to a country which doesn't have that safety net of the NHS etc (........and no, I don't want to start the debate again.)

MargaretMary

Just one more thing . . .

Get your teeth fixed before you come to the US! We're looking at a bill for $9,000 for dental work for one son in one year! People here have a fixed stereotype that all brits have horrible, uneven, yellow teeth - so get them fixed, straightened & whitened if you want to help dispell the myth and save yourself a boatload of money.

lansbury

We moved over in 2006 when I was 58 and my USC wife 56. I had a pension and my wife took her Oregon Public Employees pension the next year. Neither of us has worked since we've been here.

What I have found is that the choice of things to do mid-week isn't as great as in England, no bowls, but things such as golf are more expensive. I had planned to take up golf seriously as opposed to the odd round, but the cost of playing more than once a week is prohibitive. In fact I found a job I would find interesting to do and applied for it purely for something to do.

Medical insurance is the crippler, my wife has diabetes, and we pay for the two of us $924 a month. She is in the Oregon Medical Pool and her premium is now $526 and is about $150 more than it was 12 months ago. Fortunately we budgeted for it until we can get Medicare. She has paid enough to qualify and I can get mine as her spouse.

I think financially we are better off here than in the UK, our money seems to go further here.

It took me about 6 months to settle in and get over the differences, now I don't bother when no-one understands what I say. All I miss is a half way decent bowls club. The thing that struck me as the biggest difference coming here, the US banks are something out of the Ark and so behind modern technology is beggars belief. Just try and arrange a wire transfer to pay a bill or just about any online banking we are use to in the UK and it can't be done.

jumping doris

I am happy with my British teeth and have managed to resist all offers of straightening and whitening. I don't want to look like something from Wallace and Grommit.
My two eldest had all their orthodontics done in the UK and I am glad we did that. My youngest is having some done here and they just don't know when to say "enough".

Giantaxe

Healthcare is the big negative for anyone over 50, regardless of when they moved here imo. I am pretty settled here and my children were all born and bred here, but healthcare issues are the one thing that could potentially make me leave this country.

Bob

It'll take a while before you get a visa to come over, can't till your son gets citizenship...and are you sure he'll be able to add you to the medical insurance? rare one that allows parents and if possible, it'll be well expensive.

There's a reason why people are working into their twilight years in this country.

Edit to add, it's also bloomin' freezing up there in MI...

But welcome to BE

Bob

So where abouts in MA are you?

And the dental, get dental insurance through an employer, it's still pants, but it helps...

MargaretMary

We've lived & worked in Marlborough, Shrewsbury, Westborough, & Leominster

The $9,000 dental bill was AFTER the contribution from our dental insurance!

lyndilou

thanks to you all for your input sounds like the medical thing is THE biggest issue we will need to sort out.
We do have pensions to bring with us and we would possibly sell our house too but we would not be living in with them but in a 'granny flast ' as call them over here. An annexe attached to their house.
We miss our son and daughter in law so very much and the lifestyle and living they make our in Mi just couldnt be made here in UK - they both have very good jobs and I have tried to talk them into comong back here but its pretty damn hard when things here are so expensive (housing, fuel, food to mention a few) Mind you as you point out it does have pretty cold winters(maybe we could be snowbirds!) Oh well a bit more information to add to my file.
One of you pointed out about Medicaid if i am right? where or how do I find out about that in Michigan does anyone know?

Bob

kick his teeth in and then claim it on the medical insurance?

Anyway, sounds like your a bit west of me in the metro west area?