Cape Blue

I'd say around $1,000 pcm (I have had COBRA for 2 of us at this sort of cost). Note that a private plan (as opposed to being part of an employers group plan) may bar pre-existing conditions and may not cover any medical care associated with the MS.

Bob

Anything from nothing to $1500 a month...really depends on what you are comfortable with for deductibles, split percentages of pay, co-pays, max level of cover etc.

You could pay $50 a month, but not much use to you if you can't afford a $10K deductible before insurance kicks in.

shining light

Thanks Bob and Cape Blue but are we talking per person or per couple??
(Either way, that's more than my mortgage was).

Bob

depends on the policy, could be per person, or a family plan.

It's really not a simple question with a simple answer I'm afraid.

For perspective, when I had my insurance when I was working, I paid $65 a month for a family plan, including dental, it was $10 more than for a single person.

When I got laid off, COBRA bill for the missus and I, for just basic medical insurance was $1500 a month as my wife was pregnant at the time.

meauxna

It's impossible to say since it will vary by state as well, but $800-$1000 month each matches similar people I know.

MsElui

its not just about trying to avoid illness. ive never seen a doctor in the us (apart from ob-gyns when i had a baby). But i fainted 2 months ago in my own bathroom - and managed to fall against a wall and cut my head open. 10 metal staples in my head care of 5 hours in the ER came to around $2600. we were in the middle of moving jobs and insurances at the same time and we are having the devil of a job getting it sorted. We are covered but the insurance company keep denying the claim for silly reasosn and we have to go back an explain again and they agree with us - and then deny once more. The employer involved has said we are covered too - but we still have $2600 bills arriving every few weeks as its not sorted yet.

scouseva

Oh boy, do I have a story....basically, found out 3 months before I emigrated here that I was diabetic. No problem for first five years, as I had good coverage. After I was laid off and became self-employed had insurance for another 3 years, then premiums started rising to $750 a month, with a $5k deductible and 80% coverage.

Then I began having brief hospitalizations (not all diabetes related, one for example was an allergy) and so my total health care costs were becoming approx $20k per year. Then when premiums hit $1000 a month, while my mortgage was only $850, (2005) I couldn't afford coverage. That's when 12 months later, was admitted for minor surgery and resulted in emergency quadruple heart bypass. I was absolutely upfront about not able to pay, but even after kicking me out after 3 days , I still received a bill for $300,000. This was eventually written off by the hospital, but still had over $50k in doctors bills. They started to come after my house and assets, so my attorney advised my to file bankruptcy. So I became a deadbeat.

So thats how you do it over here, either don't get sick, and make sure you die in a well insured accident, or stay rich (and I mean RICH) and pay for insurance, or accept that you have to screw the system, and everyone who pays in, plus the govt and doctors, and become a deadbeat. I estimate to have paid over $150,000 in bills, have run up debts/insurance claims of nearly $500,000, and the quality of care was not much better than Carry On Doctor.

After all these years, I still cannot understand how or why this system exists.
As much as I love the USA, having seen the NHS first hand and the US system, I tell all my family back home not to "knock" the NHS, they don't know just how good they have it.

Cape Blue

The $1,000 was for a couple - but as it was Cobra we probably benefitted from the group discount of my previous employer.

shining light

WOW!! Thanks everyone, some amazing examples/experiences.

Scouseva, I agree with you, how can a system like this be allowed in what is one of the richest/civilised countries in the World. That an honest, hard working person could end up Bankrupt as a result of an accident or a health problem is beyond belief. I hope your situation is improving and you are bang on about the NHS, it isn't alwas good (my Father was not treated well when he developed cancer and by the time they did something, it was too late....into hospital on the Tuesay, dead on the Wednesday) but at least it is free.

BOB: $65 a month for a family plan and then $1500 pm for two of you on Cobra (one of the cheaper alternatives I think someone said??).

MsElui: Are you sure those staples were metal, could they have been Gold perhaps? $2600!!

Totally unrelated, but anyone know why I can't use the Underline, Italics, etc etc? They just don't seem to want to work on my computer and everything looks the same as another forum I use.

bestblonde1

yea dont get ill mate i used to ave insurance but it went with my job and i was in hospital lastnite for 4 hrs with bloody strep throat which then lead to tonsilitis lol. cant wait to see the bill!!

Bob

COBRA is basically what you get to continue your previous medical insurance if you get laid off from a job with a plan. You pay your share, plus what the employer paid, plus a couple percent administrative fee.

So you can see how much the medical insurance can be subsidised by the employer...and why if you have good insurance, or a pre-existing condition, the employer can have quite a large hold over you, especially if you have children.

Bob

Don't worry, if you're lucky, the shock might kill you

Bluegrass Lass

Shining Light, I have MS and have been in remission for around 10years, and I can tell you that your wife will not be able to get a private policy that will be worth a damn. If you can actually get a policy (at this time insurance companies can and do deny you if you have a pre-existing condition), it will cost you megabucks and it may not even cover the MS. The insurance company could approve her, but they could say that they will exclude any claims related to the MS, which obviously wouldn't be worth shit for her.

Some states have insurance available for those that are uninsurable - she will likely fall into this category if she has MS. However, the monthly premiums alone could easily run into the $700 and higher (at least they do in my state for a 33yr old.) and that $700 doesn't include co-pays you will pay for dr's visits, testing, hospitalizations and prescriptions. Be aware that you may have to be resident in that state for so many months before you can actually qualify for the insurance coverage.

If she has MS, she needs to think very long and very hard about the health insurance problem before coming here. The only reason it has not been a problem with me so far is because I have always had insurance coverage through my employer or my husband's employer - I have never had a lapse in coverage - and with group insurance, they cannot deny you a policy.

ottotheboar

You are a long way from being alone in the filing of bankrupcy, thousands of people every year do the same due to medical bills. In Virginia insurance for our family with four teens including vision and dental with minimal co-pay is $1000 per month, we had the option of a South Carolina based insurance and the same or less coverage was $1500 per month.

Bomjeito

Private insurance for catastrophe is not monumentally expensive, and as self-employed, you can structure a lot of these 'benefits' as a cost of business.

Additionally, if you are young and healthy, with no chronic problems, then simply self pay. All practices are geared for the occasional cash payer, and urgent care facilities will treat little things for about $100. Medicines like antibiotics are to be had at Walmart for not much.

We had additional medical cover in the UK - NHS isn't the golden mecca of healthcare.

My husband went staff here in USA simply for the health care, but since we are still young, healthy, and no chronic problems, we'll move to private pay healthcare and he'll go contract.

Don't let health care stop you from moving to the USA. Additionally, you or SO could work part time in Barnes & Noble, or Starbucks - they offer medical care for part time folk.