Kensington

My husband (Brit citizen)& I (American Citizen) were married in the US in Nov 2005 and moved to the UK in March 06. We are now starting the process of moving back to the US. My concern is that he takes medication here in the UK for his Diabetes. When I get employment in the US can be covered under my health insurance. What happens in the meantime until I get a job there and what are his options. I have been with my current firm for 19 years but clearly do not want to bank on the fact I will be able to go back & get a job immediately.

Hotscot

Does the State you're moving to have one of the new health exchanges?

Or is it one of the States that, even though the politicians are well covered, are denying their residents the ability to sign on to a health exchange?

Kensington

To be honest since I left the US 8 yrs ago none if this stuff was around so I hadnt a clue. Moving to New Mexico which looks like it is one of the States that this new health exchange is in. I was able to pull cost prices up and they dont look bad. I am assuming once he is approved for his US visa and we move there I can sign him up when we get there?

Speedwell

If he takes metformin, it is cheap and there are many shops here who will sell a 90-day supply for 10 dollars if you do not file a claim with insurance (Wal-Mart, Kroger, HEB grocery, etc). But it is available only by prescription. The same is true of some other diabetes medications, blood pressure medications, and statins. The best bet is for him to get his medical records from his doctor and his prescriptions written out and signed. He cannot use them to obtain prescriptions in the US, but they will help a US doctor know what he has been taking and then he can get a prescription from the US doctor. You should probably consider the possibility that you will have to pay out of pocket for at least one doctor visit for this purpose.

But there are different levels of care that you can buy and they have greater or lesser costs. An "urgent care clinic" may have a set rate per visit that is less than a conventional practice, for example. I think my doctor charges 125 per routine office visit and the urgent care clinic I go to occasionally charges 75; there is a doctor down the road who treats mostly immigrants and seems to have the ability to prescribe (they deal mostly with weight loss, impotence, and blood testing) and they advertise a first visit for only 29 dollars. Check around.

sir_eccles

If they don't have a state exchange you go through federal healthcare.gov and the good news is they cant refuse you or raise your premium due to pre existing conditions. Moving to the States is a qualifying event so that's good too.

AmerLisa

Are you currently working? Sorry, it sounds as if you are working but won't be when you come back to the US? If you go back into your job, or get a new one, your husband will be covered under your medical insurance through work. Of course when and if he goes to work and works full time he may have to take his own medical insurance through his job, but that's something worry about down the road.

kins

They're not denying their residents the ability to sign on to a health exchange. Whichever state you're in, whether it runs its own exchange or uses the federal exchange, will offer plans that have to comply with the same rules about pricing, coverage, etc.

Duncan Roberts

Exactly. When the exchanges were being planned each state had the option of creating their own or using the federal one. Some chose to run it in state, some went in with other states and a good number signed up with the federal one. Some exchanges are run better than others and the issues with the federal one are well documented. Regardless of that, everyone in every state has access to one if needed.

Guindalf

I don't know if the Healthcare Reform Act covers it, but bear in mind that if you do get coverage through work, it may NOT cover pre-existing conditions.

I had a job with free health coverage included and when I left and went back to my old company (long story), I had to go back on my wife's work plan. We found out the hard way that my diabetes and HBP were not covered for a year, so we ended up with much higher bills than expected for that year (we were just outside the 90 days to move the policy, so that didn't apply).

Bluegrass Lass

So you had a gap between coverage then? I know it's usually been the norm that if you had a gap (can't remember if it was more than 62 days or 90days), then when you go onto a new group health insurance policy, that policy will usually exclude coverage of any pre-existings for a certain period of time (6mo/12mo). However, this might have changed under the ACA.

kins

It's 63 days under HIPAA. So if you had creditable coverage and you left a gap of less than 63 days before getting new coverage then the pre-existing condition exclusion period cannot be applied.

Kensington

I am working now but do not know if the current firm I work at will be able to rehire me when I move. I've been with this brokerage firm for 19 years but going from London to New Mexico I clearly know the offices there are no where as big as where I worked (South Florida) before I moved to London. I have not problem paying for coverage for him until I can get re-hired or another job but as he has diabetes need his medication daily and just dont want him to not be able to get it when we move until I sort something out. It looks like New Mexico has this New Health Exchange. If he gets his US Visa I know it is a few yrs before he can get citizenship so I am trying to sort out what our medical options are

Duncan Roberts

Preexisting conditions cannot be excluded any more so it's a non-issue.

Bluegrass Lass

Citizenship, or lack thereof, doesn't factor into it at all. Basically you still only have 2 options for medical insurance. A group policy through your employer or an individual policy. I don't think you have to go through the exchanges for an individual policy (please anyone correct if I'm wrong) - I think you could approach the insurance company directly to get a policy quote if you so chose.

If hubby and I (both USC) decide to return this year, I think it likely we will use the state site for KY to find a plan and make sure coverage is in place from the moment we land foot on US soil. I have a couple of pre-existings to cover from day 1 as well.

Kensington

So if it takes a couple of weeks to get re-hired I can go thru New Health Exchange as the state of New Mexico offers it until I get re-hired or find another job?