medical insurance
 

We now have the family based visa (I130) and am looking at the different policies. What do others have as 'normal' medical maximums? $100,000 seems very high but reading some threads it seems low.

Seven Corners has an Immigrant insurance package that we are looking at. Anyone had experience of this policy? Other recommendations would also be welcome.

Re: medical insurance
 

Is the $100,000 for a lifetime maximum? If so that is most definitely NOT high! :eek:

Re: medical insurance
 

Dont know will have to take another look at the policy now :ohmy: what would most people go with then ?

Re: medical insurance
 

Do you or your spouse not get health insurance through your respective employers?

Re: medical insurance
 

100k omg that wouldn't last a good accident out it costs at least 1k to visit the ER if you make your own way there

Re: medical insurance
 

I've seen many claims that are double that or more, and they were only for one date of service. Personally, this year my claims for medical and prescriptions have been about 60% of that. Thankfully I've "only" had to pay around 10% of that number, probably a little less. My ER visit and 15 hour stay in the hospital was billed at $6500 all told.

Re: medical insurance
 

For several companies that I've worked for, I've seen $1million for a lifetime maximum. IMHO, that is the absolute minimum to accept as a lifetime max payout, but that will depend on your family's health and any pre-existing conditions. If anyone in your family has pre-existing conditions, try to get this payout as high as possible.

Re: medical insurance
 

Wasn't there a little baby who had maxed out her lifetime max of 1 million before her first birthday...

Re: medical insurance
 

The life time max on our insurance is $2 million each. When we got ours that seemed to be about the normal with some more expensive ones being $5 million life time max.

Re: medical insurance
 

Unlimited, if possible. $100k is peanuts in relation to medical costs, btw. One serious illness and you'll be bankrupt.

Re: medical insurance
 

I know somebody who blew through $350,000, and that was not what I would think was serious.

Re: medical insurance
 

Have just checked the policy and its an annual maximum payout per injury. As we dont have a job quite yet we need to take our own cover to get us started.

Re: medical insurance
 

Tryng to remember what is the norm under UK Travel Policies, GBP5m rings a bell.

It's the big numbers you need to watch.

Re: medical insurance
 

I hate to pee in your porridge but you have to plan for the worst, when you are healthy insurance seems an expense you don't need so you try to jeep costs down. I was lucky when I was diagnosed with cancer that I had a good coverage with my company. 100K was blown in the first few months with radiation and chemo etc. I realize that this doesn't happen to a lot of people, but allso realize that when yo insurance runs out the costs then come out of your pocket.....

Re: medical insurance
 

Slight follow on question - I am gonna be over very soon, and was thinking that if my medical insurance maxes out at the $1m (or whatever it may be) limit, I would have to head back home and say goodbye to my US life. Am I basically right?

Re: medical insurance
 

Not exactly but I'm guessing you'd be ****ed anyway. You'd probably have lost your job and income whilst you were ill so unless you made a full recovery and got back to work then I say you were correct.

Re: medical insurance
 

Yeah- they don't usually tell you that they can sack you whilst you're ill, and with the job goes the medical insurance.

And how many people moving to the US know that their children have to come off their insurance by age 23 at the latest...

Re: medical insurance
 

Here's a thought too.
Say you were you to blow the lifetime max on a policy (1 mill or whatever), what about other companies then insuring you?
Wouldn't imagine they'd be too thrilled about starting a new policy. :huh:

Re: medical insurance
 

Given the above, I would anticipate returning to the UK by age 50ish to avoid an illness completely ruining me and taking away everything I'd built up over the preceding 25 years....

I am not sure how it is possible to live as an old person in the US...

Re: medical insurance
 

Well if you've blown your 1 million I'm pretty sure you'd be ill. If it were a company group policy then they can't refuse you but they would exclude you for a time.

lj2 I'm not sure how thats possible myself maybe Elvira can tell us how she does it:rofl:

Re: medical insurance
 

My daughter had a cyst removed from her breast as an outpatient. She was in hospital 2 hours and it was over $10,000!

Re: medical insurance
 

And that's if they remain in school.

Re: medical insurance
 

:curse:

:p

Re: medical insurance
 

Good thinking. I'm on that track myself.

As for your question:

Americans know the system here. The generation which is retired now and about to (typically) has company pensions, Veterans' Bennies, SocSec and Medicaid/care is still functioning. They also have IRA's and 401k's to boot.

They just do it, right?

As for retiring here in 30 years time. Sh!t, it scares the piss out of me - it should be something to look forward to. Ha!

Re: medical insurance
 

Either that or declare bankruptcy when the medical bills start rolling in... medical expenses are the major reason for personal bankruptcies in the US.

Re: medical insurance
 

This is the biggest financial nightmare I have about living in the US - the 15 year period before 65 where health costs start rising and where age discrimination can make employment prospects much bleaker. However, if you reach 65, Medicare (if its still around!) kicks in. The last study I saw suggested that older Americans are at least as healthy as their counterparts in other western countries. It's people below 65 that make the US look bad in comparisons of healthcare outcomes. So the trick is making it to 65 in relatively good health! Of course, if Medicare goes bankrupt before then, all bets are off...

Re: medical insurance
 

Most people should consider having a short term disability policy which pays a portion of your income should you become ill or have an accident - they are quite inexpensive and so necessary in this country.

Re: medical insurance
 

Wrong way around.

Long Term Disability is the issue.

Re: medical insurance
 

If you haven't already, take a look at the Michael Moore film "Sicko". This is a real eye opener and by the way it has some good things to say about the NHS. When I raise the NHS with my American friends their response is usually; "yes but the taxes are so much higher in the UK to pay for it". I try to explain that yes taxes may be higher but it doesn't all go on the NHS. I have to say that my experience with my PPO in terms of response time getting treatment for cancer has been superb, but that's only because I have coverage with my job. When I lived in the UK I was with BUPA and that was also great. The big BUT is that if you are too sick to work here you are on your own, at least in the UK up will get free treatment...eventually.

Re: medical insurance
 

We've often had discussions on the taxation bit here vs the UK and the difference was negligible when it came to the medical side.

Re: medical insurance
 

Michael Moore is a joke.

Re: medical insurance
 

It's 26 in ME and MA, as long as they are in full time education, 21 for dental mind...

Re: medical insurance
 

Can't do that anymore, Bush made sure of that...

Re: medical insurance
 

He is, but he does highlight some valid issues all the same.

Re: medical insurance
 

Maybe so, but he's turned me off to anything he does/says, valid or not. I could never take him seriously.

Re: medical insurance
 

Nice well-reasoned argument!

Re: medical insurance
 

It's certainly more difficult, especially for people who earn more than the median income for their state. These folks typically can't file for Chapter 7 any more, meaning they have to come up with some kind of repayment plan in agreement with the court. But otoh folks with serious illnesses often lose their income at the same time, so the Bush changes won't impact them so severely. From what I've read, even post the Bush changes, medical bills are still the leading cause of personal bankruptcy.

Re: medical insurance
 

Not meant to be an argument, but a fact. I'm a scientist, so I deal with just the facts ma'am (or sir).

Re: medical insurance
 

Ah, but scientists are also willing to back up what thy claim are facts with justification and evidence :p

Re: medical insurance
 

still doesn't mean the issue of healthcare, or gun control isn't a problem though...