miami078

Hi all

I was wondering if somebody could shed some light on medical insurance. I am due to immigrate to the USA in March 2010 and I will be a permanent resident (I will require to have conditions removed after two years as married less than 2 years). I am a UK citizen and my husband is a US citizen. My husband is currently over in the US looking for work however we don’t envisage him finding anything in the immediate future as he is a university lecturer and there are certain hiring periods. He is currently listed on his parents medical insurance and therefore ok but i obviously dont have any. I will be looking for temp work whilst over there so will not be in a position to get employment insurnace although we are aware that once he finds a job we will both able to get insurance through employment but my worry is what do I do the day I step of the plane?

My husband tells me applying for private medical insurance will be too expensive which I agree particulalry if we have no income (we are staying with his parents until we get ourselves on our feet) he has suggested I wait until he finds employment but I cant imagine being over there without insurance incase a freak accident happens, particularly after hearing horror stories of hospital medical bills.

There are two things I need to address

a) what sort of insurance will I need to get to cover me until my husband gets work. In the beginning I guess I can only afford look to cover me for an emergency rather than preventative care and will have to try and stay away from the doctors as much as I can
b) However if I can only afford preventative care I need to decide whether to come of my monthly medication becuase I wouldnt be bale to afford it. I am currently on diabetes medication in the UK not for diabetes per se but it’s a drug used for polycycstic ovary syndrome to try and address glucose intolerance and hormonal inbalance. When I was originally put on this drug I was told to try it out and that it wasn’t life or death I continue with it but it may help prevent some symptoms but again I guess these are tolerable (PCOS isnt curable you just change your diet etc to try and manage symptoms.) I am therefore wondering without medical insurance and a GP how would I get monthly presriptions of this? What happens if you have monthly medication - would this increase my insurance a lot – if yes – I guess I could ask my UK doctor if it is ok healthwise to come of the drug and have to go without for when I move to the USA or is there anything in place within insurnace or medical aid for people requiring ongoing prescirptions.

I am finding it difficult to get my head around the fact I am having to choose if I can afford to take medication. I know that is the way the USA works and I accept it is my choice etc, I am just wondering if I am overlooking any help available to me e.g somebody mentioned free medical care at community hospitals?

I hope somebody can offer some advice?

Best wishes

MIA

BritishGuy36

This is discussed as nauseum on this forum, use the form search function and you'll find a plethora of threads that already discuss the answers to all your questions and more.

Noorah101

Hi Mia,

I'm moving your thread to the USA forum, where there are more discussions about healthcare and insurance.

Rene
Moderator

Duncan Roberts

If you're taking metformin then it's available for $10 for 90 days worth at pretty much any pharmacy so don't worry about that. You would just need to see a doc to get a prescription. See below for issues with that though. You may be denied private coverage because of your PCOS based on pre-existing conditions or you may be asked to pay a lot more or have certain things not covered but there is a way round it. Just make sure this is OK with a doc. Stop taking metformin today and don't get any medical advice or treatment for it. By May 20th it will no longer be considered a pre-existing condition and can't be used when determining coverage or price.

meauxna

At the top of the page, you will see 'bread crumbs' explaining where on the site you are. It looks like this:
Forum / Living & Moving Abroad / USA / Medical insurance for new immigrant

Click on any part of that, and you jump to that part of the forums.

You can also click on "Discussion Forum" in the blue bar at the very top of the page and select any one of the many, many specialty forums there are on BritishExpats.com

This is the direct link to the USA forum (you are already 'here' since Rene moved the thread).
http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=57

mtlmama

Thanks, Meauxna. I figured it out and tried to delete my post. Guess it didn't take!

meauxna

That's OK.. someone will have the same question and be able to silently say.. Ohhhhhh.

Bob

Are you sure about that? Most polices won't cover married children...might not be the case for everyone, but it has been for everyone that I personally know.

So where are you moving to? Might have some local options.

penguinsix

Hi

It is quite rough. You might want to stock up on all the meds you can get your hands on while in the UK so you have a supply for a few months here until you can get something sorted.

A bare minimum policy (i.e. in case you are hit by a truck) covering just you is not necessarily as expensive as you might thing--perhaps $300 a month or so, maybe less, maybe more. Take a look at http://www.ehealthinsurance.com/

There are not a lot of jobs that provide health insurance at the 'entry level' of employment (i.e. Walmart, bookstore clerk, slinging beers at a pub, etc.) Eventually you'll get one that does offer it and you can go on and add your husband as well, but the costs will add up.

Be sure to read the WIKI at the top on health insurance and to look at getting some form of 'proof of coverage' from the UK (which is kind of tricky depending on your GP). This will allow you to go into a US plan without a 'pre-existing' condition trap being pulled on you.

It's a big headache.

And generally, no, there are no public health / medical care options available to new immigrants. Some states provide some levels of care (i.e. emergency only, or pregnant women and emergency only, or something like that). Really depends on the state. This table might help.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...98#post8045998

meauxna

We were cautioned at my husband's immigrant visa interview that we should get medical insurance for him, as he would not be eligible for most (any?) public health options in his first 5 years in the US.
It was good advice, and that was some 7 years ago when insurance was about half what it costs now.

Perhaps what your husband meant is that you should wait to immigrate until he has a job with insurance (not all employment offers health insurance or the ability to buy it).

Jerseygirl

There is also usually an age limit for children...ours was 24 but in a recent thread some have said their insurance cut off is 25. Miami078 said her husband is looking for work as a uni lecturer...so I am assuming he is older than 25.

frrussre

Hi Jersey, we have just been informed, that our 21 yr old son, will be removed from our insurance May 2010 when he graduates Uni, he will be 22.

Reg. Frank r.

Bob

he better move on to a drinking degree and stretch it out a little longer then

frrussre

Reg. Frank R.

scrubbedexpat099

I am sure it varies a lot by state, I know where I am the Supermarket jobs require 6 months employment, bar jobs do not come with it generally and Starbucks requires you to do so many hours which can be tricky to get.

I never realised that those Salvation Army bell ringers were paid, but not likely to get insurance.

They did not have to advertise this year here, inundated with applications.