Aldwick

My 85 year old mother is emigrating to the US in about 3 weeks. Given she must wait 5 years for Medicare and realising there are a number of insurance companies out there, can anyone recommend from experience, or hearsay, an insurer that is good to work with while offering good coverage/value? I just need some pointers.

I have read other posts here on the subject but they seem to be somewhat dated.

Many Thanks,
Geoff

fatbrit

You don't give the state you're living in. Your best (possibly only!) hope is a state-sponsored plan that pools the uninsurable together.

Elvira

Even if this is available it'll cost a small fortune!

3 weeks doesn't exactly leave a lot of time to sort this out...

meauxna

Search in the main USA lifestyle forum; that's where most of the insurance chat goes.

Duncan Roberts

For an 85 year old that doesn't exist. You may be lucky and be able to get private insurance or you may have to put her in the state high risk pool if your state has one. Either way expect to pay a lot of money for anything useful. Don't be surprised if you start getting quotes that are $5,000 a month or more and be wary of anything less than $1000 a month. My guess is that you probably won't be able to sort this out in 3 weeks and you are probably looking at 3 months before you can get it sorted. I hope I'm wrong but you may have made an awfully costly mistake.

scrubbedexpat099

There have been plenty of posts, but no solutions.

Two thoughts that comes to mind is that if you go to the Emergency Room at your local Hospital they can not refuse you treatment. And if you do not live in a State that has a plan, move to one. There are very few.

Ray

I just consider this ludicrous bringing an 85 year old here ..
i just hope you are very wealthy ....if you are the sponsor...

Jerseygirl

Yup...it's costing us $2K in health insurance to bring my 83 year old MIL over for a 20 day vacation.

scrubbedexpat099

I thought I had seen this, healthcare was mentioned in July.

Bob

Bit late in the game to think about insurance now isn't it?

Possible job at walmart?

Definitely look for a start that has a pool or it'll not really happen....and this isn't a visa question.

penguinsix

High risk pool.

There really isn't any other way. $2,000 a month easy if you can even find some firm that will write a policy, but that's pretty doubtful. You might get some travel health insurance but those are fraught with exceptions and even they might not write a policy.

Some states--very few--do not follow the 5 year rule on their Medicare/Medicaid, such as California and New York, but that coverage is often limited to only a very few items.

penguinbar

My friend is employed at Walmart to train their opticians and has insurance through them for her. her husband and her daughter and she still has to contribute almost $1000 a month!

bohemianprincess

Yes, healthcare is a racket in the states, and gets worse if you have a pre-existing condition. But I've a friend in Scotland, and the healthcare there is shameful too. Sad.

SarahG

The healthcare in Scotland is bad? Was fine what I was being brought up there.

Rete

I have to agree with you, Ray. Anyone living in the US, whether it is a US Citizen, legal resident or illegal resident, knows that healthcare insurance is exorbitant and out of reach for most people, let alone an elder person. Why in heaven's name would you "import" elderly person to a country that doesn't have national healthcare?