MrsOwen

Hi All

Moving on the 25th July, removals people arrive on Wednesday and we move out of our home here in the UK on Thursday. Staying with friends and family until we fly on the 25th.

Got some specific questions around insurance etc, hoping someone can help!!

Do we need to take out travel insurance to cover us and our belongings on the plane to the US?? We are coming back in September for a family holiday and heading back to the states on the 18th Sept - won't be back in UK then until May 2011.

Would our UK home insurance cover our belongings until we come back in September and thus while we sort out home insurance in US?

Can we get travel insurance to cover us between the 25th July and 1st Sept?

How quickly can we set up Home insurance in the US, whats involved? What do we need?

Also, how quickly can we get health insurance set up once in the states? Whats involved?

Nothing like leaving it all to the last minute.

Thanks in advance

Sammi

avanutria

Hi Sammie,

1) Do we need to take out travel insurance to cover us and our belongings on the plane to the US?? We are coming back in September for a family holiday and heading back to the states on the 18th Sept - won't be back in UK then until May 2011.

I wouldn't bother with travel insurance, but that's probably because I grew up as an Uninsured American. I don't think I've ever bothered with travel insurance, but maybe someone else here has used it and found it useful.

2) Would our UK home insurance cover our belongings until we come back in September and thus while we sort out home insurance in US?

I doubt your UK home insurance will cover anything that you take out of the home unless your policy specifically caters to that - and that's usually just for things like bikes and (in our case) musical instruments.

3) Can we get travel insurance to cover us between the 25th July and 1st Sept?

I don't see why not, though if they find out you're on a visa rather than just being a tourist there may be issues.

4) How quickly can we set up Home insurance in the US, whats involved? What do we need?

Once you have a home to insure it's pretty straightforward. (And if you're renting you can get Renter's insurance.) Just be sure to shop around, as prices vary a lot. You'll need a TON of information on the construction of your home.

5) Also, how quickly can we get health insurance set up once in the states? Whats involved?

Lots and lots of money. Health insurance for the two of us was going to be about six times the cost of our house insurance, and unsustainable on our current one income, so we are gambling that I will be able to get a job with health benefits before anything terrible happens to us.

Havnfun

Hi Sammi,

When we arrived from Canada we purchased medical insurance from Inbound Immigrant for a couple months until we were able to set up our health insurance through Blue Cross. I think the maximum coverage is only $100,000per person but at least it is something! I believe the premiums were a couple hundred dollars a month for the 3 of us. You can do it all on-line even before you move.

Good luck with your move.

penguinsix

Health insurance is easiest through your employer. Do you have a job lined up? The hr team at your new job will have insurance details.

SanDiegogirl

With regard travel insurance this will cover you for flight delays, lost baggage and emergency medical coverfor a specific period. I doubt whether your UK house insurance will cover your house contents when in the US.

Are you shipping house contents from the UK to USA? If so, then presume you will have already purchased insurance to cover the trip door to door

If you are renting property in the US (which most people do when they first get here) then there are lots of insurance companies from whom you can get renter's insurance. You should get this since your landlord will only be insuring the building and not the contents.

Why are you asking now about health insurance? Are you not coming over with a job already lined up? and is your employer not providing insurance for you? If so, then once you get here your HR department will set all this up for you. Deductions for the premiums will come direct from your payroll.

If you have no health insurance lined up via an employer then you will need to contact several Health Insurance companies to apply for insurance. This will take approx a month or so to set up. This could be costly and if you have pre-conditions you may not get taken on - despite the new legislation.

SanDiegogirl

Noticed that you have another thread running regarding your move. In this first thread you say that you are renting out your UK apartment fully furnished and are only bringing personal items. So I presume that your questions about insurance are only for these personal items. If you are renting when you get here your renter's insurance will cover these items. Travel insurance will cover these items for your trip over.

You also state that hubby's company is paying for the flight. Therefore, again, presumably, they are providing medical insurance as part of his package. In which case, the HR department will sort this out for you as soon as you get to the US. Premiums will come directly out of payroll.

If and when you purchase a house you will then need to get home insurance for the building itself together with household contents. Same scenario as in the UK, get in a number of companies for quotes. Hope I understand your situation.

Bob

Don't know about home owners insurance, but renters insurance is easy to get, just description of house type, address and how much you want to cover and any specific valuables as they tend to have a limit of $1K per item other wise.

You'll get a good discount if you get your car insurance through the same people usually too.

penguinsix

The wiki on health insurance may answer some of your questions:

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Health_Insurance