Question about healthcare
 

Hi

I’m new here and for the last few months we have been researching a move from the U.K. to Phoenix Arizona.

I have a question that so far I can’t find an answer too. I think it might be a strange question too

I require a monthly prescription from my GP here in the U.K. If we were to move to Phoenix would a doctor honor the prescription or would I have to be rediagnosed? How do I find out if my medication is even available in America,

It’s not a serious or severe medical condition and requires little input from doctors. Has anyone had any experience of this during their move from the U.K.?

Re: Question about healthcare
 

Highly unlikely you will get a prescription without first seeing a doctor.

With such a litigious society why would a doctor write a prescription without a diagnosis?

Re: Question about healthcare
 

Welcome!!

Your UK doctor will probably write a script for 3 months of meds.

You will have to make an appointment with a US doctor to issue a US script. No US doctor will write one without a face to face.

Google will probably turn up the names of the appropriate US med.

Re: Question about healthcare
 

You can search on good rx to see if it's offered in the US. Chances are that it is, but it may be under a different name.

Note that not all insurance plans are created equally. You may find drugs covered under one aren't covered under another.

Re: Question about healthcare
 

Thank you for your reply, naturally I would see a doctor but I was hoping to not have to go through getting diagnosed again! But it’s understandable that they might want to do that

Re: Question about healthcare
 

Depending what the condition is...the doctor will probably want to run every test known to man.

Re: Question about healthcare
 

Healthcare insurance is the bane of my life at the moment so confusing :confused:

Re: Question about healthcare
 

It’s just mild depression and anxiety disorder as a result of a life event. But we have just come back from a month in America and whilst out there I had no issues with it playing me up. Obviously most of that is the feel good factor from being away from home but the increased sunlight is know to help lol

Re: Question about healthcare
 

You say you have been researching a move to Phoenix.

Does that mean you have been offered a job in Phoenix?

I ask, only, because health insurance is probably one of the most important aspects of taking a job in the States. No company medical insurance would really be a huge reason not to take the job - unless you were paid enough to pay the hundreds of dollars per month for premiums. (even with company health insurance one pays hundreds of dollars a month!)

Re: Question about healthcare
 

You will need a US prescription written by a US doctor in order to get medications from a US pharmacy.

Any doctor who writes a prescription without having done appropriate diagnosis should be struck off. Therefore the chances of you getting a new prescription without a formal diagnosis, is negligible.

Re: Question about healthcare
 

My other half has been offered to transfer with his company. Although the company offer healthcare insurance but I don’t feel it’s comprehensive enough so I am looking at other insurance policies. But it’s a minefield and very confusing!! We have been researching this relocation on and off for a few years so now it’s the big things like healthcare that we need to focus on - it’s expensive to make a mistake!

Re: Question about healthcare
 

Why do you think the company insurance is not comprehensive enough?

From experience a company group plan is usually more comprehensive than individual plans.

Note that, even with comprehensive plans, you will pay premiums, deductibles and co-pays. There is always some cost with US medical services.

Re: Question about healthcare
 

Mainly because a contact who lives and works in the states, for the same company as my other half told us that it wasn’t a very comprehensive policy. But I’ve been comparing policies all evening and I think it is a good policy. It seems cover everything I can think off. But because of the comment made I’m doubting myself. I have a friend in Texas looking at it too.

Re: Question about healthcare
 

Are you married? That will affect a number of things, perhaps including whether you will be eligible for coverage on your "other half's" employment-linked health insurance.
It would be extraordinary for an employment based health insurance not to be superior, or far superior, to any other insurance you can find - better coverage and a lower premium.
The trend in the US is for more and more people to buy "less comprehensive" insurance, because the cost of comprehensive insurance is pretty crazy. I know this seems counter-intuitive to someone used to the "all you can eat buffet" model of healthcare delivered by the NHS, but for most people in the US it is cheaper to buy limited coverage insurance, that will pay for major expenses, but you pay for basic GP visits and prescriptions. This is caused "high deductible" insurance.

My wife and I realized about ten years ago that we were forking out almost $1,000/mth yet getting very little in return. However one of the alternative polices would slash our premium to less than $150/mth and then we would be permitted to put tax-free money into a Health Savings Accounts (one each for my wife and me, they operate similar to a private pension account).

The high deductible insurance we still have costs us $186/mth (HSA) (for my wife, daughter, and me), covers us for major expenses, including hospitalization, and surgery, but has enabled us to accumulate a very considerable sum (net growth is a number of thousands of dollars per year) in our HSAs towards possible future health expenses. Barring some catastrophic chronic illness there is no way we would ever go back to "traditional" health insurance.

Re: Question about healthcare
 

That’s a really good point, I was just reading about the Health Savings accounts. The policies I’ve been reading tonight with the deductible we might as well fly home! Thank you for the advice :-)