Health Insurance

[SheilaF]

OMG it gets worse !!! There's a tin of Quality Street's in front of me I think its time to open them.

Thanks Blott, if you hear of any other companies etc please let me know. I awaiting a few more quotes and although £12,000 was the most we were quoted there hasnt been anything below £7000.

SheilaF

[flyrr100]

I'm now a US Citizen. So I have access to Medicare. I pay around $100 a month for healthcare through my company. We have co-pays depending on what we've had done. It ranges from $10 to over $100.
An example is, my wife had her gall bladder out. We had bills from the hospital, the surgen, the aftercare clinic, the prescription drugs all had co-pays. It's not cheap to get sick here!
Right now all my kids (3) have coughs. Thats three visits, three sets of drugs, aaaaaaarrrggghhhh!
One idea of course is to go back to the UK when you need any health care. The ticket will be cheaper than the care here!
Can I have some of your quality street please!

[blott]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by flyrr100
One idea of course is to go back to the UK when you need any health care. The ticket will be cheaper than the care here![/quote]Sorry Jeff, before anyone else thinks that's a great idea, it isn't a option as entitlement to the NHS is dependent on permanent residency in the UK.

[chrizzy100]

We don't go to the doctors....the baby does....I think its $10 a visit.....
I went to the doctors just to sign on 6 years ago....after taking my BP and whatnot....I was sure I was going to die the next day if I did not take a large amount of costly pills for the rest of time.....after asking said doctor if I would start losing muscle..get the flu....or drop down dead anyway from taking the pills.........she worked out I never needed them in the first place......its funny how you're not so ill if you ask about the pills and don't just take them because a doctor tells you too.....[msneek]

[SheilaF]

Can I have some of your quality street please!

Yes, but NOT the purple ones !!! You can have the strawberry cream yuk........

SheilaF

[esprit]

The deductible is like our excess, if you have a deductible, they will usually pay 100% ( or less if you have agreed a co-pay) once you have exhausted that deductible providing you use one of their approved suppliers, otherwise they pay out less, 80 percent say. I never knew this when I broke my elbow and we went to the first hospital we came to and then the first orhapaedic surgeon, big panic but fortunately we found out later that both were actually on the approved list. Phew.

Going to the doctors is dear, costs me $150 every time I go, but you wouldnt get up to a $3000 deductible say without hospital treatment. Some people would prefer a low deductible and big co pay, so you get all your treatment paid for once you have exhausted a $1000 deductible but only get 50% paid and co=pay the rest. All very complex I have to say and without knowing how ill you are going to be, its hard to work out which is best for you.

[SheilaF]

Thanks Julie for explaining it in "laymans terms", I do understand a bit more now.

With quotes of £12000 we are favouring lower premiums and higher deductibles. I guess $3000 is not going to bankrupt us, but hundreds of thousands for an operation just might. Like you said, get covered for the big stuff.

Only problem i am having with expat insurance is that i can't find any recommendations for any of the companies. Fancy websites might be just that, It would be great to hear from someone who had used one of those companies.

$150 for the doctors - guess I have to get out of the habit of going whenever i need a blood test etc. I also have "pre-existing" , dont even want to think about that.

How is your elbow now? fully healed?

SheilaF

[esprit]

More or less thanks Sheila, mind you it left me $7000 down. The important thing is to get covered for catastrophes, accidents and serious illness needing hospitalisation, the other stuff you can just about hack, though you certainly stop going to the doctors with small things, ear infections, sinus problems, even a broken little toe all got home treatment!!

[chrizzy100]

I've always done home treatments.....I rarely saw a doctor in England......the kids only saw a doc once or twice a year if that.....my nan was a healer so I learnt a lot from her.......the next time I see a doctor will be if I get taken to hospital.......

[florida4sun]

This is the sad side of health care in the USA, many pople will simply not go to doctor even when they should. When we there Hannah was ill, cold sweat and very anxious. We took her straight in and found out she had Diebetes. Her symptoms were not severe and could easily have be overlooked. Her blood count was off the scale and another hour or so she would have been in a coma. Many people would have overlooked it.....I also had a freind call me to take him to the hospital with a suspect heart attack, his isnurance would not cover the ambulance fees!!!!
Florida is a great to place to live, it is not a great place to be be if you are not well and need treament....



<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by chrizzy100
I've always done home treatments.....I rarely saw a doctor in England......the kids only saw a doc once or twice a year if that.....my nan was a healer so I learnt a lot from her.......the next time I see a doctor will be if I get taken to hospital.......
[/quote]