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New immigrant health insurance

Scary topic !

JESSJAME5 said:
Hoping to hear from people who are already in the US, and what health insurance they went with when first arriving, was it good, did you have to use it etc.

I was looking on insubuy site, there's one insurance company - American Patriot, that seems a good price for me for a year worth of coverage. I'm just not entirely sure how good it is, what it covers, if it's worth it. It seems to cheap compared to other plans. Maybe at my age (21) things are cheaper regardless. I did a quote for my mum on her own and it was basically double my quote, but she's in her late 40's.

Any suggestions? I leave in 11 days and I'm getting stressed out now haha.
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i went through it, its matched all my fears ! i have checked the Blue Cross plans, an acceptable plan will cost me, my wife and 2 kids around 990$ per month !

with all our excitements to the new life, but it seems that first year will be full of challenges, for example .. how i can purchase such medical insurance plan if i am new and dont have yet any credit history ? how we can get credit cards to pay the first payments ( insurance, home rent, car rent ... ) ?

guys ..we need your experience here

Thanks
Reeno
 
Guys, just understand this. You generally get what you pay for. If Patriot America is able to sell cover for a very low price it is not because they are "nice people". There are restrictions that will affect you. For instance, I have read about them that they handle pre existing conditions in a very hard way - and that would allow them not to cover certain claims. Be careful when you choose a company like that - it can end up bad.

Health cover in the USA is expensive - typically a few hundred dollars per month. If someone sells you cover for a few hundred dollars for a year then it cannot be the same cover as the first type of policy. However, if you have very little money then having some cover for big bills is way better than nothing at all - so be careful and know what you are buying...
 
britsimon said:
Health cover in the USA is expensive - typically a few hundred dollars per month. If someone sells you cover for a few hundred dollars for a year then it cannot be the same cover as the first type of policy. However, if you have very little money then having some cover for big bills is way better than nothing at all - so be careful and know what you are buying...
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Excellent point. If you're getting insurance for substantially less than several hundred a month, there's a reason for it - and you are unlikely to like it.
 
britsimon said:
Guys, just understand this. You generally get what you pay for. If Patriot America is able to sell cover for a very low price it is not because they are "nice people". There are restrictions that will affect you. For instance, I have read about them that they handle pre existing conditions in a very hard way - and that would allow them not to cover certain claims. Be careful when you choose a company like that - it can end up bad.

Health cover in the USA is expensive - typically a few hundred dollars per month. If someone sells you cover for a few hundred dollars for a year then it cannot be the same cover as the first type of policy. However, if you have very little money then having some cover for big bills is way better than nothing at all - so be careful and know what you are buying...
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I don't have any pre existing conditions, I'm really just worried about something big like an accident/broken bones etc. And yes, I have very little money. Just feels like the university one has a bunch of extra things that I don't/won't need in my year there.
 
JESSJAME5 said:
I don't have any pre existing conditions, I'm really just worried about something big like an accident/broken bones etc. And yes, I have very little money. Just feels like the university one has a bunch of extra things that I don't/won't need in my year there.
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britsimon made some excellent points with regards to the supposedly cheaper plans you're coming across. In addition to those points, I think you need to be aware that your school (at least most colleges that I'm aware of) will only waive insurance for you if you're able to demonstrate that your personal insurance is of equivalent coverage to what they offer their students. So you want to make sure of what you're getting before committing money to those plans. I suggest you contact your school to find out the level of equivalent coverage they're willing to accept.
 
Princedriss said:
what if i have a health and i go to hospital with no insurance, what will happen ?
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As in going to the ER with an emergency case? You will be treated, you will not be turned away. But expect to be slapped with a hefty bill which will be sent to your home address. If the bill is not paid in a timely manner or you contact the hospital to make payment arrangement, then the account will be turned over to collection agents who will harrass you with calls day and night. Once the account gets turned over to a collection agency, expect your credit report to be negatively affected, and for the original bill to start gathering interests. You could end up being sued for the owed amount, and if it gets to that stage, you will be responsible for paying the suing party's litigations costs as well.
 
waw , waw , waw !

what if i dont have money, i am poor and i need to go visit a hospital of the poors ? what do poor blacks and latinos if they are sick ???
 
Princedriss said:
waw , waw , waw !

what if i dont have money, i am poor and i need to go visit a hospital of the poors ? what do poor blacks and latinos if they are sick ???
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Are you implying all white people are rich, and the only poor people in the US are blacks and latinos?:confused: You might want to be careful with your choice of words.
 
Anyway, this is partly why COs need to confirm that an applicant will not become a public charge before issuing them with a visa. Being able to provide for yourself is part of the requirments of living a successful life in the US. There is medicaid for low income earners, (this is available and being utilized by people of all colors in the US, not just balcks and latinos), but as a new immigrant you do not qualify to apply for it.

You can learn more about medicaid through the following:

https://www.healthcare.gov/do-i-qualify-for-medicaid#state=california
 
The thing is about healthcare is that it isn't only the sudden accidents that require treatment. In the USA you will see a lot of people in poor communities missing a limb or two. Why? Because they didn't have access to simple medication for long term health issues such as diabetes. For the lack of that medication, people end up have limbs amputated. Crazy and unfair...

How about the scenario where you break your leg. Sure you will get treatment to set the leg through the A&E. You might get a big bill, maybe you have no assets and never will so you don't care - however, what you will not get is the ongoing care such as physiotherapy to make sure your broken leg doesn't have permanent affects for mobility etc.

Healthcare in the USA is expensive. Cheap policies cut costs somehow, so understand the risk you are taking....
 
i live in a third world country and i have never seen what you have written about healthcare in US.

I think am gonna think twice before taking decision to move to US after hearing that
 
Sm1smom said:
britsimon made some excellent points with regards to the supposedly cheaper plans you're coming across. In addition to those points, I think you need to be aware that your school (at least most colleges that I'm aware of) will only waive insurance for you if you're able to demonstrate that your personal insurance is of equivalent coverage to what they offer their students. So you want to make sure of what you're getting before committing money to those plans. I suggest you contact your school to find out the level of equivalent coverage they're willing to accept.
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Yeah the school wants it to be basically the same as what they offer, or better. I've been trying to contact them but they just keep giving me a different person to email, so I don't think anyone has any idea. I did see though that the schools maximum coverage is only $250,000...
 
I have family there, one family struggles big time, I don't know how they do it. The other family does just fine (professional jobs etc). Not sure which way I'll end up haha.

Princedriss said:
I am talking about the first year of an immigrant, who do not have a work yet, who still needs time to settle and fix himself.

Why dont they do one year free health for new immigrant ??
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Yeah it seems tough for new immigrants on the first year, until they find their footing & a job etc. Even for me I won't be finding a full time job in my first year or two there, I'll be studying instead, only working part time.
 
Princedriss said:
Why dont they do one year free health for new immigrant ??
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Did you watch the video? There are 30 to 50 million Americans without health insurance and many Americans are outraged by Obamas attempt at providing affordable healthcare (they tried to get it ruled unconstitutional!. Why would they give new immigrants free cover when Americans are performing medical procedures on themselves because they don't have health insurance??

Most Americans, quite literally, don't know the difference between socialism and communism. So "socialised healthcare" sounds like something from the USSR.
 
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