Health Insurance

[DrummerDave]

I wasnt able to find much on health insurance on here, so Im wondering.
For those of you working for yourselves. . .
Were any of you WITH A PRE-EXISTING CONDITION able to find health insurance, and if so, how were the rates?
For me to ever kill my job, I need to get insurance from somewhere. It isnt an option.

Sure, Tim is able to get it for cheap, but not all of us were blessed with good "genes". :p


If it will even be *possible* to find, I need to get an idea (very rough idea) on cost, or I cant even do a good TMI calc.

[kamakiri]

That really depends on where you plan on living. If in the USA, then you are assured of Obama destroying your chances of ever getting reasonable insurance.

Looking at foreign countries might be your only option for reasonable health care. The other option, and just as viable to the NR, is to increase your income to the point where it is not a consideration.

[scotts]

I was able to find a reasonable plan for my wife and I through http://www.ehealthinsurance.com/ two years ago when we took the plunge. I think high deductible 1-5k is key. We luckily are both healthy so we didn't have any problems with getting coverage but you should get some quotes so you know what your options will be.

[Marcie]

Let's not start a political discussion, just saying.

[Frank]

Hey Kam, just wondering what kind of national health insurance is there in Japan?

Are you entitled to participate in it (as a non-native)?

Not trying to get political, just trying to get some info first-hand from someone who lives there.

[kamakiri]

Lol. I don't think M was referring to that part when she mention to avoid politics.

The Japanese national health scheme is actually one of the best in the world if you are a member. You need to have some sort of visa to enroll though. They will not let you in on a 90 day tourist visa.

The flip side there is that getting a visa to live in Japan is extremely easy, even more so if you have a college degree. With options like a cultural studies visa, you can come over and live for 18 months, and some times longer if you are persistent. It is only a 6 month visa, but the first two renewals are pretty simple processes.

Just to give an idea, I pay about $275 a month for full coverage, and that includes dental and glasses. The deductible is 30%, but since the prices are regulated, it is only about $12 to get a check up. My Chiropractor costs $5.50.

[johnnywolf]

Being a U.S. Citizen, I've basically never had health insurance growing up and the only time I ever had it was in university.

I figured out a cheap, easy way to get some type of coverage. Although it's not good for medical, dental or vision, it's great for emergencies which is what I'm most concerned about. - Travel insurance. As long as you are 50 miles away from your home address, you are considered traveling (check your policy) so if something happens, you're covered up to a point. It's also great for guys like me living abroad.

[kamakiri]

Travel insurance is also free on most visa gold cards. It sounds crazy, but if you look at the fine print on most of they, they offer some sort of travel insurance.

An Aus card that offers (http://www.westpac.com.au/personal-banking/credit-cards/lower-annual-fee/gold-credit-card/): A range of complimentary insurance covers

Vard benefits of USA Bank Visa Gold: Travel accident insurance (http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/benefits/index.html)

Most people don't know about it and never use it. That is one of the reasons those cards can offer it as a free benefit. I good friend (American) who lives here in Japan as well was in the US visiting, and had a heart attack. 100% paid for by two of his gold credit card insurance programs. They also flew his family over. Well worth looking into.

[liam75005]

Visa Gold offers all those very convenient insurance when you go travelling. Before leaving, it's worth checking not to take the same insurance twice !

[Monk]

This is an interesting one as I also have pre existing conditions. From my experience:

1 - check the small print of 'free' travel insurance you get with cards/accounts. Call them and ask in writing if they cover your condition and what the exclusions would be. In the UK I get very good cover with RBS, but it is limited to 30 days!

2 - Check the health systems in the country you are visiting in relation to the health coverage in that country. Eg I believe Japan has a health service with a flat rate tax for residents. If you go there on an English teaching program for example, you pay this tax and you are covered for most things. Similarly in Canada, one country I have looked at moving to it sometimes helps to contact the embassy in your local country and ask what they reccommend for visitors

3 - Remember that the health situation in the US must be one of the worst in the world. Most countries have systems that are at least partly subsidised. My partner is an American living here in London and can't believe that she can see a doctor for free. CHECK the visa situation.

4 - Does your local health insurance extend to overseas coverage?

5 - When you go away always make sure you have enough set aside for an emergency flight home. I got pneumonia in the US last year and had to fork out for a quick return flight to the UK to avoid being seriously out of pocket due to the healthcare situation. Luckily my insurance reimbursed me when I got back. But it helps to have that contingency.

6 - Take more medication than you need. Consider having a family member fed ex more to you.

[skchi]

The laws regarding health insurance are different in every state. I have a pre-existing condition (which has been treated and cured), and I was able to find health insurance.

In my state, insurance companies are not obligated to offer individual health insurance plans to people with pre-existing conditions. I called a bunch of companies and asked if they would offer a plan to someone that had my condition. They all said no.

Then, I found out that my state requires that they offer you a plan if you are applying as a group. My husband and I work for our company, so we were able to apply as a group of 2. That's the minimum group size for my state, but some states allow a group of 1.

I suggest getting some quotes to help figure out how much health insurance will be. If you get instant quotes from a website from ehealthinsurance.com, keep in mind that those premiums are usually for very healthy or average people, definitely not for people with pre-existing conditions. You have to actually apply for a plan to get the real rate. A local broker could also help you get premium rates.

I assume that you'll be eligible for Cobra, and I think Cobra is good for up to 18 months. That might be an option if you're planning to move to a different country later. Or, you could move to a state like MA that requires that health insurance companies offer plans to everyone regardless of pre-existing conditions.

Also, be aware that health insurance premiums can dramatically rise from year to year.

[DrummerDave]

Some good ideas. Thanks.

So for now Im going with:

1) Group plans.
2) Move to a state that cant deny
3) Get a visa in a country w/ a good med plan.

For the short term, a group plan may be the way to go.

[TimWieneke]

Do a google search for:

"The Complete Idiot's Guide to free Healthcare"

or

"Free Healthcare for Dummies"

America is full of free or very cheap health care if you know how to find it and can learn to use it.

As to insurance, my Dad was able to get health insurance for a couple hundred bucks a month and he's 58 and on blood pressure medication. This is where you need to put your brain to work and create something that makes you a couple hundred bucks a month to buy your health insurance.

[heather10]

I had a similar question when I quit my job and had to find my own insurance. If you get an individual health insurance plan, you can just apply and buy it online. The application process is similar to when you filled out your group health insurance form. There is a very broad price range, depending on the type of plan you want. That's the good news. You can choose whatever you need. Search around different company sites and see which policy best suits your needs.

[leolaff]

Do a google search for:

"The Complete Idiot's Guide to free Healthcare"

or

"Free Healthcare for Dummies"



A Google search for either of those books comes up blank. If you have these books, please write me.

Leo