[Caitlin M]

We are considering moving to the US for a work opportunity. However we have a 9 year old with epilepsy, currently well-managed with medication. Will we have a problem getting health insurance? My understanding is that this will be a huge expense if we can't get him insured. From what I can ascertain, it's possible to negotiate coverage for him through the company health plan. Is this correct? This will be the pivotal point for deciding whether or not to take the job.
I've been doing some research - from what I can see, if we're in a group (which as part of a huge corporation we would be), there's probably going to be a waiting period of 6 to 12 months and then he would be OK. Do I have that right? this is confusing!

[Joshua]

your basically screwed if you come to the USA. OUr health care sucks at best. If your son already has a condition the negotiation your company was talking about is... yes they will let you pay out the ass for very little coverage .

[MedStudentInNeedofMoney]

It depends on who the insurance carrier is. Some will cover Prue-existing conditions and some won't. Best idea is find out who the company insurance carrier is and call them directly, explain the situation and find out if they will insure your child with his epilepsy. My son 4, also has epilepsy and his medication is around $400 a month just for one medication. Fortunately my husband is military and they have to cover him. Just to let you know I used to work for Pacificare who is a big health insurance company here. We once had a woman whose child was denied coverage for a Prue-exisiting condition. The mother raised hell and threatened to sue them and they covered him. It's amazing what the threat of a law suit can do sometimes. Good luck to you

[peterberdovsky69]

All of your assumptions seem correct. I would think that if you have an offer from a major US corporation/university, there would be no problem with getting coverage for the child through the company. He would be covered under your family policy. There are generally no exclusions for health problems of children under a family insurance plan. You may have problems with a smaller employer or if you're a lower wage worker (I don't know how else to put that). But if you come as an executive/professor - you should be OK. I would not come without a guarantee of coverage because, as you say, health insurance not gotten through an employer is expensive.

[catloverme123]

I'm not sure where you are from but if you or your spouse obtains a job in the USA and the person working is being sponsored by their employer for a visa then most likely the job is in demand and the benefits will be pretty good (by USA standards). Typically the waiting period for group (through your USA employer) medical insurance is not negotiable BUT the waiting period may be very short (like first of the month after hire). Ask the recruiter or human resource person at the employer prior to accepting the offer of employment. If the waiting period is too long or you do not feel comfortable with any waiting period then just apply for individual coverage for your child (or whole family - whatever you feel you need). Depending upon the coverage you get it can be anywhere from $350 to $500 per month for reputable insurance for ONE person (family rates are more like $800-1,300). But if it is short term you can elect a high deductible to get the price down. Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield offers a variety of programs that are PPO (Preferred Provider Organizations) which are cheaper and more flexible than HMO's in my opinion. If you let me know which state the job is in I can do some more research for you - just shoot me an email. Thanks and good luck to you!

[swimfreak]

it is something to ask the human resources person at the company you are supposed to be going to work for... they will have any information on health insurance benefits... most companies will make you wait 90 days before benefits start, and any care the child would need would be coming out of your pocket without any chance of being reimbursed... your part of the premium ranges anywhere from nothing to $450 a month for family coverage depending on the company you work for... private insurance sometimes can go as high as $2000. a month...ask about deductibles (the amount you have to pay before the insurance starts paying), any CAPs (the maximum amount the insurance will pay per person...ask about any 'Prue-exsisting condition clause' - if they have one that means they wouldn't pay for anything related to epilepsy anywhere from 3 months to 1 year... ask your doctors there if the medication he/she is on right now is available in the u.s. - not all medications are available in all countries...make sure the insurance you have even has a prescription plan to cover medications - not all do...some have a separate deductible and CAP....

there are alternatives for company or private health insurance plans here are are offered by the individual states' governments that only cover children, but 1) they suck -put plain and simple - not enough doctors take it, the waiting lists are sometimes 3-6 months for specialists (which you might need for epilepsy, depending on the doctor you would find - some are comfortable treating epilepsy, some will not want to deal with it and refer you to a specialist) 2) you have to meet income limits - that depends on how much your company is paying and how many people are in your family, 3) it takes months to get the process approved. 4) they are subject to residence and citizenship status alto of times (would need to check with the state you are moving to) so I dint know what your citizenship status would be.

[tim w]

Check to see if the new place of employment has an insurance plan. You can speak to someone in the Human Resource office and they can give you information on the questions you have. They are very informed on all aspects of the insurance coverage that is provided.