# Health insurance



## vanille (Jan 5, 2011)

Hello,

My husband, 2 year old son and I are moving to Los Angeles in February.
We do not have jobs lined up, but we have enough savings to live comfortably for a few months while we look, and if all goes pear-shaped, to get back home to Australia.
My biggest fear is health insurance. Coming from a country where most medically related services are free, this scares me. 
My question is: Is it better buying a long-term travel insurance from Australia that covers unlimited medical care, or should we purchase health insurance privately in Los Angeles?
The first way seem a lot cheaper.
Also, any advice on what I can organise online before we arrive? Eg; bank accounts, cell phone accounts etc. Is this even possible?

Thank you all for your time.

P.S- Please no negative posts regarding our move, we know all about the economic turmoil….blah, blah, blah…..but it has been well thought through, and it will not impact our family negatively if we decide to return to Sydney within a few months. We've got all angles covered & it is perfect timing for us!!


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## vanille (Jan 5, 2011)

I'm sorry, I forgot to ask which bank you can suggest for a good checking account and a potential small mortgage?? Thanks


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

What visa will you use to spend a couple of months job hunting? That determines some of the answers.


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## vanille (Jan 5, 2011)

twostep said:


> What visa will you use to spend a couple of months job hunting? That determines some of the answers.


We won the D-V Lottery. So a Greencard and/or permanent residency. I hope this helps!


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Ooh, lucky you! Congratulations on hitting the lottery!

You'll be in somewhat of a tricky bind regarding health insurance, in that travel health insurance is based on the country you're resident in and the fact of your changing residence is going to work against you. In the event of any serious medical issues, most travel policies would ship you back to Australia to collect on your national health care entitlement. Depending on how long you'd been gone, that might not work for you. 

OTOH, if you get a travel policy just for the first "few months" you are there, it might see you through to the point where one or both of you had found a job or made your decision about returning to Australia.

Buying private insurance in the US is going to cost an arm and a leg (and possibly a few vital organs, to boot). You may want to look into a "high deductible" policy, which means you'd pay for any non-critical care from your own pockets, but you'd be covered for emergency hospitalizations or accidents. There is a tax-advantaged scheme for such things (called a Medical Savings Account or MSA), but I'm not so sure that's workable upon your first arrival in the US. The Wikipedia article on MSA gives a reasonable summary of how the plans work.
Cheers,
Bev


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

I presume this will be your activation trip. Wait two weeks after entering the US then physically go to the local Social Security office with all your documentation to apply for your Social Security Numbers. They are a must!
Opening bank accounts does not require a SS# unless it is bank policy. Services offered are pretty much alike from bank to bank. Make sure you will not be charged for checks, account fee and have access to ATMs free of charge. 
Mortgage without US credit history and current employment will be close to impossible.
Pre-paid cell phones can be purchased all over from WallMart to drug stores. A regular cell phone contract will depend on the carriers' credit policy. Stores are everywhere. Google is your friend.
Your reason for travel is basically immigration. Check with your carrier if they will still cover you and if so for how long. Otherwise Google is again your friend - I would search for an agent in your target market and let him do some of the comparison shopping for you. Be prepared for sticker shock.
How is the job search coming along?


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## American_Woman (Mar 31, 2010)

A lot of jobs offer some kind of health insurance. My job had the BEST. I was covered on all medical, dental, and vision. Any family members I decided to add on would of course cost me a little bit from my check each week but it was well worth it. Once I lost that job buying it was totally out of the question. 

I had accounts with Wells Fargo (mortgage), and Bank of America (checking), but I'm pretty sure almost all banks are FDIC insured so as long as they don't charge stupid fee's for ATM/Checks, then it will probably be fine.


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## vanille (Jan 5, 2011)

twostep said:


> I presume this will be your activation trip. Wait two weeks after entering the US then physically go to the local Social Security office with all your documentation to apply for your Social Security Numbers. They are a must!
> Opening bank accounts does not require a SS# unless it is bank policy. Services offered are pretty much alike from bank to bank. Make sure you will not be charged for checks, account fee and have access to ATMs free of charge.
> Mortgage without US credit history and current employment will be close to impossible.
> Pre-paid cell phones can be purchased all over from WallMart to drug stores. A regular cell phone contract will depend on the carriers' credit policy. Stores are everywhere. Google is your friend.
> ...


Wow, thank you all for the help. I'm finding it very informative!
Yes it is our activation trip. On the original DV Lottery application, it asked if we would like SS to assign us a number after we arrive. We ticked yes. Would you still suggest physically going into an office or should we just wait for it to arrive in the mail?
Regarding a mortgage, I've been in touch with some major banks regarding it and they said they would easily give us a loan as long as we have 40% down payment. We actually do! Been saving like crazy to buy a house in Sydney, and it's such a nice surprise to know that our money goes a LOT further in America at the moment. Even though we just want a small loan, I wouldn't even go there until we secure stable jobs!
Thank you again, your advice is very good!


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## vanille (Jan 5, 2011)

Bevdeforges said:


> Ooh, lucky you! Congratulations on hitting the lottery!
> 
> You'll be in somewhat of a tricky bind regarding health insurance, in that travel health insurance is based on the country you're resident in and the fact of your changing residence is going to work against you. In the event of any serious medical issues, most travel policies would ship you back to Australia to collect on your national health care entitlement. Depending on how long you'd been gone, that might not work for you.
> 
> ...


Thank you! It took me ten years to win, but I finally did!

I think I will go ahead and get travel insurance for the first 3 months. If it works out and we get employed, hopefully we can get insured through work. Alternatively, if we struggle to find work, we can return to Sydney after a long 3 month vacation!! 
I think this is a decent solution. At least we will also get coverage for loss of personal items, etc..
Do you agree & think this is the best way to go??


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## vanille (Jan 5, 2011)

American_Woman said:


> A lot of jobs offer some kind of health insurance. My job had the BEST. I was covered on all medical, dental, and vision. Any family members I decided to add on would of course cost me a little bit from my check each week but it was well worth it. Once I lost that job buying it was totally out of the question.
> 
> I had accounts with Wells Fargo (mortgage), and Bank of America (checking), but I'm pretty sure almost all banks are FDIC insured so as long as they don't charge stupid fee's for ATM/Checks, then it will probably be fine.


Thanks for the advice! Just a quick question…Were there any fees associated with paying your mortgage from a checking account with another bank? If I was to be in the same position as you were, I'd like to do these transfers via internet banking.


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## American_Woman (Mar 31, 2010)

vanille said:


> Thanks for the advice! Just a quick question…Were there any fees associated with paying your mortgage from a checking account with another bank? If I was to be in the same position as you were, I'd like to do these transfers via internet banking.


I don't quite remember to tell you the truth but I don't think there was. We asked our original bank first but we just got a better rate elsewhere.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

I think working from the travel insurance for the first three months is a very reasonable way to go. Once you've found work, the health insurance should be part of the deal (though at the moment, it's not always the case). 
Cheers,
Bev


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