# Health care insurance cost?



## Ibero (Oct 7, 2014)

Any estimates if you are 70+?


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Ibero said:


> Any estimates if you are 70+?


If looking for plans on the individual market then there are a couple of factors.

What is your income? (some people get subsidies to pay for their premiums depending on whether their state extended Medicare when Obamacare was introduced?

What state are you living in?

What level of plan you would need.

Doing a quick search on coveredcalifornia and with an income of 60K a bronze plan (the lowest) premiums starts at around $600 for a one person household. This is with a deductible (you pay for everything up to this amount) of $6300.00

Who know whether Obamacare will be around for? After that it is anyone's guess what premiums on the individual market will be.

Perhaps another way to look at it would be, if you don't have health insurance visa employment if you move to the USA you should be thinking twice about it.


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## Ibero (Oct 7, 2014)

Crawford said:


> If looking for plans on the individual market then there are a couple of factors.
> 
> What is your income? (some people get subsidies to pay for their premiums depending on whether their state extended Medicare when Obamacare was introduced?
> 
> ...


I live in Sweden now, consider US, have a low pension and good savings.
Got reminded seeing an English TV show A place in the sun about old Brits moving to US and thought, how do they get healthcare insurance.

We have free in Australia but Sydney had record +47C today.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Ibero said:


> I live in Sweden now, consider US, have a low pension and good savings.
> Got reminded seeing an English TV show A place in the sun about old Brits moving to US and thought, how do they get healthcare insurance.
> 
> We have free in Australia but Sydney had record +47C today.


What visa do you plan to use? Most insurance plans are not open to tourists.


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## Ibero (Oct 7, 2014)

twostep said:


> What visa do you plan to use? Most insurance plans are not open to tourists.


Marriage, investment or employment I guess. How can retired Brits just move over?


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Ibero said:


> Marriage, investment or employment I guess. How can retired Brits just move over?


Most retired Brits don't - primarily because of the health care costs. (which go up the older you get).

IF they do decide to move they get their US citizen children to sponsor them.


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## Ibero (Oct 7, 2014)

Crawford said:


> Most retired Brits don't - primarily because of the health care costs. (which go up the older you get).
> 
> IF they do decide to move they get their US citizen children to sponsor them.


Those we saw did not and had a limited budget so I guess they forgot. All we need is to get shipped home asap. 
But read it may cost us 2000 US/month. May be cheaper to get it at home before.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

A big part of it is that, in the US health insurance is pretty well based on the notion that you will have Medicare once you turn 65 and that any insurance policy is only a supplement to Medicare benefits. It's possible to buy into Medicare, but for that you have to have lived in the US for 5 years.

From what I know, many Brits who "live" in the US get the type of visa where you can make multiple trips as long as you don't overstay the guidelines - winds up being a total of 6 months in a year. That allows them to retain their British residence so that they're covered by the NHS as long as they manage to get "shipped home asap." It's not an "immigration visa" and so they are not considered resident in the US.

Even just for travel insurance, it can be difficult to find coverage for the US if you're over 65. But yes, you'll probably do better (at least in terms of coverage) if you find a private policy from outside the US. Medical insurance is expensive in the US, in part because the fees charged are not subject to any kind of controls and there is no real "national" health care plan.
Cheers,
Bev


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## AndrewFranklin (Jan 25, 2018)

Our Medicare system is broken down into two parts. Part A covers hospitalization and similarly incurred costs. Part B covers physician services and diagnosis (lab testing, Xrays, MRI and CT scans, etc.). To qualify you need a permanent resident visa and to have lived here continuously for 5 years. At that point with no work history in the US you will still have to pay a part A and B premium which for 2018 is $422 and $134 respectively.


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## Ibero (Oct 7, 2014)

AndrewFranklin said:


> Our Medicare system is broken down into two parts. Part A covers hospitalization and similarly incurred costs. Part B covers physician services and diagnosis (lab testing, Xrays, MRI and CT scans, etc.). To qualify you need a permanent resident visa and to have lived here continuously for 5 years. At that point with no work history in the US you will still have to pay a part A and B premium which for 2018 is $422 and $134 respectively.


A month of course


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Ibero said:


> A month of course


Yes, per month, per person. The sums quoted $422 + $134 for premiums do not include the deductibles one needs to pay for treatment - Medicare usually covers 80% of medical costs.

Medicare does not cover long term nursing home care.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Crawford said:


> Yes, per month, per person. The sums quoted $422 + $134 for premiums do not include the deductibles one needs to pay for treatment - Medicare usually covers 80% of medical costs.
> 
> Medicare does not cover long term nursing home care.


https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/long-term-care.html

https://www.visitorguard.com/obamacare-for-usa-visitors-and-immigrants/
B1/B2 does not seem to qualify for the socalled Market Place.


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## Ibero (Oct 7, 2014)

twostep said:


> https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/long-term-care.html
> 
> https://www.visitorguard.com/obamacare-for-usa-visitors-and-immigrants/
> B1/B2 does not seem to qualify for the socalled Market Place.





> TOTAL: $349.94 for
> 6 month 1 days of coverage


Month/total or very limited?


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Ibero said:


> Month/total or very limited?


You have to read the small print.


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