Returning American Expat needs health insurance
September 19, 2015 12:01 AM Subscribe
My husband and I are Americans who have been living in the UK for 15 years. We are thinking of returning to the US. We are self-employed. Where do we even begin to look for health coverage?
Things have changed a lot regarding health insurance since we left and extra problem...I do have a pre-existing chronic condition. Can you tell us how to start researching this? Thank you!
Things have changed a lot regarding health insurance since we left and extra problem...I do have a pre-existing chronic condition. Can you tell us how to start researching this? Thank you!
Certain states have their own exchanges. So if you moved to CA, Covered California is the marketplace you'd go to. But healthcare.gov will be the first place to go.
Welcome home!
posted by persona au gratin at 1:45 AM on September 19, 2015
Welcome home!
posted by persona au gratin at 1:45 AM on September 19, 2015
Things have changed a lot regarding health insurance since we left and extra problem...I do have a pre-existing chronic condition. Can you tell us how to start researching this? Thank you!
One of the things that has changed is that your pre-existing condition is no longer a problem! Insurers are no longer allowed to deny insurance to you on those grounds, charge you more, or deny you care. You'll probably want to look at better (ie, more expensive) plans because you can expect to need more treatment, and higher premiums mean more of your treatment will be covered, but the old problem of "I know for a fact I need care, so nobody will give me insurance" is gone thanks to the Affordable Care Act.
posted by Tomorrowful at 8:43 AM on September 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
One of the things that has changed is that your pre-existing condition is no longer a problem! Insurers are no longer allowed to deny insurance to you on those grounds, charge you more, or deny you care. You'll probably want to look at better (ie, more expensive) plans because you can expect to need more treatment, and higher premiums mean more of your treatment will be covered, but the old problem of "I know for a fact I need care, so nobody will give me insurance" is gone thanks to the Affordable Care Act.
posted by Tomorrowful at 8:43 AM on September 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
As noted, health insurance is still regulated by the states. The private health insurance market still exists. Many of the ACA plans have high deductibles. If you don't like those plans, there will be an insurance broker happy to find a better (more expensive) p!an.
posted by SemiSalt at 9:11 AM on September 19, 2015
posted by SemiSalt at 9:11 AM on September 19, 2015
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If you have an idea of where you might relocate, you can go here and put in the location to find a Healthcare Navigator, and actual person who can assist you to find coverage. If you have no idea where you might move and you're both self-employed, you might want to look at the states with the best coverage to cost and consider those.
posted by DarlingBri at 12:10 AM on September 19, 2015 [7 favorites]