Health insurance USA

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS EX-PAT BRITISH TRUCKERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

I’ve just been reading lately about how health insurance works in the USA, and have to say it is not looking very good.
Some drivers that are owner operators are quoting $1000 per month for a couple, so what about a family man with 2 children , lets say?
There is then something like copay, that depending on type of insurance you need to pay up to several thousands dollars if you get seriously sick.
Some people need to file for bankruptcy, when they get serious illness, serious bills to pay.
From what I’m reading it looks like the best option is to be employed by a good company that offers good health care, best one offer 80% coverage, apparently there are a few that offer 100%, but there is only a very few of them, and they are mostly in banking or IT sectors of the economy.

It would be interesting to learn from some of you guys that live and work in the US, what kind of health insurance you have provided and what do you need to pay when you need to see a doctor, or need your health insurance to cover some serious long term illness, as these days hardly anybody dies from old age in their sleep.

2

Average $1200 a month for a family of 4 . Any decent jobs give you a healthcare package though . You’ll never move there so why concern yourself ?

3

Yes, TTM, you’re right, I will never move there, but I’m just curious how it works over there.
From what I’m reading the US health system is the least efficient out of all industrialised countries, but then, on the other hand it is the best as all rich people with money go there if they need any complicated surgery operation done, so I’ve been wandering what kind of deal do regular people get, and the picture isn’t pretty from what I can see .

Apparently when people are looking for a job over there, very important question to ask at the interview is what kind of benefits package the company is offering, and what kind of health insurance as there are myriads of types of health insurance available.
Very good company would pay 80% of the costs of the health insurance and the employee pays 20%.
Most companies pay only 70%, and the employee 50%
There are companies that pay only 50%, some don’t offer health insurance at all, you need to look for one on your own.
Very, very few offer 100% cover, but these companies are mostly in banking and IT sectors, all very large corporations with monopolistic market share.

Most companies can get decent deals when they shop for health insurance as they buy it in bulk to insure hundreds or thousands of their employees.
The worst off are small business owners, self employed, as they don’t have buying power.
There is an interesting thread over here:

thetruckersreport.com/truck … ce.436059/

There are instances when you think you are being insured, but then your insurance company might stop paying for your treatment if something goes wrong and you are being left to your own devices, you need to sell house, or go bankruptcy route.

Apparently there has been some law introduced recently that these days you can’t go bankrupt due to unpaid medical bills, at least that’s what I’ve been reading.

Then there is something called copay and deductibles.

Every health insurance has this clause it is in thousands, the first few thousands of any medical bill you have to pay yourself, before your health insurance starts paying for the rest, providing they don’t refuse.

people apparently are scared calling for ambulance as it costs so much.

Visits to emergency rooms are apparently very costly.

youtube.com/watch?v=tNla9nyRMmQ

I remember when I was researching Canada, someone advised me , when you get to work for somebody, and sent to the US, make sure you get good health insurance for the US.

youtube.com/watch?v=DublqkOSBBA&t=220s

I’ve also read that health insurance costs go up by 10% every year

Scare stuff

4

Arguably much better to know what the costs are and pass them on into the economy in the form of the wages required to pay for it.As opposed to the UK system of an underfunded health care system in which it’s quite possible that people will be effectively allowed to die in the form of rationing, ‘triage’/prioritisation because there just ain’t enough intensive care provision for everyone who needs it for one example.Among other cheap rate treatment options.Not to mention home owners can easily lose their house to pay for care costs because after care isn’t covered by the NHS.

5

“1,000 a month” That’s a joke FFS, I have to pay $160.00 a week as a company driver and if I am actually too sick to work, after 6 weeks I lose it and will have no treatment, I have cancer of the blood but I can’t stop work, if I do I will be uninsured and get no treatment. Read my post on the UK drivers forum about the NHS, I just posted it, I am not writing it again because its too long. Don’t even complain about the wonderful NHS.

6

I heard a great quote yesterday on the radio, “American healthcare is the best in the world until you need it.”

7

I was on holiday in Hawaii a couple of years back when I heard a USA health care horror story. A bloke from New Jersey had a relative visiting another relative in hospital . The visitor took suddenly ill and was taken down to emergency she was given a quick check a glass of water and immediately “pulled out” of whatever situation she was in. She left the hospital immediately a short time later the bill arrived in the amount of $5000.

8

neilg14:
I heard a great quote yesterday on the radio, “American healthcare is the best in the world until you need it.”

:smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

9

As I have mentioned before I have cancer of the blood and get targeted chemotherapy to control it, if I don’t work for 6 weeks my very expensive health insurance will be taken from my and I will basically be left to die.
My wife was taken seriously sick last spring and has been in and out of hospital several times, she has almost died 4 times, the last time being 2 weeks ago after she had been discharged for only 36 hours, as in previous cases I called an ambulance and they took her to Rutland hospital in Vermont, each time and ambulance is called I get a bill for $1,000… Each night she spends in hospital is charged to the insurance company at $3,500 a night, with medication and treatment it’s about $6,500 a 24 hour period.
Our medical bills combined exceed $1 million so far and if that ■■■■■■■ Trump and his Republican ■■■■■■■ get their way and repeal Obamacare I will be denied all future cover and left to die because my targeted medication costa $16,000 a month. Don’t ever complain about the NHS, you have the best system on the planet and live in the best country also.