Health insurance is important. Health insurance is REALLY important. If you've just arrived to the United States, then I can't emphasize this enough. If your home country had some sort of public healthcare system you are in for a rude shock when you get here: that doesn't exist. You need health insurance!
Health Insurance 101 as an expat in the USA
Why is health insurance so important in America?
Because everything is out of pocket.
Go to a GP for a checkup (PCP)? Money required. Get rushed to hospital in an ambulance after an emergency? You could be up for thousands, tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of dollars. The costs escalate fast and you have no option, because you may be in a critical position.
I know this is somewhat morbid, but it's a reality that you need to face. There is no public safety net, so if you don't cover yourself, you will be liable for these costs, and for an estimated 530,000 families every year, it sends them bankrupt. That's how real this is.
A crash course in health insurance for expats in America
I'm currently writing my own but in the meantime: here are the top 15 healthcare terms everyone should know.
Having at least this up your sleeve helps and the more knowledge you have means you're more likely to signup for cost-effective, good insurance.
Also, the Australian Women in New York have written an AWESOME coverage all about health insurance and it's worth the read.
Health insurance if you no longer have employer-based coverage
Unfortunately, right now this is going to be a common scenario. With health insurance closely tied to employment, with all the loss of jobs at the moment we'll see so many go unemployed.
The first thing you should look into is COBRA
COBRA is an acronym for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, which provides eligible employees and their dependents the option of continued health insurance coverage when an employee loses their job or experiences a reduction of work hours.
There are some conditions on who can get this and it depends on your employer but basically you take both the employer's part of your insurance, and your own, and you pay the whole lot. This gives you the high quality of coverage you have come to love, but does cost you a lot more.
Healthcare exchanges and how they work in America for expats
Normally if you want to get onto the healthcare exchange, you need a special reason, but if you have lost your job due to the COVID-19 crisis, you are eligible for a special enrollment period with the exchanges (see more here).
This means you can browse through insurance that is available at HealthCare.gov and learn to compare and contrast the different offerings.
Health insurance for expats, an alternative option
Personally, I've used Cigna Global, a service that exists outside of the U.S. but provides coverage inside as an expat.
I've found the coverage to be solid, and it covers everything related to Coronavirus symptoms and can be applied for now.
This is basically insurance that looks like travel-insurance but is not. It isn't temporary, it's proper health coverage, but just using an alternative method because you aren't a citizen of the United States.
Health insurance for new arrivals to America
The first thing you should ask is: Does my employer supply health insurance.
Health insurance specifically for expats that I used when I first arrived in America
Personally, I've used Cigna Global, a service that exists outside of the U.S. but provides coverage inside as an expat.
Instead of using the exchanges, and comparing coverage that way, I found that Cigna Global could provide me with better coverage for less money, and I jumped on it.
I have now had a doctor visit and a dentist visit, and both were completely covered by my insurance but everyone is different, do your research, and ask lots of questions!
If you want to find out more about Cigna Global you can click here.
Employer-based health insurance
This is the most common way Americans get health coverage and is the most financially responsible method in most cases. Your employer will pay a part, and you will contribute as well. Generally, this will be the “cheapest” way you can get covered and have a high-quality coverage (because your employer ensures everyone in a block which has its advantages).
If your employer does not provide coverage (or you don't have an employer) then you have a few options.
Travel insurance (but only for a little bit)
In the very short-term, you can use travel insurance, but this is not for those who live abroad. This is for the transition period only and it's important you know that difference.
The healthcare “exchanges”
The second option is to pick your own plan from the healthcare exchange. I've written about this here, and this is what I used to do myself. I had Oscar and the coverage was pretty good. I found though that I was paying more than I had to and not getting a high level of coverage through this method.
For more information head to HealthCare.gov.
Please note that health insurance is a giant and monstrous issue in the U.S. This article barely scrapes the surface and is just intended as an introduction. Please don't rely on anything you read here or online anywhere. Not 100%, just use it to piece together the puzzle of your health insurance journey
Agree Cigna Global seems like a good option for ex-pats. That’s what I’ve used. And the benefit is it covers the rest of the world too. So if you are a person who travels a lot, it’s good to have that coverage. Just be careful – if you move back to Australia you will only be covered for a certain duration (I think it’s 6 months) because it’s designed for people who are residing outside of their home country. So after 6 months you’ll be considered a resident of Australia and it will not cover you.
In addition to Cigna Global, other expat insurance plans include GeoBlue, IMG, along with several others. The costs and benefits can vary widely so shop around and compare your options. Expat plans do not typically cover pre-existing conditions and there is a medical underwriting component to the application – so that is a consideration. US health plans will cover pre-ex but, because they do, they are often more expensive.
Hello I wanted to travel to American