Thread: Health insurance in Boston/US

Hello!

A general question about the health insurances in the US.
In my husbands benefit package their are several options to chose from.
However, my biggest concern is the exclusion of pre-existing conditions.
Is this a common practice in the US?
You know like it is here for example with BUPA? Asking about your health issues in the last 3 or 5 years and then exclude anything possible from your policy?
In my current company I am lucky enough to have a health plan that covers everything, pre-existing or not. But obviously in the UK the NHS covers it all if needed - even if you sometimes have to wait )

What is your experience with this?

Thanks,
Christine

Originally Posted by Christine Shaaban

Hello!

A general question about the health insurances in the US.
In my husbands benefit package their are several options to chose from. However, my biggest concern is the exclusion of pre-existing conditions.
Is this a common practice in the US? What is your experience with this?

Hi Christine, and welcome :)

Yes it's general common practice here in the US. Sometimes it's possible to select a plan and pay more to include pre-existing, but not always. It will generally all depend on the options of the plans available to you from your employer as an employee (better coverage and more flexibility = higher costs) and what the HR department at the company he's going to work for will say/do for him. Some pay for prescriptions, some pay dental, and all have a "deductable". i.e. The portion you pay yourself before the insurance covers you.
The government are supposed to be trying to get the practice of exclusion stopped, but that hasn't happened yet.

Health insurance varies according to the state you live in. You mention Boston, MA and if you live there you are in luck. In MA it's against the law to be without health insurance. The state has passed laws against you being refused insurance for pre-existing conditions. So if your husband's work is in MA the plans will cover you. The differences in the plans are usually how much you have to pay before the insurance starts to pay and the maximum amounts you will be charged a year for treatment. Also some plans give you better deals if you go to their preferred hospitals.