Guest Post by the Healthcare Insurance Group.
Many of us forget that between the US and
the UK there is a great deal of difference in terms of healthcare. Whereas all
citizens of the UK are entitled to free healthcare, it is often much more
difficult for those in the US to access healthcare without having health
insurance.
The Health Insurance Group is
here to highlight some of the fundamental tenets of the American health system. Here are 4 things about American healthcare every British expat should know:
1.
You will require international health
insurance in order to avoid paying hefty bills whenever you visit the
Doctor’s in the US. When taking out this insurance, pre-existing medical
conditions will be taken into account, meaning that the cost of your healthcare
may be affected.
2.
In the US, if you require
access to free healthcare you must first apply to prove that you do not have
the income available in order to pay for your healthcare. The plans for this
include Medicare for over 65s and Medicaid for those who simply do not have the
finances to pay for hefty hospital bills.
3.
Dental and Eye care is often
not included in health insurance policies in the US, but can be purchased as
additional services on standard insurance plans.
4.
The cost of healthcare is also
wildly different, with the US’s percentage of GDP being spent on healthcare
being almost twice that of the UK last year. This is due to the huge costs
related to the service, with a hospital room costing around $1,000 per night.
When looking at these key facts about the
US healthcare system, it is clear that those looking to move to the US should
invest in private medical insurance. Whilst this is a choice in the UK, where patients have access to free healthcare, living in America without access to
some form of insurance will leave you with a rather large bill after even the
simplest of medical procedures.
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I wrote a little article on this on EasyExpat.com - and I am covered through my husband's comprehensive policy, but would still recommend anyone to research and look around at what is needed/available, so this is a useful post.
ReplyDeleteMolly @ The Move to America
Odd that the US spends all most double that of the UK per capita on health care yet in the UK we have lower infant mortality and longer life expectancy.
ReplyDeleteWith help of relevant medical insurance cover, you will be able to cover your family.
ReplyDeletebut be warned even with insurance you can still face a hefty bill, for example even with health insurance my absolutely healthy pregnancy and delivery with my daughter was over $7000 (out of my pocket)
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