Health Insurance

[Rose416 1]

Hello,

I have been in California for nearly one month now and am without health insurance. My husband works for a non-profit and has great benefits. Unfortunately, we would have to pay high fees to have me included in the coverage, being that it is a charity.

I am looking for emergency coverage from now until I get a job (hopefully soon!) On-line research into Emergency Medicaid (Medi-Cal, in California), has left me very confused. I am young, and healthy, so my only real concern is being covered in case of a medical emergency.

If anyone can offer any advice or personal experiences with emergency Medi-Cal I would be so grateful! Or if anyone has any knowledge of private insurance companies offering temporary coverage to new immigrants, feel free to post!

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

Medicaid is a means tested benefit. You do not qualify until you are at least a Green Card holder for 5 years. If you have a medical emergency and find yourself in the ER, the good doctors and nurses will treat you until your condition approves, but they will send you the bill afterward and it will make you sick to your stomach.

I'm without medical insurance for several years now, as I can't afford the $20K plus payments each year. I follow the republicans' advice: don't get sick. I eat healthy, ride my bicycles, and don't engage in anything risky anymore. The $1,000 plus I 'save' per month I will use once I need to see the good doctor by paying cash, hopefully at a huge discount.

Edited September 8, 2010 by Just Bob

[tokyo.lovers 6]

you can get catastrophe insurance. that is usually about $50 a month, and covers nothing unless you have a big accident. then when you do end up in an ER, they drop you, and you fight for 1 year to get them to cover the bill. the usual.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Hello,

I have been in California for nearly one month now and am without health insurance. My husband works for a non-profit and has great benefits. Unfortunately, we would have to pay high fees to have me included in the coverage, being that it is a charity.

I am looking for emergency coverage from now until I get a job (hopefully soon!) On-line research into Emergency Medicaid (Medi-Cal, in California), has left me very confused. I am young, and healthy, so my only real concern is being covered in case of a medical emergency.

If anyone can offer any advice or personal experiences with emergency Medi-Cal I would be so grateful! Or if anyone has any knowledge of private insurance companies offering temporary coverage to new immigrants, feel free to post!

There are dozens of companies that offer temporary insurance to new immigrants. Do a google search for 'medical insurance immigrant'. You can spend hours shopping. How much you'll pay depends on what you want. "Major Medical" is a lot cheaper, but only covers serious problems, and not routine doctor visits. Policies with a lower deductible or higher cap will cost more. Shop and compare.

Also, any emergency room at any hospital in the state of California is required by law to treat you, regardless of whether you have insurance, are unable to pay, or don't have legal immigration status. However, if your condition is not life threatening then they will usually transfer you to the county hospital for treatment. Personally, if I had the option of being treated at a county hospital or dying, I think I'd choose death.

[tbaygrrl 2]

Just wanted to let you know this, as it may help you out for finding insurance. Your Canadian provincial health Insurace counts as previous coverage. This is important because some companies won't insure you if you didn't have previous coverage before moving to the States. Look into Humana. They have several individual options at all expense levels and are not fly by night insurance company. Hope this helps you out.