Medical Insurance

[Collie 122]

I'm curious to know what you guys are doing for your parents with regards to medical insurance. Are there any providers/plans that anyone particularly recommends or if anyone wants to private message me, I would appreciate knowing what your parents are paying monthly on average if they have already arrived in the U.S. I'm starting to look for my parents at the moment as they are about to file - my Mum is mid 50's and my Dad is 60. Both have no pre-existing conditions.

Thanks in advance,

Kat

[ca_babe 129]

I'm curious to know what you guys are doing for your parents with regards to medical insurance. Are there any providers/plans that anyone particularly recommends or if anyone wants to private message me, I would appreciate knowing what your parents are paying monthly on average if they have already arrived in the U.S. I'm starting to look for my parents at the moment as they are about to file - my Mum is mid 50's and my Dad is 60. Both have no pre-existing conditions.

Thanks in advance,

Kat

Like most companies, my husband's nor mine doesn't cover parents or in-laws as dependents. Medicare is only eligible to those who had worked for at least 10 years and married to one. You can buy Medicare coverage after 65 but you have to be at least a permanent resident for 5 years. I've checked individual insurance plans and the cheapest I found was $700 per month for those without pre-existing conditions. Then, I found this one http://www.pcip.ca.gov/Home/default.aspx. It's part of Obamacare and available until Dec. 31, 2013 until the health insurance exchange becomes available in 2014. The PCIP has a $500 insurance premium per month and as the name implies, it's for people with pre-existing conditions only. My mom isn't here yet, but I've asked her to get a certificate from her doctor showing her diagnosis.

I've also checked whether I can use flexible spending account (FSA) from our work to pay for the insurance premiums that would allow us to pay for the premiums pre-tax, but it doesn't. I've also checked if we can get a tax deduction because my mom will be our dependent. For 2013, I can deduct medical expenses only after 10% of our modified adjusted gross income(MAGI). So, for example, if you have a $100,000 MAGI, you can only apply the medical expenses incur after spending $10,000.

Co-pays, co-insurances can be applied to your FSA account though so that would help some with the bills.

My conclusion in this matter is that if your parents can work, it's better for them to work so they can get health insurance through their work because group health insurance is a lot cheaper than individual ones. In California, insurance companies are not allowed to deny coverage to employees with pre-existing conditions. My mom doesn't want to work so our plan is for her to be here upto a maximum of 2 years to help take care of my kids. Otherwise, my kids won't go to college. hehe

Let me know the outcome of your search so far. You might have some information that I dont' know about.

[Collie 122]

Thanks for the info - I agree that I think it will be better for one of them to work. My Dad plans to be self-employed (he is an educational tutor for kids) but I think that my Mum will have to consider working for a company.

[Boiler 45,638]

This has been discussed many many times and there is simply no good solution. It is all a question of relative badness.

Last time I looked the Colorado scheme was around $800 per person and that is just the start if they do have medical issues.

Getting a job is one thing, getting a job with good medical insurance is another. Especially when it can in some cases double the hiring cost.

Obviously depends on her skill set and local job opportunities.

And who knows what the future will bring.