Moving over to the States

[Smile]

Hello,

I am from the UK and have an 11 year old daughter with CF. I wondered if anybody could help me with how we go about getting cover for her if we decided to move to Connetticutt. My brother in law lives in Connetticutt with his wife believes that if my husband gets any kind of job, he will be entitled to medical insurance which will cover our daughter's Cystic Fibrosis. Could anybody shed some light on this please. I would be very grateful. Many thanks Donna x

 

[anonymous]

It is very possible that your husband will have a group insurance plan through his employer. I don't think companies are required to offer insurance, especially if they are smaller ones w/ few employees. Most reputable companies do offer insurance. He should ask up front about their ins plan & how much (if any) it will cost out of each of his paychecks to have the insurance before he even accepts a job. Also, he should ask if there is a waiting period for pre-existing conditions such as CF, diabetes, MS, etc.
One thing I will warn you of is that most likely CF will not be 100% covered like it is there in the UK (from what I understand). There may be co-pays with each doctor's office visit and everytime you fill a prescription not to mention at the first of every calandar year there may be deductibles that you have to meet before insurance pays their portion.
I'm not trying to talk you out of this, just making sure that you know all that could be involved with your move to the states.
One thing that I'm guessing would be a plus is that YOU will have more of a say on treatment/care of your child instead of a government body dictating what you can or can't do.
Good luck!

 

[JazzysMom]

Another thing regarding insurance here in the U.S. is if it is an HMO or any type of managed care plan, you need to be aware of potential limits of who you can see, how much meds you can get &/or the $$$ limit for the year or liftime. Not too mention if for some reason that job or insurance is lost, what then? CF is very expensive to care for here. I just want to make sure you cover all your basis before making the move!

 

[anonymous]

Hi, I live in massachusetts and I actually work in Webster, MA which is right on the connecticut border. I have alot of friends and coworkers who live in Connecticut, but work in MA and have MA health insurance (most plans are called Fallon or Blue Cross/Blue Shield). My daughter had CF and she is almost 19 months ols and she has excellent coverage! I have never had the Fallon insurance even question any of her appointments or treatments, and in fact, she has the #1 CF doctor in massachusetts at UMASS. Please feel free to email me - I normally sign in but realized I didn't this time, but my name is Monica and my email is mzicuis@hotmail.com. Maybe you could tell me where in Connecticut you are moving and what kind of jobs you or your husband would be looking for and I could be of some assistance.