Question for American expats regarding health insurance

I’m an American who recently got married to a Taiwanese person and in a few months will have health coverage here in Taiwan. My question is for those who are in the same situation, have you cancelled your health insurance back in America? Or do you have a reason to keep it going? I plan on moving back to the states in a few years, so I’ve kept my blue cross plan alive, although I’ve basically spent $70 a month on catastrophic coverage (like a $10,000 deductible) for the last 5 years for absolutely nothing. Thoughts?

Uh… are you sure your American health insurance even covers out-of-country stuff?

I’d say it would depend on how long you plan to stay here and how much it will cost to keep the insurance for that long. It may be more expensive later on to buy into something else, but then, you may be forced to have some other kind of insrance soon anyway, with the health care reform. In fact, because of that, I suppose it will not be more expensive to buy into later, as everyone will have to buy some sort of insurance, anyway. In light of that, then I don’t know what you’d need to hold on to your current insurance for, and I imagine it’s just a big hole in your pocket, draining a nice sum.

I guess yours is individual not group insurance and you want to keep it because you are not sure once you drop it, you might not be able to buy insurance again when you return. Are you also concerned that once you return, you can not find a job that provides group insurance? Since it is not a lot of money, you may want to keep it till 2014 at least.

By 2014, the US new healthcare reform bill, the so-call Obamacare will take effect. Each state will have an exchange setup for folks to purchase insurance with cheaper rate (cheaper than the individual insurance rate today), plus there is a subsidy if your annual income falls below certain level. There is no more denial due to pre-existing conditions.

See Healthcare reform bill 101:
csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2 … eform-take

I’m sure it doesn’t, but that wasn’t really the point of what I’m asking.

[quote=“fh2000”]I guess yours is individual not group insurance and you want to keep it because you are not sure once you drop it, you might not be able to buy insurance again when you return. Are you also concerned that once you return, you can not find a job that provides group insurance? Since it is not a lot of money, you may want to keep it till 2014 at least.

By 2014, the US new healthcare reform bill, the so-call Obamacare will take effect. Each state will have an exchange setup for folks to purchase insurance with cheaper rate (cheaper than the individual insurance rate today), plus there is a subsidy if your annual income falls below certain level. There is no more denial due to pre-existing conditions.

See Healthcare reform bill 101:
csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2 … eform-take[/quote]

That’s exactly why I’m thinking of just quitting my American health insurance plan until 2014 when the cheaper state plans come online. They can’t deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, so if something happens in the meantime where I need to get treated in Taiwan with my health insurance here, I don’t have to worry about getting denied back in the states simply because I haven’t had continuous coverage through that time. I can’t think of any downsides to this plan unless I have a heart attack during the two weeks I’m back home for Christmas?

[quote=“drvelocity”][quote=“fh2000”]I guess yours is individual not group insurance and you want to keep it because you are not sure once you drop it, you might not be able to buy insurance again when you return. Are you also concerned that once you return, you can not find a job that provides group insurance? Since it is not a lot of money, you may want to keep it till 2014 at least.

By 2014, the US new healthcare reform bill, the so-call Obamacare will take effect. Each state will have an exchange setup for folks to purchase insurance with cheaper rate (cheaper than the individual insurance rate today), plus there is a subsidy if your annual income falls below certain level. There is no more denial due to pre-existing conditions.

See Healthcare reform bill 101:
csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2 … eform-take[/quote]

That’s exactly why I’m thinking of just quitting my American health insurance plan until 2014 when the cheaper state plans come online. They can’t deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, so if something happens in the meantime where I need to get treated in Taiwan with my health insurance here, I don’t have to worry about getting denied back in the states simply because I haven’t had continuous coverage through that time. I can’t think of any downsides to this plan unless I have a heart attack during the two weeks I’m back home for Christmas?[/quote]

Actually, I think your Taiwanese health insurance would re-emburse you for up to what you would have paid in Taiwan for treatment. Not more than a drop in the bucket for what treatment would cost in the States, but something at least. More than what your American insurance will do for you over here.

I would strongly recommend travel insurance that includes medical coverage for trips back to the US, or trips to other places. We have always gotten it from HSBC, Hang Seng Bank or Bank of China here in Hong Kong, and have never had any trouble being reimbursed. We insured our whole family for around HK$500 for a month long trip we took to the US earlier this summer.

[quote=“drvelocity”][quote=“fh2000”]I guess yours is individual not group insurance and you want to keep it because you are not sure once you drop it, you might not be able to buy insurance again when you return. Are you also concerned that once you return, you can not find a job that provides group insurance? Since it is not a lot of money, you may want to keep it till 2014 at least.

By 2014, the US new healthcare reform bill, the so-call Obamacare will take effect. Each state will have an exchange setup for folks to purchase insurance with cheaper rate (cheaper than the individual insurance rate today), plus there is a subsidy if your annual income falls below certain level. There is no more denial due to pre-existing conditions.

See Healthcare reform bill 101:
csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2 … eform-take[/quote]

That’s exactly why I’m thinking of just quitting my American health insurance plan until 2014 when the cheaper state plans come online. They can’t deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, so if something happens in the meantime where I need to get treated in Taiwan with my health insurance here, I don’t have to worry about getting denied back in the states simply because I haven’t had continuous coverage through that time. I can’t think of any downsides to this plan unless I have a heart attack during the two weeks I’m back home for Christmas?[/quote]

Don’t bet on it. With Republicans hell-bent on repealing the Affordable Health Care act, I am not counting on anything.

[quote=“CraigTPE”][quote=“drvelocity”][quote=“fh2000”]I guess yours is individual not group insurance and you want to keep it because you are not sure once you drop it, you might not be able to buy insurance again when you return. Are you also concerned that once you return, you can not find a job that provides group insurance? Since it is not a lot of money, you may want to keep it till 2014 at least.

By 2014, the US new healthcare reform bill, the so-call Obamacare will take effect. Each state will have an exchange setup for folks to purchase insurance with cheaper rate (cheaper than the individual insurance rate today), plus there is a subsidy if your annual income falls below certain level. There is no more denial due to pre-existing conditions.

See Healthcare reform bill 101:
csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2 … eform-take[/quote]

That’s exactly why I’m thinking of just quitting my American health insurance plan until 2014 when the cheaper state plans come online. They can’t deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, so if something happens in the meantime where I need to get treated in Taiwan with my health insurance here, I don’t have to worry about getting denied back in the states simply because I haven’t had continuous coverage through that time. I can’t think of any downsides to this plan unless I have a heart attack during the two weeks I’m back home for Christmas?[/quote]

Don’t bet on it. With Republicans hell-bent on repealing the Affordable Health Care act, I am not counting on anything.[/quote]

I also think that the appeal might happen, though do the US people really want to go back to the stone age health care? Some elements of this healthcare reform will probably stay, it is just not clear which.

So, I would suggest to put a leach on and keep paying until 2014 and see what happens since it does not seem a lot of money. But I could be wrong about your finances.

Since $70 a month wouldn’t be much of a burden while living in Taiwan, I’d hold on to it. I don’t trust any of the politicians down there in Washington. Until they own health care is revoked totally, they don’t have any intention of doing anything practical for the average person. At least if you still have insurance as an existing customer, they shouldn’t be able to deny you coverage if you move back.

And don’t forget that when you have a rock-bottom-bare-minimum-catastrophic health care policy and you want to upgrade it to a more comprehensive policy, whatever health issues you’ve developed in the mean time will be considered as pre-existing conditions, at least under pre-Affordable Health Care Act rules.

So what is an early retiree to do? Stay in Taiwan until I am 65 when eligible for Medicare then decide again. That is what I am thinking.

Pretty much. That is, of course, unless the Republicans decimate Medicare.

I doubt it will be age 65 by that time. The pressure right now is toward raising the retirement age.

Local Taiwanese newspaper here in LA reported a record high Taiwan passports renewal rate this year. Many Taiwanese gave up their dream here and headed home for retirement.

Are you fucking kidding me? This enrages me…

Are you fucking kidding me? This enrages me…[/quote]
Not sure if you’re sincere in your outrage, or joking.

This has always been the case. Every time I get the renewal notice for my policy, it’s always noted that any increase in coverage is subject to medical review.

No I’m legitimately outraged… the ONLY reason I’ve been paying into the health care insurance racket for 5 years is because of a false sense of “preexisting condition” security. Unbelievable.

Guess we better hope that the Affordable Care Act doesn’t get repealed, then…