Hip, Hip, HIPAA

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Most of you won't have heard of HIPAA. It stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, passed by the US Congress in 1996 to protect workers when they lose healthcare benefits on changing jobs.

What's that got to do with us I hear you ask?

(No? Well I'm going to tell you anyway.)

Concerned

One of our main concerns in being in the US for so long is the availability of proper health care. It's ok having travel insurance - which we do, with AIG (oops) - but what happens if you need a flu jab or get a sore arm or just become ill without it being an emergency? I spent far too long before leaving researching all the possibilities and came to the conclusion that K may be able to get coverage, her being a US citizen and all; but I was stuffed because there was nothing for non-citizens with pre-existing conditions like diabetes.

Sad

It got worse, because many of the California providers won't insure even US citizens until they have lived in the state for 3 months. Then, in a moment of madness, or desperation, K spotted something on the US Department of Labor website explaining that Foreign Goverment public health plans - i.e. the NHS - qualified as coverage under HIPAA.

Which, boring you no longer, made us both eligible for health care plans without restrictions if we could find a provider. And we found one that would give me coverage so long as I had registered for US taxes (which I have). Not only that, there are no residence restrictions so coverage starts for both of us next month.

Happy

Yesterday our medical cards arrived in the post. Ok, it's going to cost the thick end of £500 a month between us PLUS $25 each time we step through a doctor's door, but it relieves a lot of pressure. And makes us appreciate what you get on the NHS just that little bit more. Not that the NHS have been entirely helpful in this process, asking 13 quid each to write letters confirming we had been registered with our GP (and a further £98 if we need any medical reports writing, so I hope not!), but it all worked out in the end.

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