Serious question about US health insurance - please advice

[Pekka]

I've been doing A LOT of research on my condition. My problem is that I've been told point blank by my oncologist that the hospital (or in this case, equivalent of the city and country) won't recommend any action to be taken and considers this a lost cause (= waste of money). She also told me that she really is of different opinion and as a specialist thinks that there are plenty of things to do. She personally put up a fight to get me some more scans but I'm soon out of them. Problem is that then I go back there when I get symptoms, which pretty much means no early detection and bad odds. With early detection, I get a fair chance. Alas I've been informed this will not be the case. The people making the decision on my behalf are not experts of this issue and this makes me angry, by reading just few books I'm confident there's tons of stuff we need to try, and lots of medicine as well we can try if we need, instead of giving me a one-shot with some generic pill. My own doctor is an expert on this particular thing I have and has pretty said said her hands are tied and she's sorry, she fought and got something but the future fights aren't looking promising with the decision makers.

So. Hopefully having a new job soon will boost my experience a lot and raise me to a new level of income (still won't help me). After tons of research on the topic, I do believe I should definitely be in the US and there are few hospitals in particular that would suit my condition the best. The difference is self-explanatory, it is life and death.

Now, I figure I have few years I could work the job (that I hopefully get soon), and after that I would be able to move to US permanently and should get a good job in the field. How does the health insurance work in there, and would I need to be a citizen or ... how can I get the premium stuff where I get all the options I need?

[Pekka]

Also, Canada is a possibility. Either Canada or US. This will not be very cheap but I expect to get a good salary and pay lots of taxes as well. What ever it takes.

[Jon Miller]

You get the health insurance as soon as you start working the job/etc, you don't need to be a citizen or anything in the US.

In CA I believe that it is more state run. You will have to deal with that.

Note that things are very expensive in the US if you don't have insurance. Also, for expensive things, the health insurance companies will fight to not pay.

I think they are happy to pay for scans?

JM

[Pekka]

You get the health insurance as soon as you start working the job/etc, you don't need to be a citizen or anything in the US.

In CA I believe that it is more state run. You will have to deal with that.

Note that things are very expensive in the US if you don't have insurance. Also, for expensive things, the health insurance companies will fight to not pay.

I think they are happy to pay for scans?

JM

With CA do you mean Canada or California?

I'd never even try it without a good job. There's the fight, I wonder what their policies are on conditions that exist. Would there be a waiting period after which they'd OK it? For example, I can't get a life insurance in here until 5 years has passed without reoccurring tumors, and basically even after that it can be a fight.

I just want the best mixture of doctors and my ability to pay. Right now, even if I had a lot of money, it wouldn't help in here. Is it possible to get a good insurance in there, and then, if you have had something like I've had in the past, just pay a bigger price for the insurance?

[Jon Miller]

Canada.

In the US they try not to pay for pre-existing conditions which were not being treated/etc by insurance.

I think you can claim that it is OK since you were being treated in Finland?

JM

[Jon Miller]

If you do get denied health insurance, I think you can still get it (for more money though):

http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/choices/pre-existing-condition-insurance-plan/index.html

JM

[notyoueither]

Healthcare is managed province by province in Canada. One place may be easier to get some treatments in than another.

Is there a particular hospital in Canada that would be good for you?

Pre-existing conditions are not an issue in Canada. Residency (generally 6 months) establishes coverage in whichever province you move to. When you move the old province continues to cover you until the new province takes over.

[DaShi]

You are completely uninsurable in the US.

[Hauldren Collider]

I would imagine that a current cancer patient would have trouble getting an insurance company to agree to pay for ongoing treatment, yes. That's not really insurance...

Regardless, best of luck, Pekka.

[notyoueither]

There may be immigration problems into Canada for similar reasons. I'm not sure how that works.

[Archbob]

In the US, they generally won't pay for known pre-existing conditions, so you'll have to pay out of pocket. If you have money however, its the best healthcare you can buy anywhere in the world.

[Jon Miller]

I would imagine that a current cancer patient would have trouble getting an insurance company to agree to pay for ongoing treatment, yes. That's not really insurance...

Regardless, best of luck, Pekka.

If they were already covered by another company, then they have to I think.

The question is if Finland counts as another company.

JM

[Jon Miller]

Reading up more about it, CA would probably be the better option.

Or getting no health insurance and making a lot of money in the US.

JM

[Pekka]

Thanks for good responses!

Canada would be as good IMO. There are few places specifically in the US that would specialize with what I need.

As for treatment, I am not undergoing any treatment now. I'm am "cancer free", the problem is that these types tend to return. So that's why I'm concerned about doing all the things I can do 1) prolong that return and 2) if it returns, get the best possible things I need. In here, it's not THAT bad, I actually got an excellent surgery, the place was specialized in it and the surgeons were pretty elite. One of them was actually an American The other one was a distant relative (we don't know each other). So lol.

But that's in the past, I'm not eligible to go there anymore and also I wouldn't be worried if I knew I'd get the best I can in here. But I've been told I won't, so it's not like I can just quietly accept that.

This all said, Canada is as good, if I get few things going right in the next year, I should have a good position to get a good job that pays well in either country. I have no doubt about it, I just need to know how I can get myself in treatment if the time comes. I realize I'm pretty much not your best insurance candidate, I can't get insured here either!

About those hospitals, I've taken notes (a lot of them) and so I'd have to compile them, can't remember them from the top of my head. But they're in US and Canada.

In short: I don't need treatment right now, but in the future very likely. I won't get the best treatment possible in here in the future, as my own doctor has informed me. She told me to realize this (I really appreciate the info!) and that a lot can be done, just not here right now. If everythign goes as planned, I should be able to land a good job after a year or so. So I can pay higher prices most likely, but of course I won't be a millionaire. But a good upper middle class income should be doable soon. US and Canada are my best options for both treatment and job prospects.

[Dinner]

Obamacare means insurance companies can no longer automatically decline people due to pre-existing conditions. Unfortunately they can still charge what ever they want so they can charge $1 million per day so the effect is just the same. No coverage.