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Health insurance for Crohns patients in the US

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 9/24/2011 8:58 AM (GMT 0)
Hello All,

I'm in my 30s, living in Germany and suffering from Crohns for the past 4 years. Health Insurance here in Germany is generous and thus far, we have not felt the burden of crohns-related expenses.

Now, my spouse has a good opportunity to move to California on work and from the internet discussions that I read, health insurance for Crohns patients in the US does not sound promising.

What are the monthly expenses for Crohns patients in the US? To give some basis for your feedback, my daily dosage consists of 125mg Azathioprin, 6mg Budenosid & 200mg Ferrosanol Duodenol.

I have read that people with Crohns are generally not accepted by the insurance companies out there. True?

We are still not sure as to what the host company offers from a health insurance perspective. But I'm looking for ballpark figures from folks in this forum. That will certainly help us decide if the move is worth at all or if it is fraught with too much risk (purely from my health considerations).
Thanks for your time!
Posted 9/24/2011 12:56 PM (GMT 0)
It really varies. I have very good insurance from my employer with no caps and no issues paying for drugs/treatment. So, for me insurance isn't an issue. Others aren't so lucky. Some folks don't have insurance or it is limited.
Posted 9/24/2011 2:37 PM (GMT 0)
I really depends on the company and what they offer. I work for a large company and my insurance is much like Chris B describes. I have what is called an HMO and it is much cheaper for me.
Posted 9/24/2011 4:58 PM (GMT 0)
If you are not getting group insurance from an employer, it is almost impossible to get an individual policy with any company if you have CD..There is such thing as a waiting period that can be 90 days with most group plans to access coverage. This can leave you uninsured and subject to pre-existing condition non-pay for up to twelve months. My current employment there was 90 days of no coverage but there was no pre-exisiting conditions when it kicked with good coverage. There is such thing as a gap policy for that 90 day period of time with small companies but most CD patients don't qualify. Some employers offer great coverage at a large expense, and some employers insurance is limited with a high deductible. It is important with Crohns and looking at employment in the US what the company offers in health insurance coverage along with waiting periods/pre-existing policies. If an employer does not offer health insurance, it is next company to get coverage on your own..(FYI)..I want to switch to another employer right now that would allow me to work from home, but they do not offer health insurance as part of their package. I pay $400 a month for family coverage with my employer, and it can be alot higher with many other companies with less coverage. I have terrific coverage right now, which has not always been the case. My last job I paid $546 a month for me and my husband. The policy only had 6 Dr visits per year, prescription coverage, a $5000 deductible, and cap on payment of $25,000 per year.
Cindy
Posted 9/24/2011 5:19 PM (GMT 0)
I have insurance through my husband and it is a pretty good insurance.I have a PPO.

When I applied to grad school and residency, I did a lot of research into insurances. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a private plan or even short term coverage. So I had to choose both school and residency by which insurance was the best. Honestly, I would recommend doing a bit more research into the insurance companies. Someone my age (27) with absolutely no medical problems ever recorded can expect to pay ~$2500/year for a plan that is relatively decent. Insurance companies in the US will look for any reason to deny you or limit coverage. One friend got denied major medical (basically, only covers hospitalizations and severe life-threatening illnesses) because she had a chemical peel done in high school.

The insurance situation is really crazy. If your spouse can't get decent coverage for you through work, it might be a huge gamble to come this way.

Though I have to say that I'm cynical about insurance companies from all the phone calls/letters/general harrassment I've had to wage on them to get certain things covered... rolleyes
Posted 9/24/2011 9:05 PM (GMT 0)
the new health care act by Obama was supposed to eliminate pre-existing conditions, but the Health care act is so complicated and I don't even know if it applies to everyone or when it is supposed to take effect. Is there any way to work in California but keep insurance coverage in Germany? Big American companies that offer group insurance may have a wait, but will have to offer coverage to all of their employees if it is part of their benefit package. the problem is that if you lose your job, you can pay a lot of money to extend coverage, (called the COBRA plan) but then it is really hard to get insured. In other words, there are some good insurance policies in the United States, but not everyone has access to them, so be very careful and check this out before making a decision.
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