U.S. Health Insurance for Infant Vaccinations

In the process of researching our options but perhaps someone here might know...

Short version: Is it possible to get vaccinations done for my 7 month old in the U.S. without health insurance?

Long version: I'm American and for the last 4 years, I've been living in South Korea with my British husband and two kids (dual US/UK citizens). My youngest son was born in Korea in November 2016. I tried to apply for a UK spouse visa from Korea but the online application wouldn't let me even though I was a legal resident. We had to move back to England by March 2017 to get my 4 year old son's name down for a place for school. We travelled to the UK end of February and set up our house (owned by us), signed my son up for school, and registered my kids with the NHS. I was on a tourist visa but my husband and kids entered as citizens and are now considered UK residents. We pay council tax and UK income tax on our earnings now. 

My youngest began his vaccinations in Korea then continued with them in England. We came to NY the end of May for my settlement visa for what I thought would be a 6 week trip. It's now looking like we could be here all summer and I'm worried about continuing my son with his vaccinations. He's exclusively breastfed so returning to the UK without me is not an option.

I have not been a US resident since 2008 but have been forced to do my spouse visa from here. We're staying with my parents and do not have US health insurance. We have travel insurance through our bank (HSBC) but this does not cover basic health care like vaccinations.

I'd like to continue with his vaccinations as he's already missed his 6 month ones but am unsure of how to proceed.

Anyone have any experience/advice/ideas of where to start? I've called our local doctors office but they will not see my kids unless I transfer primary care to them, which I do not want to do.

The UK does vaccinations at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks.  Then at 13 months.  So I think you are good!

I believe the health department will vaccinate at low/no cost.

Depending on which vaccinations he needs, you may be able to get them at a CVS or Walgreens Minute Clinic.

Also, check with your local health department and acute care clinics.

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Thanks! I will find a contact for the health department. I've never lived with kids in the US so I have no idea how the system works.

I thought we would be ok with my son's vaccinations but my husband just returned to England Thursday and told me we had a letter waiting for us with a vaccination appointment we missed for the little guy. I think we are already a little bit behind the normal schedule because it took the NHS about a month or so to get him in the system and send us his initial appointment. On the bright side, they were really good about his Korean vaccination record and transferring that over to their system.

I showed someone his Korean record in the US and all I got was "that's not going to work" as if I could change the way Korean doctors do things because they didn't like the look of it.

Can't wait for this to be over!

Hi - You can pay cash and almost every doctor I ever ran into would work for that.  Vaccinations you'd pay for the office visit and the injection. You might have to give them "primary care" status temporarily, to assuage their liability insurance issues.

Some pharmacies will do vaccinations, but are regulated by state law (not Federal) as to whom they can vaccinate. You might be able to get a baby vaccinated in one state but not in the next one over.

Public Health services in some states will vaccinate your child at no cost, some won't see you unless you are low-income. Again, you're going to have to do research state-by-state.

Since you are a NYS resident right now, you could possibly apply for child health plus. It's the income-based state insurance that covers children. I don't know how long those applications take, but it would definitely cover vaccinations and any sick-visits needed while you are here.

https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/child_health_plus/eligibility_and_cost.htm

Also you might look here for info - there's a phone number

https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/immunization/

  registered my kids with the NHS. I was on a tourist visa but my husband and kids entered as citizens and are now considered UK residents.  He's exclusively breastfed so returning to the UK without me is not an option.

I've called our local doctors office but they will not see my kids unless I transfer primary care to them, which I do not want to do.

Are you concerned about registering you baby for primary care in the US because of you stating he was resident in the UK for some vaccinations for free in the UK, when you were visiting? You said before that your baby is now a residient in the UK but as far as the UK is concerned, is only on long holiday with you in the US while you wait for a spouse visa.

I doubt the NHS will be bothered that your breastfeeding baby had vaccinations for free on the NHS when visiting because it's in the interest of all children for your baby to be vaccinated too. It's very, very, unlikely they will ask you to pay for those and even if they did (which I doubt) private healthcare in the UK doesn't seem to be as expensive as in the US. UKVI might not have the same view as the NHS, but that doesn't matter as your child won't need to apply for a visa as they are a British citizen.

Regisiterng him for primary care in the US won't matter to the UK  because as a British citizen, he will be allowed free use of the NHS from day one when he resides, when you enter on your spouse visa with him.


Don't worry about vaccinations on the NHS. Do what you have to do to keep to his vaccinations schedule. He will be still be allowed free use of the NHS when he and you return.

Thinking on about you saying that as far as the UK is concerned, your child is residng in the UK but on a long holiday abroad; is this also about your husband claiming UK benefits for your baby who  in the US with you?

If it is, the UK often has time limits for benefits paid for children outside the EEA area, set by weeks and it's nothing to do with being on a long hoilday abroad. On benefit award letters it is made clear that a condition of being given benefits, is that all changes must be reported. The UK records all exits from the UK and that information is shared with government departments.

If your husband is claiming benefits for your baby in the US as well as your child in the UK, make sure he keeps all the benefits offices advised in writiing about when your child exited the UK and the EEA. The address will be on all the benefit award letters. Let them decide what happens. Keep a copy of that signed-for letter, so that they can't say at a later date that he didn't tell them.

Thanks for all of the help! There was a lot of good information here.

Just to be clear, this isn't a benefits thing. I'm not sure how the UK system works, but I don't think we would qualify, so we don't bother. Plus we've always been under the assumption we're not allowed anything from the UK since I'm a foreigner.

My children have never lived in the U.S. and I didn't want to transfer primary care because it would take quite some time to get their records from the 3 doctors in 2 separate countries they've had in the past. The doctors I talked to locally were really asking a lot. Like the vaccination booklet I have for my children from South Korea (where they have both lived the majority of their lives) wasn't enough and they wanted something from the doctor. However, as that's not the way it's done in Korea, I would have really struggled to jump through their hoops.

My cousin's wife is a PA and I think we will be able to sign up my youngest at her office just to continue his vaccinations; however, this is hopefully no longer a problem as I've just received a surprise email that my visa might be on its way. Still going to carry on signing my son up just in case though as it all seems too good to be true.

Thanks again for all the helpful advice!

 

however, this is hopefully no longer a problem as I've just received a surprise email that my visa might be on its way. Still going to carry on signing my son up just in case though as it all seems too good to be true.

Thanks again for all the helpful advice!
 

Fingers crossed  .

I'm not sure how the UK system works, but I don't think we would qualify, so we don't bother. Plus we've always been under the assumption we're not allowed anything from the UK since I'm a foreigner.   

The welfare system is in the process of changing with the new welfare reform laws that have been going through parliament since about 2008 and the new system is finally being rolled out nationwide from this year. Either way, as a Brit he can claim for income based benefit help for his children, but he now can't claim extra for a foreign partner anymore.

There seems to be a 3 month wait for this benefit when moving to the UK. That claim must be in the name of your husband only or else it is a breach of your visa conditions.
https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit/overview

The benefit called Tax Credits is nothing to do with paying taxes and is two types of benefits, Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits, based on income. That seems to have a 3 month wait when moving back to the UK.
https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/tax-credits

But Tax Credits are two of the income benefits being replaced under the Welfare Reform Acts by a benefit called Universal Credits, with a lot stricter rules for claimants. According to the CAB, that seems to be a 2 year wait for this benefit when moving to the UK aftr being out of the UK for more than 4 weeks, but will depend on if UC is in your area yet. From this year, all income based claimants of working age will be moved onto this new benefit.
https://www.gov.uk/search?q=universal+credit

Tax Credits, Housing Benefit and their replacement Universal Credit, now has a two child limit for claims. Child Benefit (the first one I mentioned) does not have this limit.

It's worth having a look but I have no idea how they work in practice. Sites like this will know
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=139
but they won't know about the immigration laws of "no recourse to publis funds" on visas.