I know NHS isnt perfect, but...

But hey ho, you're saying you haven't got any money to even visit here for another two years, and then you'll have to pay all the immigration and relocation costs.  Plenty of time to find a way to get insurance in the US.

Exactly!!

There are loads of options in the US:

HIPAA laws in the US provide protection for pre-existing conditions.  If you are on an employer based group policy, then pre-existing conditions are covered.

If one doctor won't see the OP or provide decent care, try another.  It is certainly what you have to do in the UK.

I am also a bit concerned by the OP saying the only policy he can get is over 1000+ per month.  My family in the US is currently receiving decent PPO care through my mother's job but is also paying for a private policy.  This is literally the most expensive private policy you can get (not offered through an employer, low co-pays and deductibles) in her state and it is $1100 for the family.  

The OP just seems to have a lot of worse case scenarios -- high premium, high deductible, high co-pays, low paying job, poor hospitals, poor doctors.  While I do not disagree that this exists, it is certainly not representative of the US health care system as a whole.  Instead of getting a new job, moving to a new area, getting a new insurance policy, the OP wants to move to a new country -- with its own set of NHS problems and with no job.  It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

And please jediknight, no one is attacking you.  We are just pointing out the issues that you seemed not to have considered and giving our UK experience, which you have none.

Either way, I wish you the best but I fear if you are waiting a few years to move to the UK, to the solve your ills, things may not be looking up for a while.

What I hate is for people to tell me I am wrong for trying to improve our quality of life. From the outside looking in Europe has a better quality of live. We dont need big houses or American food to be happy and I was hoping to find friends here, but it seems like this board is similar to gajinpot.com's board and they dont want anymore foreigners there.

No one is saying you are wrong for improving your quality of life.  We are saying that a move to the UK *may* not improve what you think it will.  And further, you may be able to do more by looking for options close to home.  An international move is hard, more than hard.  And however hard you think it will be, multiple that by a hundred if you are starting from scratch (no job, no friends, no UK spouse, etc.).

And this is just the thing, from the outside looking in Europe looks good -- but you asked for practical experience.  And the UK isn't a bed of roses -- NO WHERE IS.

And no one said, hey American, stay away.  Now you are just being silly because you don't like what people are saying.  Some 90% of us are Americans here, in various stages of living in the UK.  Please, no one is saying go away.

ETA:  I am out of this.  Good luck to you. 

I don't think anyone is saying they don't want more 'foreigners' in the UK, but are instead trying to make you see that UHC isn't always the ideal situation that people who have never experienced think it is. I would never choose the NHS over the US quality of healthcare, especially after having had a baby on the NHS. Was it free? Yes, and that was great, although my husband certainly paid for it with his taxes. Was the quality the same as I would have had in the US? Not at all.

Perhaps saving for a visit should be your first priority.

I was hoping to find friends here, but it seems like this board is similar to gajinpot.com's board and they dont want anymore foreigners there.

Haha!  That'll get you friends quick.  

I can't speak for everyone else, but based on what I've read here, you've presented a simplistic view of US health care and UK health care, and when you asked people for their opinions, they told you it's not so black and white.  It sounds like you just wanted everyone to agree with you, rather than present evidence of the possibility that there's more to the issue than you're aware of when it comes to the UK health care system.

The thing I keep thinking when reading your posts is, "Why are you asking the question if you already know the answer?"

I agree with comoscato- good insurance can make all the difference.  I had all of my wisdom teeth removed in the US in 2005, and for an operation that would have cost over $2,000 had I been uninsured, I paid absolutely nothing, not even a co-pay.

I agree that if you're just looking for the health insurance, moving overseas does seem pretty drastic, especially if you don't have a lot of money to begin with. If you like your lifestyle in the US otherwise, why not spend all that energy researching the way to get the best insurance possible in the US?  That may mean relocating to another state that has different laws re:pre existing conditions or something, but at least if you move within the US you may be able to get a better deal and not have to deal with major culture shock

If you really want to move to the UK, fair enough- but you're not going to find that out unless you at least visit, which you yourself have said would not be for at least two years.  I would suggest that in the intervening time between now and your visit you research exactly how you could get the best coverage for your family in the US and take steps to make that happen.  Then if you visit the UK in a couple of years and fall in love with it, there's nothing stopping you from coming over if you can get that Irish passport.  And you'll have the peace of mind of knowing you've exhausted all the options you possibly could in the States before you make a huge international move.

Here is the problem I am seeing.  You wouldn't be able to find a job until you moved, as I know this from experience.  You have to prove you can support yourself on savings for the visa.  Now, I have worries here in what you said:

 

"Jobs here, in my area with our experence do not pay enough or do not have good benefits"

The world is in a credit crunch, and the cost of living in the UK, in most areas, is incred. high, higher than Texas.  You have to think that if you were to move, you'd have to be unemployed while looking for work in an incred. competitive job market.  There are too many people here in too small a space, and even the most basic of jobs have no less than ten other people competing for the same role.  So finding a job, and more importantly, a job that will be able to support two people in a country where costs of everything are well inflated will be a challenge.  

Obviously, private health care is not going to be an option what with the pre-existing conditions.  However, actively seeking employment with a company that has a good package might be an option.

Also, there are things you can do now.  You said you are boarderline diabetic, but youre not yet.  So research on the net how to control your condition through diet.  Dont let it become full blown diabetes, dont wait until you need medicine and expensive doctor visits.  Get it under control now with low sugar and low sodium diets.

Secondly, and i dunno how you may take this, but have you ever talked about maybe just giving up the leg with the infection?  If you're in this situation where its an ongoing condition, costing alot of money, disabling your wife... is having a symetrical body really worth all the other things?  If it were me, and this is just my opinion, I've give up the leg in hopes of a better, non afflicted life.

good luck in whatever you decide.  But in my opinion, you'd be better working your ass off to improve your situation in the US, rather than moving halfway across the world.  Work two jobs if you have to.

Exactly!!

There are loads of options in the US:

HIPAA laws in the US provide protection for pre-existing conditions.  If you are on an employer based group policy, then pre-existing conditions are covered.

If one doctor won't see the OP or provide decent care, try another.  It is certainly what you have to do in the UK.

I am also a bit concerned by the OP saying the only policy he can get is over 1000+ per month.  My family in the US is currently receiving decent PPO care through my mother's job but is also paying for a private policy.  This is literally the most expensive private policy you can get (not offered through an employer, low co-pays and deductibles) in her state and it is $1100 for the family.  

The OP just seems to have a lot of worse case scenarios -- high premium, high deductible, high co-pays, low paying job, poor hospitals, poor doctors.  While I do not disagree that this exists, it is certainly not representative of the US health care system as a whole.  Instead of getting a new job, moving to a new area, getting a new insurance policy, the OP wants to move to a new country -- with its own set of NHS problems and with no job.  It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

And please jediknight, no one is attacking you.  We are just pointing out the issues that you seemed not to have considered and giving our UK experience, which you have none.

Either way, I wish you the best but I fear if you are waiting a few years to move to the UK, to the solve your ills, things may not be looking up for a while.

I have no idea what law you are taking about, but I talked to both brokers that our new jobs have to provide health insurance. Both are group plans and in writing, it says in both policys that they can and will exclude pre-existing conditions for 12 months. The jobs that charged us $1000/person we left but still cant afford to pay into insurance and buy our way around the system. So we chose teh latter. Its not worse case, its the case in which we live in. The only doctors that will see us are those who do not take insurance and I have to pay out of pocket. Just because the goodie good exists, dosnt mean its available.

Here is the problem I am seeing.  You wouldn't be able to find a job until you moved, as I know this from experience.  You have to prove you can support yourself on savings for the visa.  Now, I have worries here in what you said:

 
The world is in a credit crunch, and the cost of living in the UK, in most areas, is incred. high, higher than Texas.  You have to think that if you were to move, you'd have to be unemployed while looking for work in an incred. competitive job market.  There are too many people here in too small a space, and even the most basic of jobs have no less than ten other people competing for the same role.  So finding a job, and more importantly, a job that will be able to support two people in a country where costs of everything are well inflated will be a challenge.  

Obviously, private health care is not going to be an option what with the pre-existing conditions.  However, actively seeking employment with a company that has a good package might be an option.

Also, there are things you can do now.  You said you are boarderline diabetic, but youre not yet.  So research on the net how to control your condition through diet.  Dont let it become full blown diabetes, dont wait until you need medicine and expensive doctor visits.  Get it under control now with low sugar and low sodium diets.

Secondly, and i dunno how you may take this, but have you ever talked about maybe just giving up the leg with the infection?  If you're in this situation where its an ongoing condition, costing alot of money, disabling your wife... is having a symetrical body really worth all the other things?  If it were me, and this is just my opinion, I've give up the leg in hopes of a better, non afflicted life.

good luck in whatever you decide.  But in my opinion, you'd be better working your ass off to improve your situation in the US, rather than moving halfway across the world.  Work two jobs if you have to.

We dont have the money to pay for the surgery if my wife's leg were to be amputated and that would take half of our income away. And I already work 12 hrs a day. Im not going to kill myself and disable my wife when there is a better way. Why cant I look for work online? I did it when we were going to Japan. I had one lined up too, but a better opportunity came here. And borderline is a non point to the insurance companies.

Is there anybody on this board who has experience with being treated for diabetes on the NHS? If you say you are borderline diabetic, does that mean you can be treated through controlling your diet and your weight.

Based on my experience with the NHS in general, and in being treated for asthma, if it' something you can manage on your own through your  lifestyle, you won't get much in the way of professional care. You will be expected to take care of yourself and manage your own treatment.

But I don't have diabetes myself so maybe someone else can respond.

We dont have the money to pay for the surgery if my wife's leg were to be amputated and that would take half of our income away. And I already work 12 hrs a day. Im not going to kill myself and disable my wife when there is a better way. Why cant I look for work online? I did it when we were going to Japan. I had one lined up too, but a better opportunity came here. And borderline is a non point to the insurance companies.

I understand being frustrated but geez.  You had access to health insurance and chose not to accept it.  Now all you can fixate on is moving to a country you've never even visited. 

You can look for work online but if you are called for an interview or short listed, it will be difficult for you to turn up with your self-imposed 2 year wait.

We dont have the money to pay for the surgery if my wife's leg were to be amputated and that would take half of our income away. And I already work 12 hrs a day. Im not going to kill myself and disable my wife when there is a better way. Why cant I look for work online? I did it when we were going to Japan. I had one lined up too, but a better opportunity came here. And borderline is a non point to the insurance companies.

It would be illegal for any place to hire you without you having legal right to work in the UK, so most places wouldn't even waste their time talking to you unless you have a highly desireabe skill that they would be able to get a WP for, which from your other threads it would seem that you don't.

I don't understand... are you saying that between you and your wife, one of you has the option of having health insurance that WILL pay for pre-existing conditions after 12 months has passed? If so, why would you not choose this? Surely waiting one year is better than having to wait 2 years to take a gamble on the NHS?

I understand and fully sympathise that you have significant healthcare costs, which without insurance would be extremely overwhelming, but healthcare is just one component of a person’s expenses.

Being covered by NHS may be seem like a godsend given your current situation, but you may be surprised to find that after moving to the UK you could be paying significantly more in housing costs, taxes, transport, utilities, etc. than you do now while earning a salary that’s comparatively the same.

I’m not saying you will, everyone’s situation is different, but have you considered that financially, without careful consideration, you could end up worse off than you are now? (though healthier, which may be worth it to you.)

After re-reading your comments, it seems to me that you’re assuming everyone in the US has or has had the same experience as you. This is simply not the case, as it’s not the case that everyone in the UK has or has had similar experiences here.

The US is a big country, there are plenty of places you could move to that offer higher paying jobs or jobs that offer insurance, better public transport and most everything you feel is lacking in your life. So I don’t fully understand why you think the only answer to your problems is to move half-way around the globe to a country you’ve never visited while the answer may be to move half-way across a state.

If you do eventually make it to the UK you should be aware that as an immigrant, and though the US and the UK shares a common language, you will be considered an immigrant and will not be eligible for many of the social benefits that British citizens receive. So if you loose your job – no recourse to public funds which includes unemployment insurance (at least that’s my understanding someone please correct me if I’m mistaken.) So if you can’t work you may find yourself in a spot of bother.

It would be illegal for any place to hire you without you having legal right to work in the UK, so most places wouldn't even waste their time talking to you unless you have a highly desireabe skill that they would be able to get a WP for, which from your other threads it would seem that you don't.

Actually, he has had the right to work in the UK since the minute he was born, he just hasn't realised it, hasn't done anything about it, and hasn't bothered thanking those of us who have told him exactly how to go about this.

And he would also be eligible for all the benefits in the world.





Vicky

Right, boardline might be a non point, but if youre in the stages where you could actively prevent full blown diabetes through diet, why wouldn't you? that's one less future pre existing condition to deal with.

I would ask your wife about her leg.  You say you wouldnt want her disabled but isnt she already?  Can you walk, can you live with a staff infection eating your leg?  Wouldnt life be better even if you had to live without one leg?

Also, it will take you years to get over to ireland, you may as well start the process of paying into the insurance for a year and then taking that up, rather than planning a move that will be hard, expensive, and years away.

Actually, he has had the right to work in the UK since the minute he was born, he just hasn't realised it, hasn't done anything about it, and hasn't bothered thanking those of us who have told him exactly how to go about this.

And he would also be eligible for all the benefits in the world.





Vicky

If you are talking about the Irish heritage, then you are right and I am EXTREMELY thankfull and I am so sorry. I thought I had expressed thanks but I may have been too excited and overwhelmed with the "support" others have expressed. No scarcasim here. I am truly thankfull and I am sorry if I didnt seem like it. Thank you Vicky.