medical for international students

[ksjane]

What is the name of your state? KS

A co-worker of mine just found out she is pregnant. She is from Kenya, her husband is a student at the University and she is employed. They have no insurance, and she just applied for assistance through the local SRS, and they denied her because they are "internationals". This may be a long shot but does anyone know where she would even begin to attempt to get medical insurance??? Thanks a bunch!!!!!

 

[somarco]

Now that she is pregnant . . . no.

She can't get insurance. Her husband can't get insurance.

Has nothing to do with foreign nationals, although that is an issue for some carriers. It has everything to do with buying the coverage before you need it.

 

[ksjane]

So, lets say she isn't pregnant, where would she go, only here on student visa. Thanks.

 

[cbg]

Does her employer offer health insurance? I understand that she is not covered now, and I'm not saying she can automatically get coverage immediately (she can't) but do they offer it at all?

If the answer is yes, they offer it, then does she qualify as an eligible employee? By which I mean, does she meet the definition of an eligible employee under the terms of the plan?

 

[somarco]

Assurant writes ex-pats and foreign nationals.

 

[rmet4nzkx]

If they can't get insurance either through her work or his school, and can find no other carrier they should contact the county health department re government programs for prenatal care or arrance for private pay for birth.

 

[somarco]

A group plan through work will not cover any pre-ex, including the pregnancy. Plans through school are individual policies and we have already covered that topic.

 

[rmet4nzkx]

A group plan through work will not cover any pre-ex, including the pregnancy. Plans through school are individual policies and we have already covered that topic.

WE don't have all the facts from OP much less discussed anything, you have your opinion, that's it.

 

[somarco]

The person in question is pregnant and has no insurance. Pregnancy automatically precludes (except in a handful of states and KS is not one of them) either the expectant female or her husband from obtaining individual plans. The pre-ex condition (pregnancy) will not be covered under a group plan.

Do you have information that disputes any of these facts (from the OP) or are you just like to kick sand?

 

[cbg]

A group plan through work will not cover any pre-ex, including the pregnancy.

Sorry to disagree, somarco, but that's not not necessarily true. The insurance I had with my last employer did not exclude any pre-ex conditions, and that was a fully-insured plan through a nationally known carrier, not a self-insured plan that could make up any rules they wanted.

Secondly, under HIPAA, pregnancy cannot be considered a pre-existing condition on an employer-sponsored group plan, regardless of what the plan may do about pre-ex for other conditions.

So IF her company offers insurance for which she is eligible AND IF open enrollment comes up in time, the birth would be covered.


Edited to include link:

http://www.efast.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq_consumer_hipaa.html

Scroll down to the question, "What is a pre-existing condition?"

 

[somarco]

My bad.

Been too long since I have worked with fully insured group plans. Thx for the update.

 

[rmet4nzkx]

Thanks CBG for getting my back
Ms. Cupcake

 

[ksjane]

Sorry, been out of commission. Thanks for the posts. However, her employer does NOT offer insurance and we did contact the county health department and they told her that it would be cheaper to go back to her country and have the baby there. However, she couldn't even afford the flight home at this point.

 

[kcchiefs]

ksjane,
your co-worker can contact the local health department for prenatal care. They offer a program called WIC (women, infant and children program) for low income families. The social workers there can give her all the necessary information she needs for assistance.

 

[ksjane]

Unfortunately, we have already exhausted that avenue. She did go and apply for WIC and was eligible for that, which is food. But they are the ones who told her that it would be cheaper to go back home or call the local hospital and ask if they would allow her to make cash payments. Those were the only options given from Health Department and WIC. Thanks though.