Health Insurance woes

here are two travel insurance plans that will cover at least 6 months.

This is not a substitute for health insurance but coverage that could be used during an extended PMV as a transition to VI residency.

I have used Allianz but not travelex for travel to the VI, within the US and abroad. Very inexpensive.

Both, I believe, include evacuation.

https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/

https://www.travelexinsurance.com/

Why do you think you need health insurance? If you're young and healthy, why bother. The VI offers you the opportunity to save that money you would have wasted on premiums.

I think there is considerably more than 5000 people here without health insurance.

There likely more than 5000 drivers in the VI without car insurance.

I hear ya, and trust me we have MANY times thought of just dumping our health insurance here in Nevada, because it is basically $485 a month down the drain for us, as a couple. We have only used it once so far. We are both healthy, but we are not "young," I am 52, husband 53. He has NO health issues whatsoever, but I have a couple of minor ones. My reason for wanting to have health insurance in the USVI is because ANYONE can wind up in the hospital, even if they are young and healthy... accidents happen. And basically, an extended hospital stay (anywhere in the USA) results in MONUMENTAL DEBT without insurance or plenty of personal wealth. We'd like to avoid monumental medical debt, if possible, for all of the obvious reasons. That said, I do appreciate your perspective, and it is indeed tempting at times to just blow off the idea of health insurance altogether... doesn't seem like a wise move for the long-game, though. We are considering residence in the USVI as a "last stop" not a "pit stop," otherwise I'd be less concerned about the issue.

Why do you think you need health insurance? If you're young and healthy, why bother. The VI offers you the opportunity to save that money you would have wasted on premiums.

I think there is considerably more than 5000 people here without health insurance.

There likely more than 5000 drivers in the VI without car insurance.

I hear ya, and trust me we have MANY times thought of just dumping our health insurance here in Nevada, because it is basically $485 a month down the drain for us, as a couple. We have only used it once so far. We are both healthy, but we are not "young," I am 52, husband 53. He has NO health issues whatsoever, but I have a couple of minor ones. My reason for wanting to have health insurance in the USVI is because ANYONE can wind up in the hospital, even if they are young and healthy... accidents happen. And basically, an extended hospital stay (anywhere in the USA) results in MONUMENTAL DEBT without insurance or plenty of personal wealth. We'd like to avoid monumental medical debt, if possible, for all of the obvious reasons. That said, I do appreciate your perspective, and it is indeed tempting at times to just blow off the idea of health insurance altogether... doesn't seem like a wise move for the long-game, though. We are considering residence in the USVI as a "last stop" not a "pit stop," otherwise I'd be less concerned about the issue.

Yes. Suggesting you are "young and healthy" is just a way, if not independently wealthy, to assume the rest of us will pick up your tab. Ironically, most that advocate this approach will also tell you they aren't interested in paying for other's healthcare via a single payer system

Yes. Suggesting you are "young and healthy" is just a way, if not independently wealthy, to assume the rest of us will pick up your tab.

I don't think that's a fair generalization at all. It means that you go deep into a bottomless pit of debt which you may never recover from in your lifetime (plus ruin your credit rating) but I don't think the assumption that somebody else will pay for it is fair.

You think hospitals take losses like that? We all pay based on higher prices for deadbeats who thought they were young and healthy. Just like corporations don't pay taxes, it's passed on to us.

That is why you need catastrophic coverage only. Get insurance with $20K deductible and self insure for the rest.

However, medical services for cash are very expensive here. Colonoscopy will cost about $3K. Specialist office visit can run $300. Perhaps cash urgent care clinic for something trivial is less but I do not have any experience to report.

Any ER visit can run $10K even for sickness not requiring admission or surgery. Going without insurance in US is plainly foolish if you own a home or have investments. The hospital are very aggressive about collections nowadays.

If you broke, no job or assets and planning to stay that way you can go uninsured.

Why do you think you need health insurance? If you're young and healthy, why bother. The VI offers you the opportunity to save that money you would have wasted on premiums.

I think there is considerably more than 5000 people here without health insurance.

There likely more than 5000 drivers in the VI without car insurance.

I hear ya, and trust me we have MANY times thought of just dumping our health insurance here in Nevada, because it is basically $485 a month down the drain for us, as a couple. We have only used it once so far. We are both healthy, but we are not "young," I am 52, husband 53. He has NO health issues whatsoever, but I have a couple of minor ones. My reason for wanting to have health insurance in the USVI is because ANYONE can wind up in the hospital, even if they are young and healthy... accidents happen. And basically, an extended hospital stay (anywhere in the USA) results in MONUMENTAL DEBT without insurance or plenty of personal wealth. We'd like to avoid monumental medical debt, if possible, for all of the obvious reasons. That said, I do appreciate your perspective, and it is indeed tempting at times to just blow off the idea of health insurance altogether... doesn't seem like a wise move for the long-game, though. We are considering residence in the USVI as a "last stop" not a "pit stop," otherwise I'd be less concerned about the issue.

Thank you!! I can see where this might be a good stop-gap.

We didn't have insurance for the first 10 years we lived here because we refused to pay the outrageous premiums being asked for sub par coverage.

Now we're grandfathered into Cigna Global and have great cover at an affordable price with reasonable deductibles and co-pays. Patience paid off. Over those 10 years I estimate I saved a minimum $150,000 in premiums.

Now we're grandfathered into Cigna Global and have great cover at an affordable price with reasonable deductibles and co-pays. Patience paid off.

I'm truly confused why you persist in bringing this up over and over and over again as it's of absolutely NO help to newcomers in general. You are NOT a US citizen which is how you're able to obtain this coverage.

That is why you need catastrophic coverage only. Get insurance with $20K deductible and self insure for the rest.

I'd prefer to do just that - problem is that there are no companies writing this coverage in the VI.

Now we're grandfathered into Cigna Global and have great cover at an affordable price with reasonable deductibles and co-pays. Patience paid off.

I'm truly confused why you persist in bringing this up over and over and over again as it's of absolutely NO help to newcomers in general. You are NOT a US citizen which is how you're able to obtain this coverage.

Its more about not having the need for insurance than it is about Cigna Global.

Nothing bad happened to me so you don't need insurance either. Lolololololololololololol

😀

Nothing bad happened to me so you don't need insurance either. Lolololololololololololol

An extra $150 grand over ten years isn't chump change.

Seems like a good gamble.

Nothing bad happened to me so you don't need insurance either. Lolololololololololololol

An extra $150 grand over ten years isn't chump change.

Seems like a good gamble.

Yes, a gamble. One week in a hospital will use up $150,000 easily.

We didn't have insurance for the first 10 years we lived here because we refused to pay the outrageous premiums being asked for sub par coverage.

Now we're grandfathered into Cigna Global and have great cover at an affordable price with reasonable deductibles and co-pays. Patience paid off. Over those 10 years I estimate I saved a minimum $150,000 in premiums.

And during those 10 years, you still had the backup plan of returning to Canada for health care. Your risk always was mitigated. Hope you took some nice vacations.

The wife is up there now getting all her doctoring done, among other things.

The wife is up there now getting all her doctoring done, among other things.

Just wondering how is that possible? Are you a full time resident of the USVI? I read that based on your province you can stay out of the country 6-7 months without losing your provincial insurance. My wife works in Canada, but has a permanent residence here in NY and she had to give hers up.

Gator rather gummed up the works with her comment. Canuck is covered under Cigna Global by dint of being (or wife being) a VI resident but a non-US citizen expatriate. It's insurance coverage ONLY available to non-US citizens and their families and has nothing to do with the general Canadian health care system.

The wife is up there now getting all her doctoring done, among other things.

Just wondering how is that possible? Are you a full time resident of the USVI? I read that based on your province you can stay out of the country 6-7 months without losing your provincial insurance. My wife works in Canada, but has a permanent residence here in NY and she had to give hers up.

Even though we haven't lived there for 12 years, we still maintain valid health cards. You have to know the ins and outs of the system and how to make it work for you.

Gator rather gummed up the works with her comment. Canuck is covered under Cigna Global by dint of being (or wife being) a VI resident but a non-US citizen expatriate. It's insurance coverage ONLY available to non-US citizens and their families and has nothing to do with the general Canadian health care system.

We only have the the Cigna Global coverage for catastrophic stuff...cancer, major trauma, etc along with the MASA for transportation to Florida.

In the VI, its cheaper to pay cash for everyday doctors, dentists, eye care and the one prescription I have than it is to have insurance to cover that. Most healthcare providers give you a nice discount if you pay out of pocket.

Canuck is covered under Cigna Global by dint of being (or wife being) a VI resident but a non-US citizen expatriate. It's insurance coverage ONLY available to non-US citizens and their families and has nothing to do with the general Canadian health care system.

The wife is dual American/Canadian, I'm a Permanent Resident Alien Canadian. But I'm considering becoming dual also as are the kids. Best of both worlds.

 

VICanuck, yeah, I was just wondering as my wife and step daughter had to give up their health card. Guess I should find out if it's possible to get it back. Now to do some research.

VICanuck, yeah, I was just wondering as my wife and step daughter had to give up their health card. Guess I should find out if it's possible to get it back. Now to do some research.

When my daughter moved back to go to university last year, she had an OHIP card within three weeks of arriving. Its not hard to get one.

I'm still in process of trying to reach my BCBS rep, to confirm that my current (individual) health insurance plan will indeed not be valid in the USVI. If it's not valid, we will have to think long and hard about our plan to move there. I went back to the Settler's Guide to read more carefully what it says about health insurance. I know that the SG is not "gospel" as someone pointed out, but it is considered to be reliable and fairly updated info, and this is a direct quote from page 98:

"Currently no individual health insurance is available, except for indemnity plans such as those offered by AFLAC or Ace American." I had to look up what an "indemnity plan" is, because I wasn't quite sure. To my understanding (which is often wrong, ha ha) if you have an indemnity plan, you have to pay out of pocket for all minor and major medical costs (so I assume, in the case of any truly major medical expenses, you'd have to be wealthy, or have wealthy relatives or friends you could borrow from, or have a truly awesome line of credit, or take out a whopper of a personal loan), but you DO get partially reimbursed from your indemnity plan. I suppose the cost of the plan is billed as a monthly premium, although it might be due in an annual lump sum, I have no idea yet. I've got two questions...

~ I know that no one has a crystal ball, but does anyone have any (logical) reason to believe that the USVI will (say within the next few years) be a place where one can purchase individual health insurance?

~ Does anyone have any knowledge (or better yet, direct experience) they can share, about using AFLAC or Ace American or some such company, to try to mitigate the health insurance conundrum that is a fact of life on the islands?

Many thanks!!