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It's actually feasible to live outside the USA without medical insurance. In the USA, medical fees are crazy expensive, especially without insurance. But this i
by Leftium 4y ago
It's actually feasible to live outside the USA without medical insurance. In the USA, medical fees are crazy expensive, especially without insurance. But this is not the case in other countries.
For example: Korean medical fees are controlled by the government, to the point some doctors may struggle to make a living. And Korea offers pretty high quality healthcare.
I thought I broke a rib so I got two x-rays. This only cost $15 including consultation with the doctor. Without insurance.
Later when I got insurance, I had 5 x-rays of my knee taken. Only cost $5. The non-insurance rate would have been about $20. (Korean public health insurance generally covers 70% of covered fees.)
Another example: I can get a 6-month supply of generic Accutane for about $50 (not covered by Korean health insurance). This would likely cost thousands of dollars in the US.
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Finally, if you plan to be abroad for only about a year, traveler's health insurance for non-US countries is usually very reasonably priced.
- NLPlatypus 4y agoI just checked Accutane’s price using GoodRx which compares many US pharmacies side-by-side and gives a free discount. It looks like a six month supply of generic Accutane is about $492-$610. The upper range includes shipping, otherwise you have to drive to the pharmacy. No quote on name-brand Accutane, though.
- isbvhodnvemrwvn 4y agoTraveler's insurance likely won't cover any serious long-term diseases, if you get cancer in that time period, you are screwed.
- tothrowaway 4y agoYou have to read the fine print, but generally they do. The coverage is limited to the time period you purchased it for, and they are unlikely to renew it if you get cancer. To work the system, you need to ensure you're covered until Jan 1 of the following year. Then in November (during open enrollment), either get a USA policy (if you have cancer), or at the end of open enrollment, extend your travel insurance for another year.