Do I need medical insurance to travel abroad? Most likely,
an American will not even have such a question - the inhabitants of the country
with the most expensive medicine in the world are accustomed to the fact that
all problems are solved by insurance since childhood. What is medical insurance
in the US - consider in this article.
US health insurance: how does it work?
The organization of the health care system in the United
States differs significantly from that in most countries. It is dominated not
by the state, but by private medicine, and private insurance, which until
recently was, moreover, voluntary. This meant that the person could not pay for
insurance, but was forced to pay in full for any medical services, which is
very expensive. Therefore, on a voluntary basis, private health insurance
covered more than 80% of the population at the end of the last century. For the
most part, an employer pays for a medical insurance policy in the United
States. With a tax of approximately 15% of the income that the entire working
population pays, a state social insurance program is provided for unprotected
segments of the population.
In 2010, the ex-President Barack Obama introduced the new law - ACA
(AffordableCareAct), according to which every legal resident of the country
must enter into an agreement with an insurance company or pay a fine. In this
way, the state programs Medicare and Medicaid (Medicaid) have received more
funding - at their expense, the poor, people with disabilities, the unemployed,
people over 65 or those who have lost their ability to work can count on
medical care.
The cost of health insurance in the United States depends on
many factors: the type of insurance, the level of income, the state of health,
age. The older a person is, the more chronic or genetic diseases he has, bad
habits - the greater will be the monthly payment for the policy. On average, it
costs 200-600 dollars per month for a “middle class” person, of whom the
majority in the States.
But do not think that insurance in the United States allows
you to use any medical services for free. Depending on the type and cost of the
policy, an American has to apply only to those institutions that accept its
insurance, although coverage with popular insurers is very decent. But the
recourse to “its” network of clinics does not guarantee free maintenance. As a
rule, part of the cost remains mandatory for the patient. In general, medical
insurance in the United States is more like a guarantee of protection against
"excessive spending" that may be necessary in case of a serious
illness or surgery.
Interestingly, the traditional exceptions from most
insurance programs in the States are "eyes" and "teeth": to
receive the services of an ophthalmologist and a dentist, you must enter into a
separate insurance contract.
Travel Insurance in the USA
Living in America are accustomed to trusting their doctors, who, in turn, provide them with the highest
quality services. No wonder medicine in the United States is considered one of
the most advanced on the planet, and people often travel to the country for the
purposes of so-called medical tourism. Insurance companies clearly control all
the services provided by doctors to patients, in particular, therefore, they do
not recognize many “unconventional” treatment methods so popular in Ukraine.
This includes all sorts of dietary supplements, droppers with vitamins and
saline, herbal medicine, hypnosis, acupuncture, and the like. Our compatriot
could have been surprised a lot when he learned that half of the popular drugs
prescribed by Ukrainian doctors are not generally considered medicinal products
in the United States and are not used.
The cost of medicine in the States is so high that only the
richest people can afford life without insurance, but they also prefer to have
a good policy. In addition, there is not accepted to buy drugs at a pharmacy
without a doctor's prescription - they simply will not be sold without a
prescription. Such a conservative approach to health issues fosters a
responsible approach among doctors, and among the population - discipline and
lack of self-treatment.
Going on a trip abroad, an American is more likely to
purchase travel insurance. There are several reasons:
- First, Medicare and Medicaid programs do not work outside the United States.
- Secondly, the internal insurance will not include the entire list of services that the traveler may need. Some programs allow you to reimburse the cost of medical services abroad, but this is not always convenient since the tourist will have to keep on hand a large amount of money "just in case."
- Thirdly, almost every American is accustomed to filling out various electronic forms of policies and documents, which is not associated with additional stress - on the contrary, in a state with a rule of law and protected document circulation, a person has a psychological calm and a sense of security.
To buy travel insurance in the United States, you must
contact any reliable private insurance company. Experts recommend that American
tourists purchase a policy that necessarily includes the cost of medical
evacuation and repatriation, as well as having insurance coverage of $ 100,000
for the whole world.