<p>We are relocating to London this summer. This isn’t our first time to live in the UK, but it is our first time with kids in US colleges. We will have private insurance, but we were wondering if our UK insurance will sufficiently cover our kids. Or should we go ahead and pay for the university’s coverage. There’s not a big premium difference between employee/spouse coverage and whole family (up to age 24 if still in school) - so that’s not a concern. We just don’t want to waive university health care if our UK policy is unwieldy. Any experiences or suggestions?</p>
<p>Health insurance? You won’t need health insurance in the UK, you’ll be covered under the NHS. So you’ll need to get US health coverage for your kids.</p>
<p>The issue with any policy in the states is the service zone. So for example I live in Boston and the service area for coverage is essentially New England. That means I can get routine care, like basic doctor appointments, using the normal procedure for my policy in NE. But if I have a kid in NY state, that is out of the service area and that means the kid is covered only for so-called urgent or emergency care. These are the three typical levels of coverage: routine, urgent and emergency. Out of the service area coverage can be a hassle; it may require dealing with an insurance bureaucracy predisposed to tell you no and then to repeat no in a different way that means the same thing. </p>
<p>That means your kid may be covered or may not outside of the area but would generally be covered for urgent and emergency care. And that means you can check about your UK coverage - which I know 0 about because my only experience is old and with NHS - and how that operates for each level of care in the US. </p>
<p>Then you have to weigh the hassle factor versus the cost of university coverage.</p>
<p>I am not quite sure what you mean about your own private insurance and UK insurance. As Lergnom says your own US policy will dictate the coverage of your dependents. As Dreaming said the NHS will not cover your children while they are in the USA.</p>
<p>However, if your employer is providing you with private medical insurance here as part of your package, it is not untypical for that to cover your children if they are single and in full-time higher education taking x number of credits. If private insurance is one of your benefits then you need to obtain a copy of the policy from HR, then double-check with the insurance company and then with the university.</p>
<p>Let’s see if I can explain myself better: </p>
<p>H currently works for a US company and we have Blue Cross/Blue Shield. He starts work for UK company in 2 weeks and BC/BS will go away. His UK employer will provide us with private health insurance in addition to NHS while we live in UK.</p>
<p>What I want to know is: Will my children be adequately covered for medical emergencies and routine checks while they are in the US?</p>
<p>Guess we’ll just have to check with new HR dept. I was just hoping that someone else had had the same experience.</p>
<p>Okay, I understand now. From my own experience I know that it is common for such policies to cover dependents while they are single and in full-time higher ed up to a certain age even if that higher ed is abroad. What I did is what I suggested. I got a copy of the policy from HR, then I double-checked with the insurance company be email so I had something in writing, then I cleared it with my son’s US university. 'Hope that helps.</p>
<p>hmac: exactly what I wanted to hear. And, thank goodness, I have the summer to figure it out. I’m hoping that the UK private insurance is similar to BC/BS. I’ve been on NHS before and had an OK experience, but I like not having to wait for services.</p>
<p>BUT, that is the issue of routine versus urgent and emergency care. So you have to check both issues, whether they cover in the US and what they cover and how they do that. I find getting that question answered in the US for a US policy is really hard so I feel for you.</p>
<p>I can see the private UK insurance covering you and your still in college kids…but only if they were in the UK…can’t imagine the coverage extending to kids in another country…but you will find that out from the policy.</p>