Health Insurance

[emeraldmystique.livejournal.com]

I'm leaving the country for a year starting in September. I'll be in France with an internship program. The only thing is that I won't be a student (meaning I can't be on my parent's insurance) and I won't have a job (meaning I can't get insurance through an employer). I'll be uninsured starting in May.

My most pressing concern about life without insurance is birth control. I know I can go to Planned Parenthood while I'm here in the states, but that doesn't really help me when I go abroad. I'm trying to do some research on insurance that you can get independent of an employer or family member, but not having a lot of success with google.

Does anyone have any information about how/where to do research on this? I'm not exactly looking for specific companies that are good, though that kind of info is welcome too. I'm looking more for resources about how it works.

My dad is retired military so I've always had virtually free medical care and this is uncharted territory for me.

Thanks!

EDIT: I've never actually been to PP so I didn't realize that they might give a year at once. However, even though BC is my primary concern I also might get sick there so it would be best if I were covered in some way. Both to insure that I can get my meds and 'just in case'.

Comments

[quatre-vingts.livejournal.com]

Is there any way to get a year's worth of BC in advance?

[laurenrambles.livejournal.com]

thats what i was going to say. PP will usually give you a year at once.

[parodie.livejournal.com]

Look into buying out-of-the-country insurance - it's pretty common, and different companies/plans cover different things. Blue Cross comes to mind.

[nephron.livejournal.com]

Seconded. When I was going to be an exchange student in the US one of the conditions was that I took health insurance. You really need it in case you get sick or something and you can't afford the treatment (like, more than a simple mild infection or something).

IMO, if you can't afford health insurance while travelling you can't afford to travel.

[eras3r.livejournal.com]

If your primary concern is covering birth control, why not tell your doctor now that you'll need a year's supply or tell Planned Parenthood?

To be quite honest, I've only once had health insurance that covered birth control, and that was very short lived.

[diedtrying.livejournal.com]

If you told PP the situation, im sure they would give you a years supply. They do that with me, which I thought was strange.

[ttelracs.livejournal.com]

I spent a month in Japan and had to get international insurance. It was through a company different than my health insurance provider at the time, but unfortunately can't remember the name.

Is your internship program working through your school? Even if not, if you're at a University/College talk to the Study Abroad Center they should be able to give some reccomendations on where to start.

[addiejd.livejournal.com]

If your mom's doctor is cool with it she can prescribe your mom the prescription and your mom can mail it to you.

[nephron.livejournal.com]

Contact a travel agent, and ask them about travel insurance for the year you'll be away. They may have some good suggestions (I don't know much about the companies).

[stacycat69.livejournal.com]

You can buy travel insurance. Talk with a travel agent, the internship coordinator, or a study abroad department.

[lost-almost.livejournal.com]

Is this internship through your school/college? If so, your university health insurance may cover you.

[hdcat.livejournal.com]

I'd recomend the university insurance if the internship is through your school. I think I paid something like $800 per year for my insurance- it wasn't the best insurance, but it wasn't the worst either- especially when I knew people who paid $800 a month for about the same coverage or less. Even if the internship is not through your university, any chance you can continue as a student? With all the on-line classes, you might be able to, even in France. Also, I was able to keep my student insurance for a couple semesters after I wasn't a student to help make that transition from college to work. In my case, I had to drop out of my PhD program because of my disability and somehow they screwed up and let me keep it longer then they were suppose to so I had it for 1 1/2 years, and by that time my Medicare was just about to go into effect so it worked out well for me.

[laughing-dreams.livejournal.com]

you're gonna be in france!!!!!!! land of socialized healthcare! i lived there for six months. you can go see a gp for about 20-30 euro and prescriptions usually don't cost more than 5-6 euro. you don't need insurance. even as a non-citizen or resident trust me. i went through it. just go to state doctors