Job Discussion Forums

[Selyer]

So what's everybody's take on health insurance coverage? I know some schools provide good coverage, or the country you are in may have a social medical program that would cover foreigners working legally. But then other schools only cover emergencies and not injuries/illnesses incurred while participating in sporting events or travelling. So if I break my leg learning how to ski (because skiing is what everybody does for fun) I'm not covered by the school. Also, there doesn't seem to be much concern for preventive health care (annual routine check-ups, etc.) Does anybody keep coverage from their home country? Or do you just make certain to go to a country/school that gives you good coverage? What's a body to do?

[ls650]

[scot47]

This is country-specific. In some countries you have excellent medical cover provided for everyone. In others you have to be in employment.

It seems to me that again you are falling into the trap of dividing the world into two places : The USA and Everywhere Else. The world is a big place and Burkina Faso is not the same as Sweden. Working illegally for some dodgy language school in Italy is not the same as teaching at a University in Beijing.

In any case if you are travelling around you might want to take out a decent policy for medical cover. Don't wait until you need the treatment to find you can't pay for it !

[MindTraveller]

How often have you needed a doctor in the past three years? How often do you get sick?

Like everyone said, it depends on the country you go to. Because I'm pretty healthy, I haven't worried, nor had need to worry about this.

When some co-workers in Taiwan had a serious accident, the school paid all their medical expenses. If I do get sick, I ask the locals for a doctor. This happened when I had some serious food poisoning in Egypt. A student-friend helped and the doctor came to my place. Gave me FIVE kinds of medication, but I only used two. (In many countries, doctors over-medicate.) Here in the Gulf, there's an American Hospital I go to for general medical things.

I would never, being single, pay the outrageous sums some insurance companies ask for people going overseas. But then again, often while in the USA, I didn't have medical insurance and I got by.

Once you get settled, find out where's the nearest and best clinic/doctor to see. You'll be surprised how less expensive medical care is in many countries compared to the USA.

If you need special medicine, bring a year's supply and the perscription. Just in case, if you can't take a year's supply, set up a system to have your medicine sent to you from a pharmacy used to doing this through the mail and overseas. Some medications, or the specific kind you may use, may not be available in many countries.

Don't break your leg skiing, don't have an accident driving a motorscooter, don't stop off a curb without looking both ways, etc. Some things are just fate and worrying too much about them would make you stay home.

[scot47]

I disagree 200 percent with Mind Traveller. Health Insurance is a must - unless you have super-rich parents who will bale you out of tghe doodoo that you could find yourself in.

Let's encourage a bit of responsibility here !

[Wolf]

GET INSURANCE.

Think having it is expensive? Try NOT having it. In Japan most companies that employ EFL teachers don't offer insurance. The prices of medical care in Japan would make a die hard murderous barbarian wet his pants and curl up in a featal position on the floor. Also, some clinics, etc might refuse you if you don't have insurance (not in emergencies, but clinic visits etc). Also, in them there cheap countries, GOOD medical coverage tends to cost a bit more. BAD medical coverage is a sad fact of life in many countries that employ EFL teachers. If I needed a bone marrow transplant or something serious like that in China, they might have to fly me to Shangai (halfway accross the country. Yum.) Emergency medical care out of your own pocket is not a realistic expectation. As scot47 pointed out, if your unlce is Bill Gates, then don't worry. Otherwise do some research.

See if your company offeres health insurance. See if the country does. See if your contry has a shceme for expats. If all else fails go for a private company. Not necessarily in that order, but those are the general options I know of.

[scot47]

The business about Health Cover marks off those with the backpacker/beachbum mentality from those who might be considered professional (????)EFL teachers.

[Wolf]

[MindTraveller]

I'm not a backpacker, but neither was I raised middle-class. Being from the working class, I still have a tendency to see most insurance as a rip off. Actuallly, I'm fortunate to be healthy. ALL of my legal jobs overseas have included health insurance....which wasn't true of all of my jobs in the USA. And yes, even healthy people have car accidents, etc. However, at 53, and having been out of the States now for 7 years, health insurance is not a high priority. LIVING and saving money for my pension is important.

Perhaps I've become Arabic about health - it's a matter of fate.

And when I worked illegally in Korea and Taiwan, the health care systems were okay and I got what I needed.

[Selyer]

Thanks for the replies, folks!

To scot47...you misunderstand me. I wasn't dividing things into "USA vs. everybody else." I was purposely a bit vague because I wanted to get a general feel from (hopefully) people in many locations, as well as not being certain which part of the world I would be heading to.

I can keep my insurance going here in the US but it's NOT cheap. However, I'm also of the mindset that it's "better to have insurance and not need it, than to need it and not have it!"

Selyer

[baby predator]

Hi Selyer

I think you are right to be cautious. I have a mate who went to Canada in January to save a bit of money working in a ski lodge. While he was on his way to Canada, he passed through Seattle, craned his neck a little to far to see that tall tower thing they have there and got hit by a taxi which promptly drove off, leaving him concussed and in need of a leg brace.

Six months later, he's still beavering away at some desk job in Canada, trying to pay off his whopping medical bill (of course he didn't bother to get insurance). Even bigger bummer: he didn't get to do any skiing at all cos of his leg brace.

Here in China, my company pays my emergency medical coverage, I pay for cheap trips to the doctor myself and get travel insurance when I wanna leave the country for a bit.

Look after number one!