Health insurance
If you would like to buy health insurance from United Healthcare as a Latin Trade contractor, I am told you are welcome to do so. It is not a benefit from the company but a chance to ride along on a negotiated deal.
In simple terms, this is a good opportunity if you can travel to the United States for treatment and do not have any other reasonable alternatives. Getting care outside of the United States unless it is an emergency is inadvisable, and the insurance -- at least compared to the cost in-country at even the best private hospitals, and to most U.S. plans -- is not a cheaper alternative. I was not told of any residence or citizenship restrictions.
Another caveat: It's a high-deductible plan, meaning you are on the hook for the first US$1,100 each calendar year no matter what. However, it is one of the best plans in the country and a great way to transfer away the financial risk of, say, cancer or some other catastrophic illness or a massive accident.
It's a Health Savings Account plan, meaning that under U.S. tax rules you can (although do not have to) sock away that deductible in a pre-tax account paying currently 4%. Each year you can replenish what you use of your care (or not) via a debit card and it is portable, that is, in a bank account in the United States in your name, subject to U.S. federal tax laws but yours just the same. If you do not file U.S. taxes, this is not so relevant, but that doesn't mean you can't participate, only that there is no tax benefit per se.
Those of you who are interested in this please contact me for the details and a contact person at United Healthcare. I was given very little detail at first about this, so it may not work for you personally, but if it's an interesting proposition, we can help you connect to the right people to find out if the coverage will work for you.
In simple terms, this is a good opportunity if you can travel to the United States for treatment and do not have any other reasonable alternatives. Getting care outside of the United States unless it is an emergency is inadvisable, and the insurance -- at least compared to the cost in-country at even the best private hospitals, and to most U.S. plans -- is not a cheaper alternative. I was not told of any residence or citizenship restrictions.
Another caveat: It's a high-deductible plan, meaning you are on the hook for the first US$1,100 each calendar year no matter what. However, it is one of the best plans in the country and a great way to transfer away the financial risk of, say, cancer or some other catastrophic illness or a massive accident.
It's a Health Savings Account plan, meaning that under U.S. tax rules you can (although do not have to) sock away that deductible in a pre-tax account paying currently 4%. Each year you can replenish what you use of your care (or not) via a debit card and it is portable, that is, in a bank account in the United States in your name, subject to U.S. federal tax laws but yours just the same. If you do not file U.S. taxes, this is not so relevant, but that doesn't mean you can't participate, only that there is no tax benefit per se.
Those of you who are interested in this please contact me for the details and a contact person at United Healthcare. I was given very little detail at first about this, so it may not work for you personally, but if it's an interesting proposition, we can help you connect to the right people to find out if the coverage will work for you.
posted by Greg Brown at 3:14 PM
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