HELP: Health Care Policy Experts?

[spt60]

Here's the story:
- My aunt is an international student taking MBA at Harvard. She recently had a baby (her husband is also international student) and since she had a low-to-none income, all her health care bills were taken care of by the state. This is pretty awesome.

My question is:
- Has anyone had gone through this privilege?
- Do all states have the same policy?
- Any body knows if OH has this policy?
- If there is, then what kind of application/procedure needs to be done? What is the name of this type of application?

Thanks

[Kyocera]

- My aunt is an international student taking MBA at Harvard. She recently had a baby (her husband is also international student) and since she had a low-to-none income, all her health care bills were taken care of by the state. This is pretty awesome.

What's awesome about spongeing off the US govt? Hopefully they'll be paying big taxes some day like the rest of us, if they stay in the US. I've never heard of anything so unbelievable. There are people in this country (I know some) who have 0 health insurance and work every day to support their families. They can't afford health insurance and make to much to sponge off the govt.
What's wrong with this picture. If your story is true there may be some congressmen who need replacement.

[spt60]

What's awesome about spongeing off the US govt? Hopefully they'll be paying big taxes some day like the rest of us, if they stay in the US. I've never heard of anything so unbelievable.

I was thinking the same thing. However actually when going to school health insurance is part of the bill. That might be what she meant by "the state". One of my best friends is also an international student. He has to pay out-of-state&country tuition&health insurance rate, which totals about 3-4 times higher than a local citizen student.

I have a friend who is born US citizen, his dad was ill and stopped working for a while, thus had no income. His bill was taken care of and he had no insurance at the time.

I have another friend who is also born US citizen, he had a brain-tumor, low income, his insurance rate increased so rapidly that he had to sell his house to be cured. But as of now he's only 80% cured, no income, living with his mother, yet still couldn't be cured "the other 20%". I don't think he knew about the policy. I think you have to know about it to file an application.

My point was that if this varies between states. Sorry earlier I didn't make it clear in the 1st post.

Anyone knows how high is the tax rate in Boston area?

[egibbs]

Most states have some sort of charity care program, but they vary greatly by state.

Here in NJ it is paid for by jacking up the rate that providers charge to cover the write-offs. Of course this increases what insurance companies pay, which increases the insurance rates. Or for those poor [censored] who make too much for charity care but don't have insurance, it helps to explain why 4 hours in an operating suite costs $35,000, though it's cold comfort.

Ed Gibbs

[Superego]

My point was that if this varies between states. Sorry earlier I didn't make it clear in the 1st post.

Massachusetts is unique in the US in that it requires every resident to have health insurance (I think it may be the only state that does that but I may be wrong). Low-income residents can receive nearly free insurance subsidized by the state. The law also requires that employers that don't provide health insurance must help pay for the cost of each employee's insurance.

All I can say is that I'm glad I got of Boston just as this was being enacted. MA ran their auto insurance program into the ground and now they're using the same model for health insurance....bad idea.

spt60, regarding your aunt, I'm a little curious about her enrollment at Harvard. You said that the school paid for her medical care...how is she paying for school? I ask because graduate students in the science areas (math, chemistry, biology, etc.) almost never pay for tuition and health insurance (thank God for fellowships and assistantships! ). However, programs outside of the sciences (e.g. MBA programs) usually don't waive tuition and health care costs, and so those students have to find their own health care.

So I'm curious if she's on a fellowship, in which case her health insurance is probably picked up by the school. Otherwise, most schools require that students have some form of health insurance (even before the new law in MA) and usually offer a low-cost option to students, and I'm wondering if that applies to your aunt.

[goofyGAguy]

If your story is true there may be some congressmen who need replacement

You just now figuring this out Mike?

[spt60]

My point was that if this varies between states. Sorry earlier I didn't make it clear in the 1st post.

Massachusetts is unique in the US in that it requires every resident to have health insurance (I think it may be the only state that does that but I may be wrong). Low-income residents can receive nearly free insurance subsidized by the state. The law also requires that employers that don't provide health insurance must help pay for the cost of each employee's insurance.

All I can say is that I'm glad I got of Boston just as this was being enacted. MA ran their auto insurance program into the ground and now they're using the same model for health insurance....bad idea.

spt60, regarding your aunt, I'm a little curious about her enrollment at Harvard. You said that the school paid for her medical care...how is she paying for school? I ask because graduate students in the science areas (math, chemistry, biology, etc.) almost never pay for tuition and health insurance (thank God for fellowships and assistantships! ). However, programs outside of the sciences (e.g. MBA programs) usually don't waive tuition and health care costs, and so those students have to find their own health care.

So I'm curious if she's on a fellowship, in which case her health insurance is probably picked up by the school. Otherwise, most schools require that students have some form of health insurance (even before the new law in MA) and usually offer a low-cost option to students, and I'm wondering if that applies to your aunt.

I believe she was taking MBA and all her tuition-health insurance fee was taken care by her family and husband. It's pretty expensive

[Superego]

I believe she was taking MBA and all her tuition-health insurance fee was taken care by her family and husband. It's pretty expensive

I can imangine, especially with the cost of living expenses in the Cambridge/Boston area.

[spt60]

I believe she was taking MBA and all her tuition-health insurance fee was taken care by her family and husband. It's pretty expensive

I can imangine, especially with the cost of living expenses in the Cambridge/Boston area.

The apt. cost was around $1800/month. Her husband applied for Apt. manager, he got the job and they got to pay only $450/month.

[virge]

My school (California) required all students to show proof of medical insurance before enrollment. If you didn't have it (I didn't) then you had to buy it (I did). Unlike Harvard, my school didn't provide any health plans.

From http://huhs.harvard.edu/Insurance/Students.aspx:

"Massachusetts law requires that any full-time or part-time student enrolled in an institution of higher learning in Massachusetts must participate in a qualifying student health insurance program or in a health plan of comparable coverage. All Harvard students are automatically enrolled in the Harvard University Student Health Plan."

[Kyocera]

Sounds like this:

All Harvard students are automatically enrolled in the Harvard University Student Health Plan

Means this:

all her health care bills were taken care of by the state.

never happened.

Unless the Harvard Plan is paid for by the State of MA. Stranger things happen I guess.

Kyocera wrote:
If your story is true there may be some congressmen who need replacement

You just now figuring this out Mike?

Sometimes it's just to painful to pay attention to politics and the behaviour of these dipsticks who get elected to serve the public good.