Comparison of US and UK pay

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I am a RN working in the US. I am just beginning to look into the comparison of pay and cost of living. If I moved to the UK, can I expect to make more or less? Can anyone give me any information on this? Also, is the shortage of nurses in the UK comparable to the shortage we have here. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

i have never looked into other health care providers. i have got to admit that i was all very unconcerned about it.

but of course its like any insurance cover that you take out, its not until you need it that you find out all the pitfalls.

we also added medical cover to our car, but only up to $5,000 each, and that would have covered the extras if the care hadnt cost so much.

but of course, our attorney is only just beginning to get them to release some of it to pay towards the bills.

its all very complicated as even now great west have sent us a form to give them details of the car insurance as they are now going to chase them for the money that they paid out by them.

so we pay great west for cover, they pay towards the medical bills and then want it back, but what about the premiums that we have paid, we dont get that back because they are getting their money back.

but its going to take for ever to get all this sorted out.

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Specializes in renal,peritoneal dialysis, medicine.

sounds like a nightmare for you and your husband, i really feel for you

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We used a insurance company for the six weeks befor our health insurance kicked in I am trying to find the name of in and web addi they were good we managed to get 100% cover for a reasonable price- luckly we have not had to use any medical provider yet my lot hate going to the doctors!

The american healthcare systen takes a lot of getting used to, and is very money driven- I agree that the nursing compainies that bring in british nurses use expensive health care which dose not offfer the best cover once you areemployrd by a hospital company th benifits are way better.

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i have never looked into other health care providers. i have got to admit that i was all very unconcerned about it.

but of course its like any insurance cover that you take out, its not until you need it that you find out all the pitfalls.

we also added medical cover to our car, but only up to $5,000 each, and that would have covered the extras if the care hadnt cost so much.

but of course, our attorney is only just beginning to get them to release some of it to pay towards the bills.

its all very complicated as even now great west have sent us a form to give them details of the car insurance as they are now going to chase them for the money that they paid out by them.

so we pay great west for cover, they pay towards the medical bills and then want it back, but what about the premiums that we have paid, we dont get that back because they are getting their money back.

but its going to take for ever to get all this sorted out.

your experience has been a nightmear- your cover by great west is patchy and its cost a lot they have got a cheek- hang in thre guys hopefully your luck will change good things come to good people and you are good people.i would not touch gat west ater the experience you have had- take care.

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hey en, yes its been tough but we are still alive and surviving, but on the other hand we all feel for you lot stuck in the visa saga.

funny isnt it, that although we are going through all this s---, we can still have good times.

went to the pool yesterday and stayed too long in the sun and got a bit burned, not like me usually, but it still beats being back in the uk, not knowing when you are going to get here.

we have already had 2 calls this am from x-ray people asking for money, its just never-ending.

but they cant have what we dont have.

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hey belle, the trouble is when you come with ogp thats the providers that they use and they pay for the nurse, so to take other cover is way expensive, but of course, hopefully all this doesnt happen to other nurses and they wont have to use it, after all it was two and a half years before we used it at all.

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Specializes in ICU, Haemodialysis, acute medicine and s.

To be honest if it wasn't for reading forums like these and learning about the problems people have faced i would have just accepted the health care provided without looking into it. However even though i am just starting the process of moving over I have done very extensive research into all aspects of living in the USA eg, health care, car costs and insurances, housng costs etc. Hopefully be peopl continuing to share their experiences on here we can make better decisions when we eventualy get over.

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Specializes in ICU, Haemodialysis, acute medicine and s.
To be honest if it wasn't for reading forums like these and learning about the problems people have faced i would have just accepted the health care provided without looking into it. However even though i am just starting the process of moving over I have done very extensive research into all aspects of living in the USA eg, health care, car costs and insurances, housng costs etc. Hopefully be peopl continuing to share their experiences on here we can make better decisions when we eventualy get over.

sorry just re-read that and I meant better personal decisions, i didn't mean to imply and of you had made bad decisions which i what it sounds like i was saying.

Sorry, i was on a nights shift last night on the ward from hell, and i haven't been able to sleep today.

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didnt take it any particular way, i think that although you know that we have to pay for medical stuff, we presumed that we had cover without really looking into it.

very naive of us, and lucky that we have been here so long without having to access it.

it was such an upheaval and a lot to get used to when you get here that some things just get overlooked, when the agency tell you that they will give you free medical coverage and you only have to pay for the rest of the family, you dont realise thats its not to be taken literally.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

This thread has certainly taken a life of it's own but I for one am pleased that it will help others to make an informed decision by providing such important emphasis on such a complicated subject. It is like a mindfield health insurance and even now I feel I am still getting to grips with it.

From my own car accident I still owe over $40,000 but I dont have any insurance covering mine, not because I didnt have insurance but because we have liens, which means we havent paid for anything yet!!!!!

I have however paid thousands of dollars out of my own pocket.

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the coverage that ogp provide is just like bulk buying, they get discounts and you get the cover cheaper, they should provide it free for you and you pay for your family.

its difficult to come direct from the uk and to get coverage, and usually if you do then its more expensive as you dont get the company discounts.

because i am not working the government provided health care has taken over, so i have gone from paying $150 a month for dh to paying over $640 for both of us each month, but the care is still provided by great west who we were with anyway.

theres always a catch, because most health care insurers wont pay for pre-existing conditions, if you havent had 11 months continuous cover prior top a claim, thats why you really have to take what they offer you, but be sure to take disability cover with them as well.

my youngest child has a renal condition and we were told if he became sick in the first 6 months they would have to asess their liability, knowing the syatem a bit better now i know they would have refused and we were very lucky he has been well, the only issue when it came to his labs he has had them checked mostly six monthly, at least yearly since he was born and while the company would pay for his labs they questioned me asking for emla asking if he had a needle phobia, no i told them as we've always used emla, they did eventually give in.

suzanne as far the yearly well child checks, my kids are not allowed to participate in school sports without a physical each year so we are left with little choice.

it truly is a minefield and thats my worry that there are many people who go from very wealthy to bankrupt due to serious illness or accident.

cariad i like you, though nowhere near as bad had some medical issues while i was still with great west, had a ct and ultrasound etc, i was amazed when the bills started to come in at times i paid more than the insurance company.

the other awful part of greatwest for those of you with kids is their dental coverage, the pay for very little, my oldest son had his crown knocked out playing football and the covered none of it we ended up spending the best part of $1500.

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Specializes in Medical, Diabetes, ICU.

Hi,

you know what strikes me when reading this thread? Well, it seems that they very system we are trying to get away from ie: the NHS - isn't actually that bad from the patient side of things! At least we don't have to worry if, god forbid, we get knocked over or in a car crash and don't have the added worry that as well as feeling physically awful, mentally fretting as well that it may make you bankrupt! Hmm. Although, it's great that you guys are sharing these things as I now know I will be very careful in looking at our medical cover.

I have read somewhere that the US is going to try some sort of NHS scheme - has anyone heard anything about this??

Janelola

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