Healthcare of Mormon missionaries

[_ajax18]

This thread got locked really quick over at MAD. I was never clear on what the policies were for offering healthcare to Mormon missionaries when I served. I didn't realize that the Church doesn't buy health insurance. They are the insurance. In my day missionaries were kicked off their parents health insurance when they were no longer in college. It seems kind of crazy looking back to go into a third world country full of communicable diseases with the knowledge that rather than pay for your medical treatment, the church would often send missionaries home. Once the missionary was home for 3 months, his hospital bills were his own responsibility. Of course the effects of many illnesses acquired during the mission last much longer than 3 months. These illnesses would always be classified as pre-existing since the Church paying for your medical care technically is not medical insurance. It's a lapse in coverage. I guess most missionaries didn't know this at the time. I didn't know anything about what insurance would and would not pay. Young people think they're immortal anyway.

I could see church leaders being very concerned about missionaries going into the emergency room. I personally will never be able to afford to go to the emergency room. I can't imagine anything hurting worse than the emergency room or ambulance bill. Within the United States, I could see emergency room visits bankrupting the missionary fund.

Now that we're entering the age of Obamacare young people can be on their parents health insurance until they're 27 and pre-existing conditions are no more, I wonder if any of this changes for missionaries.

Couple this with the question of what healthcare is provided and on what conditions in a foreign country and I'm sure these questions are even more difficult to answer. I remember that before we had a medical card agreement with medical providers in Colombia, one Elder had his appendix rupture late one night. Before the physicians would even look at him, all twelve missionaries had to give them all the money they had at the time for his treatment. Only then would they consider cutting out his ruptured appendix.

Does anyone have any idea on how this works now?

[_Res Ipsa]

I doubt missionaries assigned to foreign countries would be able to use a U.S. health plan.

[_ajax18]

I doubt missionaries assigned to foreign countries would be able to use a U.S. health plan.

Do pre-existing conditions no longer exist like in the past? For example, when the missionary is moved off the church funded health insurance 3 months after his mission ends, his new health insurance couldn't deny him coverage for illnesses acquired during the mission because they are pre-existing?

[_Quasimodo]

I doubt missionaries assigned to foreign countries would be able to use a U.S. health plan.

Do pre-existing conditions no longer exist like in the past? For example, when the missionary is moved off the church funded health insurance 3 months after his mission ends, his new health insurance couldn't deny him coverage for illnesses acquired during the mission because they are pre-existing?

I believe that pre-existing conditions are not allowed to be considered in ACA. Evil Obamacare.

Returned mishies only need to apply for ACA and those nasty diseases they picked up in South America (or wherever) don't count for denial of coverage. Bad, bad Obamacare.

[_Res Ipsa]

I doubt missionaries assigned to foreign countries would be able to use a U.S. health plan.

Do pre-existing conditions no longer exist like in the past? For example, when the missionary is moved off the church funded health insurance 3 months after his mission ends, his new health insurance couldn't deny him coverage for illnesses acquired during the mission because they are pre-existing?

I believe that is correct, Ajax. I believe the missionary would be eligible to be listed as an insured on the parent's health plan the entire time. The problem would be finding an authorized provider in, say, Thailand. In any event, when the missionary returns, his new insurance can't exclude pre-existing conditions.

[_ajax18]

The problem would be finding an authorized provider in, say, Thailand.

This certainly isn't worse than the situation prior to Obamacare. The Church pays for the missionary during the mission from what I've seen. The lapse in coverage was the main problem.

[_Res Ipsa]

The problem would be finding an authorized provider in, say, Thailand.

This certainly isn't worse than the situation prior to Obamacare. The Church pays for the missionary during the mission from what I've seen. The lapse in coverage was the main problem.

It wasn't something I even thought about back in the day, but I think you are right. Pre-ACA, a missionary that contracted one of those nasty tropical diseases would probably be SOL in terms of getting health insurance coverage after returning to the US.

[_Jesse Pinkman]

This thread got locked really quick over at MAD. I was never clear on what the policies were for offering healthcare to Mormon missionaries when I served. I didn't realize that the Church doesn't buy health insurance. They are the insurance. In my day missionaries were kicked off their parents health insurance when they were no longer in college. It seems kind of crazy looking back to go into a third world country full of communicable diseases with the knowledge that rather than pay for your medical treatment, the church would often send missionaries home. Once the missionary was home for 3 months, his hospital bills were his own responsibility. Of course the effects of many illnesses acquired during the mission last much longer than 3 months. These illnesses would always be classified as pre-existing since the Church paying for your medical care technically is not medical insurance. It's a lapse in coverage. I guess most missionaries didn't know this at the time. I didn't know anything about what insurance would and would not pay. Young people think they're immortal anyway.

I could see church leaders being very concerned about missionaries going into the emergency room. I personally will never be able to afford to go to the emergency room. I can't imagine anything hurting worse than the emergency room or ambulance bill. Within the United States, I could see emergency room visits bankrupting the missionary fund.

Now that we're entering the age of Obamacare young people can be on their parents health insurance until they're 27 and pre-existing conditions are no more, I wonder if any of this changes for missionaries.

Couple this with the question of what healthcare is provided and on what conditions in a foreign country and I'm sure these questions are even more difficult to answer. I remember that before we had a medical card agreement with medical providers in Colombia, one Elder had his appendix rupture late one night. Before the physicians would even look at him, all twelve missionaries had to give them all the money they had at the time for his treatment. Only then would they consider cutting out his ruptured appendix.

Does anyone have any idea on how this works now?

I'm not sure how the insurance works now...but that story about what happened to the Elder in Columbia is really scary!

[_ajax18]

I'm not sure how the insurance works now...but that story about what happened to the Elder in Columbia is really scary!

There were around 12 missionaries in the zone that was this town. They all had to get in taxis and take all the money they had in cash to the hospital at 2 in the morning. I'm not sure if it was the end of the month or not. Our monthly stewardship was around $102/missionary. Perhaps the zone leader had access to some more money used to pay rent and utility bills. The surgeons did a pretty crude job. They left a huge scar. But the elder survived with no long term health effects of which I'm aware. After that the Church cut a deal of some sort with the hospitals where we were issued a medical card which they would honor for emergency room care.

[_Quasimodo]

I'm not sure how the insurance works now...but that story about what happened to the Elder in Columbia is really scary!

There were around 12 missionaries in the zone that was this town. They all had to get in taxis and take all the money they had in cash to the hospital at 2 in the morning. I'm not sure if it was the end of the month or not. Our monthly stewardship was around $102/missionary. Perhaps the zone leader had access to some more money used to pay rent and utility bills. The surgeons did a pretty crude job. They left a huge scar. But the elder survived with no long term health effects of which I'm aware. After that the Church cut a deal of some sort with the hospitals where we were issued a medical card which they would honor for emergency room care.

I find it appalling. The Church can build malls and acquire vast tracts of land in Florida and other places, but they can't hire trained nurses for each mission?

What is wrong with these people?