Looking for some advice/guidance from anyone familiar with the US healthcare system, especially Alaska.
I’m an Australian RN planning to move to Alaska, but I have Crohn’s disease and currently take Rinvoq, which has finally gotten my disease under control after a pretty rough time.
My biggest concern is health insurance and medication approval once I move. I’ve been told that even if I have insurance through Cigna, there’s still a chance they may not approve Rinvoq straight away, or may require me to trial and fail other medications first before covering it.
The thought of moving countries, losing access to the medication that works, and potentially flaring because of insurance bureaucracy honestly scares me a lot. Especially knowing Crohn’s flares can mean hospitalisation, steroids, surgery, etc.
I’m trying to work out whether this is a manageable risk or whether I’m being unrealistic about moving.
Has anyone dealt with biologic/specialty medication approvals in the US as an immigrant or through Cigna specifically?
Were you able to continue your existing treatment?
Did prior authorisation from your specialist help?
How difficult was the process?
Is there anything I should be doing now before moving?
Would really appreciate any advice or experiences because at the moment it feels like a massive gamble.
Posted by gwar14