health benefits while waiting for AOS

[suzique3 0]

I ahve a quick questions with regards to health coverage when I move to michigan. in the process of obtaining k1 visa, actually interview is in april. I have my 15 year son going with me. My lawyer stated that I could not change my drivers lic or reg my vehicle until my status has been adjusted, whch is fine, but she also stated that i am just a guest in the U.S. until the staus changes, so my question is how do I get medical coverage, since I will not have OHIP any more. Just want to make sure that I have something. Not sure if I can go on my fiance's unless i have proof of status or will the marriage certificate be sufficient. Or do I get some type of travel insurance, but i thought this is useless because I can not cross back over until my status changes.

any helpful information would be greatly appreciated.

thank you,

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I ahve a quick questions with regards to health coverage when I move to michigan. in the process of obtaining k1 visa, actually interview is in april. I have my 15 year son going with me. My lawyer stated that I could not change my drivers lic or reg my vehicle until my status has been adjusted, whch is fine, but she also stated that i am just a guest in the U.S. until the staus changes, so my question is how do I get medical coverage, since I will not have OHIP any more. Just want to make sure that I have something. Not sure if I can go on my fiance's unless i have proof of status or will the marriage certificate be sufficient. Or do I get some type of travel insurance, but i thought this is useless because I can not cross back over until my status changes.

any helpful information would be greatly appreciated.

thank you,

You may be able to get insurance through your new husband's employer. It may depend on the the employer's rules, the insurance company's rules, and even the state law where you are living. My wife and I were married over the Christmas holiday. The week I returned to work I used the company's online benefits management system to add my wife and her daughter to my insurance, and faxed a copy of the marriage certificate to the HR department. About two weeks later they got their insurance cards. No proof of legal immigration status was required. The HR department told me that their coverage was retroactive back to the day we were married, though there was a window of time during which the insurance company would not have been able to verify their coverage for a doctor. If they had needed health care services during this window then I would have had to pay out of pocket, and seek a reimbursement from the insurance company later.

Their coverage being retroactive to the date of our marriage is apparently a matter of state law in the state where I live. It may be different in the state where you are going to live. Your fiance should check with his employer's HR department.

If you're currently being treated for a chronic medical condition then you should also know that the condition probably won't be covered by your new medical insurance. Most insurance companies won't cover any condition for which you were diagnosed before your coverage began. State laws sometimes override this policy. For example, some states may require an exception in the case of pregnancy. Some states also require an exception if the condition was covered by a previous employer's insurance, and if the new insurance coverage begins within a specific timeframe after the previous insurance ended. Again, check with the HR department of the your fiance's employer.

[KnJ 0]

barring coverage through your spouse's employer, try Seven Corners. It's basic, but worked for me to cover the gap between OHIP and getting on husband's plan.

http://www.sevencorners.com/insuranceplans/immigrantmedical/

[raymaga 25]

I was able to get on my husband's insurance after we were married.

Before we got married, I got travel insurance to cover me until I had insurance through my husband. It was called "Patriot Travel Medical Insurance" and it cost me $130.00 for one full month with a $500,000 maximum and a $500 deductible. I needed one month of coverage from the date I arrived in the U.S. until the date of our marriage.

It was through International Medical Group, Inc. and their phone number is 317-655-4500 and their website is www.imglobal.com

This was back in 2004 when I moved to the U.S., so I'm not 100% sure that this information is all current today, but it's worth a try.

Good luck.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I was added to my husband's coverage as of the date of our marriage. I have a pre-existing condition, and I needed to provide my new US insurer with proof that I had medical insurance coverage immediately prior to transferring to my husband's coverage. I provided them with a letter from my former insurer showing the start and end dates of my coverage as well as information from the OHIP website showing all Ontario citizens are automatically covered for health care. I was also required to submit copies of my most recent medical records, which fortunately I had obtained from my doctor before I left Canada. So, if there will be a time between when your Ontario coverage ends and you are added to your husband's and you or your son have a pre-existing condition, make sure you get some sort of interim health insurance that covers you during that time. As well, get copies of any medical records from your doctor before you leave.

If you decide to purchase travel insurance as Raymaga suggests, it may work or it may not. Some travel insurance may require you to travel back to Ontario for basic medical treatment (ie doctor's appointments, etc.) as well as only paying what OHIP would pay for emergency coverage out of the country - which is substantially less than what the US charges. As a K-1, you can't return to Canada to get treatment so traveller's insurance with these restrictions would probably not meet your needs. There is immigrant insurance policies as well that you can look into or have your US partner investigate/purchase for you.

[suzique3 0]

thank you everyone, this is one of those items on my list that was really concerning me for when we move over. It is a totally different way of thinking when it comes to medical coverage. Here, you have a problem you go to the doctors, no thought put into it. Over there, you have to look at your finances and then decide if it is truly something that only a doctor can take care of or can you take care of it your self.

thank you again, this site has been fantastic for easing my worries.

[Thai Rath 1]

When my husband came on his K1, my health insurance (through work) was able to cover him from the day he stepped off the plane. Our office offered benefits to unmarried couples (same sex and heterosexual), so he was covered from day one. Not sure what state you're living in (see that you're going through Vermont), but we're in Massachusetts and it's not uncommon her for employers to offer this benefit. You may want to consider asking HR about this.

[raymaga 25]

I was added to my husband's coverage as of the date of our marriage. I have a pre-existing condition, and I needed to provide my new US insurer with proof that I had medical insurance coverage immediately prior to transferring to my husband's coverage. I provided them with a letter from my former insurer showing the start and end dates of my coverage as well as information from the OHIP website showing all Ontario citizens are automatically covered for health care. I was also required to submit copies of my most recent medical records, which fortunately I had obtained from my doctor before I left Canada. So, if there will be a time between when your Ontario coverage ends and you are added to your husband's and you or your son have a pre-existing condition, make sure you get some sort of interim health insurance that covers you during that time. As well, get copies of any medical records from your doctor before you leave.

If you decide to purchase travel insurance as Raymaga suggests, it may work or it may not. Some travel insurance may require you to travel back to Ontario for basic medical treatment (ie doctor's appointments, etc.) as well as only paying what OHIP would pay for emergency coverage out of the country - which is substantially less than what the US charges. As a K-1, you can't return to Canada to get treatment so traveller's insurance with these restrictions would probably not meet your needs. There is immigrant insurance policies as well that you can look into or have your US partner investigate/purchase for you.

I'm pretty sure that the insurance I had was completely unrelated to my Canadian health insurance in B.C. It was especially for someone like me who was leaving Canada and not returning.

I would check it out before eliminating it as a possibility.

Good luck.

Edited March 9, 2010 by raymaga

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I'm pretty sure that the insurance I had was completely unrelated to my Canadian health insurance in B.C. It was especially for someone like me who was leaving Canada and not returning.

I would check it out before eliminating it as a possibility.

Good luck.

Yes, that would work then. It is important to check that what you get is valid for immigrants and not just travellers' insurance. I know I looked into travel insurance through the TD Bank to cover me after I moved and that is when I found out that if I had an emergency they would return me to Canada for treatment! That was before I found I would still be covered through my employer.