Medical Insurance & Pregnancy

[marisp 0]

During our visa process, my wife has become pregnant. She is the sponsor, and I am the intending immigrant. We both currently reside in Canada, but she is in the process of moving to the US, but has never lived there and is a citizen born abroad.

The one thing that we don't have yet, is any medical insurance, and we won't have any from an employer as we are self-employed. I know that in many states, there are waiting periods for new coverages, when you are pregnant. From what I can tell from my initial research, if are some coverages available, but they are over $1200/month. We are not looking for Medicaid or anything to that effect, we are willing to pay, just looking for a more affordable option, as obviously, we would just like to be covered in case of any unforeseen complications.

Does anyone have any experience and/or guidance regarding getting new medical coverage that includes pregnancy for a US citizen?

[trailmix 77]

Hi Marisp and congratulations!

You didn't mention which state you are moving to, since health insurance seems to be very state specific perhaps you can add that info and good luck

Edited March 28, 2010 by trailmix

[marisp 0]

Hi Marisp and congratulations!

You didn't mention which state you are moving to, since health insurance seems to be very state specific perhaps you can add that info and good luck

Thanks Trailmix. We are moving to Indiana, and as much as it is state specific, i'd still want to hear about other people's similar experiences, since chances are there aren't too many that have moved under the same circumstances as us!

[antda 13]

Hi Marisp,

Congratulations on the pregnancy! Good luck to you and your family with the new baby!

In answer to your question:

Yes, with the high cost of healthcare here in the USA, you definitely need health insurance for your family, especially for your pregnant wife and unborn child.

There are many options out there, so you do have to look around, depending on costs, healthcare needs, conditions, etc.

Bear in mind though, that a lot of health insurance companies here in the USA see pregnancy as a "pre-existing condition", which might result in higher rates or no coverage at all.

But yes, there are many health insurance companies out there, so shop around for your healthcare needs there!

Worst-case scenario, your wife might be able to apply for medicaid here in the USA, as she is a US Citizen, and is entitled to such, and your unborn child as a future US Citizen is entitled to such too, and your wife can apply on your child's behalf. Medicaid though, is dependent on income and/or other resources, so you have to further inquire about that. Note too, that this does not affect your immigration case, as you, the immigrant/non-citizen, are not applying for medicaid.

(lol....you're lucky that your wife is a USC already...it would be harder if it was the other way around, and the wife is the immigrant instead...trust me...I've had my share of 'immigrant healthcare dilemmas' too.....lol..)

Another solution would be to have your child in Canada, since you are up there already, and you can get free and/or lower cost healthcare in Canada. You would then have to apply for "Certified Birth Abroad" (or something like that), and then your child will automatically become a US Citizen (through your USC wife), which will help your immigration too.

As for yourself, you as the immigrant need to look into healthcare options for yourself here in the USA, and the sooner you look for such, the better! I don't want you to be stuck in an 'immigrant healthcare dilemma' either!

So it all boils down to this: Where do you want your child to be born? Where can you get the best options healthcare-wise for you and your family?

Hope this helps. Good luck with the immigration journey and good luck with the baby too.

Ant

P.S. By the way, personally, I think that overall having a baby helps your case too...

Lol..What better way to prove a genuine marriage than a baby...Just a thought....

During our visa process, my wife has become pregnant. She is the sponsor, and I am the intending immigrant. We both currently reside in Canada, but she is in the process of moving to the US, but has never lived there and is a citizen born abroad.

The one thing that we don't have yet, is any medical insurance, and we won't have any from an employer as we are self-employed. I know that in many states, there are waiting periods for new coverages, when you are pregnant. From what I can tell from my initial research, if are some coverages available, but they are over $1200/month. We are not looking for Medicaid or anything to that effect, we are willing to pay, just looking for a more affordable option, as obviously, we would just like to be covered in case of any unforeseen complications.

Does anyone have any experience and/or guidance regarding getting new medical coverage that includes pregnancy for a US citizen?

Edited March 28, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA

[Malrothien 6]

Ant, with the reform bill that has been signed into law, the pre-existing denials for insurance are no longer allowable by law.

[antda 13]

Ant, with the reform bill that has been signed into law, the pre-existing denials for insurance are no longer allowable by law.

Mal-True..

But..Who knows how long that would take for the insurance companies to implement...lol.. Things like this 'take time' they are apt to say....

Also, sure insurance companies will have to accept patients with pre-existing conditions...

But that doesn't mean that they will have affordable insurance for those people either..

They can charge an 'arm and a leg' for those people! Is this right or fair...No!

And umm...I think the OP's wife needs affrordable health insurance ASAP......

Especially with being pregnant and all! (believe me, I know what they mean here..)

Nevertheless, I hope the OP can find health insurance soon!

Ant

Edited March 28, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA

[AdamA 0]

Ant, with the reform bill that has been signed into law, the pre-existing denials for insurance are no longer allowable by law.

Of course we are all still hearing the details of the new law, but I read that the ban on pre-existing conditions doesn't kick in for 4 years...

[antda 13]

Of course we are all still hearing the details of the new law, but I read that the ban on pre-existing conditions doesn't kick in for 4 years...

AdamA-Exactly! "It takes time", as I mentioned before..

Lol...And I don't think that the OP can wait until 2014! (heck, the OP's wife need healthcare coverage ASAP!)

So until then....All those with pre-existing condtions will have to wait...

On the bright side: Children with pre-existing conditions can get coverage sooner..So that's good...

Hopefully nobody else will have to wait too long....

Lives are at stake!...And for insurance companies to deny people coverage because of this..Is Unfair, indeed!

Ant

[marisp 0]

Well, according to 3 big companies that serve the state, yes, pregnancy is a pre-existing condition, and she can not be covered. Under the new health reform law we should be fine, but this law is too new not enforced yet, and who knows how long it will actually take. They suggested I call the State's Department of Insurance to see what options they have. Did that, and they had nothing for me, and said they don't know of any insurance companies in the state that offer maternal coverage when its pre-existing, basically, i'd already had to have got coverage long before the pregnancy, which in our case, was impossible to plan for given the visa/immigration process we are in.

So, as far as I understand it, my options are:

1) Take a chance, and if there are complications, I pay out of pocket.

2) Apply for Medicaid.

3) Delay the move, and have the child in Canada, and then move.

I don't think we'll be taking any chances with a life (or potentially 2) so option 1 is out.

I don't know that we qualify for Medicaid... technically once we move, neither of us has any significant income from employment, beyond a business we are starting that won't have generated much revenue yet. So, don't think option 2 is viable.

Regarding option 3, if we do have the child in Canada, how do we cross the border with it? How long would this process take to do? It's born in Canada, and my wife is a US Citizen but as far as I understand we might need documentation that she is a long-term resident, but she has no long-term documentation of residing in the US, since this will be her first time living there. Would it be issued as a temporary visa of sorts, that will qualify the child for residency after a given period of time? (As you can see, this is where it gets complicated for us!)

Help! Thanks in advance.

[marisp 0]

Hi Marisp,

Congratulations on the pregnancy! Good luck to you and your family with the new baby!

In answer to your question:

Yes, with the high cost of healthcare here in the USA, you definitely need health insurance for your family, especially for your pregnant wife and unborn child.

There are many options out there, so you do have to look around, depending on costs, healthcare needs, conditions, etc.

Bear in mind though, that a lot of health insurance companies here in the USA see pregnancy as a "pre-existing condition", which might result in higher rates or no coverage at all.

But yes, there are many health insurance companies out there, so shop around for your healthcare needs there!

Worst-case scenario, your wife might be able to apply for medicaid here in the USA, as she is a US Citizen, and is entitled to such, and your unborn child as a future US Citizen is entitled to such too, and your wife can apply on your child's behalf. Medicaid though, is dependent on income and/or other resources, so you have to further inquire about that. Note too, that this does not affect your immigration case, as you, the immigrant/non-citizen, are not applying for medicaid.

(lol....you're lucky that your wife is a USC already...it would be harder if it was the other way around, and the wife is the immigrant instead...trust me...I've had my share of 'immigrant healthcare dilemmas' too.....lol..)

Another solution would be to have your child in Canada, since you are up there already, and you can get free and/or lower cost healthcare in Canada. You would then have to apply for "Certified Birth Abroad" (or something like that), and then your child will automatically become a US Citizen (through your USC wife), which will help your immigration too.

As for yourself, you as the immigrant need to look into healthcare options for yourself here in the USA, and the sooner you look for such, the better! I don't want you to be stuck in an 'immigrant healthcare dilemma' either!

So it all boils down to this: Where do you want your child to be born? Where can you get the best options healthcare-wise for you and your family?

Hope this helps. Good luck with the immigration journey and good luck with the baby too.

Ant

P.S. By the way, personally, I think that overall having a baby helps your case too...

Lol..What better way to prove a genuine marriage than a baby...Just a thought....

Thanks for the well-wishes Ant+D+BabyA...

[marisp 0]

I suppose the question I should specifically be asking, is assuming we give birth in Canada, does my wife then simply proceed to the embassy and apply for the Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America, as she is a US citizen? If so, how long does that take? Or can the child move with us to the US on a CDN Passport, and then we apply from there for any documents needed?

[Hugglebuggles 60]

I'm definitely no expert on this, but I just did some poking around the USCIS site and found this link that may be of interest to you:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=8554a3ac86aa3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=8554a3ac86aa3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD

It seems as though there is a 5 year residency requirement. If your wife has never lived in the US, this may pose a problem.

[marisp 0]

I'm definitely no expert on this, but I just did some poking around the USCIS site and found this link that may be of interest to you:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=8554a3ac86aa3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=8554a3ac86aa3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD

It seems as though there is a 5 year residency requirement. If your wife has never lived in the US, this may pose a problem.

I also read something similar to this in another post re: the 5 years. Wondering what other options there are...not like we're going to leave the child in Canada on its own...there has to be some way around for us to move with the child. I figure that it would enter on a Canadian Passport, and then apply for status from our US address. I think for adults this might be illegal or not possible, but for a baby I don't see how else its done...

[marisp 0]

Let me ask this a different way...anyone know if a newborn accompanying parents moving to the US needs to have special documents with beyond his or her Canadian Passport and Birth Certificate?

(i.e. does it need a Birth Abroad document in order to enter the US with us?)

[Hugglebuggles 60]

I'll bump this up for you.

I do know this- an accompanying child who is not a US citizen requires a visa to move too and live in the US.

The details of this, I have absolutely no idea. Hopefully someone can help! This is definitely an interesting situation.

Oh, and by the way, congrats on the pregnancy!