Case Complete, Medical Expedite

[stevie b 141]

If she does the surgery here, and she prooves it yet the already expedited her request. She goes to the interview and she shows them proof, what will they do at the interview? give her another interview date since she already had surgery, or do we just call NVC and tell them to either cancel the request or tell them she already got an interview.

It's very possible for someone to get diagnosis, get worried and send in a request then later on find out the diagnosis is wrong, its very possible. so how would that backlash???? KDH you toying with me or something, sorry no offense

nobody here is going to "toy" with you

they are telling you scenarios.. or possibilities backed up with real issues that you will need to address

it really does not make sense that when you were challenged, that there was magically a possibility that the surgery took place in advance.

the embassy will want to know that she will not become a public charge.. meaning federal cash benefits.. the insurance question is real.. if she needs surgery here, how does it get paid for??

you came in with some real questions and then changed the scenario.. so there will be quite a bit back and forth here if you do not really have an idea of what she needs in the immediate future for treatment.

if you do not know and you are just hypothesizing, it is best to find out where you really are right now and ask pointed questions if you need help

all the answers you got here are very valid

[sharaby03 0]

Its 2 scenarios, she might be misdiagnosed since we have a family member whos a doctor here and he wants to check her out thinking the diagnosis was wrong ( 1 scenario )

2nd scenario if she does need surgery we are just going to operate it here through him whos qualified in that field. Now I don't have insurance in the states and I don't want the interview to be denied. So that being said, I did send in the expedited request yesterday. Should I call them up on monday and just cancel it or will they send it anyways to the embassy and if they are going to already, What would I do at the embassy, just bring proof either she was misdiagnosed or if she does the surgery, get proof of that? I don't want to go to the embassy and they say will you request was expedited and you don't need it to be expedite anymore so it backlashes which is why I say will it be of any good if I just call and cancel.

[NikLR 13,227]

Even if your family member does this surgery for free, there are hospital fees to be considered. Is he going to pay for the anesthesiologist? The nurses? The hospital fees? You should have made sure she needed IMMEDIATE care that would need a specialist in the USA to do this surgery before asking for an expedite. However what you do now, is up to you. You can figure out how this surgery will be paid for and provide a detailed list at interview time, or you can obtain insurance, or you can see what happens and deal with it after the fact.

Best of luck to you and I do hope your wife will be okay.

[The Mean Lady 604]

You get expedite and have the surgery locally before POE and interview:

You might face some backlash as clearly you had no reason to expedite

You would also have an interview in MAYBE a month at most.

Would she even be prepared to get up and go to an interview and start packing for moving?

You may still face a requirement for insurance depending on what this mysterious surgery is.

If it's cancerous, then you need follow up appts and those will most likely require insurance.

You get expedited and find out diagnosis was incorrect:

Probably no big deal, not your fault, bring proof at interview.

You get expedited as planned to have surgery in US:

Almost certain you'll be required to show proof of insurance upon arrival

You withdraw expedite and have surgery locally:

Info of medical diagnosis might still end up in your file.

Info of medical issue might end up in file anyways due to medical exam (uhm hello obvious fresh surgery).

Would she even be prepared to get up and go to an interview and start packing for moving by the time interview arrives?

You may still face a requirement for insurance depending on what this mysterious surgery is.

If it's cancerous, then you need follow up appts and those will most likely require insurance.

You withdraw expedite and plan to have surgery upon arrival in US:

Info of medical diagnosis might still end up in your file.

Info of medical issue might end up in file anyways due to medical exam.

Almost certain you'll be required to show proof of insurance upon arrival if it does.

You may be questioned on why you decided to withdraw expedite (which presumably is because you're trying to avoid insurance requirement).

Did I clear it all up now?

Edited June 23, 2013 by KDH

[Juliet and Steve 93]

If I were USCIS I'd be wondering

...why would anyone who needs surgery wait till coming to America where the cost of the anesthesiologist far exceeds the cost of any operation in entirety in Cairo; this seems quite strange. I'd guess that any surgery at a good Cairo hospital would be 1/10th to 1/4 the cost of the same surgery in America.

I'm not pointing fingers but I do accident investigation and we take particular notice of "red flags." "Red flags do not necessarily mean anything, or prove anything but they are items that lead to greater scrutiny. Asking for an expedited process for surgery in America would be a red flag for me. Now, if there was a specialist in America that was not in Egypt for a particular condition--that I'd understand.

So that is how I'd be thinking if I worked at USCIS

Now for a question for you OP: Why wait to come to America with it's insane medical costs when you can get any operation done for far, far less money by very competent hospitals in Egypt.

And a question for others: Is insurance available for a fiancee who is neither American, nor in America? I cannot imagine if it is--at what price?

And another thought: If the person is coming as K1 then generally the person will be married within 3 months. If the Petitioner has insurance in all states the fiancee would be covered by the Petitioner's insurance upon marriage. Though some stated might have waiting periods for pre-existing conditions and some do not. If the Petitioner is in a state where his/her insurance is active and will cover the needed surgery then it seems that USCIS should only want proof that the Petitioner has the necessary funds for uncovered costs such as a co-pay.

[The Mean Lady 604]

If I were USCIS I'd be wondering

...why would anyone who needs surgery wait till coming to America where the cost of the anesthesiologist far exceeds the cost of any operation in entirety in Cairo; this seems quite strange. I'd guess that any surgery at a good Cairo hospital would be 1/10th to 1/4 the cost of the same surgery in America.

I'm not pointing fingers but I do accident investigation and we take particular notice of "red flags." "Red flags do not necessarily mean anything, or prove anything but they are items that lead to greater scrutiny. Asking for an expedited process for surgery in America would be a red flag for me. Now, if there was a specialist in America that was not in Egypt for a particular condition--that I'd understand.

So that is how I'd be thinking if I worked at USCIS

Now for a question for you OP: Why wait to come to America with it's insane medical costs when you can get any operation done for far, far less money by very competent hospitals in Egypt.

And a question for others: Is insurance available for a fiancee who is neither American, nor in America? I cannot imagine if it is--at what price?

And another thought: If the person is coming as K1 then generally the person will be married within 3 months. If the Petitioner has insurance in all states the fiancee would be covered by the Petitioner's insurance upon marriage. Though some stated might have waiting periods for pre-existing conditions and some do not. If the Petitioner is in a state where his/her insurance is active and will cover the needed surgery then it seems that USCIS should only want proof that the Petitioner has the necessary funds for uncovered costs such as a co-pay.

This is not a K1 fiance case, it is a spousal CR1/IR1

[lost_at_sea 995]

And a question for others: Is insurance available for a fiancee who is neither American, nor in America? I cannot imagine if it is--at what price?

I'm already insured under my husband's US medical insurance policy (via his company), as his wife in the UK and not yet immigrant. We haven't tried using it yet, of course, but yes, it does appear to be possible.

[Juliet and Steve 93]

Sorry about that, my mistake.

Then the insurance issue is not much of a one. Simply add the spouse to the insurance policy since the spouse is eligible in all states (unless you have no insurance at all in which case it becomes a big issue).

Edited June 23, 2013 by Juliet and Steve

[lost_at_sea 995]

I've been following this thread a little, and I have to say I'm find it it a little confusing. Perhaps that's where all the tension in this thread is coming from.

I suppose my queries to the OP would be - what are the terms of the medical expedite you've requested? Are they because you'd like the procedure to take place in the US, or because you would like to be able to take *care* of your spouse post-procedure, and therefore need them in the US?

I think this may be the crux of it. Having a medical condition should not cause your partner to be denied, but you are likely to have to show adequate insurance either way - medical expedite or not. It's more of a financial question than a health one.

Edited June 23, 2013 by lost_at_sea

[Juliet and Steve 93]

I'm already insured under my husband's US medical insurance policy (via his company), as his wife in the UK and not yet immigrant. We haven't tried using it yet, of course, but yes, it does appear to be possible.

This is true in America also. Once married the spouse can be added though waiting periods for pre-existing conditions are usually set by state law, for instance in Massachusetts there would be no waiting period but in other states there may be a year waiting period. Though if the petitioner has no insurance, and many here do not, I cannot imagine being able to find insurance for a pre-existing condition that requires surgery.

[lost_at_sea 995]

This is true in America also. Once married the spouse can be added though waiting periods for pre-existing conditions are usually set by state law, for instance in Massachusetts there would be no waiting period but in other states there may be a year waiting period. Though if the petitioner has no insurance, and many here do not, I cannot imagine being able to find insurance for a pre-existing condition that requires surgery.

Yes, that'd be a real bummer. Once the new policies have passed through, pre-existings should find it easier, but at the moment, it's something of a pain (I have pre-existing, so I'm aware of these issues). If the petitioner has good company coverage, it's likely OK though.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

The best medical care in most countries is cheaper than the worse care in the US. For the uninsured the cost of even routine surgery is shattering. My oldest son had an appendectomy without insurance. The hospital costs alone topped 100,000 . If someone like a new immigrant does not have insurance and they have medical issues it will either fall back on their sponsor ( spouse) or the treatment may be tagged as not urgent and delayed until you either save up for it or it becomes urgent. How long will it take you to save up 100,000 Consider fixing whatever issue there it is probably cheaper.

[Protocol417 161]

The best medical care in most countries is cheaper than the worse care in the US. For the uninsured the cost of even routine surgery is shattering. My oldest son had an appendectomy without insurance. The hospital costs alone topped 100,000 . If someone like a new immigrant does not have insurance and they have medical issues it will either fall back on their sponsor ( spouse) or the treatment may be tagged as not urgent and delayed until you either save up for it or it becomes urgent. How long will it take you to save up 100,000 Consider fixing whatever issue there it is probably cheaper.

And even if you have insurance, "adding your spouse" isn't necessarily as simple as it sounds. My employer offers insurance benefits for employees and spouses, but to add a spouse to the least-expensive policy costs more than what I pay in rent each month.

[The Mean Lady 604]

And even if you have insurance, "adding your spouse" isn't necessarily as simple as it sounds. My employer offers insurance benefits for employees and spouses, but to add a spouse to the least-expensive policy costs more than what I pay in rent each month.

Most times it's cheaper to get them their own policy.

Add Husband: $650/mo

Individual Policy: $100/mo

[NikLR 13,227]

because you can't just +1, you have to add a family ... It's silly.