health insurance while waiting for SSN?

[trandy 5]

From what I can gather, I need a SSN in order to get health insurance.

But I think that can take 3 weeks or thereabouts.

Any idea what I can do in the mean time? would hate to have a health problem and be in debt for the rest of my life because I was waiting on some admin!

[Boiler 46,125]

You do not need a SSN to get health insurance.

People with Health Insurance still can get into massive debt.

[trandy 5]

grim.

when I tried to sign up on this one web site it asked for a SSN, so I assumed you needed one. I bet that the online form would give me grief if I left that field blank.

[Boiler 46,125]

Online forms do not work for every one.

[Elf 146]

Regardless of whether the plan you buy requires a SSN, coverage often doesn't start until the beginning of the month after you enroll, so if you'd feel happier with some interim coverage, try Googling for "new immigrant health insurance" or "incoming immigrant health insurance". Available policies will vary depending on which state you're moving to - for example, the site I just looked at wouldn't return any results at all for Maryland but there were multiple options for Washington DC.

[trandy 5]

Ah, thanks for the tip. We're in Washington state so hopefully they'll have something.

[Elf 146]

Washington apparently has almost as many restrictions as Maryland on available short-term insurance plans, but I just checked and there are definitely at least a handful of options.

You should be aware that this kind of health insurance plan isn't compliant with the Affordable Care Act; it's intended as short-term coverage for new immigrants or people in the US temporarily who need more than the basic tourist insurance. There will be plenty of things it doesn't cover - preventive care, dental, pregnancy/pre-natal/childbirth/contraception, and it's very likely to exclude pre-existing conditions too. But if you're reasonably young and healthy and your objective is just to make sure you don't have to worry about going bankrupt if you get run over by a bus, this kind of insurance plan should achieve that for you fairly cheaply.

Sounds like you'll be arriving in Washington just in time for skiing season! if you're planning to ski, check whether your policy covers hazardous sports and if not, whether you can add an optional rider.

[Ms Hogan 295]

From what I can gather, I need a SSN in order to get health insurance.

But I think that can take 3 weeks or thereabouts.

Any idea what I can do in the mean time? would hate to have a health problem and be in debt for the rest of my life because I was waiting on some admin!

As mentioned previously... you don't need SSN for insurance. Heck, my insurance from the past year is still asking me for mine so they can report my purchasing of it correctly.

[Thozelle 16]

As mentioned previously... you don't need SSN for insurance. Heck, my insurance from the past year is still asking me for mine so they can report my purchasing of it correctly.

Same here, keep asking ssn. I keep tell them when I get to USA I can get ssn. Wasnt an issue until this year cause now they said they have to report to IRS.