Medical insurance for K-1 (before marriage).

[Amhara 460]

If your husband has insurance through his job, marriage may be a qualifying life even to add a spouse without waiting until open season. Also some insurances cover a fiance 30 days before marriage. Review your husbands statement of benefit or call the insurance company to ask.

He did already ask at work. He can add me after we are married. Thank you for the info though I do have savings so if I did need to go to the doctor I could cover costs. But it's something I will definitely discuss with him. Obviously I can't use my travel insurance. Which expires in July anyway.

I just wanted to add my experience to this too. My insurance allows the policy holder (me USC) to add the future spouse up to 30 days before the marriage. I asked my HR person if I could add my fiance at that time because he didn't have an SSN. She told me that we wouldn't be able to add him because he didn't have an SSN. That turned out to be wrong information! I added him a few days after the marriage, I didn't need to show the certificate (which was still being processed), and we didn't need his SSN! If I would have read the form to add him, I would have learned all this myself, but instead I trusted someone who should have known instead. I hope you are able to get the coverage you need AMZJ!

[gsma 8]

I did some research into basic medical insurance for the 1 month duration between POE and Marriage. I'm not entirely sure how the tax penalties break down, but I don't think the 1 month would have been an issue - though, I'd rather not have any government penalties attached to my fiancees name. I suppose for a practical matter, insurance is exactly what it says. Insurance. Anything could have happened in that month, and we wanted some sort of piece of mind before my work benefits kicked in.

As for travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print. A lot of travel insurance I looked at did not cover if there is intent to immigrate or not go back.

[AMZJ 61]

I know for a fact that his work insurance won't allow me to go on it until we are married. I don't really want to risk a fine! I thought K-1 was classed non immigrant though? Would I be ok to be uninsured until we get married and file AOS? Or would I end up being fined. It's really confusing. I don't want to risk getting a fine for not having it. It also makes me feel a little uncomfortable because I do have ongoing health issues that may need seeing too within the 90 day K-1 period. We are planning on marrying in October so I will be moving mid July.. thats a long time to go uninsured for.

[dmck 80]

You can purchase individual health care. I just purchased for my kids, $210/mo, individual coverage. It gives them 3 wellness visits per year, 3 urgent care visits and all ER visits I owe up to $6k. its a very affordable plan and should get you through to the marriage. Goto blue cross website in what ever state you are in.

[yuna628 9,676]

I did some research into basic medical insurance for the 1 month duration between POE and Marriage. I'm not entirely sure how the tax penalties break down, but I don't think the 1 month would have been an issue - though, I'd rather not have any government penalties attached to my fiancees name. I suppose for a practical matter, insurance is exactly what it says. Insurance. Anything could have happened in that month, and we wanted some sort of piece of mind before my work benefits kicked in.

As for travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print. A lot of travel insurance I looked at did not cover if there is intent to immigrate or not go back.

I know for a fact that his work insurance won't allow me to go on it until we are married. I don't really want to risk a fine! I thought K-1 was classed non immigrant though? Would I be ok to be uninsured until we get married and file AOS? Or would I end up being fined. It's really confusing. I don't want to risk getting a fine for not having it. It also makes me feel a little uncomfortable because I do have ongoing health issues that may need seeing too within the 90 day K-1 period. We are planning on marrying in October so I will be moving mid July.. thats a long time to go uninsured for.

To address both mentions of a penalty or a fine... I know it's called a penalty.. but the reality is it's more like a tax. As in it would be taken out during tax filing time. There's no lien or fine attached to anyone per say, that is, as long as it's paid for. It also remains to be seen how enforceable it is entirely. The cost of one yearly 'penalty' essentially is the cost of one or two month insurance premiums, if that. The Supreme Court sort of made it that way.. in that a person is free to go without insurance so long as they pay the 'tax'. The tax acts as an 'gentle encourager to get' (and a poor one at that) insurance, but not a 'force', as in buy this or else type thing. This is why some people (who are healthy and like to gamble a bit) still find it cheaper to pay the penalty and go without insurance. Fiscal year 2015's penalty was about $300+, 2016 was projected to be about $600+, and it is likely to continue to rise. However there are some exceptions: a person who goes without health insurance for only some of the year may only pay a small penalty, and in some cases it won't apply at all in various scenarios. K1's are a 'grey area'. If you are a legal immigrant, then you are ACA eligible - but a K1 itself isn't a status that is directly mentioned on the federal website - however adjustment to LPR is. It may be a greater question for an employee of the health exchange or CPA to answer. Your immigration status doesn't prevent you from obtaining health insurance privately from an insurance company, that is why we went private. We chose to purchase it only after we married, so there was a small period without insurance for him, I don't see it costing or affecting much if it ever does at all.

I can certainly see a person with ongoing health issues and needing medication may have a hard time figuring out what to do with it. There are typically walk-in urgent care clinics that will offer reduced costs to those uninsured.

Travel insurance will not typically cover you for immigration purposes. My husband's company basically said coverage ended effective at the very moment he used the visa. Some people have of course used temporary insurances marketed toward immigrants, but as I mentioned before these still are not federally compliant so a penalty could still apply, there is also the additional issue of if they provide effective coverage if you should need it. It's all in what you decide that you could potentially afford and if you have medication to cover health issues. You won't be refused care should you need it.

Edited February 13, 2016 by yuna628

[Chris and ZhiJia 146]

I know for a fact that his work insurance won't allow me to go on it until we are married. I don't really want to risk a fine! I thought K-1 was classed non immigrant though? Would I be ok to be uninsured until we get married and file AOS? Or would I end up being fined. It's really confusing. I don't want to risk getting a fine for not having it. It also makes me feel a little uncomfortable because I do have ongoing health issues that may need seeing too within the 90 day K-1 period. We are planning on marrying in October so I will be moving mid July.. thats a long time to go uninsured for.

Use a Justice of the Peace, get your legal marriage documents, and get put on his insurance, and then hold the Ceremony in October. It will cost him an extra $25-40 per paycheck once you are added onto his insurance, or you can get your own insurance through Obamacare that depending on the level of coverage you need could cost between $125 and $300 per month on average.

On the side note, if you choose to go without Insurance, the penalty during tax filing season next year will be approximately $465 based on an income of 54000 for a couple that is married filing jointly, but then you would need to factor in the lack of healthcare coverage, and all healthcare expenses will be out of pocket expenses.

[Amhara 460]

Use a Justice of the Peace, get your legal marriage documents, and get put on his insurance, and then hold the Ceremony in October. It will cost him an extra $25-40 per paycheck once you are added onto his insurance

Each policy is different. My insurance increased by another $60 per check ($120 per month) to change from a single to a self plus one plan.

[DaisyD 12]

I worry a lot and did not want to be without insurance. My husbands insurance would only cover me once we were married. So I bought a temporary policy that covered me for 3 months from an insurance company I found online that specialize in insurance for visitors to the USA. It cost me $222 for 3 months cover back in 2013. I am sure there are other places you could buy it from if you wanted.

In the end I did not need it, but I would always rather be covered than not and the policy was pretty cheap for insurance.

Edited February 13, 2016 by DaisyD

[AMZJ 61]

The confusing part is figuring out if it's compliant to the law. We did discuss it and he agrees it's a very bad idea for me to be uninsured because of my health issues.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

The confusing part is figuring out if it's compliant to the law. We did discuss it and he agrees it's a very bad idea for me to be uninsured because of my health issues.

Tax penalties for uninsured: There are many exemptions. Get the true facts from the IRS. https://www.irs.gov/Affordable-Care-Act/Individuals-and-Families/ACA-Individual-Shared-Responsibility-Provision-Exemptions

Short coverage gap - You went without coverage for less than three consecutive months during the year. For more information, see question 22 of our questions and answers.

Scroll down to the section called Citizens living abroad and certain noncitizens

A nonresident alien, including (1) a dual-status alien in the first year of U.S. residency and (2) a nonresident alien or dual-status alien who elects to file a joint return with a U.S. spouse; or

If you meet one of these conditions, you qualify for this exemption even if you have a social security number (SSN).

[AMZJ 61]

Tax penalties for uninsured: There are many exemptions. Get the true facts from the IRS. https://www.irs.gov/Affordable-Care-Act/Individuals-and-Families/ACA-Individual-Shared-Responsibility-Provision-Exemptions

Short coverage gap - You went without coverage for less than three consecutive months during the year. For more information, see question 22 of our questions and answers.

Scroll down to the section called Citizens living abroad and certain noncitizens

A nonresident alien, including (1) a dual-status alien in the first year of U.S. residency and (2) a nonresident alien or dual-status alien who elects to file a joint return with a U.S. spouse; or

If you meet one of these conditions, you qualify for this exemption even if you have a social security number (SSN).

From what I understand then, if I didn't get it I wouldn't get the fine as I would meet the criteria for an exemption as long as it was for under 3 months (which would be as have to marry in 90 days).