Medical Insurance?

[jcseymour 0]

Hi everyone!

Just a quick rundown of my situation, that perhaps can help others too!

Well I arrived in the U.S just shy of 5 years ago as a student (British citizen), and I got married early this year and have mailed all required forms to USCIS for a greencard several weeks ago. So, I am currently undergoing "adjustment of status".

While that is all being processed, I was wondering what I should have regarding medical insurance? My wife has medical insurance through her job, but I do not. I've heard of British citizens that have work visas flying back to the UK to use the NHS services for something serious. I feel undereducated regarding the new laws of ObamaCare, where you will owe considerable more taxes if you do not have medical insurance. I feel this can be a conflicting situation though, as I am not a U.S citizen.

Any help or guidance will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!!

Jack

[Transborderwife 4,666]

If you're adjusting status I believe your NHS is nullified. Can you be added to your spouse policy?

[jcseymour 0]

If you're adjusting status I believe your NHS is nullified. Can you be added to your spouse policy?

She can add me to her insurance. That is an option for sure.

Where did you hear about the NHS being nullified? My adjustment of status is from F1 student to greencard, so theoretically it is just one visa to another. As far as the United Kingdom is concerned, I'll still be a British citizen.

Regards,

Jack

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Citizenship isn't what matters. Once you're not a resident of that country anymore you lose your NHS benefits.

[jcseymour 0]

Citizenship isn't what matters. Once you're not a resident of that country anymore you lose your NHS benefits.

That makes sense to me. I'm still confused on how I've known people to go back to the UK for medical treatment, while they're living in the US with work visas. If they have family there, does that make a difference?

[Transborderwife 4,666]

They're not permanent residents. They're on a visa

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Canadian rules may be different from UK rules. But, OP, a Greencard is not a visa. You should get US health insurance. You have 30 days from when you get married to get on your wife's insurance. Or wait for open enrollment. Or check out the exchange, but I think the sign up for that passed this year (not sure). If you get hit by a bus, are you going to fly back to the UK for treatment?

[yuna628 9,677]

Hi everyone!

Just a quick rundown of my situation, that perhaps can help others too!

Well I arrived in the U.S just shy of 5 years ago as a student (British citizen), and I got married early this year and have mailed all required forms to USCIS for a greencard several weeks ago. So, I am currently undergoing "adjustment of status".

While that is all being processed, I was wondering what I should have regarding medical insurance? My wife has medical insurance through her job, but I do not. I've heard of British citizens that have work visas flying back to the UK to use the NHS services for something serious. I feel undereducated regarding the new laws of ObamaCare, where you will owe considerable more taxes if you do not have medical insurance. I feel this can be a conflicting situation though, as I am not a U.S citizen.

Any help or guidance will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!!

Jack

By law all persons in the US must obtain health insurance or pay a penalty in taxes. You not yet being a citizen of the US has no bearing on this fact. Immigrants are allowed to be covered under federal law and for the most part are not exempt from this rule.

You have options as follows:

Obtain health insurance through your spouse's place of employment. Sounds like this is an option for you so explore that first.

Obtain health insurance by buying it privately. You'll find many of the same plans you can buy directly are very much like those found through the federal or state exchanges (Obamacare).

Use the federal (or state if you have one) exchange. If you have a state exchange, go through them first before federal. Open enrollment is over, but you should qualify under special enrollment. See the link in my signature for the regulations governing immigrants and what documents you need.

Keep the following in mind: The cost of this year's penalty is somewhere around $600+ and may rise every year. That being said, no one is forced to buy health insurance if they don't want to. There are plenty of persons who continue to not use health insurance, feeling the risk is worth it. The yearly penalty is significantly cheaper than paying a health insurance premium every month.

There will be sticker shock in any of these options. The Affordable in the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) does not mean affordable for everyone. Whether you qualify for subsidies really depends on the situation. Premiums are premiums, and the cost of them must be weighed carefully vs the benefits each plan offers. Sometimes you may get a better deal privately, so shop around.

Not every insurance representative (even for the feds) will know their own laws regarding immigrants. If you find someone giving you a hard time, keep trying.

Temporary insurances, travel insurances, and insurances specifically marketed towards immigrants do not count in the eyes of the federal government. The penalty still applies for these, even if you use them.

Technically you are still a citizen of the UK, and I'm sure there are persons that manage to use the NHS but only in emergency situations. You'd have to refer to the NHS' own rules, and this does not protect you from the US penalty anyway. However, the PM put a stop to those who have left the UK (even if they still be citizens) from getting access to the NHS, and I believe that these two articles reveal the changes put into place to stop a UK expat living in a non-EEA country (such as the US) from going back to the UK to use the NHS. Whether these changes went into full effect yet I don't know.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/expat-health/11571256/British-expats-from-outside-Europe-must-pay-for-NHS-hospital-care.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/expat-health/11633938/Government-U-turn-on-NHS-access-for-expats.html

Edited April 18, 2016 by yuna628

[Boiler 45,559]

Not everybody in the US has to but health insurance. And for those that do they can pay the fine.

Usually the most cost effective option is to add to your spouses cover through an employer.

As far as the NHS is concerned it is based on residency not citizenship. Of course people get away with it, health tourism is a big business and is a major issue for the NHS, I am going to assume most do get away with it, some do not.

Of course there are practicalities, minor medical well is it worth the cost of the air fare, major medical is it practical.

[Dakine10 5,452]

NHS now bills 150% of the remaining charges for non-resident Britons from outside the European economic area caught using a hospital in the UK without proper insurance coverage.

That's still probably cheaper than having the same procedure at a US hospital without insurance though.