Immigrant Health Insurance?

[allyrose 31]

10 hours ago, lilacmarie213 said:

I recently went through the process of trying to find health insurance for my fiance until we get married and I can add him to my insurance. My work will not add him to my insurance, regardless of our marriage status, until he has a SSN. I do not know if that is common, but because of that I would advise submitting the application for the SSN 10-14 business days after arrival in the US. If you try to apply for a SSN sooner, manual verification aka form G-845 may be required which adds a lot of processing time. Despite many people stating that that this is all instant/immediate now, it still took 11 business days for us to be told at the SSA that my fiance would not require manual verification.

 

Your fiance is indeed eligible for healthcare through the government (I-94 is proof of status), just not tax credits and such. The deadlines and sign up process for the government-run plans vary state by state, though. We did not opt for a government-run plan because it wouldn't be active by the time my fiance arrived to the US. Do NOT buy travel insurance as this is not intended for immigrants. You will need to call private insurance companies to find one that will insure someone without a SSN/ITIN. I called around 7, and only one (Regence) was willing to insure my fiance. Blue Cross and United would not, the rest I called were all regional companies. 3 weeks later my fiance's health insurance application is STILL pending, due to the influx of applications insurance companies are getting right now as it happens to be open-enrollment. I suggest calling around and then having him apply for health insurance as soon as you can because of this, as you cannot legally apply on his behalf.

Thanks! And how did you know he was verified for a SSN? We've been checking the SAVE database everyday and nothing, but he's only been here 4 days. Do you recommend going to the SSA office and giving it a try or just using the database? 

[Suss&Camm 2,213]

1 hour ago, allyrose said:

Thanks! And how did you know he was verified for a SSN? We've been checking the SAVE database everyday and nothing, but he's only been here 4 days. Do you recommend going to the SSA office and giving it a try or just using the database? 

He won't show up in the database until there is an inquiry from an agency. So go apply or you'll be waiting a very long time

[allyrose 31]

11 minutes ago, Suss&Camm said:

He won't show up in the database until there is an inquiry from an agency. So go apply or you'll be waiting a very long time

We were told not to go until 10 days after his arrival because he won't be in the system yet. I was told that if we go sooner before he is in the SAVE database we have to fill out a G-845 which can add several weeks to the process. 

[lilacmarie213 4]

You can certainly go in before 10 business days, but it may be a waste of time... it was for us. The SAVE Case Check thing that is available online is meant for tracking application status and is thus different than what the people at the SSA office use to verify identity (or that's what we were told)... so the online SAVE check will not accurately give you an idea whether or not you can bypass the manual verification process or not. We found it better to ask the SSA agents if his information was in the the "Alien Verification system" so we could "avoid manual verification", rather than mentioning SAVE specifically.

[Chardon Ne' 71]

5 minutes ago, lilacmarie213 said:

You can certainly go in before 10 business days, but it may be a waste of time... it was for us. The SAVE Case Check thing that is available online is meant for tracking application status and is thus different than what the people at the SSA office use to verify identity (or that's what we were told)... so the online SAVE check will not accurately give you an idea whether or not you can bypass the manual verification process or not. We found it better to ask the SSA agents if his information was in the the "Alien Verification system" so we could "avoid manual verification", rather than mentioning SAVE specifically.

When you go to SSA or DMV they check SAVE. What they see in there is what they use to determine your eligibility for SSN. So for example if your EAD application was approved then that is how they know that they can issue the number. 

[allyrose 31]

Just now, Chardon Ne' said:

When you go to SSA or DMV they check SAVE. What they see in there is what they use to determine your eligibility for SSN. So for example if your EAD application was approved then that is how they know that they can issue the number. 

But a EAD is not necessary for a K1 visa holder to get a SSN. 

[Chardon Ne' 71]

1 minute ago, allyrose said:

But a EAD is not necessary for a K1 visa holder to get a SSN. 

I know it was an example. For them they would see the K-1 visa application was approved and issue the SSN. 

[Suss&Camm 2,213]

1 hour ago, allyrose said:

We were told not to go until 10 days after his arrival because he won't be in the system yet. I was told that if we go sooner before he is in the SAVE database we have to fill out a G-845 which can add several weeks to the process. 

What lilacmarie said is right, however there are other things that can trigger a level 3 (manual) SAVE verification. In that case it will not matter what time you go in. So go in and ask as lilacmarie suggested when you feel you want to (I only mean that you won't be able to know by checking the online SAVE case tracker). Most likely when it is in the system you will be verified instantaneously. My name was too long and did not fit in the box so a manual form had to be sent regardless. It took 8 weeks.

Edited January 11, 2017 by Suss&Camm

[yuna628 9,676]

For straightforward cases in which no one has dropped the ball and provided the SSA employee knows what they are doing, there should be no problems. There are people who can easily obtain an SSN the very next day after they land, and some who can't obtain it even after waiting 10 days. We certainly had absolutely no problems, and I can assure you we live in a tiny town where I don't think they even know what the heck a K1 is. We've been into the SSA a few times now - to get his first card, to change to my married name, and to update to his second card. No problems. If the person behind a desk seems to not have a clue, ask for a supervisor and bring in their own policy of instructions regarding a K1 to be safe.

Edited January 11, 2017 by yuna628