What are my medical insurance options?

[S*UK 543]

Hey everyone,

 

I am looking for answers on where I can purchase medical insurance before or upon entry into the US. I will be entering on a K1 visa and need to know what my options are for the couple of months where I wont be married to a USC. Once I am married, I will enroll into the military DEERS programme. I am already aware that travel insurance will not cover me as I am entering on a visa with immigrant intent. I have also seen special 'K1 insurance' but a quick overview has shown me this is useless.

 

Any advice on what others have done would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Sophie

[Lemonslice 4,641]

You can reach out to insurer like Blue Cross Blue Shield, CIGNA, etc. to get quotes.  Without subsidies, it might get expensive, however it only is for a couple of months.  

[Crazy Cat 40,154]

Don't waste any time after marriage.  Get to a military ID card facility and get enrolled into DEERS asap!!  In the interim, take a look at the short term healthcare options as suggested above.  

 

Be advised that you will need a SS card to get a perm military dependent ID card.

 

I am a military retiree, and we just recently enrolled my bride in DEERS.

[S*UK 543]

5 minutes ago, Lemonslice said:

You can reach out to insurer like Blue Cross Blue Shield, CIGNA, etc. to get quotes.  Without subsidies, it might get expensive, however it only is for a couple of months.  

Thanks for the quick reply!

Can I sign up for these without being a US resident? (i.e. having a green card) and without having a SSN?

 

And what exactly do you mean by 'subsidies'?  Sorry, im just so confused by medical insurance after being in the UK my whole life and its really stressing me out.

 

Also, do you know if it would be illegal to be in the US on the K1 without insurance? Im fit, young and have no problems so unless I have to, I probably wouldnt get any.

 

Thanks again!

[S*UK 543]

1 minute ago, missileman said:

Don't waste any time after marriage.  Get to a military ID card facility and get enrolled into DEERS asap!!  In the interim, take a look at the short term healthcare options as suggested above.  

 

Be advised that you will need a SS card to get a perm military dependent ID card.

 

I am a military retiree, and we just recently enrolled my bride in DEERS.

 

Thanks so much! My fiancee has already been to the soldier support centre to inform them of his plans. We have a checklist of documents for me to bring after the wedding and I am planning on getting a SSN the day after I arrive (as long as they will give me one lol).

[Crazy Cat 40,154]

Just now, S*UK said:

Also, do you know if it would be illegal to be in the US on the K1 without insurance?

NO, it not illegal.....you can wait until after marriage, then have your military sponsor enroll you in DEERS.

[Crazy Cat 40,154]

Good Luck from one military family to another!!!  

[S*UK 543]

7 minutes ago, missileman said:

Good Luck from one military family to another!!!  

Thanks so much. Best wishes to you and your wife

[Scandi 4,024]

32 minutes ago, S*UK said:

Thanks for the quick reply!

Can I sign up for these without being a US resident? (i.e. having a green card) and without having a SSN?

 

And what exactly do you mean by 'subsidies'?  Sorry, im just so confused by medical insurance after being in the UK my whole life and its really stressing me out.

 

Also, do you know if it would be illegal to be in the US on the K1 without insurance? Im fit, young and have no problems so unless I have to, I probably wouldnt get any.

 

Thanks again!

You don't have to have an insurance, most of us K-1ers didn't have one before getting married. 

 

My tax guy told me you only get a penalty for not having an insurance if you're a LPR, and you have many months more until you become an LPR.

[yuna628 9,559]

1 hour ago, S*UK said:

Hey everyone,

 

I am looking for answers on where I can purchase medical insurance before or upon entry into the US. I will be entering on a K1 visa and need to know what my options are for the couple of months where I wont be married to a USC. Once I am married, I will enroll into the military DEERS programme. I am already aware that travel insurance will not cover me as I am entering on a visa with immigrant intent. I have also seen special 'K1 insurance' but a quick overview has shown me this is useless.

 

Any advice on what others have done would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Sophie

Hi there,

 

You have a few options so here goes:

 

1) Have your spouse put you on their insurance after you marry either via a private plan or via spouse's workplace.

2) Purchase an insurance plan yourself through any insurer available in your state.

3) Use the federal exchange or state exchange if you have them. Open enrollment starts in November and goes until Dec 15th or so. You must have the required documents needed however. Your earliest document proof with be after you marry and file for AOS in this order (AOS NOA1, EAD, or green card).

4) Obtain a plan through workplace insurance once you are able to work.

 

Immigrants are certainly welcome to purchase insurance, and you are not disqualified from using the exchanges either so long as you have proof of status. Private plans certainly are the most easiest and generally only require a few pieces of info.

One con to using the exchange is that often the intending immigrant becomes confused, is given wrong info, or ends up waiting for whatever reasons to sign up. You only have a certain grace period of time allowance that you can sign up outside of the normal enrollment period. New immigrants, newly married, and those with certain life changes are allowed to sign up outside of the normal period under a clause called special enrollment. There is a great deal of uncertainness when it comes to the exchanges due to changes the current President has made. The grace period seems likely to be increased, but that will be for next period and not for this one. So I have seen immigrants wait too long past the grace period and try to sign up past the deadline and be turned away.

 

At any rate my suggestion generally is that K1s generally go with option 1, as it's generally the easiest, followed by option 2, provided you have the cash. Keep in mind insurance is expensive these days. Option 3 is the last resort one. The reality is the exchange is there to help certain types of people get lower cost health insurance, but the majority are not able to receive a subsidy which lowers your cost. The typical person will not qualify for it. The other reasons why I'm not a fan of option 3 is the redtape of dealing with the government which adds more hassle, and the fact the program is very unstable for the moment. The truth is for the average user that doesn't receive a subsidy and still uses the exchange, there is little difference between the plans offered there and what you can get privately (which is another reason why I like option 1 or 2).

 

Remember you don't have to have health insurance if you don't want it... and many of us go without it because the yearly tax penalty is ridiculously cheap compared to the cost of monthly premiums shelled out. But... for peace of mind and if you can afford it of course obtain health insurance that works best for you and the family. Travel insurance, temporary insurances, and those marketed toward new immigrants do not count under the law - the penalty will still apply. Another tip I'd have is that, soon after you arrive and before marriage is to check your I94 and see if you're in the database and then go apply for your SSN. You'll find it'll make the insurance process very much easier. It's not a 'requirement by law for insurance, but you'll find plenty of persons willing to lie or downright be obnoxious to immigrants who do not have it already.

1 hour ago, S*UK said:

Thanks for the quick reply!

Can I sign up for these without being a US resident? (i.e. having a green card) and without having a SSN?

 

And what exactly do you mean by 'subsidies'?  Sorry, im just so confused by medical insurance after being in the UK my whole life and its really stressing me out.

 

Also, do you know if it would be illegal to be in the US on the K1 without insurance? Im fit, young and have no problems so unless I have to, I probably wouldnt get any.

 

Thanks again!

It is not illegal to not have insurance. There are millions of uninsured persons in the US. There are plenty of minute clinics where you can seek treatment and pay out of pocket for illnesses. Hospitals generally may not turn you away, unless it is certain for profit-private hospitals. Keep in mind any treatment you seek without insurance will be quite expensive, and you never know if you should have an injury or critical illness. Having insurance together as a new couple is also a good proof of relationship for down the line. I added my husband to my private insurance plan shortly after he arrived, so we were covered. They asked little proof or questions beyond proof of marriage. He's healthy and fit, but a few months later we were in a car accident and insurance was helpful for injuries. We are now on his joint plan through his employment.

 

It's all up to what you can afford and if the pros outweigh the cons.

[Sav&Har 142]

8 hours ago, yuna628 said:

Hi there,

 

You have a few options so here goes:

 

1) Have your spouse put you on their insurance after you marry either via a private plan or via spouse's workplace.

2) Purchase an insurance plan yourself through any insurer available in your state.

3) Use the federal exchange or state exchange if you have them. Open enrollment starts in November and goes until Dec 15th or so. You must have the required documents needed however. Your earliest document proof with be after you marry and file for AOS in this order (AOS NOA1, EAD, or green card).

4) Obtain a plan through workplace insurance once you are able to work.

 

Immigrants are certainly welcome to purchase insurance, and you are not disqualified from using the exchanges either so long as you have proof of status. Private plans certainly are the most easiest and generally only require a few pieces of info.

One con to using the exchange is that often the intending immigrant becomes confused, is given wrong info, or ends up waiting for whatever reasons to sign up. You only have a certain grace period of time allowance that you can sign up outside of the normal enrollment period. New immigrants, newly married, and those with certain life changes are allowed to sign up outside of the normal period under a clause called special enrollment. There is a great deal of uncertainness when it comes to the exchanges due to changes the current President has made. The grace period seems likely to be increased, but that will be for next period and not for this one. So I have seen immigrants wait too long past the grace period and try to sign up past the deadline and be turned away.

 

At any rate my suggestion generally is that K1s generally go with option 1, as it's generally the easiest, followed by option 2, provided you have the cash. Keep in mind insurance is expensive these days. Option 3 is the last resort one. The reality is the exchange is there to help certain types of people get lower cost health insurance, but the majority are not able to receive a subsidy which lowers your cost. The typical person will not qualify for it. The other reasons why I'm not a fan of option 3 is the redtape of dealing with the government which adds more hassle, and the fact the program is very unstable for the moment. The truth is for the average user that doesn't receive a subsidy and still uses the exchange, there is little difference between the plans offered there and what you can get privately (which is another reason why I like option 1 or 2).

 

Remember you don't have to have health insurance if you don't want it... and many of us go without it because the yearly tax penalty is ridiculously cheap compared to the cost of monthly premiums shelled out. But... for peace of mind and if you can afford it of course obtain health insurance that works best for you and the family. Travel insurance, temporary insurances, and those marketed toward new immigrants do not count under the law - the penalty will still apply. Another tip I'd have is that, soon after you arrive and before marriage is to check your I94 and see if you're in the database and then go apply for your SSN. You'll find it'll make the insurance process very much easier. It's not a 'requirement by law for insurance, but you'll find plenty of persons willing to lie or downright be obnoxious to immigrants who do not have it already.

It is not illegal to not have insurance. There are millions of uninsured persons in the US. There are plenty of minute clinics where you can seek treatment and pay out of pocket for illnesses. Hospitals generally may not turn you away, unless it is certain for profit-private hospitals. Keep in mind any treatment you seek without insurance will be quite expensive, and you never know if you should have an injury or critical illness. Having insurance together as a new couple is also a good proof of relationship for down the line. I added my husband to my private insurance plan shortly after he arrived, so we were covered. They asked little proof or questions beyond proof of marriage. He's healthy and fit, but a few months later we were in a car accident and insurance was helpful for injuries. We are now on his joint plan through his employment.

 

It's all up to what you can afford and if the pros outweigh the cons.

This is very very very helpful piece of information. Today I was coincidentally researching about the impact on the marriage for my future wife and cost of insurance. It seems like taking the tax penalty should be the way to go for us a while. 

[S*UK 543]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I really wouldn't know what to do without VJers