Travel Insurance for Honeymoon

[JimmyJane 23]

Hi all!

 

I'm freaking out a little here and would love any advice-

 

I came over last May on the K1 visa, got legally married in July and filed for AOS.  I have received my work permit and AP and been planning our big ol' wedding that will take place this May- a year and a day after I first arrived.

 

That all sounds like I've got my sh*t together, but as far as medical insurance I've kinda stuck my head in the sand...mostly to muffle the howls of despair at the cost of it over here.  Instead of being put on my partner's insurance plan after we married, I have just been extending my travel insurance- seemed like a genius plan as it was FAR cheaper and is a great level of cover...if, of course, they didn't consider it void due to my immigration status (please see the "head in sand" part).

 

Regardless of whether the travel insurance was actually covering me all this time or not, it cannot be extended beyond 12 months so we're having to face whatever the medical insurance realities for our situation are.... But we also have our wedding coming up and our honeymoon is booked for Mexico.

 

My question- what do I do about travel insurance for Mexico?  Would an Australian travel insurer cover me? (for example, TID says they allow you to take out cover once you're already overseas and that anyone who is an Australian citizen and can be repatriated to Australia in a medical emergency can be covered...although does mention required to have a "permanent Australian address")  

 

Otherwise, would I be covered by a US travel insurer?!  I'm not really sure where my immigration status (married but in process of AOS so not permanent resident?) lands me for travel insurance.

 

Any help/advice would be enormously appreciated!!  And please forgive my willful stupidity- I'm having a rough time adjusting to life in America and I think a large part of me still likes to think of this as just an extended trip- so my idiotic insurance choices made sense on that level!

[Boiler 45,913]

So if you have a major medical you will move to Australia?

[yuna628 9,697]

As you should now hopefully be aware, the travel insurance you obtained and kept extending is a waste of money. It's invalidated the moment you immigrated. I would think you would need to seek out travel insurance (stateside) for your upcoming trip. Travel insurance as a whole though doesn't really protect you in terms of medical treatment, usually only in the event of an accident. You could try to add on additional travel medical insurance if that was a concern. But none of this solves your real problem. You will be living in the US for the foreseeable future, and as such, it would be in your best interests to get covered. Have your spouse add you to their medical plan. It's your best first option and then there will be no more sand on your head. Everything costs in America, and health insurance is a big piece of it.

[JimmyJane 23]

Thanks for the advice- I totally understand at this point that I have wasted my money on the travel insurance from home, and for getting medical insurance for life in the US, I currently have to look into other options as I can't join my partner's plan at the moment (outside the enrollment window which was either Jan 1 or last July when we got married).

 

However, my actual question was just for travel insurance just for our honeymoon- would US travel insurance cover me for that week?  Is my status of post-K1, current AOS, pre-green card eligible for coverage by a US travel insurer? 

 

Cheers

[JimmyJane 23]

40 minutes ago, Boiler said:

So if you have a major medical you will move to Australia?

And I guess in my situation, if I had a major medical emergency while traveling, I'd be more than happy to be repatriated/move back to Australia for medical care rather than the US without insurance!  Sorry folks, I'm just frankly a wee bit terrified of and horrified by the US medical insurance system after what I was used to in Australia, and somehow it has become a big part in making me feel really uncomfortable/stressed about life in America so far. Better the devil you know has never felt more true than with medical cover and taxes!

[austex 42]

Don't be afraid of the US medical system.  Yes sometimes the cost sucks but once you get a job it will be subsidized by your work.  It freaked me out for the first year and now I work for the medical industry and it is okay.  Life here in America is pretty good, doesn't mean I don't miss home and "our" way of life there but it is good.  I have been here 5 years now.

 

Getting to your travel insurance while you are on your honeymoon.  Take out travel insurance from here, your fiancé and you can get it because you will be on your honeymoon.  There are quite a few companies out there that will do it.

 

Enjoy life in America.

 

M.

[JimmyJane 23]

2 minutes ago, austex said:

Don't be afraid of the US medical system.  Yes sometimes the cost sucks but once you get a job it will be subsidized by your work.  It freaked me out for the first year and now I work for the medical industry and it is okay.  Life here in America is pretty good, doesn't mean I don't miss home and "our" way of life there but it is good.  I have been here 5 years now.

 

Getting to your travel insurance while you are on your honeymoon.  Take out travel insurance from here, your fiancé and you can get it because you will be on your honeymoon.  There are quite a few companies out there that will do it.

 

Enjoy life in America.

 

M.

Thank you for the kind words and reassurance it gets better!  I'm in dire need of that right now, as I have this sinking sensation that I'm getting this new American life all kinds of wrong.

[austex 42]

it will be fine.  I cried my first 2 years here.  I still don't have any friends.  That part is so different from Australia where we had so many.  - My story quickly - my husband is American but his parents moved him to Australia in 1989, he just wanted to come "home" but I do like it here.  We are in Dallas and go home and visit every two years.  Give it a little bit of time and it will become normal life.

 

M.

[JimmyJane 23]

Oh thank you for sharing that- my fiance will be reassured that I'm not the only crier   He- and I too- thought the transition would be a cinch as I had worked US summer camps and traveled to the States for fun for fifteen years and felt totally at home here... But actually properly living here has proven entirely different to roadtripping and hitting concerts and camping by lakes (strangely enough, ha!)

[Boiler 45,913]

50 minutes ago, JimmyJane said:

Thanks for the advice- I totally understand at this point that I have wasted my money on the travel insurance from home, and for getting medical insurance for life in the US, I currently have to look into other options as I can't join my partner's plan at the moment (outside the enrollment window which was either Jan 1 or last July when we got married).

 

However, my actual question was just for travel insurance just for our honeymoon- would US travel insurance cover me for that week?  Is my status of post-K1, current AOS, pre-green card eligible for coverage by a US travel insurer? 

 

Cheers

You are legally resident in the US see no problems

[Sunnyland 639]

22 hours ago, austex said:

Don't be afraid of the US medical system.  Yes sometimes the cost sucks but once you get a job it will be subsidized by your work.  It freaked me out for the first year and now I work for the medical industry and it is okay.  Life here in America is pretty good, doesn't mean I don't miss home and "our" way of life there but it is good.  I have been here 5 years now.

 

Getting to your travel insurance while you are on your honeymoon.  Take out travel insurance from here, your fiancé and you can get it because you will be on your honeymoon.  There are quite a few companies out there that will do it.

 

Enjoy life in America.

 

M.

 

Not all jobs offer you health insurance. My previous job only paid 50% of the premium, the rest came from my paycheck.  You are lucky if a job covers you 100%.  If you work for the medical industry then you hit the jackpot (regarding insurance of course).