Health Insurance?!?!?!

[hannahraeroxs 55]

Do you know the rules on applying for and getting government subsidies health insurance? 

 

Im thinking about another job opportunity but the job i possibly will be taking wont have health insurance. Could me and my husband ( in process of AOS) sign up for insurance like covered California?? 

 

 

Much appreciated my friends! Hope all is well! 

[hannahraeroxs 55]

5 minutes ago, LizM said:

Open enrollment is over, so a few questions: are you both on insurance right now? If not, how long ago did you marry?

 

Both ending a current health insurance plan and marrying qualifies as a life changing events I believe, so you can sign up for health insurance within 60 days of those events, even if you're not in the open enrollment period.

I am on health insurance now and he is not but i will be leaving the job that has insurance to a new job that doesn't. We have been married for almost a month. Which health insurance do u recommend?? 

[yuna628 9,676]

3 hours ago, hannahraeroxs said:

Do you know the rules on applying for and getting government subsidies health insurance? 

 

Im thinking about another job opportunity but the job i possibly will be taking wont have health insurance. Could me and my husband ( in process of AOS) sign up for insurance like covered California?? 

 

 

Much appreciated my friends! Hope all is well! 

Sure. You can certainly sign up for CC. Your husband will need his AOS NOA1, or his EAD, or his green card - whichever is first. But it will also depend on a few other things, such as how long ago you married and how much time has elapsed. You see when a person enters the US and marries, when it is not in a period of open enrollment, you need a special qualifier, however that window can close if you wait too long. As for subsidies though, fair warning: most people are not eligible for them, meaning the insurance plan you find may not be as cheap as you hope for. You do have some other options, such as purchasing a plan privately - most of those are virtually the same as what you can find via the exchange. It may be good to speak to a certified health advisor or someone that can help you sign up.

[hannahraeroxs 55]

3 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

Sure. You can certainly sign up for CC. Your husband will need his AOS NOA1, or his EAD, or his green card - whichever is first. But it will also depend on a few other things, such as how long ago you married and how much time has elapsed. You see when a person enters the US and marries, when it is not in a period of open enrollment, you need a special qualifier, however that window can close if you wait too long. As for subsidies though, fair warning: most people are not eligible for them, meaning the insurance plan you find may not be as cheap as you hope for. You do have some other options, such as purchasing a plan privately - most of those are virtually the same as what you can find via the exchange. It may be good to speak to a certified health advisor or someone that can help you sign up.

Hi! We married the 23rd of january so almost a month ago. I wasnt sure i could have us apply for CC due to government help and i am responsible for him. We are in the process of applying for his Adjustment of status. Will we still be okay??

[yuna628 9,676]

3 minutes ago, hannahraeroxs said:

Hi! We married the 23rd of january so almost a month ago. I wasnt sure i could have us apply for CC due to government help and i am responsible for him. We are in the process of applying for his Adjustment of status. Will we still be okay??

By law immigrants are eligible to use the exchanges (state or federal) as they are not a means tested benefit. That does not mean however, that there are times you encounter really stupid misinformation which really is detrimental to couples who are not confident enough to understand their rights and responsibilities. That has led to the penalty applying, or even locking the immigrant out of insurance because they waited too long. Cover Cali is the state exchange, and people sign up for it all the time. You can see the proof evidence of status that you could use and eligibility here: https://www.coveredca.com/documents-to-confirm-eligibility/proof-of-immigration-status-or-lawful-presence/  Their list is even more comprehensive and explanatory than the federal one, which is very helpful. California knows they have a lot of immigrants that could apply and make things clear.

[hannahraeroxs 55]

5 minutes ago, LizM said:

Great, since you married within the last 60 days, reach out to the health insurance market place you have in California (as per my research it's called Covered California, check it out). Make sure your husband gets an SSN if he doesn't have that already. Reach out to Covered California, tell them you both need health insurance and that you were married about 30 days ago. 

 

Please beware that the marketplaces are not full of people who have no idea about immigration, however. In my case, NYC State of Health kicked me out of my plan because my AOS NOA1 was "not enough evidence of immigration status", which is total BS - anyone who is adjusting status will only have the NOA1 if they haven't gotten the EAD/AP yet, and they should know this. With that in mind (and just like the above poster said - you'll only qualify for financial assistance if your monthly income in under a certain figure) it might be worth checking out a private plan. I'm on a private plan now and was not covered for about two months out of last year simply because NYC State of Health messed up.

We hope to send out his adjustment of status forms in the next few weeks. What proof do we need for health insurance?? It wont go against us when it comes to filing or ne sponsering him?

[mattwood79 2]

Another option is to take advantage of COBRA. This process allows you to continue your current health insurance after you have left your employer. Your premiums will go up significantly as the company will no longer be subsidising them, but if that's not an issue, it could be the easiest route. Ask your HR dept for details of COBRA and they should be able to point you in the right direction and/or provide you with forms.