Health Insurance While Filing for AOS, EAD and AP

[yuna628 9,718]

2 hours ago, Abbey B said:

My husband (through K1 Visa) is applying for his green card, EAD and AP but he needs health insurance. Obviously, he cannot work and get health benefits until he gets an EAD and my insurance through work is over $800 a month to add him on. Does he qualify for medicaid? What other kinds of (affordable) health insurance can he get? Has anyone had any experience with this? 

You can apply to the exchange as soon as you have an NOA1 for the AOS, if not by then, the next earliest with the EAD. If you have applied for AOS not too long after marriage you qualify under special enrollment, wait too long though and you can be phased out into the next open enrollment period.

2 hours ago, Abbey B said:

Okay, we are looking at exchange now and can try to compare. I feel like we can get something for half that price. 

 

What did you guys do? Did you go on your spouses employer plan? 

I had already paid for a 'grandfathered' type private plan, which was quite expensive as it was and offered pretty poor coverage. When we married I immediately added my spouse onto my plan, and it was rolled over into a new type plan. The cost was around $600-700 per month for a while, but then continued to skyrocket by a year and a half in upwards of nearly $900 and the benefits were no better. This ate through savings, and made us seriously consider going without as by that time his employer was only offering a PT position so no insurance offered. Luckily he was offered FT position, and the insurance was fantastic for both of us. I think it works out somewhere around $200 + a small amount for a dental plan every month and employer picks up the rest, which is a staggering amount. This has paid off tremendously this year with a $48,000 hospital stay last month.

 

For most, unless your income qualifies, the exchange does not offer that much of a difference in savings, but it can help certainly sometimes and get you some care when you need it. When it comes to employer offered insurance though, usually that is best, unless there are specific circumstances that do not make it cheaper in the long run. For instance, the plan you find on the exchange might be cheap if it is a bronze plan, but consider how much you will shell out with deductibles + copays making it.. well.. kinda junk. Can the employer offered insurance give you anything better than that even if you are paying more up front?

[JFH 12,191]

My employer offers a range of buy-up plans. I added my husband to mine when he was laid off recently. It’s costing $400 a month. I could have gone for a lower option and also for a higher option but went for the middle one as the cost vs benefits seemed to be the best combo. Have a good look at the options available through the employer. There might be more than one. 

[Redheadguy03 505]

I added my wife once we got married. I pay 250 for her and mine is free. Plus I save 60 a month for doing a screening/incentive thing every year. It'll go up to 327 once we have a kid. Minus that 60 again, but we pay 30 a month for dental too. We also have a deductible and a max pay out, but overall it seems to be pretty good. Especially compared to what some of you seem to be paying.

[Sarah&Facundo 599]

Once you are married, you can apply for a plan on the Exchange. Keep in mind you must do that within 60 days of getting married because it qualifies as a "change of life" event. I see you are in NJ. We are too and did this without an issue last year. We don't pay anywhere near $800 so that might be your best bet. It will be a LOT easier if he has a SSN to apply with as well. You can apply for that right away if you haven't already.

Edited April 22, 2019 by Sarah&Facundo

[Zeebubs 22]

Have you looked into expat insurance?  I am going to cover myself for the shortfall between landing in the states and getting married, since travel insurance does not cover you if you are not returning to your point of origin.  I've had quotes for $220 US a month (minus outpatients which is another $140, and before I've declared any pre-existings).

[C90 376]

8 hours ago, Abbey B said:

It just seems like $800 a month is excessive for healthcare. I know it is necessary to have it but I thought maybe we could find one more affordable and wasn't sure if he would qualify for medicaid given his immigration status. 

When my husband changed jobs we didn't get benefits through his work anymore. We got temporary private insurance for about $600 per month for the both of us (so $300 per person) until I got benefits for the both of us via my work. So there's definitely cheaper healthcare out there with private insurances. They just won't cover as much, and the deductibles might be crazy, but it's only temporary.

[CEE53147 559]

9 hours ago, Abbey B said:

It just seems like $800 a month is excessive for healthcare. I know it is necessary to have it but I thought maybe we could find one more affordable and wasn't sure if he would qualify for medicaid given his immigration status. 

 

If you are employed, your income exceeds the limit. 

 

You should have budgeted his health insurance and care before bringing him here.  For many $800/month is a bargain

Edited April 22, 2019 by CEE53147

[CEE53147 559]

2 hours ago, Redheadguy03 said:

I added my wife once we got married. I pay 250 for her and mine is free. Plus I save 60 a month for doing a screening/incentive thing every year. It'll go up to 327 once we have a kid. Minus that 60 again, but we pay 30 a month for dental too. We also have a deductible and a max pay out, but overall it seems to be pretty good. Especially compared to what some of you seem to be paying.

 

Thank your lucky stars!!!  It depends on the company you work for and the sate you live in. Some companies subsidize family plans.

[Ontarkie 14,502]

~~Moved to Moving Here and Your New Life, from AOS Family - The OP is asking about health Insurance~~

[Loren Y 2,756]

Check out my post from less than a week ago. 800 seems high, but it is needed......

 

 

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

Plan plan plan. I pay something like $300 a month for both my husband and I on my insurance. My company covers the rest and they throw in dental/vision at their own expense.

 

These are those "hidden" costs people don't really think about.

[Abbey B 79]

12 hours ago, Sarah&Facundo said:

Once you are married, you can apply for a plan on the Exchange. Keep in mind you must do that within 60 days of getting married because it qualifies as a "change of life" event. I see you are in NJ. We are too and did this without an issue last year. We don't pay anywhere near $800 so that might be your best bet. It will be a LOT easier if he has a SSN to apply with as well. You can apply for that right away if you haven't already.

Hi jersey neighbor  Thank you and yes we did get his SSN already. I think the employer insurance may be our best bet only because the coverage will be better than if we went with exchange and from what I'm seeing in this thread...it may be worth it because God forbid something happened and he racks up a big hospital stay like some others explained, then it could pay off to have the better coverage. 

[Abbey B 79]

7 hours ago, Loren Y said:

Check out my post from less than a week ago. 800 seems high, but it is needed......

 

 

That is so nervewrecking! Hope all is well now and thank god there was coverage. I know it is needed and think we will go this route...

[Abbey B 79]

12 hours ago, Zeebubs said:

Have you looked into expat insurance?  I am going to cover myself for the shortfall between landing in the states and getting married, since travel insurance does not cover you if you are not returning to your point of origin.  I've had quotes for $220 US a month (minus outpatients which is another $140, and before I've declared any pre-existings).

Thanks for the thought. We did not look into it...that is not a bad cost but will have to take a look and compare and what specifically it would be covering. Sometimes the higher premium comes with more coverage, which he will need. 

[Abbey B 79]

17 hours ago, yuna628 said:

You can apply to the exchange as soon as you have an NOA1 for the AOS, if not by then, the next earliest with the EAD. If you have applied for AOS not too long after marriage you qualify under special enrollment, wait too long though and you can be phased out into the next open enrollment period.

I had already paid for a 'grandfathered' type private plan, which was quite expensive as it was and offered pretty poor coverage. When we married I immediately added my spouse onto my plan, and it was rolled over into a new type plan. The cost was around $600-700 per month for a while, but then continued to skyrocket by a year and a half in upwards of nearly $900 and the benefits were no better. This ate through savings, and made us seriously consider going without as by that time his employer was only offering a PT position so no insurance offered. Luckily he was offered FT position, and the insurance was fantastic for both of us. I think it works out somewhere around $200 + a small amount for a dental plan every month and employer picks up the rest, which is a staggering amount. This has paid off tremendously this year with a $48,000 hospital stay last month.

 

For most, unless your income qualifies, the exchange does not offer that much of a difference in savings, but it can help certainly sometimes and get you some care when you need it. When it comes to employer offered insurance though, usually that is best, unless there are specific circumstances that do not make it cheaper in the long run. For instance, the plan you find on the exchange might be cheap if it is a bronze plan, but consider how much you will shell out with deductibles + copays making it.. well.. kinda junk. Can the employer offered insurance give you anything better than that even if you are paying more up front?

Safe to say that healthcare is extremely expensive but extremely necessary. Crazy amount for your hospital stay and thank God you were covered. Unfortunately, my employer can only provide the same coverage plan that I have so we can't really 'shop' around within the carrier. We may just have to settle for the $800 each a month until he gets his EAD..better to be safe.