New Healthcare Requirements for US Immigrants

[Hemutian 68]

On 10/5/2019 at 9:37 AM, SaeedA said:

It probably won't be that bad if I can add by wife to my employer sponsored plan (no SS) come open enrollment period. However, I'd be in a pickle if they don't allow me to add her without a SS number.

 

Immigration is not a qualifying life event for adding someone to your insurance https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/qualifying-life-event/

 

I think they ought to fix that before making such changes. However, the government isn't known for making logical decisions.

Marriage is a qualifying life event for adding someone to your insurance.

[Whanlin 42]

4 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

If you had applied for an EAD with your AOS application, your husband could have been working already. You could get him any plan that is offered in your state right now, the same as yourself privately. Of course there will be cost for that. You could try and obtain a short term plan, but these are not ACA compliant and their coverage is dubious at best. I certainly understand about the cost, it's one of the many reasons that people choose to go without, but it is a good form of comingling for the future and is one of those responsibilities as a sponsor.

No he will get his green card before his EAD. 

[Sarah&Facundo 595]

Okay I read about halfway through this 31-page discussion but I need to ask this:

For LPR green card holders, will this change anything? Neither my husband nor I work for companies that provide healthcare coverage, so we always get our plan on the marketplace with a subsidy. I'm an independent contractor (who had marketplace insurance way before he entered the US) and my husband works 30+ hours per week,  just under full time hours so they won't provide coverage (he is also a full time college student). We do receive a subsidy because the cost of health insurance in my state is obscenely high. I added him under 60 days after we married so we've been doing this for over a year and a half now. When open enrollment comes around later this year, are we still going to qualify? We are clearly both taxpayers and the cost of college out-of-pocket (don't qualify for financial aid) for him is already hurting our pockets. Even with the subsidy, we pay hundreds of dollars a month and as both young, healthy people on the cheapest plans, we have never seen a doctor once outside of an annual physical in over 18 months. Any insight?

Edited October 7, 2019 by Sarah&Facundo

[artcodex 28]

On 10/4/2019 at 9:39 PM, SusieQQQ said:

I don’t think it’s ever been explicitly enforced like this, though we have seen one or two forum comments from sponsors needing to explicitly show they can cover it. 

 

I agree it’s something that should be done. The people most likely to be disadvantaged by it are large families being sponsored by those who don’t make much over the poverty guidelines, and the handful of immigrants (mainly diversity visa) who generally move before they have a job and without a sponsor. 

 

If my understanding of this is correct, that whole mega thread about how to get cheap insurance for your parents by gaming the subsidies on ACA might need a rewrite?

 

On 10/5/2019 at 5:06 AM, Sarge2155 said:

It depends on who the carrier is, but it is most certainly asked for. I was able to add my wife without an SSN, but had to jump through many hoops to do so. It's a catch-22 dealing with the SSN. Without a SSN you are effectively dead in the water!!!

 

On 10/5/2019 at 5:21 AM, xyz12345 said:

Is this retroactive or only for soon to be lprs? Are you forced to have the insurance for the entire 3/5 years until naturalization? Are there going to be 2 classes of lprs?

 

We might as well increase the income threshold for applications. We might as well have universal health care. We might as well force both lprs and uscs to get health insurance.

 

Lprs pay taxes too. Why do they have to pay for USCs' lack of health insurance?

I think a lot more clarification is needed right now on what is reasonable coverage etc and what you need to prove for this coverage. As far as I could tell reading the actual changes, this is a change to the rules for immigrant visa's, not for green card holders (at least right now).  Which means this is a change for the requirements for getting a visa, but doesn't proclude one from modifying their health insurance options once they are a green card holder (I could be wrong). Also reading the actual text of the change it seems as though one needs to prove 364 days of coverage (even just catastrophic coverage) on their own dime for this purpose, which opens the question and is the part that require's full clarification on whether having international new immigrant 1 year coverage will satisfy this requirement at all (as there are companies that provide such coverage for individuals before the travel to the states, almost similar to travel insurance). 

 

At least from the narrative in the text it appears the push is to avoid burdens on healthcare system for catastrophic events (like emergency care), because in reality if you have no insurance you will generally get turned away from health care unless it is an emergency.

 

Again all my current thoughts on the matter. No real in-depth knowledge here.

[SalishSea 17,836]

3 hours ago, Whanlin said:

So we could get a plan that covers accident/hospitalization only?

I would.  Self-treat doesn't work out so well when you need an emergency cholecystectomy or appendectomy.

[Lil bear 4,219]

10 minutes ago, Sarah&Facundo said:

Okay I read about halfway through this 31-page discussion but I need to ask this:

For LPR green card holders, will this change anything? Neither my husband nor I work for companies that provide healthcare coverage, so we always get our plan on the marketplace with a subsidy. I'm an independent contractor (who had marketplace insurance way before he entered the US) and my husband works 30+ hours per week,  just under full time hours so they won't provide coverage (he is also a full time college student). We do receive a subsidy because the cost of health insurance in my state is obscenely high. I added him under 60 days after we married so we've been doing this for over a year and a half now. When open enrollment comes around later this year, are we still going to qualify? We are clearly both taxpayers and the cost of college out-of-pocket (don't qualify for financial aid) for him is already hurting our pockets. Even with the subsidy, we pay hundreds of dollars a month and as both young, healthy people on the cheapest plans, we have never seen a doctor once outside of an annual physical in over 18 months. Any insight?

No. It does not impact current.  LPR... only certain new visa categories when the interview occurs after Nov 3

[artcodex 28]

5 hours ago, sol_sol said:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-proclamation-suspension-entry-immigrants-will-financially-burden-united-states-healthcare-system/

Guys I read the original rule. According to that, this will not apply to parents visa IR5 provided that parents or their sponsors provide proof that they will not be  a burden on government. So it is just the same thing as was implemented on Jan 2018. Why we are arguing and wasting our time?

I guess part of the problem there is how parents could obtain healthcare / proof of healthcare (or healthcare intention) before entering the U.S. Unlike spouses who generally can be included on insurance plans, parents generally can't be so it would likely make the situation incredibly difficult to prove which is I guess the reason for the exclusion.

[yuna628 9,676]

8 minutes ago, Sarah&Facundo said:

Okay I read about halfway through this 31-page discussion but I need to ask this:

For LPR green card holders, will this change anything? Neither my husband nor I work for companies that provide healthcare coverage, so we always get our plan on the marketplace with a subsidy. I'm an independent contractor (who had marketplace insurance way before he entered the US) and my husband works 30+ hours per week,  just under full time hours so they won't provide coverage (he is also a full time college student). We do receive a subsidy because the cost of health insurance in my state is obscenely high. I added him under 60 days after we married so we've been doing this for over a year and a half now. When open enrollment comes around later this year, are we still going to qualify? We are clearly both taxpayers and the cost of college out-of-pocket (don't qualify for financial aid) for him is already hurting our pockets. Even with the subsidy, we pay hundreds of dollars a month and as both young, healthy people on the cheapest plans, we have never seen a doctor once outside of an annual physical in over 18 months. Any insight?

You have already cleared any test of self sufficiency by finishing AOS. If you have ROC coming up in the future, self sufficiency isn't considered so none of any of the new rules or changes should apply. As I said before, it is still legal for USCs and LPRs to use the ACA with or without subsidy - it is not a means tested benefit. The strange wording of this proclamation (which still doesn't apply to you) seems to feel contrary. Perhaps someone needs to explain the law to the administration. My only advice to you is to keep doing as you're doing, as you are doing nothing wrong whatsoever. But keep your eyes and ears open, if any additional changes should happen in the future.

[Whanlin 42]

1 minute ago, Jorgedig said:

I would.  Self-treat doesn't work out so well when you need an emergency cholecystectomy or appendectomy.

Yes, the current state of the health care crisis is very much something to joke about. Thanks. I have looked at options until my eyes have crossed. Between the bills and trying to eat somewhat healthy affording health insurance is very very difficult but please make jokes. Its not like the love of my life may have to leave after he gets rejected for his green card.  Isnt it funny? I was asking to see if that sort of awful coverage would help us because its about all I can afford until he can work. 

[sol_sol 31]

2 minutes ago, artcodex said:

I guess part of the problem there is how parents could obtain healthcare / proof of healthcare (or healthcare intention) before entering the U.S. Unlike spouses who generally can be included on insurance plans, parents generally can't be so it would likely make the situation incredibly difficult to prove which is I guess the reason for the exclusion.

I think they gonna see the household income of sponsor

[Lil bear 4,219]

1 minute ago, artcodex said:

I guess part of the problem there is how parents could obtain healthcare / proof of healthcare (or healthcare intention) before entering the U.S. Unlike spouses who generally can be included on insurance plans, parents generally can't be so it would likely make the situation incredibly difficult to prove which is I guess the reason for the exclusion.

The exclusion of IR5 is not a complete exclusion ..... it is based on the assessment by the CO that the beneficiary will not become a burden to the health system in the foreseeable future ..  just very unclear how the CO will

be able to assess this .. the current medical is based on communicable disease and not general health status  or risk factors 

[artcodex 28]

1 minute ago, sol_sol said:

I think they gonna see the household income of sponsor

Agreed they will look at the ability to pay for insurance instead of actual insurance (since as mentioned this is difficult for parents to get before entering).

[SalishSea 17,836]

Just now, Whanlin said:

Yes, the current state of the health care crisis is very much something to joke about. Thanks. I have looked at options until my eyes have crossed. Between the bills and trying to eat somewhat healthy affording health insurance is very very difficult but please make jokes. Its not like the love of my life may have to leave after he gets rejected for his green card.  Isnt it funny? I was asking to see if that sort of awful coverage would help us because its about all I can afford until he can work. 

Oh, I wasn't joking.  I've been an RN for 20 years, the last 15 in oncology.  I have seen first hand how diagnoses can ruin people financially.  I think it is very irresponsible to not have health insurance.  I can't understand it not being a priority and a significant factor when taking a job.

[sol_sol 31]

Is not there any way parents can buy private insurance before entering?

[artcodex 28]

2 minutes ago, Lil bear said:

The exclusion of IR5 is not a complete exclusion ..... it is based on the assessment by the CO that the beneficiary will not become a burden to the health system in the foreseeable future ..  just very unclear how the CO will

be able to assess this .. the current medical is based on communicable disease and not general health status  or risk factors 

right there is still the public charge test they have to pass, it usually comes down to income being enough from sponsor / any assets income for parents, but I wonder if internally they set a higher income barr then what is publicly the minimum (125% of poverty line).