New Healthcare Requirements for US Immigrants

[Karim2018 100]

16 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

Yup, this is just part of the cost of living in the United States.   It is irresponsible for anyone living here (USC, LPR, whatever) not to plan for that.  

It is saddening to see that most of us are so far removed from the "REAL AMERICA". There's a BIG difference between planning for healthcare and affording it. We have a healthcare crisis in this country where 80% of Americans especially those of us holding blue color jobs CANNOT afford health care and when/if they do, the premiums they end-up paying are so high that they're always broke and must live pay-check to paycheck! Instead of continuing with FAILED POLICY of putting more $$ in the pockets of health insurance and pharmaceutical companies as well as those politicians who lobby on their behalf, we MUST FIX OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM and make it AFFORDABLE to ALL AMERICANS before asking new-immigrants (who often come with big dreams and who may not even have a job YET) to pay hundreds of $$'s a month 30-days after they set foot in this country! I will repeat what I've said in an earlier post: If this rule was in place and enforced when YOUR and MY great-great-fathers came to this GREAT COUNTRY of ours, you and I wouldn't be here today! So let's NOT call those who would love to have health insurance for them and their children, but simply cannot afford it IRRESPONSIBLE! Thank You!

[SmarterChild 51]

i’m trying to prepare everything for my wife’s interview at the end of november and i am really not sure about how to go about this process of either acquiring health insurance or proving that we are capable of doing so within 30 days of entry to the united states. the vagueness of the new rule’s text just makes this more confusing.

 

my first thought was to print the last 6 months of her bank transactions and show this during the interview. we have a bit of cash saved up and it’s certainly enough to at least pay for a year of health insurance. i was thinking that this would be sufficient evidence for the officer but the guidelines are totally unclear about whether it would be enough.

 

so failing that, i was considering buying insurance for her ahead of time. but i don’t understand why we are advised to not buy plane tickets or for her to quit her current job until she has the visa in hand but now we are being told to consider buying health insurance before she has the visa issued to her. if we don’t have the flight dates yet then how are we to know from which date coverage should be expected to begin? 

[Elmkiety 25]

5 minutes ago, SmarterChild said:

i’m trying to prepare everything for my wife’s interview at the end of november and i am really not sure about how to go about this process of either acquiring health insurance or proving that we are capable of doing so within 30 days of entry to the united states. the vagueness of the new rule’s text just makes this more confusing.

 

my first thought was to print the last 6 months of her bank transactions and show this during the interview. we have a bit of cash saved up and it’s certainly enough to at least pay for a year of health insurance. i was thinking that this would be sufficient evidence for the officer but the guidelines are totally unclear about whether it would be enough.

 

so failing that, i was considering buying insurance for her ahead of time. but i don’t understand why we are advised to not buy plane tickets or for her to quit her current job until she has the visa in hand but now we are being told to consider buying health insurance before she has the visa issued to her. if we don’t have the flight dates yet then how are we to know from which date coverage should be expected to begin? 

U have been told by who to get her health insurance before having her visa or even after having her visa ?

[Karim2018 100]

1 minute ago, Elmkiety said:

U have been told by who to get her health insurance before having her visa or even after having her visa ?

Red this...

[SmarterChild 51]

4 minutes ago, Elmkiety said:

U have been told by who to get her health insurance before having her visa or even after having her visa ?

having reread the new rule, i agree it doesn’t say anything about being required to have insurance before being in america, but still i don’t understand what’s expected of us to prove that we will buy insurance? is the six month bank statement sufficient with our savings? how much money are they looking for if she has no health problems? it’s really unclear.

[geowrian 22,337]

There is a healthcare crisis. All the more reason to make sure anybody new in the system will not put a further strain on it.

 

From the link, the below plans qualify. It seems quite broad on what is considered adequate:

Quote

Qualifying Insurance or Financial Resource to Pay for Medical Costs 

If you are not covered by the exceptions above, you will need to show to a consular officer or immigration official that you will be covered by approved health insurance within 30 days of entry to the United States or that you have the financial resources to pay for reasonably foreseeable medical costs. 

Approved health insurance includes: 

• Employer-sponsored health plans, including retiree plans
   
• Unsubsidized health plans offered in the individual market within a State
   
• Short-term, limited duration health plans effective for a minimum of 364 days or until the beginning of planned, extended travel outside the United States
   
• Catastrophic plans
   
• Coverage by a family member’s health plan
   
• U.S. military health plans, including TRICARE
   
• Visitor health insurance plans with adequate medical coverage for a minimum of 364 days or until the beginning of planned, extended travel outside the United States
   
• Medical plans under the Medicare program
   
• Any other health plan with adequate coverage as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services

For individuals over the age of 18, approved health insurance does not include coverage under the Medicaid program. 

 

[Karim2018 100]

15 minutes ago, SmarterChild said:

i don’t understand why we are advised to not buy plane tickets or for her to quit her current job until she has the visa in hand but now we are being told to consider buying health insurance before she has the visa issued to her. if we don’t have the flight dates yet then how are we to know from which date coverage should be expected to begin? 

You've raised some very good points above! If you purchase insurance for the applicant, you may want to consider "Short-term, limited duration health plans effective for a minimum of 364 days or until the beginning of planned, extended travel outside the United States". Hope this helps and good luck!

[Karim2018 100]

20 minutes ago, geowrian said:

There is a healthcare crisis. All the more reason to make sure anybody new in the system will not put a further strain on it.

I couldn't agree more and I'm not advocating that taxpayers bare the burden of paying (or rather continue to pay) for others healthcare, but IMHO we should first fix our system make healthcare affordable, then deal equal cards to everyone. I'm not sure which state you live in, but I can assure you that if new immigrants are asked to shell out $600-$700 per month on health insurance, that's a whole month rent money for some of us already working and holding steady, but not too-high-paying jobs. We must be firm with our laws, rules, and regulations, but we should never loose sight of what's fair and realistic.

Edited October 29, 2019 by Karim2018

[geowrian 22,337]

1 minute ago, Karim2018 said:

I couldn't agree more and I'm not advocating that taxpayers bare the burden of paying (or rather continue to pay) for others healthcare, but IMHO we should first fix our system make healthcare affordable, then deal equal cards to everyone. I'm not sure which state you live in, but I can assure you that if new immigrants are asked to shell out $600-$700 per month on health insurance, that's a whole month rent money for some if us already working and holding steady, but not too-high-paying jobs. We must be firm with our laws, rules and regulations, but we should never loose site of what's fair and realistic.

I pay more than that for myself with my employer-sponsored plan.

[Karim2018 100]

2 minutes ago, geowrian said:

I pay more than that for myself with my employer-sponsored plan.

Not everyone is a "geowrian" God Bless!

[SalishSea 17,828]

40 minutes ago, Karim2018 said:

It is saddening to see that most of us are so far removed from the "REAL AMERICA". There's a BIG difference between planning for healthcare and affording it. We have a healthcare crisis in this country where 80% of Americans especially those of us holding blue color jobs CANNOT afford health care and when/if they do, the premiums they end-up paying are so high that they're always broke and must live pay-check to paycheck! Instead of continuing with FAILED POLICY of putting more $$ in the pockets of health insurance and pharmaceutical companies as well as those politicians who lobby on their behalf, we MUST FIX OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM and make it AFFORDABLE to ALL AMERICANS before asking new-immigrants (who often come with big dreams and who may not even have a job YET) to pay hundreds of $$'s a month 30-days after they set foot in this country! I will repeat what I've said in an earlier post: If this rule was in place and enforced when YOUR and MY great-great-fathers came to this GREAT COUNTRY of ours, you and I wouldn't be here today! So let's NOT call those who would love to have health insurance for them and their children, but simply cannot afford it IRRESPONSIBLE! Thank You!

Right, and similarly our great great grandfathers would not have had the chance at life-sparing $1M gamma-knife surgery, either.  They would have simply died.  The world has changed significantly

 

I completely agree that everyone in the US should have healthcare.  I consider it to be a basic human right.  I'm all for a single-payer system, and I am happy to pay into that system, while realizing that it will not be utilized equally.  Everyone's need are different.  However:  it IS irresponsible to bring immigrants over without providing health insurance for them.  It is also irresponsible to not provide healthcare for one's children and self as well.  I would work three jobs if I had to, to provide for my children's needs, whether those needs were medical care, food, shelter, etc.  It is part of adulting.

 

I have been an oncology RN for 20 years, and I have seen families RUINED financially by a cancer diagnosis.  Even with charity care.

[Bill Hamze 89]

Question:

 

We know that immigrants are not eligible to buy a subsidized health plan offered by the exchanges. 

 

But what if the petitioning spouse has a subsidized plan? Can the spouse simply add the immigrant to "coverage by a family member’s health plan" even if it is subsidized?

 

I bolded the two bullet points below to draw the distinction I'm asking about.

 

 

• Employer-sponsored health plans, including retiree plans
• Unsubsidized health plans offered in the individual market within a State
• Short-term, limited duration health plans effective for a minimum of 364 days or until the beginning of planned, extended travel outside the United States
• Catastrophic plans
• Coverage by a family member’s health plan
• U.S. military health plans, including TRICARE
• Visitor health insurance plans with adequate medical coverage for a minimum of 364 days or until the beginning of planned, extended travel outside the United States
• Medical plans under the Medicare program
• Any other health plan with adequate coverage as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services

Edited October 29, 2019 by Bill Hamze

[Adaline&Fouad 5]

I just found out about the new change of the requirement for health care. Read below for information. I'm an American citizen and I applied for a CR1 visa for my husband. Our estimated NOA 2 is in April. I'm wondering if anyone knows how we can demonstrate that my husband will be covered by approved health insurance. Also, how do we know which health insurance would be approved? I currently have Medical but I doubt I can add him to this type of insurance. Any information would be helpful. Thank you 

 

This is stated on https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/Presidential-Proclamation-on-Health-Care.html

Presidential Proclamation on Health Care

If you are applying for an immigrant visa, including a diversity visa, on or after November 3, 2019, you must demonstrate to the consular officer at the time of interview that you will be covered by approved health insurance within 30 days of entry into the United States or have the financial resources to pay for reasonably foreseeable medical costs.  Inability to meet this requirement will result in the denial of the visa application.

 

Requirement at visa interview 

During the visa interview, applicants should be able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the consular officer that they have the financial resources to pay for reasonably foreseeable medical costs or will have approved health insurance from the list above within 30 days of entry into the United States.  Officers will review the medical and financial documentation that is already part of the applicant’s case file and may request additional information or documentation as needed. Prior to the visa interview, applicants may wish to review costs and eligibility requirements for approved health insurance plans or consider how they would pay for the reasonably foreseeable medical costs of any current medical condition they may have.   

[geowrian 22,337]

Medi-Cal? CA is one of the few states where he can get Medicaid as a new immigrant.

 

Let me ask you this - what was your plan for him to get health insurance before? That likely is the answer here, unless there was no plan.

Edited October 29, 2019 by geowrian

[JeanneAdil 6,498]

Being able to afford this and all the other needs of the beneficary has really always been part of the "totality of circumstances" for a visa approval

just now,  this order specifically states this to the applicant as health care is one of the big costs to us here

 

and next,  your husband will be able to work (CR1 visa) as soon as he can find a job as there will be a 551 sentence at bottom of the visa which allows him to work

and last,  everyone in Casa is going thru AP after interview (if approved) usually a long AP giving you time to research 

 

AT tax time be sure you add him to your returns by following the IRS instructions

 

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/nonresident-alien-spouse

 

i would have him send you a POA so you can sign the return (in Arabic and English)

 

Casa embassy expects to see that the 2 of you are starting to commingle finances and tax returns are the first step