New Healthcare Requirements for US Immigrants

[90DayFinancier 910]

1 hour ago, Bill Hamze said:

 

Can anyone kindly answer my question above? Thanks in advance! 

This explicitly meets the requirements: Coverage by a family member’s health plan.

 

this will work if they can be added:

Unsubsidized health plans offered in the individual market within a State

 

[Bill Hamze 89]

3 hours ago, 90DayFinancier said:

This explicitly meets the requirements: Coverage by a family member’s health plan.

 

this will work if they can be added:

Unsubsidized health plans offered in the individual market within a State

 

 

I'm sorry, but I'm still not quite 100% clear on this yet. 

 

If I (petitioner) get a subsidized health plan for myself before her (immigrant spouse) visa interview, would it be acceptable to the consular officer if I show that I would add her to it under grounds of "coverage by a family member's health plan"?

 

Or does it have to be unsubsidized no matter whether it is a family member's (spouse's) plan, an employer plan, or a plan the immigrant buys themselves off the exchange?

 

 

Edited October 30, 2019 by Bill Hamze

[90DayFinancier 910]

4 hours ago, Bill Hamze said:

 

I'm sorry, but I'm still not quite 100% clear on this yet. 

 

If I (petitioner) get a subsidized health plan for myself before her (immigrant spouse) visa interview, would it be acceptable to the consular officer if I show that I would add her to it under grounds of "coverage by a family member's health plan"?

 

Or does it have to be unsubsidized no matter whether it is a family member's (spouse's) plan, an employer plan, or a plan the immigrant buys themselves off the exchange?

 

 

Apparently, it state subsidized plan it works, but a federal subsidized plan not.  But that is how I read it.

[Classicrock 0]

Hello everyone, I am worried about this new policy. Does anyone know what kind of insurance we should get or the ones accepted by Trump administration? We waited years and years and I don't want to mess this up. Thanks guys. 😊 

[Boiler 45,486]

What are you planning to do?

[GraceJ21 70]

Read the guidelines first, the information is out there. There are several options, and you should have health insurance anyway, you never know when there can be an emergency. 

 

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

 

This is the official info, best of luck in your process. 

[Richard Bedwell 1]

On 10/4/2019 at 9:51 PM, Kayjp said:

Does anyone know the effective date?

The new affective date is November 3, 2019. This seems very unfair to me. They are changing the rules in the middle of the ball game or moving the goal post. I know of people who filed 22 years ago and are still in line waiting. This was not a requirement then and there is know way these people could have know this would become a requirement. They have spent thousands of dollars and waited years, only to have the rug pulled out from under them at the last moment. I think it should only apply to those who file on are after November 3, 2019. Also, I have read that their are at least 3 lawsuits challenging this requirement because the government doesn't provide how a person can prove they will be able to acquire the insurance. There is a new form in the works to provide for proof of insurance, I think DS 2245, but not sure that is the correct number. Rules have just been published in the Federal register allowing for a 60 day comment period. As a result, this new rule most likely won't take effect until sometime next year, 2020. 

[Boiler 45,486]

There has always been a Public Charge requirement.

[Richard Bedwell 1]

3 hours ago, Classicrock said:

 Hello everyone, I am worried about this new policy. Does anyone know what kind of insurance we should get or the ones accepted by Trump administration? We waited years and years and I don't want to mess this up. Thanks guys. 😊 

I'm a sponsor and have been waiting since 2017 and now have a November 12 appointment. As I understand it, there are at least 3 lawsuits on this issue and there is supposed to be a new form to provide the information requested about insurance, but the form has not been produced yet. There was a posting in the federal register a couple of days ago which outlines this new rule and has a 60 day comment period. I've also read because of the federal register posting and the lawsuits, this requirement most likely won't be in effect until sometime in 2020. I hope so. The entire thing seems very unfair, I know of people who have been waiting for 22 years and now the rug is pulled out from under them. My thinking is, it should only apply to new applications filed after the affective date. 

[Richard Bedwell 1]

4 minutes ago, Boiler said:

There has always been a Public Charge requirement.

But it's not been enforced for the most part. or rarely enforced. 

[Boiler 45,486]

5 minutes ago, Richard Bedwell said:

But it's not been enforced for the most part. or rarely enforced. 

Anyone signing the I 864 should be aware of their obligations, there is no by the way do not worry we are not going to follow up on it statement.

[Richard Bedwell 1]

5 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Anyone signing the I 864 should be aware of their obligations, there is no by the way do not worry we are not going to follow up on it statement.

I am fully aware of the I-864 requirements and agree to them. What is new is that a visa will not be issued unless you first prove you have insurance or the financial means to cover your health care cost. I'm a sponsor and have called a half dozen insurance companies. None will issue a private policy until the immigrant is in the US. So, how does one show they have insurance when they can't get insurance until they are in the US? The immigrant I am sponsoring will have insurance once in the US, but he cannot prove that until he is in the US.  That is the dilemma. 

[Boiler 45,486]

There is no requirement for policies to be issued prior to arrival, you have pricing you can substantiate how that is to be funded.

[Bill Hamze 89]

1 minute ago, Boiler said:

There is no requirement for policies to be issued prior to arrival, you have pricing you can substantiate how that is to funds.

 

Just because I go to some insurance market place, pick whatever plan, print out a quote, and tack it onto the i-864 doesn’t mean it’s actually proof that the immigrant will have insurance within 30 days of entry.  

 

Me: “Hey Mr. Consular Officer, yeah so here’s a quote from so-and-so insurance, and, um, yeah, we’ll be covered when we get there. Ahem, yeah, it’s all good. Everything will be fine. Easy peasy. Yeah.”

 

Mr. Consular Officer: .....

 

It seems that the prevailing assumption here is that insurance companies will cooperate.  I have SERIOUS doubts about that, and we must question that assumption.

[Boiler 45,486]

There is nothing for an Insurance Company to co operate with, you can get pricing on line.