New Healthcare Requirements for US Immigrants

[geowrian 22,337]

Just now, TandSarahJane said:

Sometimes the HR departments don't know what to do and you have to pleasantly insist that they figure it out, or speak with their management.

Or with the insurer directly.

[Mrs Stefano 13]

7 minutes ago, geowrian said:

It applies to anybody.

If somebody was denied coverage due solely to a lack of SSN, it was done improperly.

That’s what I told them based on the comments I read here. I just couldn’t insist on what I learned because I just merely read comments. 😅

[Bill Hamze 89]

Regarding the SSN issue, I think what we need is a link or excerpt to the section of the law that makes it clear that a SSN is not required. 

 

Why not link to it, and make that a sticky?

 

Just an idea. 

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

57 minutes ago, Bill Hamze said:

Regarding the SSN issue, I think what we need is a link or excerpt to the section of the law that makes it clear that a SSN is not required. 

 

Why not link to it, and make that a sticky?

 

Just an idea. 

There is generally no law telling you what you don’t need.... that would lead to infinite legislation (you also don’t need green hair to get insurance, as one absurd example).

It is common sense though. Clear example: H and O visa derivatives don’t have SSNs but are always eligible to be on the principal visa holder’s health insurance. 

[Boiler 45,756]

It is a Social Security Number.

[Bill Hamze 89]

8 minutes ago, Boiler said:

It is a Social Security Number.

I know what a SSN is. I may be new here, but I wasn't born yesterday.

 

22 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

There is generally no law telling you what you don’t need.... that would lead to infinite legislation (you also don’t need green hair to get insurance, as one absurd example).

It is common sense though. Clear example: H and O visa derivatives don’t have SSNs but are always eligible to be on the principal visa holder’s health insurance. 

I'm completely with you there, but it seems more common than not that insurers and HR departments are not following what you call "common sense". 

 

My suggestion in my last post was about informing everyone here that insurers are not required to have a SSN to provide coverage, and point them to a credible source of this information (whether it is legislation, guidelines, or bullet point list of requirements). 

 

If an insurer or HR rep says "give me your SSN or we won't provide coverage", then all we would have to do is send them a copy of that information, or point them to that credible source to persuade them otherwise. 

 

Edited November 4, 2019 by Bill Hamze

[yuna628 9,687]

Case in point, there was a recent article via Reuters I remember reading about the very topic of this thread, and how frustrated USCs were calling up insurance companies and getting the runaround. Again the phone person told the USC that they couldn't add them because of the SSN (the insurer was Kaiser). Reuters reached out to the CEO of Kaiser who quickly corrected his own phone person. That of course does not stop insurance company employees from continuing with bad information. But facts are facts, you need to keep pushing it up the chain. I can assure you that no rude person on the phone is going to bother or care looking at the 'evidence' supplied to them. Ignorance is bliss in such jobs. It's no different than dealing with people at Verizon, ATT... tech support.. ya know.. that sort of thing.

 

Now HR really doesn't have any excuses. They should know better. And the own SSA and DMV should also know better every time I see a thread talking about how an employee's actions caused harm.

[90DayFinancier 910]

53 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

There is generally no law telling you what you don’t need.... that would lead to infinite legislation (you also don’t need green hair to get insurance, as one absurd example).

It is common sense though. Clear example: H and O visa derivatives don’t have SSNs but are always eligible to be on the principal visa holder’s health insurance. 

In principle you are right, in practice  most systems depend upon a ssn. It took me weeks to straighten that out with insurance.

[Lemonslice 4,922]

31 minutes ago, 90DayFinancier said:

In principle you are right, in practice  most systems depend upon a ssn. It took me weeks to straighten that out with insurance.

Was HR or the insurance company the hurdle?  

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

1 hour ago, Bill Hamze said:

I know what a SSN is. I may be new here, but I wasn't born yesterday.

 

I'm completely with you there, but it seems more common than not that insurers and HR departments are not following what you call "common sense". 

 

 

 

No, it seems  “more common than not” to those on VJ because the only people who post about it are those having problems - people don’t complain when things work well. There are probably hundreds of thousands if not millions of people without SSNs who currently have health insurance. I know plenty H and O derivatives here in the Bay Area as an example, all have health insurance, none have SSNs. Clearly HR at the tech companies etc who deal with these cases are just more aware than certain other companies. Advantage of living in an area with lots of migrants.

Edited November 4, 2019 by SusieQQQ

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

1 hour ago, 90DayFinancier said:

In principle you are right, in practice  most systems depend upon a ssn. It took me weeks to straighten that out with insurance.

It sounds like you did manage to get it without a SSN, just that it took you a while due to staff not knowing how to do it?

[90DayFinancier 910]

14 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

It sounds like you did manage to get it without a SSN, just that it took you a while due to staff not knowing how to do it?

That is the basic idea.

[SalishSea 17,980]

I have coverage through a major Seattle-area employer.  I was able to add my spouse before he got his SSN.  They used all 0s in lieu of the 9 digit SSN.  When he eventually received his SS card, we updated it online.

 

It was easy, not an issue. 

 

Could be that such things are overseen on a state-level, thereby creating inconsistencies across the US.

[90DayFinancier 910]

1 hour ago, Lemonslice said:

Was HR or the insurance company the hurdle?  

I am sure it was just on the HR side, the first problem was that their firm wouldn't process without one. As the spouse of an O, I had no ead and no process to get an ssn.

Just now, Jorgedig said:

I have coverage through a major Seattle-area employer.  I was able to add my spouse before he got his SSN.  They used all 0s in lieu of the 9 digit SSN.  When he eventually received his SS card, we updated it online.

 

It was easy, not an issue. 

 

Could be that such things are overseen on a state-level, thereby creating inconsistencies across the US.

I wish I could say how they did it.

[Leostar 17]

My parents IR-5 interview will be on  22 November, Should we consider getting health insurance before interview ?? Presidential Proclamation on Health Care is blocked by judge for 28 days.  Please advise. Thanks