New Healthcare Requirements for US Immigrants

[Mrs Ryan Carreras 247]

Maybe the “qualifying events” are also dependent on the insurance companies.  
I’m not sure but I know 

1 Birth 

2 Death 

3 Marriage 

for sure. 
Or it’s the wording of the health insurance companies on that last “qualifying event “

[HRQX 4,145]

2 hours ago, JFH said:

I also see this impacting IR-5s quite significantly. Especially from the countries where chain migration for multiple family members is more prevalent.

 

1 hour ago, SusieQQQ said:

Fabulous summary.

 

Parents are probably the biggest category by number to be affected.

Looks like business as usual for IR-5: "Section 1 of this proclamation shall not apply to" "any alien seeking to enter the United States pursuant to an IR-5 visa, provided that the alien or the alien’s sponsor demonstrates to the satisfaction of the consular officer that the alien’s healthcare will not impose a substantial burden on the United States healthcare system" https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-proclamation-suspension-entry-immigrants-will-financially-burden-united-states-healthcare-system/

Edited October 5, 2019 by HRQX

[Mr and Mrs S 207]

2 minutes ago, Sarah n Ryan said:

Maybe the “qualifying events” are also dependent on the insurance companies.  
I’m not sure but I know 

1 Birth 

2 Death 

3 Marriage 

for sure. 
Or it’s the wording of the health insurance companies on that last “qualifying event “

 

I think the qualifying events are mandated by law.

 

From what I have read, it seems the limited open enrollment period was a compromise made when the government mandated insurance companies cover pre-existing conditions. A limited enrollment period was meant to prevent people from gaming the system by getting on insurance when they needed to see a doctor then off it when they were healthy.

[Nitas_man 3,100]

19 minutes ago, 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.  You should have added her whether she lives in the US or not.

They open enrollment for 60 days for that purpose.  They have to.

[Mr and Mrs S 207]

Just now, Nitas_man said:

Marriage is.  You should have added her whether she lives in the US or not.

They open enrollment for 60 days for that purpose.  They have to.

 

There would be no point in adding her when I got married. Open enrollment is coming soon and she's still not here (That's USCIS Nebraska for you). I can add her during open enrollment. From the way things are looking, I doubt we'll be together anytime soon. However, I'll add her just a precaution (as long as they don't ask for SS).

[Highmystic 234]

13 hours ago, DesiJase said:

 I wonder how the thirty days will work with K-1. We can't add them to our insurance at work until we are married, right ? 

Well. especially when sometimes K1's don't get married until the near end of their 90 day's.    Open enrollment, I don't know.  I just hit up a couple places and picked a plan for my wife.  Only used it one time so far,  they paid and we paid our co pay.  Tons of competing Ins co's out there.

[Mrs Ryan Carreras 247]

I had to make this fit but maybe this may help a few of you wanting to add someone to health coverage. 
This is for “special enrollment” and than of course you have “open enrollment” usually once or twice a year. 
bad picture but it does list out the reasons we could use if need be. 

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

37 minutes ago, 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.

We got coverage outside open enrollment precisely being based on immigration being a qualifying life event.

[DesiJase 52]

8 minutes ago, Highmystic said:

Well. especially when sometimes K1's don't get married until the near end of their 90 day's.    Open enrollment, I don't know.  I just hit up a couple places and picked a plan for my wife.  Only used it one time so far,  they paid and we paid our co pay.  Tons of competing Ins co's out there.

I'm really not an expert, but the way I understand it, K-1's are non-immigrant anyway. So I don't know that this will technically apply to them because they are coming on a K-1 Visa not an immigrant Visa. I believe that you will still have your 90 days to get married, but before they would approve AOS you have to have insurance or maybe 30 days after you apply for immigrant status you have to have insurance... K-1's can't even really set a date to get married until they get here and that would force more and more people to go city hall to get married, which in turn would make it harder for them to prove a legitimate marriage, no?

 

I don't know that's just my thought, that this will apply more to AOS time which should give people plenty of time to get their spouses on their insurance, you're supposed to go get your SSN after the two week wait anyway, right? 

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

30 minutes ago, HRQX said:

 

Looks like business as usual for IR-5: "Section 1 of this proclamation shall not apply to" "any alien seeking to enter the United States pursuant to an IR-5 visa, provided that the alien or the alien’s sponsor demonstrates to the satisfaction of the consular officer that the alien’s healthcare will not impose a substantial burden on the United States healthcare system" https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-proclamation-suspension-entry-immigrants-will-financially-burden-united-states-healthcare-system/

That’s newly explicit though, and a very definite distinction to other IR categories (no such “provided that” provision about those), so I do think it is intended to have an effect. We’ve already seen some reports of IR5 sponsors having to show evidence of what health insurance will cost and how they will pay for it, I’d expect that to become more the norm, especially for retired and chronically ill parents.

Edited October 5, 2019 by SusieQQQ

[Mr and Mrs S 207]

9 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

We got coverage outside open enrollment precisely being based on immigration being a qualifying life event.

 

That's wonderful news. Did you have to do anything special?

[SalishSea 17,979]

1 hour ago, afrocraft said:

You know better. We just let them live their lives. But we didn't ask them for a health policy at Ellis Island.

This was before a cancer diagnosis could easily cost one million dollars to treat.  And a time when immigrants who got sick were much more likely to die.  The world has changed, and health care should be a right, not a luxury.  

Edited October 5, 2019 by Jorgedig

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

List of acceptable coverage is quite long and broad. Can’t see that this will affect most immigrants, other than those who would genuinely have battled to afford healthcare anyway. Travel plans are allowed to be used in the interim, see vii and I guess iii too:

 

 

b)  Approved health insurance means coverage under any of the following plans or programs:

(i)     an employer-sponsored plan, including a retiree plan, association health plan, and coverage provided by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985;

(ii)    an unsubsidized health plan offered in the individual market within a State;

(iii)   a short-term limited duration health policy effective for a minimum of 364 days — or until the beginning of planned, extended travel outside the United States;

(iv)    a catastrophic plan;

(v)     a family member’s plan;

(vi)    a medical plan under chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, including coverage under the TRICARE program;

(vii)   a visitor health insurance plan that provides adequate coverage for medical care for a minimum of 364 days — or until the beginning of planned, extended travel outside the United States;

(viii)  a medical plan under the Medicare program; or

(ix)    any other health plan that provides adequate coverage for medical care as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services or his designee.

 

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

Edited October 5, 2019 by SusieQQQ

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

3 minutes ago, SaeedA said:

 

That's wonderful news. Did you have to do anything special?

No, we used a healthcare consultant to help us choose a plan and she just ticked a box as far as I recall.

[Crazy Cat 41,985]

1 minute ago, SusieQQQ said:

Can’t see that this will affect most immigrants, other than those who would genuinely have battled to afford healthcare anyway :

Agree 100%......