Medical Insurance Needed For I-693?

[*Rachel* 2]

Hello there,

We got married within our 90 days but have not yet filed for Adjustment (now a month past the 90 day period). We’ve been compiling paperwork and evidence etc but I was told when I did the medical in London that I should get a tetanus booster shot and noticed on a lot of the information websites for AoS that you should just go ahead and get a new medical exam anyway, especially since a civil surgeon should complete your I-693 for you. My concern is whether I need medical insurance to visit a civil surgeon for this and the tetanus jab? I have travel insurance that lasts until April but I feel like maybe I should have proper American medical insurance? Can anyone advise? Thank you so much in advance

[K1visaHopeful 2,814]

Most US Civil Surgeons don't take insurance but it's doubtful you need a new medical done.

 

Confirm below by asking yourself the two questions at the bottom after reading through:

 

https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-8-part-b-chapter-3

"4. K or V Nonimmigrants Applying for Adjustment [26]

K and V nonimmigrants applying for adjustment of status are not required to repeat the medical examination if the application was filed within one year of the date of the original medical examination, and:

The medical examination did not reveal a Class A medical condition; or

The applicant received a conditional waiver in conjunction with the K or V nonimmigrant visa or the change of status to V and the applicant submits evidence of compliance with the waiver terms and conditions. [27]

If a new medical examination is required and reveals a Class A medical condition, a new waiver application will also be required. In such cases, the officer should determine whether the applicant complied with the terms and conditions of the first waiver, if applicable. Such determination should be given considerable weight in the adjudication of a subsequent waiver application. [28]

Even if a new medical examination is not required, applicants must still comply with the vaccination requirements if the vaccination record was not included as part of the original medical examination report. If the vaccination report was properly completed at the time of the overseas examination, the officer may accept the vaccination assessment completed by the panel physician.

An applicant’s overseas medical examination report completed by a panel physician should already be in the applicant’s A-file. If it is not in the A-file, the officer should request the medical examination report through a Request for Evidence (RFE).

If the applicant was granted a change of status to V in the United States, [29] the medical examination report completed by the civil surgeon should be in the A-file created at the time that the change of status was initially granted."

*******************************************************
If you complied with the above and filed AOS within one year of your overseas medical exam date, the I693 and its procedures/policies do not apply to you as a K1 applicant. It does not matter when your AOS interview happens, as long as you filed AOS within one year of the overseas medical exam date (and you meet the above conditions), your medical will never expire.
Submit a photocopy of your personal copy of the DS3025 Vaccination Record with I485 and bring your personal copy to the AOS interview as back up.
Your actual overseas medical exam documents were collected at your POE as they were IN your sealed K1 Visa packet and will be sent from CBP to DHS for storage in your A-file.
Your interviewing officer will collect your A-file for review at your AOS interview or shortly after and confirm that your previously submitted K1 medical exam and vaccinations meet the requirements.

So the two big questions are:

1. Is your DS3025 marked complete? Check the bottom left corner for the checkbox that says "K1 Visa applicant voluntarily completed vaccination requirements"

2. Will USCIS receive and issue you a receipt number within one year of your overseas medical date to have complied with the one year submission requirement?

If yes, you have completed the medical requirements to adjust status.



 

[SalishSea 17,829]

32 minutes ago, *Rachel* said:

Hello there,

We got married within our 90 days but have not yet filed for Adjustment (now a month past the 90 day period). We’ve been compiling paperwork and evidence etc but I was told when I did the medical in London that I should get a tetanus booster shot and noticed on a lot of the information websites for AoS that you should just go ahead and get a new medical exam anyway, especially since a civil surgeon should complete your I-693 for you. My concern is whether I need medical insurance to visit a civil surgeon for this and the tetanus jab? I have travel insurance that lasts until April but I feel like maybe I should have proper American medical insurance? Can anyone advise? Thank you so much in advance

Also - what is your plan for living in the United States without proper medical insurance?  Do you understand how expensive health care services here are?  

 

Will be looked at as part of the overall public charge risk when you eventually have your AOS interview.

Edited February 22, 2020 by Jorgedig

[*Rachel* 2]

28 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

Also - what is your plan for living in the United States without proper medical insurance?  Do you understand how expensive health care services here are?  

 

Will be looked at as part of the overall public charge risk when you eventually have your AOS interview.

I was planning on getting medical insurance as soon as possible thank you, I just wondered if I needed to do so BEFORE I contacted a civil surgeon to provide my tetanus booster and fill in the form. I am very aware of how expensive it is but for now I have no income and a lot of other things on my plate so while I still have valid travel insurance and barely leave the house I thought it best to focus on getting the other things done first and then diving into the terrifying world of health insurance. 
 

@K1visaHopeful thank you for your information! I was forgetting that the packet I handed over at PoE contained my medical exam info so that may be why I was worrying about the I-693. The instructions are always so unclear on who needs to file what, I’ve found it quite confusing. I’ll have to go through my documents again and figure out where my DS3025 is. I’m fairly certain I need to get a tetanus booster and I thought that if I was updating my vaccination record I would need my record to be fully amended by the surgeon but maybe that isn’t the case. I really appreciate your help

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

Most civil surgeons don’t take insurance.

Everyone filing for AOS starting tomorrow has to submit a new form that helps rule out a person being a public charge. One of the questions is if you have health insurance and if you do not then why. Travel insurance doesn’t count. Just a heads up.

[*Rachel* 2]

Just now, Luckycuds said:

Most civil surgeons don’t take insurance.

Everyone filing for AOS starting tomorrow has to submit a new form that helps rule out a person being a public charge. One of the questions is if you have health insurance and if you do not then why. Travel insurance doesn’t count. Just a heads up.

Ah so this is part of the new form so I suppose I WILL have to figure out some kind of health insurance prior to filing, I see. It’s kind of overwhelming because insurance is so expensive and I don’t have my own income, so I was leaving it until later to figure that part of things out but I suppose now there is the public charge form I can’t delay. I had no intention of NOT getting insurance, I just was hoping to figure that out further down the line when I did have my own income. Rats. 

[yuna628 9,676]

If you are missing shots, you can go to any pharmacy in your area, a walmart, a clinic.. etc and pay to have the shot done that you needed (far cheaper than what a CS will charge). What does your DS3025 say?

 

You will not need a new medical, but if you are missing shots you will need to get them, and take proof of receiving it, and get I693 recertified by a US Civil Surgeon. You will need to find one that is willing to do the vaccination transcription only. They do not accept insurance.

[SalishSea 17,829]

6 minutes ago, *Rachel* said:

Ah so this is part of the new form so I suppose I WILL have to figure out some kind of health insurance prior to filing, I see. It’s kind of overwhelming because insurance is so expensive and I don’t have my own income, so I was leaving it until later to figure that part of things out but I suppose now there is the public charge form I can’t delay. I had no intention of NOT getting insurance, I just was hoping to figure that out further down the line when I did have my own income. Rats. 

Can't you get on your spouse's workplace insurance?  What has been your plan for insurance this whole time since the petition was submitted?

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

3 minutes ago, *Rachel* said:

Ah so this is part of the new form so I suppose I WILL have to figure out some kind of health insurance prior to filing, I see. It’s kind of overwhelming because insurance is so expensive and I don’t have my own income, so I was leaving it until later to figure that part of things out but I suppose now there is the public charge form I can’t delay. I had no intention of NOT getting insurance, I just was hoping to figure that out further down the line when I did have my own income. Rats. 

The cheapest by far will be added to your spouses insurance but you may have missed the enrollment period- usually you have 30 days to add someone based on a life qualifying event (marriage). The next best would be buying a health plan from your states health exchange..but I’m pretty sure it’s no longer open enrollment and you are past the time for joining via a qualified event (immigrating). Your only option may be to buy directly from a plan which is by far the most expensive. You can always change and get coverage through your job once you have your EAD. I would advise to check out the new form for public charge and make sure you have the most up to date I864 while filing as well (that changes tomorrow as well)

[*Rachel* 2]

4 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

Can't you get on your spouse's workplace insurance?  What has been your plan for insurance this whole time since the petition was submitted?

My husband doesn’t have a workplace package. Like I said, I was planning on figuring this out a little later down the line once my travel insurance expired since that has decent medical coverage. I wasn’t aware of the new questions on the public charge form coming into effect as I filled out most of the paperwork last month, I just hit some personal roadblocks to submitting and it got put on the back burner. 
 

8 minutes ago, Luckycuds said:

The cheapest by far will be added to your spouses insurance but you may have missed the enrollment period- usually you have 30 days to add someone based on a life qualifying event (marriage). The next best would be buying a health plan from your states health exchange..but I’m pretty sure it’s no longer open enrollment and you are past the time for joining via a qualified event (immigrating). Your only option may be to buy directly from a plan which is by far the most expensive. You can always change and get coverage through your job once you have your EAD. I would advise to check out the new form for public charge and make sure you have the most up to date I864 while filing as well (that changes tomorrow as well)

Thank you for the advice, I’m very annoyed with myself for not realising any of this ahead of time. I’ll do some research and hopefully there will be an option for me that won’t absolutely break the bank. Horrible system! I miss the NHS haha

[Boiler 45,519]

What do you mean by Travel Insurance? There is New Immigrant insurance that you can buy in the US. Is that what you are referring to.

[*Rachel* 2]

21 minutes ago, Boiler said:

What do you mean by Travel Insurance? There is New Immigrant insurance that you can buy in the US. Is that what you are referring to.

I had annual travel insurance which covered me for a whole year so if I needed to claim on anything “while abroad” I could do so until it expires, or at least as far as I knew. I’ve never claimed on anything before and so I didn’t give it as much thought as I should have, I realise I’m an idiot. 

[Boiler 45,519]

Forget about that, that was from a different situation. Not that it would cover routine stuff anyway.

 

You had a window from when you married and obtained your NOA to buy through the Exchange, not sure where you are now.

[*Rachel* 2]

4 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Forget about that, that was from a different situation. Not that it would cover routine stuff anyway.

 

You had a window from when you married and obtained your NOA to buy through the Exchange, not sure where you are now.

Yeah seems like I’m screwed on that too now. Didn’t do enough research and wasn’t aware of it. We’ll just have to figure something else out. 

Edited February 23, 2020 by *Rachel*

[Boiler 45,519]

Maybe not, you were married less than a month ago. What cover does your Husband have.