What kind of health insurance did you use for your fiancé?

[Tore 2]

I would like to know what your experience has been with health insurance for your fiancée/fiancé. It is my understanding that we are unable to use any sort of assistance, like medicaid, so I'm wondering how that effects us. My fiancée has insurance in her own country and will likely keep it, but we are concerned about what we can purchase for her when she is here since she won't be working for 8 months. How did you or others you know handle this situation? Obviously we're a little concerned too because of COVID. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Boiler 45,486]

Most people seem to marry asap and then get added to their spouses coverage.

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,092]

I was able to add my wife to my insurance retroactive to our wedding date, so we just got married quickly (3 days after her POE) and rolled with it.

Which if you can do it and are comfortable with doing it, it's probably the most straightforward thing to do, though we might have been more anxious about that now.

[payxibka 10,045]

ACA after marriage 

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

50 minutes ago, Tore said:

I would like to know what your experience has been with health insurance for your fiancée/fiancé. It is my understanding that we are unable to use any sort of assistance, like medicaid, so I'm wondering how that effects us. My fiancée has insurance in her own country and will likely keep it, but we are concerned about what we can purchase for her when she is here since she won't be working for 8 months. How did you or others you know handle this situation? Obviously we're a little concerned too because of COVID. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The easiest is to add her to yours once you are married.

[geowrian 22,337]

Option 1) Marry and add to spouse's plan

Option 2) Purchase insurance on the exchange (healthcare.gov)

Option 3) Private insurance

 

Normally #1 is the best value, followed by #2, with #3 tending to be the worst value by far.

[Trutta 103]

Neither of us has ever had health insurance, and neither of us ever plans to get it.

[geowrian 22,337]

43 minutes ago, Trutta said:

Neither of us has ever had health insurance, and neither of us ever plans to get it.

Unless independently wealthy, that may be an issue for the visa and/or AOS, due to the DS-5540 and I-944 (plus a presidential proclamation that may be in effect by then: PP 9945, currently on hold).

 

Side note: your timeline is incorrect. TSC does not handle I-129Fs for a fiance/fiancee. They stopped that several years ago.

The I-129F is sent to the Texas lockbox, which is a different facility than TSC. The NOA1 should list the service center handling the case on it in the lower left corner. It should be CSC (they handle all I-129Fs for a fiance/fiancee, except some that go to VSC for particular circumstances).

Also, if the receipt number starts with "WAC", then that's CSC.

[SalishSea 17,827]

3 hours ago, Trutta said:

Neither of us has ever had health insurance, and neither of us ever plans to get it.

Not smart.

[Ed&Midori1031 330]

6 hours ago, Tore said:

I would like to know what your experience has been with health insurance for your fiancée/fiancé. It is my understanding that we are unable to use any sort of assistance, like medicaid, so I'm wondering how that effects us. My fiancée has insurance in her own country and will likely keep it, but we are concerned about what we can purchase for her when she is here since she won't be working for 8 months. How did you or others you know handle this situation? Obviously we're a little concerned too because of COVID. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Since I'm military, I was able to easily add my wife onto my tricare health insurance, along with her son 

[Allovertheworld 355]

8 hours ago, Jorgedig said:

Not smart.

Actually it is pretty smart.  I did this for many many years, I always was self pay (Cash) and got super deals on medical services, much  cheaper in the long run.

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,092]

1 hour ago, Allovertheworld said:

Actually it is pretty smart.  I did this for many many years, I always was self pay (Cash) and got super deals on medical services, much  cheaper in the long run.

I strongly suspect it's only cheaper if you never have any major medical expenses (many of which are unpredictable, and many newly married couples want to have children -- which is a major medical expense even for a perfectly healthy person).

[Allovertheworld 355]

7 minutes ago, DaveAndAnastasia said:

I strongly suspect it's only cheaper if you never have any major medical expenses (many of which are unpredictable, and many newly married couples want to have children -- which is a major medical expense even for a perfectly healthy person).

I did self pay from like 1997 until last couple of year, basically 20 years.  I now pay $620 per month or 7k per year.  That would be $140,000 I have saved in 20 years. I only got it now since I am older and closer to age 60 than age 50.  

 

Still consider it a rip off.  

[geowrian 22,337]

39 minutes ago, Allovertheworld said:

I did self pay from like 1997 until last couple of year, basically 20 years.  I now pay $620 per month or 7k per year.  That would be $140,000 I have saved in 20 years. I only got it now since I am older and closer to age 60 than age 50.  

 

Still consider it a rip off.  

If I did the same, I definitely would have had to declare bankruptcy last year.

Through no fault of my own, I now rack up about $1 million/year in charges. Even with cash-only discounts (assume 10-15% of the original charges), that's $100k to $150k per year of out of pocket expenses. I can't afford that kind of extra expense. Most people can't.

And if I can't afford care, I don't get care. I would almost certainly be dead by now.

 

Rip-off or not is a personal evaluation. But it is a risk vs reward situation, where the risk is almost certain financial ruin with chronic conditions or major events.

[Allovertheworld 355]

20 minutes ago, geowrian said:

If I did the same, I definitely would have had to declare bankruptcy last year.

Through no fault of my own, I now rack up about $1 million/year in charges. Even with cash-only discounts (assume 10-15% of the original charges), that's $100k to $150k per year of out of pocket expenses. I can't afford that kind of extra expense. Most people can't.

And if I can't afford care, I don't get care. I would almost certainly be dead by now.

 

Rip-off or not is a personal evaluation. But it is a risk vs reward situation, where the risk is almost certain financial ruin with chronic conditions or major events.

My buddy was t boned a few years ago. had over 200k in hospital bills, settled for 2k payment to hospital. You got to know how to work the system.

 

I had about a 12K emergecy room visit around 2003, got out and the hospital ate the whole bill.  Just went to my Dr. recently to get a B12 shot for energy, Ran it thru insurance they don't pay it, bill was like $180.  Finally paid $40 since no Insurance coverage.  Went back this week got another shot, only $25 total told them I was self pay.

 

There is really no right or wrong answer, unless you are prone to sickness or have poor health. Me I am healthy adult male.  I could afford 150k bill if I had to, but I am sure I could get it greatly reduced.