How do you get health insurance?

[exp 17]

Hi everyone,

 

This topic drives me NUTS! It's a total nightmare and I've wasted hours on research without knowing anything more.

 

Everything got approved and I finally landed in the US two days ago on CR1. YAY!

 

I will start working in 40 days and will have health insurance that convers myself (and my US-citizen spouse).

But until then both I and my US-citizen-spouse (who returns to the US) need to fill the gap with health insurance.

 

• I found https://www.investopedia.com/best-short-term-health-insurance-4844942 . But after close inspection, all these exclude non-citizens who have been outside the US within the last 12 months (so me)

 

• I found https://www.visitorscoverage.com/immigrants/health-insurance-for-green-card-holders/ and https://www.visitorscoverage.com/green-card-health-insurance/plans/ . This suggests me and my spouse need to purchase insurance separately and it would need to be some sort of travel insurance for me. As an example, they recommend Partiot America Plus.

 

But it is unclear if this information is correct and I would still be covered. Although this site recommends insurances for new greencard immigrants, they still ask for "Travel Return Date". Of course, this does not exist for a newly arrived greencard holder.

Even worse, when I look at the fineprint of the policy, I find under D(8), ELIGIBILITY:

* not have established a permanent residency in the Destination Country

 

Why is this so hard? Why is this such a nightmare?

 

How do you get health insurance for the start in the US?

 

Thanks!

 

 

PS: No, I don't have any health insurance left in my home country.

 

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

Most (new immigrants) people get health insurance through their working US citizen spouse's job.

As a new immigrant, you can purchase health insurance through your states health exchange because immigration is a qualifying life event. 

Some states have an open enrollment period right now (to help people get insurance due to covid) so check to see if your state is one and that way the US citizen spouse can purchase it. 

You and the US citizen spouse do not qualify for any type of temporary/travel insurance since 1. spouse is a US citizen and 2. you are not traveling to the USA but are immigrating (moving/ residing) to the USA.

Edited March 9, 2021 by Luckycuds

[green_rabbit 69]

https://www.cignaglobal.com/ seems okay as a short term solution. The plans are for a year but you can cancel any time, once your employer insurance starts. It's not ACA compliant I assume, but it should be better than nothing in case of an emergency. I used them for a few months when I was living abroad and I was waiting to sort out my residency and national insurance. 

 

But if you already have a green card, i think the above solutions would be better.

Edited March 9, 2021 by green_rabbit

[HRQX 4,145]

30 minutes ago, exp said:

and I finally landed in the US two days ago on CR1.

You are currently in a Special enrollment period and may qualify for ACA subsidies: https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage-outside-open-enrollment/special-enrollment-period/

Changes in residence

Household moves that qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period:

• Moving to a new home in a new ZIP code or county
• Moving to the U.S. from a foreign country or United States territory
• If you're a student, moving to or from the place you attend school
• If you're a seasonal worker, moving to or from the place you both live and work
• Moving to or from a shelter or other transitional housing

Important: You must prove you had qualifying health coverage for one or more days during the 60 days before your move. You don't need to provide proof if you’re moving from a foreign country or United States territory.

 

 

https://www.healthcare.gov/immigrants/immigration-status/

Immigrants with the following statuses qualify to use the Marketplace:

• Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR/Green Card holder)
• Asylee
• Refugee
• Cuban/Haitian Entrant
• Paroled into the U.S.
• Conditional Entrant Granted before 1980
• Battered Spouse, Child and Parent
• Victim of Trafficking and his/her Spouse, Child, Sibling or Parent
• Granted Withholding of Deportation or Withholding of Removal, under the immigration laws or under the Convention against Torture (CAT)
• Individual with Non-immigrant Status, includes worker visas (such as H1, H-2A, H-2B), student visas, U-visa, T-visa, and other visas, and citizens of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau
• Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
• Deferred Enforced Departure (DED)
• Deferred Action Status (Exception: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is not an eligible immigration status for applying for health insurance)
• Lawful Temporary Resident
• Administrative order staying removal issued by the Department of Homeland Security
• Member of a federally-recognized Indian tribe or American Indian Born in Canada
• Resident of American Samoa

[exp 17]

6 minutes ago, Luckycuds said:

Most (new immigrants) people get health insurance through their working US citizen spouse's job.

Unfortunately not the case for us.

My US citizen spouse was insured with me in our previous country.

 

6 minutes ago, Luckycuds said:

As a new immigrant, you can purchase health insurance through your states health exchange because immigration is a qualifying life event. 

Do you have any pointers for this? (if it helps, Michigan or California)

Remark 1: I have searched a lot but did not found any proper options

Remark 2: I do not need a full insurance. I will have one in fourty days. I merely need to fill a gap with a short-term insurance

 

6 minutes ago, Luckycuds said:

Some states have an open enrollment period right now (to help people get insurance due to covid) so check to see if your state is one and that way the US citizen spouse can purchase it. 

You and the US citizen spouse do not qualify for any type of temporary/travel insurance since 1. spouse is a US citizen and 2. you are not traveling to the USA but are immigrating (moving/ residing) to the USA.

This is exactly where the links I posted contradict. https://www.visitorscoverage.com/green-card-health-insurance/plans/ states:

Quote

The following are some of the best and top-rated short-term travel medical insurance plans that can provide quality health coverage for green card holders and new immigrants who travel back and forth between their home country and the United States who are not yet eligible for domestic medical insurance in the USA. You can get quotes and purchase a green card health insurance policy online. Note: when purchasing medical coverage for green card holders and new immigrants, you cannot list the USA as your “home country.”

And https://www.visitorscoverage.com/immigrants/health-insurance-for-green-card-holders/ clearly states:

 

 

Quote

 

New Immigrant, who very recently got the Green Card

If you have recently got the green card, and will be in coming to the USA on immigrant visa soon, you can consider New Immigrants Health Insurance plan or Short Term Health Insurance plan that provides temporary coverage while you travel and settle down in the US. Some of the choices include: Inbound USA and HCC STM etc. To get quotes for temporary short term insurance visit immigrants insurance.

 

I just got off the phone with someone from  www.visitorscoverage.com. They insist with American Patriot Plus I would be covered!

However, D(8), ELIGIBILITY in their policy (not have established a permanent residency in the Destination Country) does not make sleep me well tonight if I order it.

 

 

 

 

 

[exp 17]

10 minutes ago, HRQX said:

You are currently in a Special enrollment period and may qualify for ACA subsidies: https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage-outside-open-enrollment/special-enrollment-period/

Thank you. I'm looking into that right now.

But those would be full-fledged insurances, right?

 

I really only need short term for 40 days and only for emergencies. These full-fledged insurances are hard to cancel I assume.

 

EDIT: Exactly; these are in excess of 500$ . I'm really not looking for such a beast but a short-term emergency insurance. the ones I mentioned from https://www.investopedia.com/best-short-term-health-insurance-4844942 are exactly that and around 100$. They just discriminate me based on my greencard

 

Edited March 9, 2021 by exp

[HRQX 4,145]

Just now, exp said:

These full-fledged insurances are hard to cancel I assume.

They shouldn't be hard to cancel. Once your other insurance starts you'll inform them that you no longer need the insurance you started under Special enrollment.

[exp 17]

7 minutes ago, HRQX said:

They shouldn't be hard to cancel. Once your other insurance starts you'll inform them that you no longer need the insurance you started under Special enrollment.

There's gotta be a better solution for that. The cheapest on this marketplace is 500$.

[exp 17]

33 minutes ago, green_rabbit said:

https://www.cignaglobal.com/ seems okay as a short term solution. The plans are for a year but you can cancel any time, once your employer insurance starts. It's not ACA compliant I assume, but it should be better than nothing in case of an emergency. I used them for a few months when I was living abroad and I was waiting to sort out my residency and national insurance. 

Thank you, this indeed seems to be a viable option.

It's not really cheap but at least cheaper than this 500$+ full insurance stuff.

 

 

 

 

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

34 minutes ago, exp said:

There's gotta be a better solution for that. The cheapest on this marketplace is 500$.

Welcome to America. That sounds about right. Like previous poster suggested you will be able to cancel this one and pick up the one at your job once you start. Do you live in Michigan or California? Depending on the state you would follow their health exchange website. Personally I think previous companies you mentioned are shady. 

[Lemonslice 4,852]

1 hour ago, exp said:

There's gotta be a better solution for that. The cheapest on this marketplace is 500$.

How much do you think health insurance is in the US?  If you are able to return to the USA earlier, a plan from your employer might be slightly cheaper. 

[exp 17]

1 hour ago, Luckycuds said:

Welcome to America. That sounds about right. Like previous poster suggested you will be able to cancel this one and pick up the one at your job once you start.

Hmm the reason I am not agreeing this is a fair argument is that I there options which are just ~100$: https://www.investopedia.com/best-short-term-health-insurance-4844942 for exactly that use case. It's just the fact that I am non-citizen who has been outside the US within the last 12 months why I am excluded of those. Not because "Welcome to America, health insurance is crazy expensive here".

Also signa https://www.cignaglobal.com/ which @green_rabbit mentioned is significantly cheaper than a full-fledged marketplace insurance (~200$).

 

Quote

 

Do you live in Michigan or California? Depending on the state you would follow their health exchange website. Personally I think previous companies you mentioned are shady. 

Well, unfortunately it's not enough that our immigration situation is so complicated to begin with ... it continues to be complicated (at least for the next 1-2 months). So right now I am in Michigan but we both will move to California within the next 1-2 weeks. Exact details are unkown (and we don't have an address there yet). So this marketplace solution may cause even more headaches because of that.

 

 

Edited March 9, 2021 by exp

[green_rabbit 69]

Yeah it sounds like you just need short term (catastrophe/indemnity?) insurance until your work starts. If you don't plan on visiting a doctor in that time, I don't think it makes sense to spend 500 or more a month for full insurance. The only thing I'd look into, since I don't understand the details myself, is what the tax liabilities are for not having ACA compliant health insurance for a while. I understand there is a fee, but I don't know how much it is or what circumstances trigger it.

Edited March 9, 2021 by green_rabbit

[Lemonslice 4,852]

26 minutes ago, exp said:

Hmm the reason I am not agreeing this is a fair argument is that I there options which are just ~100$: https://www.investopedia.com/best-short-term-health-insurance-4844942 for exactly that use case. It's just the fact that I am non-citizen who has been outside the US within the last 12 months why I am excluded of those. Not because "Welcome to America, health insurance is crazy expensive here".

Also signa https://www.cignaglobal.com/ which @green_rabbit mentioned is significantly cheaper than a full-fledged marketplace insurance (~200$).

 

Well, unfortunately it's not enough that our immigration situation is so complicated to begin with ... it continues to be complicated (at least for the next 1-2 months). So right now I am in Michigan but we both will move to California within the next 1-2 weeks. Exact details are unkown (and we don't have an address there yet). So this marketplace solution may cause even more headaches because of that.

 

 

I would give Cigna a call then - but it seems that it is for coverage outside of the USA 😕  You could call any of the health insurance and ask them for coverage, for 40 days - they will provide you a quote.  

[HRQX 4,145]

22 minutes ago, green_rabbit said:

I understand there is a fee, but I don't know how much it is or what circumstances trigger it.

The Federal penalty technically exists but it's $0 per the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Still check if there is an associated State penalty.