Health Insurance for Spouse not yet in US

[alicia98981 128]

Has anyone included their spouse on their health insurance plan during open enrollment with their employers despite that spouse not being in the US yet? I want to add my husband but he doesn't have a SSN yet and HR is clueless as to what to do. Any suggestions?

[asad313 18]

I was able to do it. I called the benefits administrator our company was using and they were able to add my spouse without a SSN. I forget what exactly they used but it was something like 000-00-0000.

[mallafri76 1,012]

Please correct me if I'm wrong but as far as I know, he needs to be a legal resident to be added to the insurance. Immigration is an accepted life event though so you're allowed to add him once he immigrates.

[rutabaga 209]

Based on your signature, y'all are a long ways from him coming to the states if NOA1 was only a couple of days ago so I wouldn't be rushing to add him during this year's open enrollment. What I would check with your HR is whether him immigrating would be a qualifying event to add him outside of open enrollment whenever he does get there (although, depending on how much time you spend at USCIS, by the time he immigrates you could be in your next year's open enrollment period anyway)

[yuna628 9,528]

OP: It is unlikely you will be able to do this. Not because you can't do this, but because getting past HR will be a rough go. Typically people won't do this, and they will wait for their spouses to come into the country. There's a few exceptions that I've seen. But you are a long way away from your husband requiring health insurance, and I'm sure the company wouldn't be too thrilled about paying for someone who hasn't even legally entered the country as of yet. That's your main barrier.

That being said: whether your spouse is here or not, for clarification, not having an SSN is not a barrier to obtaining health insurance. Of course an HR may insist, but that doesn't have anything to do with the law.

[alicia98981 128]

Please correct me if I'm wrong but as far as I know, he needs to be a legal resident to be added to the insurance. Immigration is an accepted life event though so you're allowed to add him once he immigrates.

Based on your signature, y'all are a long ways from him coming to the states if NOA1 was only a couple of days ago so I wouldn't be rushing to add him during this year's open enrollment. What I would check with your HR is whether him immigrating would be a qualifying event to add him outside of open enrollment whenever he does get there (although, depending on how much time you spend at USCIS, by the time he immigrates you could be in your next year's open enrollment period anyway)

OP: It is unlikely you will be able to do this. Not because you can't do this, but because getting past HR will be a rough go. Typically people won't do this, and they will wait for their spouses to come into the country. There's a few exceptions that I've seen. But you are a long way away from your husband requiring health insurance, and I'm sure the company wouldn't be too thrilled about paying for someone who hasn't even legally entered the country as of yet. That's your main barrier.

That being said: whether your spouse is here or not, for clarification, not having an SSN is not a barrier to obtaining health insurance. Of course an HR may insist, but that doesn't have anything to do with the law.

I get that we are a long way away, it's just that open enrollment is now and immigration wasn't one of the situations listed. He is currently not listed on my insurance now anyway. I'm waiting to hear back from HR but so far they've been saying, "We don't know, we don't know, we don't know." It does seem like immigration would be a likely reason though and I really don't want to risk him not having it once he gets here and settled. I'll likely see if I can get them to make an exception for him after he arrives then.

[yvy23 11]

I get that we are a long way away, it's just that open enrollment is now and immigration wasn't one of the situations listed. He is currently not listed on my insurance now anyway. I'm waiting to hear back from HR but so far they've been saying, "We don't know, we don't know, we don't know." It does seem like immigration would be a likely reason though and I really don't want to risk him not having it once he gets here and settled. I'll likely see if I can get them to make an exception for him after he arrives then.

Immigration may not be listed, but marriage likely is. It definitely was for us and my husband was able to add me to his health insurance right after we got married. That may leave him without insurance for a few weeks after he arrives, but as soon as you're married you should be able to add him whether open enrollment is happening at that point or not.

[rutabaga 209]

I don't see why it necessarily wouldn't be, it's a qualifying event for insurance bought through the marketplace, for example.

Edited May 29, 2016 by rutabaga

[tamcloud 92]

Life events for changes outside of open enrollment are typically marriage, birth, adoption and death - not sure about divorce. I do know that immigration wasn't listed when I was looking to add my wife. If HR is unsure, you could contact your provider directly to inquire. You'll be paying from the date you add your spouse, so if it's several months before they arrive, consider the cost of adding them in advance. As far as the SSN, I was able to use all zeroes, as previously mentioned, until she obtained her number.

[aaron2020 11,651]

It's extremely unlikely that your insurer will cover a person who is residing in another country and is not currently residing in the US.

After your spouse immigrates, then you can add him.

[O&GForever 387]

I was able to add my husband to my insurance without any problems. My HR rep told me that getting married is a life event, but moving to the US is not. So I needed to either add him right after we got married or wait until open enrollment which is in November. I know I still have a long way to go until the visa is approved, but this way my hubby has insurance once he get here and I won't have to potentially wait for several month to add him. Plus an immigration attorney I spoke with said adding him to my health insurance can be good evidence of our relationship.

[asad313 18]

Exactly what OGForever2014 stated.

Immigration is not a life event however marriage is. And it can be used as evidence of relationship.

You have to decide whether you're okay with waiting for open enrollment and potentially leave your spouse uninsured or not, once he/she immigrates.

I was able to add my husband to my insurance without any problems. My HR rep told me that getting married is a life event, but moving to the US is not. So I needed to either add him right after we got married or wait until open enrollment which is in November. I know I still have a long way to go until the visa is approved, but this way my hubby has insurance once he get here and I won't have to potentially wait for several month to add him. Plus an immigration attorney I spoke with said adding him to my health insurance can be good evidence of our relationship.

[optlh0 19]

You should check to see if 'Domestic Partnership' is listed as a qualifying event. When my fiance' arrived in the USA we were able to add her to my insurance immediately as a domestic partner that lived with me. We just had to fax them a sheet saying we were in a committed relationship and lived together. Then when we got married we changed her status from domestic partner to wife.

Oops, sorry. I just reread your post and see you're already married. I guess this wouldn't apply.

It should work for people bringing a fiance' though...

Edited May 30, 2016 by optlh0

[yuna628 9,528]

Immigration is a QLE under special enrollment, by federal standards. But for the OP's husband to qualify under that, they would actually have to have gained an immigration status - which they have not yet.

Edited May 30, 2016 by yuna628

[etrangais 926]

you can add your spouse WITHOUT a social security number.

A spouse can be added in two cases:

1- Life changing event (in this case marriage): within 30 days of the event

2- Open enrollment.

Just add him as a dependent when you register for health benefits, you'll see that a SSN is not required to add him but you'll have to provide it whenever it is available