K1/AOS and Health Insurance..need advice

[FrankieP 1]

Hello all...my wife and I got married this September after she entered on a K1. We are in the process of Adjustment of Status. I have a health insurance plan offered at my job in which they pay for my individual premiums. If I enroll her, then the cost shoots up to approx. $300/month.

Instead of enrolling her in my plan, is she eligible for a possible cheaper Obamacare plan while adjusting status?

Any insights or suggestions would be appreciated. Not having to pay the extra $300 out of my pay would be a great help on a single income right now. Thank you!!!!

[NancyNguyen 1,657]

Yes she can. Enroll now on the website.

[Hin-d 16]

Keep in mind that the more money you make, the less subsidies you receive for ACA. It's pretty lousy insurance, too, imho!

[Udella&Wiz 325]

$300 /month isn't very much honestly and if you like the quality of your insurance coverage, would you prefer to have your wife in the same plan? She can always drop off once she gets a job if her company has better.

She might be eligible for 'cheaper' Obamacare but you do get what you pay for in terms of higher deductibles and coverage depending on what you select

Hello all...my wife and I got married this September after she entered on a K1. We are in the process of Adjustment of Status. I have a health insurance plan offered at my job in which they pay for my individual premiums. If I enroll her, then the cost shoots up to approx. $300/month.

Instead of enrolling her in my plan, is she eligible for a possible cheaper Obamacare plan while adjusting status?

Any insights or suggestions would be appreciated. Not having to pay the extra $300 out of my pay would be a great help on a single income right now. Thank you!!!!

[Boiler 43,388]

Adjusting status does not really come into it. You need to do a comparison but the Employer plan is likely to be the best option .

[jfgk1987 303]

If you make too much and she enrolls in Obamacare it could end up costing you more...and you'd probably be getting less in return. I was happily paying $75 and now I pay $240, it's definitely a bummer but hear me out, I'll share my experience with you; the money they take out of your paycheck, that isn't taxed correct? You're generally taxed on the amount of money you have left after paying for healthcare and 401k. If they take $300 out of your paycheck a month, they are taking more of your money but you'd be getting taxed on a lesser amount. For me my taxes dropped by ~$100 so the impact of having to pay more for healthcare wasn't so bad. You should submit a new W-2 if you have not already done so, you can add an exemption because you're married, doing this will drop your tax amount even more! I did this as soon as I got married, so now I'm bringing home more money (+ ~$250) than I was when I was paying less for healthcare and single, how funny is that!

[Hin-d 16]

If you make too much and she enrolls in Obamacare it could end up costing you more...and you'd probably be getting less in return. I was happily paying $75 and now I pay $240, it's definitely a bummer but hear me out, I'll share my experience with you; the money they take out of your paycheck, that isn't taxed correct? You're generally taxed on the amount of money you have left after paying for healthcare and 401k. If they take $300 out of your paycheck a month, they are taking more of your money but you'd be getting taxed on a lesser amount. For me my taxes dropped by ~$100 so the impact of having to pay more for healthcare wasn't so bad. You should submit a new W-2 if you have not already done so, you can add an exemption because you're married, doing this will drop your tax amount even more! I did this as soon as I got married, so now I'm bringing home more money (+ ~$250) than I was when I was paying less for healthcare and single, how funny is that!

That's a good point! Increasing the total allowances throughout the year may be an excellent way to offset the increased cost of your health plan. You may not see a tax return at the end of the year, but that money is better off in your pocket rather than the government's!

[jfgk1987 303]

That's a good point! Increasing the total allowances throughout the year may be an excellent way to offset the increased cost of your health plan. You may not see a tax return at the end of the year, but that money is better off in your pocket rather than the government's!

Not only that, but when you file taxes jointly as married you can claim the $12,000 ($6,000 for each person) standard deduction so you get taxed on a lesser amount. This will knock me down a tax bracket this coming year, that's money coming back in my pocket! This is a benefit for the USC especially when the spouse did not work for that year, though that changes when the spouse gets a job and the combined incomes reach a certain amount...