health insurance question

[jonandrachel 2]

Great news... my K1 was approved in London! After a very early start to the day travelling from Bristol by bus to get to the embassy by 9am, i found it very easy to check my electronics in at Goulds Pharmacy for just 3 pounds, there was only a short queue at the embassy gates for the initial scan and bag search, but then once inside i had to sit in a crowded room listening to that monotonous computer voice calling out ticket numbers and window numbers every 5 seconds, which very nearly sent me to sleep. It seemed to me that most people were there on other business besides the K1 because my ticket number was quite unique to most, but although i worked out i was possibly in a queue of no more than 5 other K1 filers, it still took more than 3 hours of waiting and listening to all the other types of ticket number get read out. After 2 hours my number was called and i had to submit all my documents and answer a few questions about them, then i took a seat again and waited another hour for the actual interview, with my number called just as i nodded off. The interview lasted just 2 minutes, i was asked how i met my fiancee, how i planned to support myself, and how did i know that Rachel was the one i wanted to get married to, which actually threw me off a little. I was not asked to present any new evidence. So, he told me on the spot i was approved and approx 2 weeks later i received my passport in the post with the visa inside and i intend to fly over on July 3rd and get married in August.

Now then... my question is... for anyone that has already moved to the US, what is the situation with health insurance? My fiancee is a student, a nursing student in NYC, and i believe it will be very expensive to join her plan. So what options are open to me? Any info on this subject is hugely welcome.

thanks everyone

Jon

[Pitaya 2,577]

CONGRATULATIONS !!!

Wishing you continued good fortune on your immigration journey.

[LIFE'SJOURNEY 970]

Private health insurance is available at a cost. Your future wife should look into this, because the cost varies across companies and across states. In America everything is avavilable, but everything has a cost.

[Keeto 12]

Congrats and good luck with the rest of the journey!

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Now then... my question is... for anyone that has already moved to the US, what is the situation with health insurance? My fiancee is a student, a nursing student in NYC, and i believe it will be very expensive to join her plan. So what options are open to me? Any info on this subject is hugely welcome.

thanks everyone

Jon

How did she obtain her insurance? Many schools require all students to have health insurance, and have reasonably affordable group insurance available for students. If that insurance is available only to students then she wouldn't be able to add you to the policy even if she paid an additional fee. However, if it's possible for her to add dependents then it will probably be cheaper than an individual private insurance plan, even if you have to pay the full premiums. This is because the school gets a group rate, and the risk is distributed across thousands of other people, most of whom are young and healthy students.

Government insurance is available at little or no cost to the elderly and disabled as an earned benefit (Medicare). It's available to the indigent as an unearned publicly funded benefit, sometimes only on an emergency basis (Medicaid). You won't be eligible for either of these. You have to work and pay taxes for 10 years before you're eligible for earned benefits. You have to be a permanent resident for 5 years before you're eligible for publicly funded benefits. Even then your fiancee is going to sign an affidavit of support promising the government that you won't collect publicly funded benefits, and that the government can sue her for reimbursement if you do. However, if you have a medical emergency you will not be denied treatment, even if you don't have insurance and are unable to pay. Hospital emergency rooms are required to treat everyone who comes through the door.

Most people in the US have private insurance through their employer. All or most of the cost for the employee is paid by the employer, and at least a portion of the cost is subsidized by the employer for the employee's dependents.

For everyone else, you can purchase private health insurance. The cost will be based on your age, health, and the type of coverage you choose. You can save money by opting for a higher deductible, which means the insurance doesn't start contributing to your health care costs until your out-of-pocket expenses exceed the deductible each year. You can also save money by purchasing a major medical plan, which means the insurance only pays for extraordinary procedures, and you pay for routine doctor visits. The costs for insurance can range from under $100 a month for a young healthy person with a high deductible plan, to a few thousand dollars per month for an older person or a person with chronic health problems with a comprehensive plan.