Health Insurance Requirement?

[Rebecca Smith 1]

Like the other person said, just find him a cheap insurance policy that you can drop or change in a year. The easiest way to get what YOU want is to give them what THEY want. No matter if it's difficult, expensive, annoying, not normally asked for or what have you. They want it to give your husband a visa. You want a visa. It's not unreasonable to ask. Just do it You'll both be happy and where you want to be.

Yes, that is what we will do, but that doesn't make it right. I think we will try to get to the bottom of things, if for nothing else to help others out. Yes, we do want the visa, and a "garbage" insurance policy will not stand in our way to get it. (Imagine waiting almost a year to have his case resolve with the visa, and at the end, they make this requirement with no base in the immigration law that we can tell.)

[Rebecca Smith 1]

Update:

Ok. So I called the Embassy again (this is the 3rd or 4th call now) to ask about if the insurance cannot be travellers insurance, what would they classify travelers insurance. The explained that travellers insurance would cover one while travelling, but for most policies, the moment the person changes status to be a permanent resident, the travel ends and then the policy would become invalid, or revoked, etc. This gave me a new line of thought about what we really should be looking for. I then wanted to make some calls to see if there were any domestic policies that would work, but all of those companies said that he would need to be physically present in the US to make the application, and most were more strict to say that he needed to be in the us 12 months (for one company) and/or be a resident of the state to purchase a plan with them (the state HIPAA medical plan). That really left me wondering where I might find a plan that would really work. I don't know if Wisconsin has really tough laws about residency, or if the federal government has laws about residency?

I then came across a plan by Seven Corners called Inbound Immigrant, and I talked to an agent, and he seemed to think that the policy would work in our situation. But, in reading the actual plan summary and information, there is a line that makes me wonder.

It says:

Coverage Intent

Please be aware that this is not a general health insurance policy but an interim travel medical program intended for use while away from your Home Country or Country of

Residence.

So my husband would be away from his home country, but would be establishing a new country of residence. What do you think, forum members? I will probably be calling the insurance company tomorrow to clarify.

As an additional note, my dad has contacted the state representative for our district to see if they can find out any information on the basis of the requirement. I will keep you up to date on any information that they are able to find out.

[The Mean Lady 604]

Try this:

https://express.rwsol.com/roi/getIntroduction.do?brand=ANTHEM&cid=DZ01

[Rebecca Smith 1]

Further update:

We turned in the signature that we were missing, and were asked if we had gotten the health insurance. My husband said no and asked if they had gotten the email we had sent, and if they had an answer to the question of the requirement and type of insurance.

The lady gave him a document, with the top half in English and the bottom half in Spanish, basically explaining the issue. What is interesting is that in the English part, they say that "it is recommended that you provide proof of medical insurance in the U.S." In the Spanish half, it says "es necesario asegurarse", which translates to "it is necessary to insure yourself". Neither side says that it is a requirement, but the paper does mention the issue of public charge.

The document also assumes that the policy purchased would help to cover expenses incurred due to the medical condition. They say specifically "You can purchase a long-term medical insurance plan (at least for one year) that includes coverage for medical assistance in the U.S. to cover any expenses that you may incur due to your medical condition."

This would almost make me think that I should consider a couples policy that I would qualify for, and to see how long I would have to wait to add my husband to the policy. (Insurance companies vary in how long he would have to be physically present in the US to qualify for a policy. Some have said minimum one year, and other's just long enough to establish residency in the state, which could be within a month, or maybe maximum 3 months.)

I think we will be needing to continue to dialogue with the Embassy to really get this worked out.

Advice? We have also spoken with a lawyer in a free consultation, and this issue is new to him.

[Penguin_ie 5,986]

If they want it, you need to give it to them.

It may not be a base requirement, but the COs have broad discretion in approving. Just because you are over the 125% poverty limit for example, they do not have to approve you if they think you may become a public charge (but they cannot approve if you are under).

[Rebecca Smith 1]

Final update on this topic.

Yesterday, we received the call that my husband can come and pick up his visa. We did submit a "garbage" policy as someone in the forum called it, and it looked like they may not accept it... The asked for an actual copy of the rules and regs of the policy, not just for a copy of the purchase info and ID cards that they sent. I was worried because in all the info they kept implying that the policy we needed should cover my husband's medical condition of Diabetes, which this policy is very clear that it does not cover pre-existing conditions. Yesterday, the call came in and we all jumped for joy!!

Thanks for your help, forum members.

Now on to purchasing airfare and making travel arrangements, etc.