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baklan

health coverage for fiancee

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Russia
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Hello, my girl coming to America! Wonder how to solve health insurance coverege for her. Does anybody use short term non US citizen insurance such as Atlas or Multinatinational Underwriters? Any expirience in this field? Wonder if I lcould be legally responsible for god forbid any medical bills before actual marriege?

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I don't know, but that's a pretty good question. When my girl gets here we're just going to chance it and go with no insurance for a couple months until we get married and I can add her to my insurance from work.

Yes we're responsible, especially if you give your fiancee an affidavit of support and she gives it to the Consular at her interview.

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Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Russia
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I don't know, but that's a pretty good question. When my girl gets here we're just going to chance it and go with no insurance for a couple months until we get married and I can add her to my insurance from work.

Yes we're responsible, especially if you give your fiancee an affidavit of support and she gives it to the Consular at her interview.

I was able to add my wife to my insurance after we got married. Get her a SS number before you get married as well.

K1 Visa Process long ago and far away...

02/09/06 - NOA1 date

12/17/06 - Married!

AOS Process a fading memory...

01/31/07 - Mailed AOS/EAD package for Olga and Anya

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Removing Conditions

03/02/09 - Mailed I-751 package (CSC)

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05/11/09 - Anya recieved NOA1 (took a call to USCIS to take care of it, oddly, they were helpful)

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Russia
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Yes we're responsible, especially if you give your fiancée an affidavit of support and she gives it to the Consular at her interview.
Depends on which affidavit you signed at the Consulate. If you did the I-134 typically goes with K1 then it is not a legally binding document and you are NOT responsible. However, if something does go wrong and you intend to live with your fiancée for a while, the hospital might put her on lifetime collection, which will impact your lives anyway.
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Short term insurance is possible, but maybe not necessary. If your girl is in good general health, chances are she'll be OK for the 90 days, and you should be able to add her to your existing policy after the marriage.

Now, if something happens, like an auto accident or she falls down the steps, you'll have to pay cash, or just not pay. Hospitals HAVE to treat injured people, so she's likely to be cared for after an accident, regardless of insurance status.

She'll probably be at home 90% of the time while she's waiting for you to finish work or whatever else you do, so during that time she's not exactly at a high risk for needing insurance.

I guess what I'm trying to say here is don't sweat it. She'll be OK until you add her to yours.

Русский форум член.

Ensure your beneficiary makes and brings with them to the States a copy of the DS-3025 (vaccination form)

If the government is going to force me to exercise my "right" to health care, then they better start requiring people to exercise their Right to Bear Arms. - "Where's my public option rifle?"

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Filed: Other Country: Canada
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My (then) fiancee was not covered by health insurance before we got married. She did have to make one visit to the doctor, it cost about $350 for something pretty minor.

You can:

a). Get travel insurance for her.

B). Get some kind of short-term policy thing.

c). Go without

d). Get married as soon as she gets here, and put her on your insurance.

Good luck.

PEOPLE: READ THE APPLICATION FORM INSTRUCTIONS!!!! They have a lot of good information in them! Most of the questions I see on VJ are clearly addressed by the form instructions. Give them a read!! If you are unable to understand the form instructions, I highly recommend hiring someone who does to help you with the process. Our process, from K-1 to Citizenship and U.S. Passport is completed. Good luck with your process.

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Russia
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Hello, my girl coming to America! Wonder how to solve health insurance coverege for her. Does anybody use short term non US citizen insurance such as Atlas or Multinatinational Underwriters? Any expirience in this field? Wonder if I lcould be legally responsible for god forbid any medical bills before actual marriege?

I was unable to find short term health insurance for my fiance'. All the programs I could find required that the non-citizen be in the country for 1 year. I think the travel insurance idea may be a good one. I did not look at this since she was already here when I started to loo for insurance. I was able to insure her daughter for accidents through a school insurance program for about $80 for 24 hour coverage. After we were married it was no problem to add both of them to my employer health insurance program.

Devereux

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Wales
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Travel Insurance is usually only pertinant to people visiting. But I know nothing of Russian Insurance practrice.

Watching Law and Order last night, story revolved around someone who had been taken to Hospital after an accident with leg injuries and no insurance.

He was fortunate to be transferred to a Charity Hospital, the original Hospital would have amputated as that was the cheaper option.

OK fiction, but that bit is as I understand it true.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

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Filed: Other Country: Canada
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Well, the thing is, she can be here at most three months before you get married. Truthfully, that is not very long. Hell, I went without any health insurance at all for five years between 1992 and 1997. I was a much more careful person than I am now that I have insurance. (:

Look at it this way - she probably has no insurance now, and the health care system there sucks anyway (according to my wife), so what's another three months? I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you, and if you are that worried about it, just get married right away and put her on your insurance. You have a readily available solution if it is that much of a problem.

PEOPLE: READ THE APPLICATION FORM INSTRUCTIONS!!!! They have a lot of good information in them! Most of the questions I see on VJ are clearly addressed by the form instructions. Give them a read!! If you are unable to understand the form instructions, I highly recommend hiring someone who does to help you with the process. Our process, from K-1 to Citizenship and U.S. Passport is completed. Good luck with your process.

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Russia
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Look at it this way - she probably has no insurance now, and the health care system there sucks anyway (according to my wife), so what's another three months? I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you, and if you are that worried about it, just get married right away and put her on your insurance. You have a readily available solution if it is that much of a problem.

Yeah, healthcare may suck, but I guess it really depends on where in Russia you live - I had such a wonderful experience with healthcare in Moscow. I had a serious surgery, and all the costs were covered, and the follow-up care I received was absolutely awesome! Here in the US I don't have health coverage, because I work part-time, and my hubby can't put me on his plan, cause it's too expensive.

I've been without coverage in the US for almost 2 years, and it's really not a good idea. Baklan, if you can afford it, definitely put your wife on your health plan as soon as you get married. I hurt my hand a while ago, and was stupid enough to go to an emergency room without insurance. They charged me $600 for a bandage :blink: Now I just hope I won't get hurt again or land a full time job in the near future.

Good luck! :)

Filed AOS from F-1
Green Card approved on 01/04/07
Conditions removed 01/29/09

Citizenship Oath 08/23/12

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Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Russia
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Look at it this way - she probably has no insurance now, and the health care system there sucks anyway (according to my wife), so what's another three months? I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you, and if you are that worried about it, just get married right away and put her on your insurance.

The sooner you can sort it out, the better.

My wife had appendicitis just after we were married. The bills were obscene (about 10 times what our insurance company would have paid). It is nearly impossible to get a fair price from a hospital in such a circumstance.

Even if you can get a policy from a big insurance company that covers almost nothing, it will still save you a fortune. What the insurance company doesn't cover, you still pay at their discounted rates. So, assume you spend 3 days in a hospital here. The hospital may charge something $50,000 for this. The insurance company will have a negotiated price of about $5,000. Let's say you must pay 50% (even the worst policies cover more). Your bill in this case will be ~$2,500 - which is much better than $50,000.

We pay $180/month for a policy with a $1,200 deductible here in FL. Assuming we are over the deductible every year (unlikely), we are paying $280/month.

I think that it is a good idea to have a short-term policy to cover the first 90 days. BUY IT OUTSIDE THE US. It can be from a third country, which I would recommend. Bupa is what I had when I was living in Holland, phone them at +44 (0) 800 600 500. I would try to get a travel policy from an insurer in the UK if possilbe (cheaper than in the US, and they will speak English).

2004-08-23: Met in Chicago

2005-10-19: K-1 Interview, Moscow (approved)

2007-02-23: Biometrics

2007-04-11: AOS Interview (Approved)

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Wales
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A Uk travel policy is no good for emmigrants.

Probably the same applies to other countries.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

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Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Russia
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A Uk travel policy is no good for emmigrants.

Probably the same applies to other countries.

I have had policies written in the UK which were valid in the Europe and the US. Also, you aren't an immigrant on a K-1, until you adjust status (it is a non-immigrant visa).

Even most short-term policies in the US require 6 months of residency here.

2004-08-23: Met in Chicago

2005-10-19: K-1 Interview, Moscow (approved)

2007-02-23: Biometrics

2007-04-11: AOS Interview (Approved)

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There is a gray area here.

Hospitals in the U.S. are required BY LAW to care for you.

Regardless of charge, you can tell them to shove the bills up their @$$e$ and there's not a whole lot they can do to you other than send you to collections. (Especially when you are an immigrant with no social security number.) If they do that, it is possible to settle with collections or hospitals directly for pennies on the dollar. (They figure even 1% of the bills is better than 0%.)

I don't recommend doing this, as like most other stuff in America, big companies will find a way to bend you over. But, if we're talking about life and death coverage here, major accident stuff, not something like a cough or sore throat, no coverage is probably the way to go.

If you like paying astronomical amounts of money for things that many able-bodied, social security possessing, otherwise healthy Americans that refuse to work get for FREE, be my guest. I simply will not do that, and I rolled the dice for my fiancee too. Worked fine for us, but then again, we went without incident.

Русский форум член.

Ensure your beneficiary makes and brings with them to the States a copy of the DS-3025 (vaccination form)

If the government is going to force me to exercise my "right" to health care, then they better start requiring people to exercise their Right to Bear Arms. - "Where's my public option rifle?"

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