Health Insurance for K1

[rlt8990 1]

Hello all,

I was hoping to get advice/experience regarding health insurance once my fiancé arrives in the states. Did many of you from the UK stay on NHS insurance (travel insurance) until you got married? Or did you sign up for a US health plan straight away?

As I am not 26 yet, I am still on my parents health insurance plan, but am wondering if and when I should switch to my own plan so I can also cover my fiancé/husband if we wait until we are married. Thanks!

[Boiler 43,393]

NHS is not Insurance.

Travel Insurance is for people coming back, so not applicable.

There are policies you can get for new immigrants in the US, not sure how good they are but possibly better than nothing.

He qualifies for Obamacare as soon as you have filed to adjust status, so that could be a few days after arrival.

[ChasUno 101]

As per Boiler's post above. You are only eligible for NHS healthcare whilst you are contributing National Insurance Contributions (for those of legal working age). Once you stop, and especially once you officially emigrate from the UK, it's a whole different ballgame. Of course the whole premise of the NHS is that it is "free at the point of delivery", so if you were to return and turn up in A&E needing treatment you would get it. However, if you were no longer officially a permanent resident of the UK/ EU, then they could bill you for any treatment given. The fact that you will have gone through a visa process at the USA Embassy will also mean that this will have been officially recorded as far as your UK residency status is concerned.

UK travel insurance normally specifies that you are a permanent resident of the UK, and it only applies for a certain amount of time travelled per trip. As per NHS, once you officially leave (emigrate from) the UK then that type of insurance is no longer valid.

If the USC partner already has health insurance in the US, the best option would be get the immigrant partner added as the USC's spouse.

[Boiler 43,393]

We are getting off topic but there must be a significant percentage of the population who do not pay NIC. No connection with NHS.

[ChasUno 101]

We are getting off topic but there must be a significant percentage of the population who do not pay NIC. No connection with NHS.

From what I understand, you are only required to pay NIC if you are of working age. If you are of school age/ in full time education or retired, then you are exempt. If you are working, you have to pay NIC as part of your tax and deductions. If you are claiming unemployment benefit, your NIC contributions are paid for by the benefit office for the duration of your claim. If I recall correctly, once you have paid a set number of years of NIC then you are not required to pay any more (though I might be getting that mixed up with eligibility for the UK state pension). The upshot is that every UK person of working age, whether they are employed or unemployed, pays NIC. The only exceptions will be those that are unemployed and not claiming benefit, or those working illegally and not paying taxes.

[yuna628 9,527]

Hello all,

I was hoping to get advice/experience regarding health insurance once my fiancé arrives in the states. Did many of you from the UK stay on NHS insurance (travel insurance) until you got married? Or did you sign up for a US health plan straight away?

As I am not 26 yet, I am still on my parents health insurance plan, but am wondering if and when I should switch to my own plan so I can also cover my fiancé/husband if we wait until we are married. Thanks!

As a California resident your fiancé will have to purchase insurance through the state exchange. By law everyone must purchase insurance or pay a penalty, including immigrants. Fortunately not only being married but immigration are qualifying life events making your fiancé eligible for special enrollment. Since you do not have a private health insurance plan through your employer, I don't think it likely would be able to add your fiancé to your current plan (since it is through your parents).

Once you have married and applied to adjust the fiancé's status explore your insurance options through the health exchange. For more information on immigration and California see here: http://www.coveredca.com/individuals-and-families/special-circumstances/immigrants/

For all status and documentation needed check out and study carefully the link in my signature to the federal exchange/federal law.

[Boiler 43,393]

Reminds me that Medi Cal does have some freebie benefits as well, status not relevant.

[rlt8990 1]

Thank you all for the helpful information!

[Lauren and Kevin 55]

One additional cautionary note I should add here, is from reading another Poster's real life story, that they did not get their Medical Insurance for a month after he reached the US and he broke his leg before they got the insurance - the associated medical costs put paid to their applying for AOS and delayed their life together by years due to debt. I STRONGLY urge you not to take any risks, but to sign him up in the first few days he arrives

Edited June 2, 2015 by Lauren and Kevin

[rascalflatt 6]

Recorded where? By whom?

Just curious as I don't see how you came to this conclusion....

The fact that you will have gone through a visa process at the USA Embassy will also mean that this will have been officially recorded as far as your UK residency status is concerned.

Edited June 2, 2015 by rascalflatt

[Boiler 43,393]

Nobody

[ChasUno 101]

Recorded where? By whom?

Just curious as I don't see how you came to this conclusion....

By the London Embassy. You will be recorded as acquiring a visa to go to the USA to marry a USC and with intent to acquire permanent residency over there. Remember that the Embassy has your passport before issuing a visa. I'm not 100% sure, but there's a good chance they will notify the UK Border Agency that you have been issued with a visa (someone else can confirm if this is actually the case).

And it will be recorded on your UK Border Agency departure record that you left the country on the date that you travelled to the USA, with an issued K1 visa. At check in, most airlines will ask you to confirm that you have a valid ESTA and will check that you have a return flight. If you don't, then they will want to know why/ how you are travelling to the USA on a one way ticket.

Your taxation class will also automatically change as you will no longer be paying UK income taxes/ NIC whilst abroad, (certainly if you were under a PAYE scheme). The Inland Revenue will have records of when you stopped making employment income tax and NIC payments.

The main issue is that once you've married and gone through adjustment of status in the USA, unless you plan on moving back to the UK then the USA is now your permanent residence. As such, you cannot use UK based travel insurance that specifies that you must be a permanent resident of the UK. If you take out UK based travel insurance to cover you whilst in the USA and it's found that you travelled over on a K1 visa, then you have in effect committed insurance fraud. Asides from being a criminal offence, you will also completely invalidate your insurance.

[Boiler 43,393]

You are confusing a whole number of issues and none of this answers the OP's questions anyway.

[rascalflatt 6]

Uno you're getting the wrong end of the stick a bit...

I'm not arguing your (very detailed) point about travel insurance - obviously this isn't an option for an immigrant....

However you do have to tie up your own loose ends prior to leaving (ie informing the Inland Revenue etc) - this doesn't just happen "automatically" as you suggest.

[ChasUno 101]

Uno you're getting the wrong end of the stick a bit...

I'm not arguing your (very detailed) point about travel insurance - obviously this isn't an option for an immigrant....

However you do have to tie up your own loose ends prior to leaving (ie informing the Inland Revenue etc) - this doesn't just happen "automatically" as you suggest.

The main topic of this thread was with regards to K1 Health Insurance after travelling to the USA, which is what I was discussing. Not sure how you think I am getting the wrong end of the stick in that regards.

Also I in no way suggested that all loose ends are tied up "automatically". I was pointing out that a K1 visa is a non immigrant visa with intent to adjust for permanent residency (immigrate). The London Embassy will have records of this. The UK Border Agency will have records of your arrivals and departures. Even if you don't inform the Inland Revenue, your tax status WILL automatically adjust by the simple fact that you are no longer making any income tax payments. Add in marrying a USC, adjusting status and applying for (and getting) a US SSN, and likely getting a job in the USA, in the eyes of UK law you are no longer a UK permanent resident whether you tell them or not.

That was the point of this thread. If you are travelling to the USA on a K1 visa to marry a USC, then your permanent residence is no longer the UK. Therefore the suggestion of using "NHS travel insurance" (whether it be NHS care or independent travel insurance) is invalid.