BC health insurance coverage after POE

[Avsiws 4]

My partner does not have health insurance in the US... it's not offered at his job and the premiums for private coverage are insane (he's low income). Since I've never been without, I'm not going to start, especially in the US. We plan to get health insurance together once we are married. But until we're married...

I inquired at BCAA (CAA/AAA) and they said that they'd offer me a package, even though it's technically a travel package. I even explicitly explained the K1 visa and the representative checked with the manager and printed me a very reasonable quote. They said that until I have established permanent residency in the US (Which is a GC? or the date you apply for AOS?), I'd still be covered under the package. So it seems that they're considering my situation a planned temporary absence/trip to get married. But from my understanding this travel package would be based on BC health/MSP coverage.

MSP website says something different:

• Permanent move: If you are moving outside Canada - coverage is provided for the balance of the month in which you leave the province.
• Temporary absences: Residents who will be absent from B.C. for six months or more in a calendar year, need to contact Health Insurance BC to confirm continued eligibility and discuss options for continued MSP coverage that may be available during an absence.

Please advise!

When leaving Canada on a K1, do you automatically give up your Canadian/BC residency?

Where did you get your health insurance for this in-between time? Please give me company names and plans! I don't know where to go!

Edited October 13, 2016 by Avsiws

[kris&me 572]

low income health plans are available and if you do not get any coverage there is a penalty when filing taxes

call the marketplace insurance

[Ontarkie 13,917]

The day you cross to move you are no longer a resident of Canada and no longer covered.

[Avsiws 4]

For him, the penalty is lower than the cost of premiums.

Ok, so I will no longer be a resident... can anyone give me a suggestion for companies that provide coverage with possibilities for extension? I have exactly one week to figure this out and I have a million other things to do!

[yuna628 9,528]

For him, the penalty is lower than the cost of premiums.

Ok, so I will no longer be a resident... can anyone give me a suggestion for companies that provide coverage with possibilities for extension? I have exactly one week to figure this out and I have a million other things to do!

Hi, I'm here to list the options even though the options won't be cheap or pretty.

Let's confirm some things first: your fiance doesn't have health insurance but he is willing to pay the penalty. That's absolutely fine and legal. You say that the costs were extremely expensive for him in finding a plan and I sympathize. My next question will be did he explore his options through the state or federal exchange? You say he is in a lower income bracket, so in that regard he may qualify for a subsidy (lower premium cost). However I certainly do know many persons still in lower brackets that don't fit into the one-size-fits-all approach of O'care and still don't qualify for the subsidies. It may be time to relook into this matter again now that he's going to marry you.

Cost factors: If he could not afford a premium by himself, this will be unlikely to change until you are able to obtain your working documents and obtain a job that may offer insurance or afford to pay out of pocket. So while I won't delve into what factors can help you obtain a plan that works now, just know that no matter what route you choose below it's usually going to be hefty either way.

In the meantime the options are as follows:

Upcoming is the November open enrollment period. Take advantage of this if you are arriving before that and get married (go get your SSN first) as soon as possible. Then AOS as soon as possible. That way you'll be set with less hassle in dealing with unknowledgeable agents unsure of how to handle an immigrant of the K1 variety.

Keep the following in mind: regardless of the open enrollment period - being recently married/recently immigrated/losing coverage is a qualifier for special enrollment should you not get to enrolling during the open enrollment period.

1) Apply for a plan on the exchange. If you have a state exchange you'll have to use that first. Immigrants are qualified BUT you're going to at least need an NOA1 for proof of starting Adjustment of Status in the US. Barring that, you'd have to wait until you had an EAD or Greencard, whichever came first into your hands. See the link in my signature regarding O'care and immigrants. The same rules for the state apply to the federal.

2) Don't directly apply on the exchange, and purchase a plan through any insurer offering insurance in your state. For instance I did this for my husband and we used BCBS. Advantages? Nothing in terms of cost or plan offers. All of the plans offered by insurances privately will pretty much all be the same ones on the exchange actually. There will be some price differences either slightly cheaper or more expensive. You'd have to comparative shop. One advantage I noticed though is that the insurer did not require or ask for any immigration documents or proofs. An SSN was not even required (it may be asked for later but you can continue to decline and I won't get into the specifics of why). Just keep the following in mind, by law not having an SSN is not a barrier to prevent someone from obtaining health insurance. Not every HR or employee has a clue. Even for O'care the training manual details how to handle special scenarios like this. But regardless if you have obtained an SSN already, you can provide it without hassle and you'll be covered just fine.

3) Do nothing. Health insurance is not mandatory, so long as the penalty is paid. It won't apply to you most likely in the first few months. It will all be when you are considered a definition of resident. Waiting of course until you're more stable and not doing anything is a gamble when it comes to the risk of health, so it's understandable you'd want to be covered. There are minute clinics available in any area that you can go to if you're sick so long as you pay.

Keep the following in mind: Travel insurances, foreign insurances, temporary insurances, and insurances directly marketed toward immigrants are considered substandard by the government. The penalty will still apply. Once you touch down in America, travel insurance will be void. Likewise you are intending to move and no longer a resident of your country. You can certainly obtain a temporary type of insurance for ''immigrants and visitors'' (you can find many of these on google) but it will not cover anything pre-existing, and from a personal standpoint I find the coverage offered by these insurances dubious. But it won't mean you can escape the penalty.

Edited October 14, 2016 by yuna628

[Avsiws 4]

Yuna628- Thanks for all that information!

My partner is open to independently applying for a plan on the exchange and then adding me to the plan when I qualify. From my understanding, I will qualify once we get married or when I get an SSN. From my reading, I can apply for an SSN approx 14 days after POE. We are leaning towards marrying in early 2017 (to avoid an expensive and complicated 2016 tax filing), so submitting AOS documents seems far in the future.

My question is, what do I do in the meantime. I am uncomfortable not having insurance, and if travel/foreign/temporary/immigrant insurance are substandard- what am I supposed to get?

[yuna628 9,528]

Yuna628- Thanks for all that information!

My partner is open to independently applying for a plan on the exchange and then adding me to the plan when I qualify. From my understanding, I will qualify once we get married or when I get an SSN. From my reading, I can apply for an SSN approx 14 days after POE. We are leaning towards marrying in early 2017 (to avoid an expensive and complicated 2016 tax filing), so submitting AOS documents seems far in the future.

My question is, what do I do in the meantime. I am uncomfortable not having insurance, and if travel/foreign/temporary/immigrant insurance are substandard- what am I supposed to get?

No need to wait for an SSN anymore. Once stateside check your I94 in the database to see if you're logged there. If you're there you should be in the SSA for them to get you an SSN. There are times when it does take a while, and some people do wait a few days just in case. We did wait a couple weeks to be sure. But in general you can try for an SSN with a day or two of landing. If they can't find you, withdraw, don't apply. Correct the I94 with CBP if needed.. or else you could be waiting on the SSA a long while. Don't know how much this happens anymore, which is why before the electronic database they told people to wait 14 days. Not needed anymore. Most are successful, as long as the SSA doesn't mess anything up, or the CBP does when you come in.

To add you on a plan in the state/federal exchange more than likely they will want immigration documents as I said - and the earliest document you will be able to provide would be the AOS NOA1. The SSN will be a helpful bonus. That being said, you can always speak to an advisor in your state or call the exchange. Supervisor request if they give you problems.

As for what can you get, its really all going to depend on what you want or can afford. Personally, O'care isn't great about handling these immigrant scenarios. We chose to wait until he had his SSN and AOS NOA1 then purchased privately (even though they didn't want any of that stuff). He's healthy and felt the risk was okay for him. I know some others have purchased those short term immigrant plans and then moved onto a regular plan when they could. Whether any penalty was paid I don't know.

Edited October 14, 2016 by yuna628