medical insurance & AOS

[Alabamak1 688]

Hi there:

 

When you start AOS and later have your interview...is it a requirement to have you spouse on your medical insurance to proof of bonafide marriage? I have insurance through work, but to say the least, it is useless and the co-pay and price of having insurance on its own is surreal.  I can add my current fiance to my lease, bank account and life insurance at work, but i have a problem paying for medical insurance that has for years not covered me at all for even the most basic of services. Medical insurance at work would be like $400/month for just me and her. 

 

Any opinions on should I or not? 

[TNJ17 1,329]

You don’t need to send proof of a bonafide relationship when sending AOS paperwork. Just your marriage certificate. Later on if you are called for an interview, they will ask you what they need if anything.

[Alabamak1 688]

Just now, TNJ17 said:

You don’t need to send proof of a bonafide relationship when sending AOS paperwork. Just your marriage certificate. Later on if you are called for an interview, they will ask you what they need if anything.

thanks, i was just thinking ahead, because the only time i can add my future spouse to my insurance is either on open enrollment in November or if something major like marriage happens. With that said...i would like to know if everyone here has added their spouse to their medical for later proof of bonafide marriage or let their spouse get medical through their own work later on. We are planing to do the paperwork for AOS as soon as she gets here.  

[TNJ17 1,329]

There is no need to use that as proof of a bonafide marriage. The only reason you should add her to your policy is because she needs health insurance and it’s gonna be cheaper doing it that way than getting her her own insurance. Remember that if she doesn’t have health insurance she will have to pay a fine for however long she’s out of insurance from the minute she’s admitted into the country. 

[Alabamak1 688]

15 minutes ago, TNJ17 said:

There is no need to use that as proof of a bonafide marriage. The only reason you should add her to your policy is because she needs health insurance and it’s gonna be cheaper doing it that way than getting her her own insurance. Remember that if she doesn’t have health insurance she will have to pay a fine for however long she’s out of insurance from the minute she’s admitted into the country. 

oh ok. I didn't think about the requirement of having insurance and the penalty. I mean i also understand the negative part of not having insurance here in the US, but the excessive amount you pay for it at my job.... I worked for years w/o insurance and even till now, i have only very limited insurance. Co-pay, coverage, and deductible for one person is like I said unreasonable. Not to say prescriptions are covered on limited basis too. $7000 deductible. 

[yuna628 9,680]

23 minutes ago, Alabamak1 said:

Hi there:

 

When you start AOS and later have your interview...is it a requirement to have you spouse on your medical insurance to proof of bonafide marriage? I have insurance through work, but to say the least, it is useless and the co-pay and price of having insurance on its own is surreal.  I can add my current fiance to my lease, bank account and life insurance at work, but i have a problem paying for medical insurance that has for years not covered me at all for even the most basic of services. Medical insurance at work would be like $400/month for just me and her. 

 

Any opinions on should I or not? 

$400 a month for two persons is actually not bad, because if you look at the going market rate for that same coverage or slightly better you'll find prices ranging from $600-900+. When I added my husband to my own insurance I was, by the time his employer offered their insurance, well into the upper range of $800pm. I would say, if you are unhappy with the coverage offered to you, why are you keeping it? My suggestion would be to find other options that work better for you and your spouse. You'll pay more, but hopefully you'll get better coverage out of it. I wouldn't say the spouse not having co-mingled insurance is a problem for AOS, but that is the least concern. How will the spouse obtain insurance? Will they continue to remain uninsured? What costs will you have to drop if the spouse is uninsured and becomes ill or injured? There is no guarantee a job will be found right away (knowing this from our own experience) or even if the employer will offer it for a while.

 

I would say co-mingled insurance is probably good evidence to provide when you get to the ROC phase a few years down the line. I added my spouse immediately after marriage to my insurance, as I felt it only the right thing to do to ensure peace of mind. Like you, I was less than thrilled with the coverage provided and the deductible was very high, but there is really nothing the average person can do about it these days.

[Alabamak1 688]

42 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

$400 a month for two persons is actually not bad, because if you look at the going market rate for that same coverage or slightly better you'll find prices ranging from $600-900+. When I added my husband to my own insurance I was, by the time his employer offered their insurance, well into the upper range of $800pm. I would say, if you are unhappy with the coverage offered to you, why are you keeping it? My suggestion would be to find other options that work better for you and your spouse. You'll pay more, but hopefully you'll get better coverage out of it. I wouldn't say the spouse not having co-mingled insurance is a problem for AOS, but that is the least concern. How will the spouse obtain insurance? Will they continue to remain uninsured? What costs will you have to drop if the spouse is uninsured and becomes ill or injured? There is no guarantee a job will be found right away (knowing this from our own experience) or even if the employer will offer it for a while.

 

I would say co-mingled insurance is probably good evidence to provide when you get to the ROC phase a few years down the line. I added my spouse immediately after marriage to my insurance, as I felt it only the right thing to do to ensure peace of mind. Like you, I was less than thrilled with the coverage provided and the deductible was very high, but there is really nothing the average person can do about it these days.

thanks for you input. it would be perfect if she could get EAD and get the other stuff like drivers license and more out of the way quick enough. I didnt decide to quit my current work insurance, because it's the only "affordable" one i can get, even thought it doesn't cover anything. Like you said, it's peace of mind. I am just trying to weigh my options if any at all.