How does not having health insurance affect immigration status?

[chikaka 4]

I am married to a US citizen and I have a conditional green card. Unfortunately, I lost my job and the health insurance I had through my employer, which was covering myself (the immigrant) and my US spouse.

 

Now we are both not covered by any insurance, and I know this is bad. Since we need to look for and get a job, and most likely have to wait for the first 3 months after getting a job for employer-based insurance to kick in, we have to purchase a plan on our own.

 

But my concern is, does buying a cheap insurance (ACA???) affect my immigration status? I am aware that USCIS doesn't want immigrants to rely on the governmental aid, like they dont want us to be a public  charge. So I am lost.

I don't know what kind of insurance is considered governmental aid. 

 

I don't want to spend a lot of money on insurance because I am jobless now, and I want to keep the saving I have for as long as possible until I can get a new job and the employer-based insurance. 

 

My another question is, do I have to get the same insurance plan that I had through my employer? I read about COBRA, and it was very confusing too. 

[Khallaf 646]

5 minutes ago, chikaka said:

I am married to a US citizen and I have a conditional green card. Unfortunately, I lost my job and the health insurance I had through my employer, which was covering myself (the immigrant) and my US spouse.

 

Now we are both not covered by any insurance, and I know this is bad. Since we need to look for and get a job, and most likely have to wait for the first 3 months after getting a job for employer-based insurance to kick in, we have to purchase a plan on our own.

 

But my concern is, does buying a cheap insurance (ACA???) affect my immigration status? I am aware that USCIS doesn't want immigrants to rely on the governmental aid, like they dont want us to be a public  charge. So I am lost.

I don't know what kind of insurance is considered governmental aid. 

 

I don't want to spend a lot of money on insurance because I am jobless now, and I want to keep the saving I have for as long as possible until I can get a new job and the employer-based insurance. 

 

My another question is, do I have to get the same insurance plan that I had through my employer? I read about COBRA, and it was very confusing too. 

your spouse doesn't have a job where they are given health insurance?

 

its a life even when one spouse losses their health insurance the other can enroll with their company

 

[chikaka 4]

3 minutes ago, Khallaf said:

your spouse doesn't have a job where they are given health insurance?

 

its a life even when one spouse losses their health insurance the other can enroll with their company

 

My US spouse is currently jobless as well. We are both jobless at the same time and we live on our saving.

 

My US spouse has always had a hard time getting a job that offers health insurance. Even when he was hired, the company he worked for did not offer any insurance.

Luckily the company I worked for offered insurance for me and him, but I lost my job and the insurance.

 

Will I lose my conditional green card if I don't get health insurance within a certain amount of time? Like I know Obama has made it mandatory for everyone to have some insurance.

I wanna get a cheapest plan, but i dont know if that will consider me to be a public charge and I am so at a loss.

[Boiler 43,422]

No Immigration effect

[USS_Voyager 1,971]

26 minutes ago, chikaka said:

But my concern is, does buying a cheap insurance (ACA???) affect my immigration status?

Uhm, it's not cheap but it won't affect your immigration status

[chikaka 4]

Does having no insurance at all affect immigration status? I know we have a fine for having no insurance for some consecutive months, but will it also NOT affect immigration status?

[Boiler 43,422]

No fine

[chikaka 4]

1 minute ago, Boiler said:

No fine

Really? About two years ago, we did not have insurance for 4 consecutive months. When we filed a tax return, we got penalized for not having insurance for more than 3 consecutive months, and that fine was deducted from the tax refund. 

[Boiler 43,422]

That was an Obama thing, Trump got rid of it.

[chikaka 4]

 

8 minutes ago, Boiler said:

That was an Obama thing, Trump got rid of it.

I did not know that!

So basically, having no insurance for any length of time won't affect my immigration status, nor do we have to worry about any penalty associated with it. The only thing that we should understand is, when we actually need to visit hospitals for some reason, having no insurance will cost us a ton. But other than that, there is really nothing to worry about.

Is this the point you are trying to make, correct?

Edited March 6, 2019 by chikaka

[Boiler 43,422]

Correct

[rutabaga 209]

12 minutes ago, Boiler said:

That was an Obama thing, Trump got rid of it.

Yup, starting with this year (if you didn't have insurance last year there's still penalties).

[USS_Voyager 1,971]

32 minutes ago, chikaka said:

Does having no insurance at all affect immigration status? I know we have a fine for having no insurance for some consecutive months, but will it also NOT affect immigration status?

Trump repealed the fine

[USS_Voyager 1,971]

19 minutes ago, chikaka said:

 

I did not know that!

So basically, having no insurance for any length of time won't affect my immigration status, nor do we have to worry about any penalty associated with it. The only thing that we should understand is, when we actually need to visit hospitals for some reason, having no insurance will cost us a ton. But other than that, there is really nothing to worry about.

Is this the point you are trying to make, correct?

A 3-4 days hospital stay could cost you $100,000 out of pocket. I hope you're ready for that. 

[rutabaga 209]

1 minute ago, USS_Voyager said:

A 3-4 days hospital stay could cost you $100,000 out of pocket. I hope you're ready for that.  

To illustrate the point: wife had to go to the ER once, stayed there for about four hours, never actually saw a doctor -- altogether about $8000 billed to insurance.