How does not having health insurance affect immigration status?

[geowrian 22,335]

Note that Medicaid eligibility for an LPR varies heavily across states. In some states it may be permitted. In others, there is a 5 year waiting period from the date of obtaining LPR status.

Edited March 7, 2019 by geowrian

[chikaka 4]

11 hours ago, Visitor User said:

90 days is true too. It just depends on the employer. 

Yup.

 

The company I lost my job from, had a 3-month probationary period at the beginning of employment, and I was only given the health insurance at exactly 3 month mark.

[chikaka 4]

6 hours ago, Mike E said:

Sorry about your work situation. 

 

You can sign up for COBRA through your former employer.  It can be retroactive up to 60 days. For example. Joe loses his job on Feb 1. Joe doesn’t need any medical attention for next 60 days and finds another job 60 days later. He doesn’t pay another insurance premiums for those 60 days. 

 

Steve  also lost his job on Feb 1 and is healthy through the end of February. On March 15 he gets sick and has to go to the hospital. Faced with a $100,000 hospital bill he activates COBRA retroactively, sends two insurance premiums of about $1000 each for February and March, and ends up with net hospital bill of $500 because he was covered by insurance. 

 

Monica lost her job on Feb 1.  59 days later she still has no job. She sends three COBRA payments to cover Feb, Mar, and Apr.  

 

Under the old Obama care rules all three people (and their families) would be considered covered and would pay zero penalty.  

 

Ihder Trumo, starting Jan 1, it doesn’t matter because there is no penalty. 

 

You should have or will receive a cobra packet within a few weeks after losing your job.  If not call the benefits department at your old company.  

 

As for your immigration benefits, if you end up purchasing an ACA plan, as long as it isn’t Medicaid you are fine. 

 

 

 

Wait so does ACA plan include Medicaid? Like when I purchase ACA plan, I have to tell them I want Medicaid to be excluded from ACA? Sorry I am not understanding the health care plans..

 

Also, I heard COBRA is very expensive. My former company had a pretty good (but pretty expensive) health care plan. most of whose fee was paid by them. If I am not mistaken, COBRA can offer the same or similar type of health insurance that you had through your former employer. Correct? In which case, do I have to pay more to get COBRA because the plan I had with my employer was expensive... 

 

And when you said I should receive a cobra packet within a few weeks, but will it be sent from the insurance company, or the former employer? It have been about 2 weeks since I lost my job, and I am scared I might be late to apply..

[junkmart 320]

1 minute ago, chikaka said:

Yup.

 

The company I lost my job from, had a 3-month probationary period at the beginning of employment, and I was only given the health insurance at exactly 3 month mark.

Same for my company of less than 10. I feel very lucky to have employer provided healthcare. Labor statistics show that 31% of all private sector workers are not offered health insurance from their employers. For employees of small companies the percentage is even higher at 45%.

 

I still can’t afford to add my husband, as my portion of his premium would be close to $700 a month! Luckily he qualified for an exemption for 2018 and we don’t have to worry about a penalty for 2019.

[junkmart 320]

4 minutes ago, chikaka said:

 

Wait so does ACA plan include Medicaid? Like when I purchase ACA plan, I have to tell them I want Medicaid to be excluded from ACA? Sorry I am not understanding the health care plans..

 

Also, I heard COBRA is very expensive. My former company had a pretty good (but pretty expensive) health care plan. most of whose fee was paid by them. If I am not mistaken, COBRA can offer the same or similar type of health insurance that you had through your former employer. Correct? In which case, do I have to pay more to get COBRA because the plan I had with my employer was expensive... 

 

And when you said I should receive a cobra packet within a few weeks, but will it be sent from the insurance company, or the former employer? It have been about 2 weeks since I lost my job, and I am scared I might be late to apply..

I’m in Texas. When I was let go a few years ago I went on Cobra. It was exactly the same policy I had at my job, but I paid the premium instead of my former employer. I would write my former employer a check each month to cover the premium, they took care of the rest (paperwork and forwarding my payment to their insurer BCBSTX) I did that for about 9 months until they hired me back. I would start by talking with your former employer about Cobra.

[chikaka 4]

1 minute ago, junkmart said:

I’m in Texas. When I was let go a few years ago I went on Cobra. It was exactly the same policy I had at my job, but I paid the premium instead of my former employer. I would write my former employer a check each month to cover the premium, they took care of the rest (paperwork and forwarding my payment to their insurer BCBSTX) I did that for about 9 months until they hired me back. I would start by talking with your former employer about Cobra.

How soon after you lost your job did you get your COBRA? What kind of procedures did you take? like paperwork ?

[junkmart 320]

1 hour ago, chikaka said:

How soon after you lost your job did you get your COBRA? What kind of procedures did you take? like paperwork ?

From what I remember, when they let me go they offered to pay one month of premium, after that I went on Cobra. I don't remember any procedures, it seemed automatic to me. My old employer and their insurer handled it. I just dropped off my monthly premium to my old employer each month. I wish I had more information to share with you. Try googling your state, insurance company, and cobra. For instance, I searched for Texas BCBS Cobra. I found lots of information including procedures and an application that the ex-employee and ex-employer must fill out. I don't remember filling this out, but I guess I did. Your search should yield information specific to your situation. Also, I would highly encourage you to reach out to your old employer. They should know the procedure too.

[junkmart 320]

2 hours ago, chikaka said:

How soon after you lost your job did you get your COBRA? What kind of procedures did you take? like paperwork ?

Did a little more research. From what I've read your former employer initiates the process by notifying the plan administrator that you were no longer employed, and the plan administrator should have sent you something about Cobra.

[Mike E 11,723]

9 hours ago, chikaka said:

 

Wait so does ACA plan include Medicaid? Like when I purchase ACA plan, I have to tell them I want Medicaid to be excluded from ACA? Sorry I am not understanding the health care plans..

 

Also, I heard COBRA is very expensive. My former company had a pretty good (but pretty expensive) health care plan. most of whose fee was paid by them. If I am not mistaken, COBRA can offer the same or similar type of health insurance that you had through your former employer. Correct? In which case, do I have to pay more to get COBRA because the plan I had with my employer was expensive... 

 

And when you said I should receive a cobra packet within a few weeks, but will it be sent from the insurance company, or the former employer? It have been about 2 weeks since I lost my job, and I am scared I might be late to apply..

The ACA law includes Medicaid expansion. Some states have their own ACA web site and you are walked through income tests and you might be directed to Medicaid. Even if you are a non-citizen.  It will be crystal clear if you are being offered Medicaid.  

 

COBRA is exactly the plan you had with your employer. No more and no less.  Yes you have to pay more relative to what you were paying for your share of your employer’s insurance.  

 

As for being very expensive, compared to ACA private plans not so much on my experience.  ACA plans are a bit lower premiums and very high deductibles and co-pays.  

 

The COBRA packet can come from your employer, your insurance company, or a third party that administers COBRA for your employer.  

 

At only 2 weeks since you “lost” coverage , you have over 6 weeks to enroll in COBRA. 

 

You are not too late.  Not according to the law.  If you are worried, spend less time here and more time phoning your former employer asking when your COBRA packet will arrive. 

[chikaka 4]

Thanks all. But getting COBRA is just an option, correct?

As I thought COBRA would be an expensive option for me considering how much my former employer was paying for my insurance plan when I was still working for them, and you also confirmed it, I would rather go with cheaper options, even if I get less coverage as long as I pay less.

 

I don't really see the point of applying for COBRA if I would have to pay the same amount of money I was paying when I was at my former employer. We were paying $1000+ a month just for the insurance.. and I can't afford that much money when I am jobless..