K-1 Health Insurance

[JMK_IT 134]

55 minutes ago, Magician50 said:

The fact is though you cannot legally work until you get a green card which takes years (which is why you guys have such a problem with illegal immigration)

That's false. You will be adjusting your status from a K-Visa, which means you shall file Form I-765 concurrently with I-485.  You will get your EAD within 4-6 months and be authorized to  work as soon as you receive it. 

The GC doesn't take years either. It depends on the processing times of your Field Office and there are very few that are backlogged. 

Edited September 13, 2019 by JMK_IT

[JMK_IT 134]

1 hour ago, Magician50 said:

I'm just repeating the obvious. 

Exactly 😂  

 

Look, I'm not going to argue how broken the system is, but you did make a conscious and voluntary decision moving to the US. (Hai voluto la bicicletta? 😉)

You entered on a K-1, which means you knew you were going to spend a few months of extra processing once here. As others have pointed out you have some options to avoid breaking the bank while you're waiting for your work permit/GC. US healthcare is private and I'm sure it wasn't news for you. You will need to pay to get coverage. That, or just take your chances. Up to you, fellow compatriot. 

Once you start working it will be much easier. 

Plus once you register to AIRE (it's mandatory for Italians who move abroad indefinitely) you lose access to most healthcare-related rights in Italy such as medico di base, tickets and mutua.

(https://fiscomania.com/assistenza-sanitaria-aire-guida/). If you go back to Italy to seek treatments, get RX meds and such, it will be entirely out of pocket because you're not a resident anymore. Private healthcare will still be very affordable, but not ""free"", as you will only declare your income in the US from now on. 

 

 

Edited September 13, 2019 by JMK_IT
grammar

[yuna628 9,528]

12 hours ago, Magician50 said:

If it was an employer plan it would not be so bad. The fact is though you cannot legally work until you get a green card, which takes years (which is why you guys have such a problem with illegal immigration). I obey laws, so therefore have to pay out of pocket the full amount while not working. The system seems to reward those breaking the law, while those that do not get hit with with massive fees and bills. I do hope one of the smarter candidates that wants to overhaul the system gets elected.

 

That certainly is not true for a K1. Get your SSN, marry as soon as possible, and file AOS + EAD + AP, and your 1yr EAD will arrive within a few months. There's your work authorization. Of course that doesn't guarantee you'll be hired.

 

I think you have a few misunderstandings about health care vs health insurance in the US that your US fiancé isn't helping to clear up or guide you. Every country has different health care systems and insurance systems. We have pretty decent health care provided you take responsibility and research who you want to see and what hospital you need. There is typically a clinic on almost every corner these days that offer fast service for average illnesses and will see both the insured and uninsured. MD for instance has some of the best doctors and hospitals in the world. And that was valuable to me, especially when they worked to save my mom's life from cancer, and this year worked to save my father's life 4 times. In his case his bills came to hundreds of thousands of dollars. But under our system of Medicare for the elderly, neither of them owed a dime.

 

My plan is under my husband's work. It is excellent offering no deductible, low copays, and I can see whatever doctor I want when I want to. When I became sick, I went to a good hospital and my team of doctors were excellent. They saved my life, twice. Looking through all the bills, without insurance I would have owed $40,000+, but with insurance I only owed a few hundred dollars. When my husband took his job he was given options of what insurance he could choose - some took a lot less out of his paycheck, and some took more. He didn't initially see the value in taking a larger amount out, but now he absolutely does. He loved the peace of mind. When he also went to the hospital, for just a few hours his bills would have exceeded $6000+, and we ended up owing a tiny copay. He received fast, far better care than he ever would have received under the NHS. From just this year alone, our insurance has paid out a large amount, eased any worries, and has paid for itself.

 

And look I get it, I was once uninsured and navigated the world that way. Until I got sick and landed in the hospital for a week. That was a big bill, but it was a bill I had to pay off slowly, despite the hospital constantly harassing me (even after I paid it off). No one else was going to be responsible for my debts. After that, I made sure I got myself insurance. It wasn't the greatest insurance, with a high deductible but it worked when I needed it. When my husband came to this country I was responsible for making sure he was cared for and understanding the system. I made sure he was added to my insurance, and I paid that premium even though it kept rising to ridiculous levels.

 

You have options. Your spouse can add you via work for a time until you find work. You can buy private. Or you can see what Obamacare offers. Or you can roll the dice and go without, though you'll be needing to soon prove some sort of self sufficiency to the government.

Long wait times for green cards have virtually nothing to do with illegal immigration.

No system is perfect. We all got problems. But you have to choose what protects you and your spouse the best.

[flemirebs 2]

I pay around 40$ a month and the employer covers a lot, its one of the top health care plans and still....just went to hospital for stomach pain and all they did was a scan- $20,000 ER bill. Luckily insurance covered all but $600, but I still don't have 600$ so.. collections here I come!! MY recommendation would be to risk it and only if you are dying...go to the hospital. That's my rule for myself from now on. Only if you are 100 percent sure you are going to die, then go to hospital. Insurance isn't worth it if you don't have health problems. I only use it because I have prescription meds and god help me if that's not under insurance. If you're older and have the Medicare I'm sure that's good. If you're rich, obviously you're fine. If your young and have bills and student loans and work your butt off...….not in you're favor.

Edited September 13, 2019 by flemirebs

[geowrian 22,335]

9 minutes ago, flemirebs said:

MY recommendation would be to risk it and only if you are dying...go to the hospital.

Far too often this is the primary cause of unnecessary deaths.

Personally, I almost certainly would have been dead last year if I didn't go to get something fairly routine checked. It's better to be bankrupt than dead.

[flemirebs 2]

On ‎9‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 10:40 PM, Jorgedig said:

That is a very moderate salary.

Someone tell me whos hiring for that 75k job and where to apply.

[SalishSea 16,770]

5 hours ago, flemirebs said:

Someone tell me whos hiring for that 75k job and where to apply.

Median salary in many US cities, especially coastal areas.

[Magician50 2]

On 9/13/2019 at 11:21 AM, yuna628 said:

That certainly is not true for a K1. Get your SSN, marry as soon as possible, and file AOS + EAD + AP, and your 1yr EAD will arrive within a few months. There's your work authorization. Of course that doesn't guarantee you'll be hired.

 

I think you have a few misunderstandings about health care vs health insurance in the US that your US fiancé isn't helping to clear up or guide you. Every country has different health care systems and insurance systems. We have pretty decent health care provided you take responsibility and research who you want to see and what hospital you need. There is typically a clinic on almost every corner these days that offer fast service for average illnesses and will see both the insured and uninsured. MD for instance has some of the best doctors and hospitals in the world. And that was valuable to me, especially when they worked to save my mom's life from cancer, and this year worked to save my father's life 4 times. In his case his bills came to hundreds of thousands of dollars. But under our system of Medicare for the elderly, neither of them owed a dime.

 

My plan is under my husband's work. It is excellent offering no deductible, low copays, and I can see whatever doctor I want when I want to. When I became sick, I went to a good hospital and my team of doctors were excellent. They saved my life, twice. Looking through all the bills, without insurance I would have owed $40,000+, but with insurance I only owed a few hundred dollars. When my husband took his job he was given options of what insurance he could choose - some took a lot less out of his paycheck, and some took more. He didn't initially see the value in taking a larger amount out, but now he absolutely does. He loved the peace of mind. When he also went to the hospital, for just a few hours his bills would have exceeded $6000+, and we ended up owing a tiny copay. He received fast, far better care than he ever would have received under the NHS. From just this year alone, our insurance has paid out a large amount, eased any worries, and has paid for itself.

 

And look I get it, I was once uninsured and navigated the world that way. Until I got sick and landed in the hospital for a week. That was a big bill, but it was a bill I had to pay off slowly, despite the hospital constantly harassing me (even after I paid it off). No one else was going to be responsible for my debts. After that, I made sure I got myself insurance. It wasn't the greatest insurance, with a high deductible but it worked when I needed it. When my husband came to this country I was responsible for making sure he was cared for and understanding the system. I made sure he was added to my insurance, and I paid that premium even though it kept rising to ridiculous levels.

 

You have options. Your spouse can add you via work for a time until you find work. You can buy private. Or you can see what Obamacare offers. Or you can roll the dice and go without, though you'll be needing to soon prove some sort of self sufficiency to the government.

Long wait times for green cards have virtually nothing to do with illegal immigration.

No system is perfect. We all got problems. But you have to choose what protects you and your spouse the best.

Thank you for your information. I think what is confusing me is every individual case is different, and it is so complicated. That is why I said it is inefficient. My spouse can add me to his health insurance, but it would cost about 1.200 dollars a month in insurance under the Blue Cross/Shield plan, which seems ludicrous since our mortgage is not that much (this is the irony of U.S. health care, for it can cost more than a mortgage....ridiculous). I do not want to go without insurance for a I want to be law abiding. I'm trying to get travelers insurance which is at a reasonable cost, but the thing is if when I get married I will lose residency in Italy and as a result will

not qualify for this insurance. For what I read about Obamacare online I will not qualify for that either. It is crazy and I am not use to this (since Italian healthcare is so simple). Don't get me wrong, I do want to conform to U.S. culture, but it is difficult with this issue. I saw the democratic debate the other night and all of them made the point that U.S. healthcare is a disaster (and I agree). The only one that made sense was Bernie Sanders and he is a smart man. I have a friend that works at a hospital near us in Massachusetts and he said it so bad that people just go without insurance and use the emergency room as a primary health care doctor, since they can't afford other options. I know this drains the system but it is the reality of things. Anyway, I am searching and trying to come up with the best option and I do appreciate all the information from people. 

[Magician50 2]

On 9/12/2019 at 11:02 PM, JMK_IT said:

That's false. You will be adjusting your status from a K-Visa, which means you shall file Form I-765 concurrently with I-485.  You will get your EAD within 4-6 months and be authorized to  work as soon as you receive it. 

The GC doesn't take years either. It depends on the processing times of your Field Office and there are very few that are backlogged. 

Thanks, yes, I know there is no clear cut set time. It is unpredictable and I am thinking of doing travelers insurance until I can work. We will see.

[Magician50 2]

On 9/12/2019 at 11:46 PM, JMK_IT said:

Exactly 😂  

 

Look, I'm not going to argue how broken the system is, but you did make a conscious and voluntary decision moving to the US. (Hai voluto la bicicletta? 😉)

You entered on a K-1, which means you knew you were going to spend a few months of extra processing once here. As others have pointed out you have some options to avoid breaking the bank while you're waiting for your work permit/GC. US healthcare is private and I'm sure it wasn't news for you. You will need to pay to get coverage. That, or just take your chances. Up to you, fellow compatriot. 

Once you start working it will be much easier. 

Plus once you register to AIRE (it's mandatory for Italians who move abroad indefinitely) you lose access to most healthcare-related rights in Italy such as medico di base, tickets and mutua.

(https://fiscomania.com/assistenza-sanitaria-aire-guida/). If you go back to Italy to seek treatments, get RX meds and such, it will be entirely out of pocket because you're not a resident anymore. Private healthcare will still be very affordable, but not ""free"", as you will only declare your income in the US from now on. 

 

 

Thank you for the information. Yes, of course I knew what a disaster U.S. health care was (if you watched the democratic debate the other night they all made that point). I just didn't know how complicated it is to insure myself for just one year or so until I could work. Originally I thought I could get on my partner's health insurance. But turns out that cost 1,200 bucks a month, which is more than our mortgage. This is the irony of U.S. healthcare, it can cost more than a mortgage! We scrapped that idea (since we are not rich) and tried for something else. I'm hoping to get travelers insurance until I can get the work approval, but this is contingent on how long I can maintain my residency in Italia, for you cannot get traveler's insurance if you lose residency of your home country. We have a friend who works at a hospital near Boston and he says the whole health care is a disaster. People are just uninsured and use the emergency room as a primary care doctor basically. I do not want to do this as I want to conform to the culture, but they do not make it easy. Really, health care should not be this complicated. It is the system that is broken, not me. 

 

[Nitas_man 3,100]

On 9/12/2019 at 9:02 PM, Magician50 said:

Not a complainer at all about any other thing except health care here. Everybody knows it sucks, including most Americans. I'm just repeating the obvious. 

I’ve never had an issue with healthcare here.

 

Most people who complain are part of the 44 percent who don’t pay a dime of income tax and still expect to have their healthcare taken care of / paid by other people.

 

That 44 percent? Are the Bernie constituents.  

Edited September 15, 2019 by Nitas_man

[geowrian 22,335]

14 minutes ago, Nitas_man said:

I’ve never had an issue with healthcare here.

 

Most people who complain are part of the 44 percent who don’t pay a dime of income tax and still expect to have their healthcare taken care of / paid by other people.

Well, it's a bit of a mixed bag. Most Americans are overall happy with the quality of care. But most (~75-80%, it caries over time) are dissatisfied with the the costs of care and/or insurance.

[Nitas_man 3,100]

1 hour ago, geowrian said:

Well, it's a bit of a mixed bag. Most Americans are overall happy with the quality of care. But most (~75-80%, it caries over time) are dissatisfied with the the costs of care and/or insurance.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/245195/americans-rate-healthcare-quite-positively.aspx

 

Like many things around us lately the percent of time we hear complaints about it and the percent of people who complain about it are vastly different.

 

 

 

[geowrian 22,335]

5 minutes ago, Nitas_man said:

https://news.gallup.com/poll/245195/americans-rate-healthcare-quite-positively.aspx

 

Like many things around us lately the percent of time we hear complaints about it and the percent of people who complain about it are vastly different.

Yes - that's about quality (Edit: and coverage). The issue raised is on cost (https://news.gallup.com/poll/245054/americans-remain-dissatisfied-healthcare-costs.aspx).

Edited September 15, 2019 by geowrian

[Nitas_man 3,100]

1 hour ago, geowrian said:

Well, it's a bit of a mixed bag. Most Americans are overall happy with the quality of care. But most (~75-80%, it caries over time) are dissatisfied with the the costs of care and/or insurance.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/226607/news-americans-satisfaction-healthcare.aspx

 

I’m sticking with that 44% LOL

 

Above sez 61% “satisfied with costs”?  Pretty close.  I’ll take it.  That was better than my estimate.

Edited September 15, 2019 by Nitas_man