Health Insurance: My Wife employer is asking a proof I dont have insurance in my home country

[m747 7]

Hi Everyone!

 

I'll be moving to the US this month from Argentina.

As I'm very afraid of the COVID situation in the US, I want to have health insurance from the first day I put a feet on american soil.

I've read a lot of topics here in this forum and i understand that under the ACA, my wife can add me to her Health Insurance program through her employer. However, here is the problem: They are asking her a proof that I dont have any kind of health insurance in argentina. 

 

Can they ask for that as a requisite? Because here in Argentina, health insurance is universal and free, so I simply cant give them any document that says that "i dont have insurance in argentina", its a constitutional right to be have insurance.

 

Are they right on what they are asking? 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

[Sukie 1,439]

So I am a Permanent Resident of Australia and I am covered under the Medicare (NOT USA Medicare) there.  However, the coverage is ONLY good if I am in Australia.  Is Argentinian health insurance limited only to Argentina?  Your wife's insurance wants to be sure there is not "double-dipping".  I believe you can write a letter stating that Argentina has universal health coverage, but it ONLY covers you if you are in Argentina.  Therefore, you need coverage for the United States. 

 

Hopefully that will work.  The US folk just don't understand national health schemes!!!

 

If you can find a website (in English) that explains the Argentina health scheme, you could attach that.

 

Best of luck,

 

Sukie in NY

[Allaboutwaiting 2,500]

You can enroll in any health insurance plan, on two periods: open enrollment -which is at the end of each year- or after a qualifying life event -such as marriage-.

 

My guess is that, as you're already married, in order to add you immediately after you arrive, so you don't have to wait for the open enrollment period, they require a "loss of coverage" letter -which is a qualifying life event-.

 

Whether or not my speculation is right, you can submit a letter explaining the type of coverage/healthcare you had in Argentina, why and when you lost it or will lose it, and the reason why you can't provide "official" documents.

[m747 7]

Just now, Sukie said:

So I am a Permanent Resident of Australia and I am covered under the Medicare (NOT USA Medicare) there.  However, the coverage is ONLY good if I am in Australia.  Is Argentinian health insurance limited only to Argentina?  Your wife's insurance wants to be sure there is not "double-dipping".  I believe you can write a letter stating that Argentina has universal health coverage, but it ONLY covers you if you are in Argentina.  Therefore, you need coverage for the United States. 

 

Hopefully that will work.  The US folk just don't understand national health schemes!!!

 

If you can find a website (in English) that explains the Argentina health scheme, you could attach that.

 

Best of luck,

 

Sukie in NY

Thank you SO much Sukie! 

 

As you mention, the Universal Argentinian Health Insurance is only valid inside Argentina. It really wouldnt make sense to be covered abroad with argentine tax payers money 🤣

I will try writing the letter stating that my insurance is only valid in argentina.

 

I totally agree with you, they certainly dont understand national health schemes...

 

Thanks a lot!

 

[m747 7]

Just now, Allaboutwaiting said:

You can enroll in any health insurance plan, on two periods: open enrollment -which is at the end of each year- or after a qualifying life event -such as marriage-.

 

My guess is that, as you're already married, in order to add you immediately after you arrive, so you don't have to wait for the open enrollment period, they require a "loss of coverage" letter -which is a qualifying life event-.

 

Whether or not my speculation is right, you can submit a letter explaining the type of coverage/healthcare you had in Argentina, why and when you lost it or will lose it, and the reason why you can't provide "official" documents.

Thank you for tour answer!

 

We married over a year ago, but I will be moving to the States this month. I understand that immigration is a Qualifiying life event, right? Even if I've been married to my wife for more than a year?

 

Sadly I would never be able to provide them any document that says I "Lost" my coverage in Argentina. Here, health is considered a universal constitutional right, so the only way to lose that coverage (that is valid only in Argentina's soil), is to lose my citizenship, which I of course, cant do.

[Allaboutwaiting 2,500]

8 minutes ago, m747 said:

Thank you for tour answer!

 

We married over a year ago, but I will be moving to the States this month. I understand that immigration is a Qualifiying life event, right? Even if I've been married to my wife for more than a year?

 

Sadly I would never be able to provide them any document that says I "Lost" my coverage in Argentina. Here, health is considered a universal constitutional right, so the only way to lose that coverage (that is valid only in Argentina's soil), is to lose my citizenship, which I of course, cant do.

Becoming a resident is a qualifying event, depending on the employer's plan and the state you'll live at. 

 

Again, a letter written by you explaining your healthcare coverage in Argentina should suffice. 

[Sarah&Facundo 576]

*Sigh* My Argentinian husband and I miss living in a country where it is a constitutional right to have health insurance! 

Anyway, once you move you won't have health insurance because you can't use Argentina's program within the US. I was able to get my husband health insurance. However, we had to sign up before the 15th of the month prior to get health insurance on the first of the next month. So it wasn't something he got right away when he arrived. We had to wait, at least in our experience.

[SalishSea 16,782]

OP, you might want to get a travel insurance plan as well.  Most people aren't covered the minute they set foot in the US.

[user555 196]

6 hours ago, m747 said:

However, here is the problem: They are asking her a proof that I dont have any kind of health insurance in argentina. 

 

Can they ask for that as a requisite? Because here in Argentina, health insurance is universal and free, so I simply cant give them any document that says that "i dont have insurance in argentina", its a constitutional right to be have insurance.

It depends on what her insurance provider's policy is. You should be able to look it up online to see if that's a fair question for them to ask. As far as your claim that "in Argentina, health insurance is universal and free," it is is not universal and it is not free. It is a domestic policy that only applies to within your country's borders, and your tax rate is much higher than the US, so you're paying for it through taxes. Welcome to the US where your tax rate will be much lower! As far as your fear of getting the coranavirus, 92% of the USA has not had a confirmed case, and of the 8% that did have it, 95% of people recovered. According to the CDC, at this time,  you are more likely to die from unintentional injuries, such as motor vehicle crashes, poisoning, and falls, than the coronavirus. 

[user555 196]

Correction on my USA statistics.

Population: 331,023,450

Cases: 2,936,122 

Deaths: 132,318

 

So this means that 0.88% of Americans have been confirmed to have the virus. 99.12% are potentially virus-free. Of the confirmed cases, 4.5% have died. There should be a lot more asymptomatic cases which should bring these "death" percentage points. Have no fear.  

[payxibka 10,044]

36 minutes ago, user555 said:

Correction on my USA statistics.

Population: 331,023,450

Cases: 2,936,122 

Deaths: 132,318

 

So this means that 0.88% of Americans have been confirmed to have the virus. 99.12% are potentially virus-free. Of the confirmed cases, 4.5% have died. There should be a lot more asymptomatic cases which should bring these "death" percentage points. Have no fear.  

What does this have to do with health insurance?

[user555 196]

1 hour ago, payxibka said:

What does this have to do with health insurance?

The OP stated his reason for getting health insurance: "I'm very afraid of the COVID situation in the US..."

I'm saying that over 99% of Americans don't have it, so he doesn't need to be afraid. The chances of him getting COVID19 the first day he steps onto American soil are slim to none. He's more likely to die/get sick from other things compared to the coronavirus. 

Edited July 5, 2020 by user555

[Cathi 5,610]

3 hours ago, user555 said:

Correction on my USA statistics.

Population: 331,023,450

Cases: 2,936,122 

Deaths: 132,318

 

So this means that 0.88% of Americans have been confirmed to have the virus. 99.12% are potentially virus-free. Of the confirmed cases, 4.5% have died. There should be a lot more asymptomatic cases which should bring these "death" percentage points. Have no fear.  

And the CDC has stated that actual cases of coronavirus could be as much as 10 times higher than what has been shown in testing.

[JeanneAdil 6,203]

Simple :  your wife is trying to add you to her work health while you are still out of the country and this can not be done

she needs to wait till you come and then add you "under life changing " qualifications / that is moving to the US and now able to add you

she needs to pay attention to the time limits to do this

some insurance policies (company or private both) have a time limit (can be 30 or 60 days)

she does not have to add you now and she can't 

as far as having continuous coverage that would be for someone here already in the US and insurance companies can ask for that

but you coming from out of the states,  that will not be needed

[Quarknase 1,072]

1 hour ago, user555 said:

The OP stated his reason for getting health insurance: "I'm very afraid of the COVID situation in the US..."

I'm saying that over 99% of Americans don't have it, so he doesn't need to be afraid. The chances of him getting COVID19 the first day he steps onto American soil are slim to none. He's more likely to die/get sick from other things compared to the coronavirus. 

On the other hand, 4.25% of the worlds population reside in the US, while >25% of the worlds confirmed covid cases are also here. I can understand that this is not re-assuring, especially coming from a country with proper health care coverage.