Health Insurance Dilemma for Spouse on Overstayed Tourist Visa (AOS)

[chiks24 11]

Hello, I've posted here before but still have no answers. Has anyone else been in a similar situation and can provide any answers?

 

My spouse arrived here on B1/B2 visa in early December and we decided to get married in late January. She has now overstayed her visa.

 

Long story short, she does not have a state ID (since she has overstayed?), she does not have SSN/ITIN, both of us do not have health insurance and I cannot afford the private ones. I contacted my HR department but they were not of much help stating that I have passed the special eligibility enrollment period and I cannot enroll until Marketplace opens in November. The only solution I see is to get short-term health insurance but it would not be ACA- compliant. Would this be okay or should I figure out a way to pay $$$ for private insurance?

 

Note: She does have a degree in Medicine and plans to pursue being a doctor here so that would be a huge positive factor, but I am still cautious of submitting the application without having health insurance. 

[Boiler 43,436]

So you can get Insurance through your Employer but chose not to?

[chiks24 11]

1 minute ago, Boiler said:

So you can get Insurance through your Employer but chose not to?

 

@Boiler It was not a good health insurance plan and I haven't gone to the doctor in ages so I thought I would be okay. I got this job in December (almost two months before I knew I would be marrying my now-wife). Now they won't let me enroll. 

[Timona 3,941]

Marriage / divorce is a special enrollment,  atleast at my job

Edited July 17, 2020 by Timona

[chiks24 11]

2 minutes ago, Timona said:

Marriage / divorce is a special enrollment,  atleast at my job

@Timona It is a special enrollment but only valid for 1-2 months after marriage date. It's going to be almost 6 months for me.

[Lil bear 3,831]

1 hour ago, chiks24 said:

Hello, I've posted here before but still have no answers. Has anyone else been in a similar situation and can provide any answers?

 

My spouse arrived here on B1/B2 visa in early December and we decided to get married in late January. She has now overstayed her visa.

 

Long story short, she does not have a state ID (since she has overstayed?), she does not have SSN/ITIN, both of us do not have health insurance and I cannot afford the private ones. I contacted my HR department but they were not of much help stating that I have passed the special eligibility enrollment period and I cannot enroll until Marketplace opens in November. The only solution I see is to get short-term health insurance but it would not be ACA- compliant. Would this be okay or should I figure out a way to pay $$$ for private insurance?

 

Note: She does have a degree in Medicine and plans to pursue being a doctor here so that would be a huge positive factor, but I am still cautious of submitting the application without having health insurance. 

Having a medical  degree has no bearing on  this ... 

[amyNJ 13]

1 hour ago, chiks24 said:

Hello, I've posted here before but still have no answers. Has anyone else been in a similar situation and can provide any answers?

 

My spouse arrived here on B1/B2 visa in early December and we decided to get married in late January. She has now overstayed her visa.

 

Long story short, she does not have a state ID (since she has overstayed?), she does not have SSN/ITIN, both of us do not have health insurance and I cannot afford the private ones. I contacted my HR department but they were not of much help stating that I have passed the special eligibility enrollment period and I cannot enroll until Marketplace opens in November. The only solution I see is to get short-term health insurance but it would not be ACA- compliant. Would this be okay or should I figure out a way to pay $$$ for private insurance?

 

Note: She does have a degree in Medicine and plans to pursue being a doctor here so that would be a huge positive factor, but I am still cautious of submitting the application without having health insurance. 

 

You don't need health insurance. I changed status in 2017 and I did not have health insurance as I was undocumented. 
My husband had his health insurance through work at that time. 

After I got my SSN and a job, I got health insurance through my job. 

We had no issues regarding that. 

 

I wouldn't recommend to take medicare as that can be considered to be a public charge and affect her process. 

if she is a physician, they are granting permits for foreign physicians to work  legally, due to covid. 

if she is in good health she can wait a little bit until this is over. 

also, she wouldn't have health insurance penalty in the taxes, because she didn't have papers at the time. 

 

[SusnOwen 132]

56 minutes ago, amyNJ said:

 

You don't need health insurance. I changed status in 2017 and I did not have health insurance as I was undocumented. 
My husband had his health insurance through work at that time. 

After I got my SSN and a job, I got health insurance through my job. 

We had no issues regarding that. 

 

I wouldn't recommend to take medicare as that can be considered to be a public charge and affect her process. 

if she is a physician, they are granting permits for foreign physicians to work  legally, due to covid. 

if she is in good health she can wait a little bit until this is over. 

also, she wouldn't have health insurance penalty in the taxes, because she didn't have papers at the time. 

 

Times have changed - the new I-944 requires you to have health insurance / show proof that you will soon obtain health insurance.

[carmel34 3,531]

1 hour ago, chiks24 said:

It was not a good health insurance plan and I haven't gone to the doctor in ages so I thought I would be okay. I got this job in December (almost two months before I knew I would be marrying my now-wife). Now they won't let me enroll. 

I recommend doing whatever you have to do to buy private health insurance for both of you until your employer lets you enroll later this year, both you and your wife.  Now is not a time to risk going without health insurance, you could face financial ruin or at least many years of paying off medical bills if one or both of you got the virus and had a hospital stay.  Aside from immigration reasons, it is just good common sense to have health insurance.  For two young, healthy people, you should be able to find a private plan for a few months that is not too expensive.  Then use your job's enrollment period to sign both of you up.  Good luck!

[amyNJ 13]

4 minutes ago, SusnOwen said:

Times have changed - the new I-944 requires you to have health insurance / show proof that you will soon obtain health insurance.

ohh man, I didn't know that. 

wow, they do make it harder every year. 

 

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

17 hours ago, amyNJ said:

 

You don't need health insurance. I changed status in 2017 and I did not have health insurance as I was undocumented. 
My husband had his health insurance through work at that time. 

After I got my SSN and a job, I got health insurance through my job. 

We had no issues regarding that. 

 

I wouldn't recommend to take medicare as that can be considered to be a public charge and affect her process. 

if she is a physician, they are granting permits for foreign physicians to work  legally, due to covid. 

if she is in good health she can wait a little bit until this is over. 

also, she wouldn't have health insurance penalty in the taxes, because she didn't have papers at the time. 

 

1. It’s no longer 2017

2. Medicare is for the disabled so irrelevant here.

[JeanneAdil 6,201]

15 hours ago, amyNJ said:

ohh man, I didn't know that. 

wow, they do make it harder every year. 

 

This is not to make it harder

Health care insurance is something we all have to get or pay for not getting it according to Obama Care

when the reports came out that 40 million did not have health insurance (in the US) they came up with a program to handle the issue

Hospitals can not send anyone away from getting care even if they do not have insurance but that leaves the rest of us paying for that care

So,  requiring a petitioner to pay for and provide health care (actually to be able to provide all care for) the incoming immigrant is not unreasonable.  I only wish someone would require anyone marrying to be able to afford it even 2 USC's.

[JeanneAdil 6,201]

17 hours ago, amyNJ said:

 

You don't need health insurance. I changed status in 2017 and I did not have health insurance as I was undocumented. 
My husband had his health insurance through work at that time. 

After I got my SSN and a job, I got health insurance through my job. 

We had no issues regarding that. 

 

I wouldn't recommend to take medicare as that can be considered to be a public charge and affect her process. 

if she is a physician, they are granting permits for foreign physicians to work  legally, due to covid. 

if she is in good health she can wait a little bit until this is over. 

also, she wouldn't have health insurance penalty in the taxes, because she didn't have papers at the time. 

 

You mean medicaid as medicare is for SS receiptants 

[JeanneAdil 6,201]

17 hours ago, chiks24 said:

 

@Boiler It was not a good health insurance plan and I haven't gone to the doctor in ages so I thought I would be okay. I got this job in December (almost two months before I knew I would be marrying my now-wife). Now they won't let me enroll. 

When getting a job,  a person should look at the benefits along with the pay

you can start looking for new work and check the benefit package when you do

health care insurance

401 K

other retirement benefits

being able to buy company stock 

all of the above are important

add the extras like having a company car,  company phone  company credit card (for company required travel)

all those need to be considered 

 

enrollment for insurance starts in October and must be completed by 1st week in December and now,  if you stay with this company that is what you are depending on 

and none of us like the high premiums we have to pay but trust me,  you wouldn't like paying dr and hospital bills out of pocket /not even for a minor illness let alone a major set back like the corona 

[Boiler 43,436]

Medicare is for old farts. Plus a few others like permanently disabled.

 

Medicaid is generally for the poor however in my State it depends on income so you can have millions in assets and still qualify.

 

So it is complicated.

 

Medicaid has lower reimbursement rates so can be really difficult finding people who take it.

 

Hospitals have not been able to turn away those in dire need for a very long time, well before Obama.