Health Insurance while Adjusting Status

[ValentinB 1]

Hey there!

 

I will be adjusting status in the next couple months. I was wondering how does it work with Health Insurance? Do I need to wait to receive an SSN to get covered?

 

If anybody who will be adjusting or who adjusted already could tell me the process that would be great!

 

Thank you guys in advance, have a great day!

[geowrian 22,335]

SSN is not required for any ACA-compliant plan (including employer-sponsored plans). Although having an SSN does make it easier...many systems won't let you signup online without one, and many tier 1 customer reps may not know how to put it into the system without an SSN. So no SSN = more calling to get it done, but it can be done.

 

What kind of insurance are you getting? Via an employer? As a dependent of somebody else? Healthcare.gov?

[ValentinB 1]

Thank you for your answer @geowrian !

 

I actually have no idea, coming from France it is much more simple there so we're a little lost.

 

My wife is American but she has been living in France since 17 years old so she never had to worry about it as she was under her parent's insurance.

 

She just got a job, her employer did not offer health insurance so we're on our own on this one.

 

So I guess we could get her some Health Insurance and I would be a dependent?

 

Also, I feel like most private health insurance websites I found on google look fishy.

 

Do you know what are the biggest, most famous US health insurance companies?

 

Thanks a lot

[geowrian 22,335]

Typically, an adult gets their health insurance either from their employer or as a dependent of their spouse's employer.

Failing that, healthcare.gov would typically be the go-to place to find a plan within your state. This is the healthcare exchange managed by the government, although the plans on them are privately administered. You would qualify for it once you file for AOS and have the receipt notice.

 

Private insurance plans are more of a last resort IMHO....typically they cover very little of actual costs, and don't meet ACA standards.

 

I could name a few major companies (Cigna, Aetna, Anthem), but your eligibility for a plan is really best determined either via your employer or healthcare.gov. Those are group plans with group rates, which (while aren't great....US healthcare costs are insane) are much better than individual plans.

[ValentinB 1]

Thanks a lot for your detailed answer!

 

So I have created an account on healthcare.gov, it gives me the opportunity to say that I don't have an SSN which is great.

 

However as you said, at some point it asked me if I was a U.S. Citizen, I checked "No" and it then asked me if I "have an eligible immigration status".

 

The list is quite long and the only category I could fall in is "Adjustment to LPR Status with an approved visa petition".

 

Do you have an idea if an "approved visa petition" means that I just need to receive my NOA1? Or that I would need to be done with my AOS?

 

Thank you in advance for your time.

[geowrian 22,335]

Since you are not doing AOS from a K-1, I'm assuming you are filing the I-130 + I-485 concurrently. That'll be fine. The petition won't be actually approved yet but it qualifies as sufficient for their list.

https://www.healthcare.gov/immigrants/immigration-status/

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Adjustment to LPR Status

 

[Abe009 3]

I'm from the USA, my wife just got here on a k1 VISA, my work just opened up health insurance enrollment. I was able to add her and my son without a SSN. HR just provided me with a placeholder SNN, which was like a bunch of numbers. 

[E_pluribus_unum 73]

https://www.irs.gov/affordable-care-act/questions-and-answers-about-reporting-social-security-numbers-to-your-health-insurance-company

 

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Q5: If I do not have a social security number (SSN) or other tax identifying number (TIN) for myself or other covered individuals, such as my spouse or dependents, should I contact the IRS to obtain  a social security number or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) so that I can give it to my health coverage provider?

A5: No, it is not necessary for you to contact the IRS if you do not have an SSN or a TIN.  You should advise your coverage provider that you do not have an SSN or TIN and give them the date of birth for each covered individual.

My employer requires an SSN for health coverage but I just used the DOB. I added a zero at the end of the DOB since a DOB is only 8 digits whereas an SSN is 9. 

[Sierra Echo 11]

My husband's employer asked my SSN to add me as my husband's dependent on his health insurance.

It was before I got SSN, so instead I gave my USCIS Alien Number which I found from NOA1. (and I was added on the insurance successfully)

And later I had the Alien Number replaced with SSN when I got it.

[Talako 756]

18 hours ago, Abe009 said:

I'm from the USA, my wife just got here on a k1 VISA, my work just opened up health insurance enrollment. I was able to add her and my son without a SSN. HR just provided me with a placeholder SNN, which was like a bunch of numbers. 

A small point if you waited, you did not need to wait until your employer opened up health insurance enrollment.  Getting married is considered a "Life Event" which allows you add your spouse at any time during the year.

[Ayrton 965]

58 minutes ago, Talako said:

A small point if you waited, you did not need to wait until your employer opened up health insurance enrollment.  Getting married is considered a "Life Event" which allows you add your spouse at any time during the year.

The "at any time during the year" is not 100% accurate. Every insurance is different. Some only gives 30 or 60 days after the life event to add the spouse. 

[Boiler 43,434]

Get added to whatever arrangements you wife has?

[FattieBanton 35]

i was able to add my wife (i'm american, filing AOS for her) to my employer plan (anthem/blue crosS) using just her passport

[chiks24 11]

This was my situation - I (US citizen) married my wife when she came here as a visitor but I did not have health insurance at that time. I was also not aware that I had 60 days after this qualifying life event to enroll in Marketplace health insurance and my employer's policy stated 30 days. 

 

Once I passed these 60 days post-marriage, the only way for me was to find private health insurance, which are really expensive. I ended up not getting anything - waiting for the new Marketplace enrollment to begin soon. 

[FattieBanton 35]

damn, sorry about that. yeah, it's gotta be within that 60 days. i actually thought it was within 30 days.