Health Insurance

[fritz222 5]

I am 66 years old and have traveled to Thailand to meet my love. We got engaged before I returned home. We are planning on filling a K1 visa. But I was wondering about health insurance for her. I am on Medicare and retired. What do people do in my situation. 

[JeanneAdil 6,562]

this is dependent on your income

u can buy normal for Alabama if your income is high for about $550 a month average from Blue Cross /blue shield and check Farmer's home for lowest rates 

if you qualify for Affordable Obama Care then look into Marketplace Insurance site 

[Wuozopo 4,293]

46 minutes ago, johnale11 said:

I am 66 years old and have traveled to Thailand to meet my love. We got engaged before I returned home. We are planning on filling a K1 visa. But I was wondering about health insurance for her. I am on Medicare and retired. What do people do in my situation. 

You will have to buy her a private policy. Sometimes we look on the marketplace (healthcare.gov) to get an idea of all the insurers and offerings serving our area. Some of the common company’s you might think of  serve workplace insurance,  but not individual policies. For example, Blue Cross, Aetna, United Healthcare and others no longer serve individual in my area. Once you have an idea of the policies available,  you can go directly to the insurance company’s website and browse what other policies they might offer off marketplace and deal directly with them.  
 

I believe the government premium subsidy cutoff for a family of 2 is income around $70k this year, a little higher than before.  If you think you might fall under that, you can purchase something from the marketplace. You will have to estimate your 2022 income and they will determine how much you can get your chosen marketplace policy reduced. If you are wrong and your actual income on your 2022 taxes ends up being too high, you have to pay the subsidy back on your tax return.  Your income that you have to estimate includes any pension, social security, stock dividends, interest, capital gains, IRA distributions, and the like. The thing is, you have to sign up ahead of time for subsidies based on the estimate. You can’t go back at the end of the year and say “Oh look, my income was low enough” and ask for a rebate on what you paid in premiums.
 

If you know for sure you won’t qualify on income, then my advice is don’t buy insurance through the marketplace, even though you can without getting a subsidy.. Use it to browse companies, offerings, and prices then sign up directly with the insurance company. You may get discounts from the company for having an autopay by credit card set up, or for filling out a survey form for them. 
 

Another bit of advice on browsing the marketplace, use some other email address that’s not your main one. They will hound you to death with reminders if you drop out and don’t purchase. Leave the phone number blank or they will call you often with a recording saying you haven’t signed up yet. 

[carmel34 3,639]

20 hours ago, johnale11 said:

We are planning on filling a K1 visa. But I was wondering about health insurance for her. I am on Medicare and retired.

Another option would be to get married and file for a CR-1 spousal visa, which would take about the same as a K-1 with the big advantage that on a spousal visa she would be an LPR immediately on entry to the US and could find a job that includes health insurance.

[Ontarkie 14,280]

~~Moved to Moving Here and YOur New LIfe, form Taxes and Finances - as health insurance has been discussed here often.~~

[pm5k 129]

She can get an ACA plan