VisaJourney has been a wonderful resource in for me (USC) and my fianc , who will arrive to the US soon on a K1 visa.
I myself only recently located to the US and am not working yet, so I am unable to add my fianc to an employer health plan.
I am covered through a short-term plan that I bought on the private market through a broker. Originally I intended to buy a similar plan for my fianc , but the broker notified me such plans are available for US citizens and residents only.
Clearly I need to get job with employer-provided healthcare ASAP (working on it!), but for now I have found these two alternatives:
1) Travelers insurance targeted at K1 holders: Simple Googling turns up several sites that sell travelers insurance and specifically market it as an option for K1 visa holders. There are many plans but Patriot America Plus seems to appear most often. I've read independent reviews for Patriot America Plus that indicate 1) people most commonly buy it for parents visiting the US, and 2) it's a bare bones plan that often brands sudden medical issues as "pre-existing conditions" to avoid paying out. TLDR, seems a little sketchy but could be fine as temporary coverage for a young, healthy person like my fianc ?
2) ACA Plans: This helpful stickied thread on VJ indicates a K1 holder can buy a plan off the ACA marketplace. But are the ACA plans available to K1 holders who just arrived but are not yet married or applied for AOS? Also, given she can't work and will have no income, she's guaranteed to qualify for subsidies on ACA - but will this factor into 'public charge' issues or green card considerations down the road? I'm leery of taking any public assistance at this stage.
If you have experience with either of these options (or others), it would be great to hear your thoughts about which one is preferable. And naturally I hope to get a job soon to end this mess for good. Thank you!