Foreignsecure

Before new immigrants come to the US on an immigrant visa, they should highly consider purchasing new immigrants health insurance, as the healthcare costs in the US are among highest in the world.

Why do I need new immigrants health insurance?

As the healthcare is very expensive in the US, everyone is highly recommended to have health insurance during their stay in the US.

When immigrating to the US for the first time, the person may be very busy making the arrangements to shift to the new country and hopefully get a job in a short time or join someone else’s business. When they get the job, some of the employers may provide health insurance and if they do, it would be the best option to enroll into that.

If the person is not planning to work such as they are too old, they could enroll into PPACA (Affordable Care Act or Obamacare) domestic health insurance, as they would be eligible to enroll using special enrollment period. Such enrollment takes a certain time and is typically effective from the first of the next month. However, persons above the 65 years of age may not be eligible to enroll in some US states.

Therefore, until new immigrants are able to make a long-term arrangement for their health insurance, they should consider purchasing a short-term new immigrants health insurance.

Can new immigrants enroll into Medicare?

Medicare is a US government’s federal health insurance for people 65 years of age and older (with a few exceptions for disability etc. for younger persons.) Additionally, new immigrants will be eligible to enroll into Medicare only after they have lived in the US for at least five years as greencard holders.

Even those that are 65+ of age, the government covers only Medicare Part A which is for hospitalization, provided they have worked in the US at least for 40 quarters (typically 10 years).

Every single person (including US citizens) must pay for Medicare Part B, Part D or Medicare Advantage plans on their own.

In short, Medicare is not a solution for most new immigrants to the US.

Can new immigrants enroll into Medicaid?

Not really. Medicaid is a federal program for poor people typically below the poverty line. Some people may argue that their elderly relatives have no income in the US and therefore, are very poor. However, for the purpose of Medicaid eligibility, the person’s worldwide net worth should be no more than $2,000 and therefore, new immigrants will not qualify. Anyway, as the sponsor would have signed the Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, their own income would be deemed to be the new immigrant’s income for such purpose.

What does new immigrants health insurance cover?

As the new immigrants health insurance is essentially a short-term travel medical insurance, it would generally cover the new medical conditions, injuries or accidents that may occur after the effective date of the policy.

Younger people may be concerned about birth control or pregnancy coverage. Elderly people may be concerned about the routine maintenance of pre-existing conditions. Such things are not meant to be covered with new immigrants medical insurance.

What if my parents entered on visitors visa and I applied for their green card?

Many seniors enter the US on a tourist visa (B1/B2 visa). After arrival in the US, their son or daughter may apply for their green card. As long as their green card is not approved, they are not considered green card holders and they can’t apply for domestic health insurance plans, they can purchase the insurance from us. In other words, during the waiting period, new immigrants health insurance would help to cover new illnesses or injuries including hospital stay, surgery, doctor’s visits, urgent care, lab, X-ray, acute onset of pre-existing conditions and a lot more.

What should I do once I get my green card approved?

Once your greencard is approved, you can enrollment into Obamacare or any other private domestic health insurance plan available in their state.

What should I consider when purchasing new immigrants health insurance?

Two different categories of new immigrants health insurance are available.

Fixed benefit plans, also called schedule benefits plans, cover up to a certain fixed amount for each and every procedure and you will be responsible to pay the difference from your pocket, which can be very high.

On the other hand, comprehensive benefit plans pay at much higher rate such as 90% or even 100% up to the chosen policy maximum, after paying the deductible. Therefore, such plans provide you much better protection in case you needed to use the insurance.

Another important factor is to purchase the insurance that is extendable. Therefore, if you need the insurance for a longer duration, you can extend it.

Most comprehensive benefit insurance plans participate in a PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) network which has an extensive list of healthcare providers such as physicians, labs, surgery centers and hospitals that participate with them. When you utilize such providers, they will typically bill the insurance company directly and also charge you the network negotiated fees, which are typically lower than their regular fees.

Also, news immigrants should purchase the insurance before they travel to the US. Not only it would cover you during the travel time, but the person may be ineligible to purchase some plans after arriving in the US. Some new immigrants health insurance plans allow you to enroll for a maximum of six months.