Rittings

Okay... I've got a quick question to ask with regard to healthcare insurance and sincerely hope someone here can help - since I can't find any information to help me on this online anywhere.

Basically, my wife has been in a really good job and I've been working voluntarily for a company as their musical director. Now... my wife is about to lose her job - and therefore we are about to lose our health benefits.

I know my wife will be fine to get 'Obamacare' at a reduced rate whilst she is pulling unemployment and both of us have spent the last 2 months frantically looking for work!! (so far, no good).

I'm NOT a US Citizen. I'm still on a 'green card' (have been here 4 years now and qualify to apply for citizenship, but really we can't afford to do it until we find a solid income once more). Now, I know that means I don't have to take 'Obamacare' since I'm not a citizen, right? However... I'm asthmatic and diabetic and really need the meds for both if I'm to remain alive and healthy.

Problem is... I'm not a citizen and therefore have no recourse to public funds - thus I'm pretty sure don't qualify for a reduced rate of 'Obamacare'. No way can we afford to pay the premiums for a full-priced plan - so what are my options???

Thanks for any help you can offer too!!

Guindalf

As a LPR, you must abide by the rules. It doesn't matter whether you're a citizen or not.

As for 'public funds', I don't know what you mean. I was able to claim unemployment for a while when I lost a job. Thankfully, it was only for a few weeks, but no-one asked me if I was a citizen or not, just made sure I was legally entitled to work here.

Orangepants

I don't know much about ACA but my nail guy has a green card, so does his wife + child and he got a plan for $90 a month!

OnwardandUpward

So long as you are here legally you are entitled to apply for the subsidized healthcare also any benefits you are entitled to via taxes paid.

Your wife's job loss is a 'qualifying event' allowing her to apply outside open enrollment at healthcare.gov ( for you both )

I just bought my health insurance from there, it was a pretty stressful procedure but it is the cheapest option. I bought a platinum plan for $244 a month and $1500 out of pocket, all referrals go via primary care dr and must be in network.

The cheaper premium policies have @ $6000 deductible.

nun

US residents must have health insurance and you can buy it under the ACA. You are also entitled to other benefits, but they will depend on your state. Do some calling and Googling.

Rittings

I'll do some more digging... the information I got was that as a non-citizen they couldn't enforce the mandate upon me - although I WOULD like to have coverage (obviously with my pre-existing health issues too!!).

Ironically, my wife loses her job today at a major healthcare insurance provider - and she too was pretty sure I didn't need coverage. But I know she's a group coverage specialist, so doesn't know the individual mandates.

Thanks for the info so far... please feel free to keep adding more if you are in the know!!

sir_eccles

As a LPR you are eligible to use the healthcare marketplace. Losing coverage through unemployment is a qualifying event. You are also eligible to get a subsidy. Depending on how long you have been in the country and how long you have paid into the system you may be able to get Medicaid though I'm guessing not long enough. As a tax resident in the US you will be subject to the mandate if you do not get coverage.

SanDiegogirl

You are eligible for an insurance plan under the Affordable Care Act and, indeed, you are mandated to do so.

You are a legal resident in the US and therefore you must have health insurance or face fines.

Go to healthcare.gov to see what your options are.

kodokan

Like others have said, you are required as a US resident to have health insurance or pay a fine; there are searching questions about this on the tax return (just did mine yesterday for 2014). One exemption, however, is that you don't get fined for up to 3 months without coverage.

The subsidy available will depend on your household size and household income. I think the way it works is that it's the income for the entire year that's relevant, not just the period of unemployment. So if you take out a Marketplace policy and elect to pay the subsidized rate, and then your wife gets another well-paying job in a couple of months, then your income for 2015 will likely mean that you'll have a tax bill next spring unless you adjust withholding accordingly. On the other hand, if you elect to pay the full premium but don't get another job, then you'll get a large rebate back when you file taxes, for the subsidy you didn't take at the time.

One other possibly useful tip is that if you are claiming unemployment benefits, you can pay your health insurance premiums for a Marketplace policy from your HSA account if you have one, and record it as a tax free distribution for medical expenditure. You can do the same for COBRA, only without the need to be claiming unemployment.

(Which could presumably lead to the advantageous situation of paying the full Marketplace premium at the time, from the HSA, even if you're not working, then getting a hefty tax rebate back the following year for the subsidy, which is now money outside of the HSA wrapper with no tax or penalty to pay for the 'withdrawal' )

scrubbedexpat099

For those States that allow it you need 5 years to get Medicaid.

Sailortobe

I'm not up to snuff on Green card holders and Medicaid etc. However, you will be required to project your annual income for the year in question AND file your taxes as Married Jointly. You cannot file as Married filing Separately. For the current year (2015) , in MD at least, you have to submit documentation to prove income, which was not the case for 2014. Any change in financial status needs to be reported to your States Exchange, if you have one, or to the Government exchange. That will trigger a change in the tax subsidy.

username.exe

I'm a PR and recently purchased a plan through the Healthcare.gov marketplace. The open enrolment period has closed, so you need to see if you qualify for the 'Special Enrolment Period'. Do the questionnaire on healthcare.gov.

retzie

Given you actively want insurance, the question of whether you are required to have any is moot. (As everyone has mentioned, though - you are.)

I recently had an ACA plan to cover a period of unemployment (I am also a GC holder). With the subsidy, my premiums were very reasonable (something like $68 per month for a decent silver plan). If I had got a job and my year's income had increased over my projected amount, I would have been liable to pay back some/all of my subsidy come tax time. As it happened, I (finally) got a new job in January, which neatly avoided this issue . Knowing the potential cost, though, I did decide that having income over my projection would have been a happy event and one that would leave me willing to foot the bill in my new-found employment.

As others have mentioned, you will be able to enroll outside open enrollment, since you have a qualifying event. You will need to do so by March 15 if you want coverage to start April 1 (this is the earliest you can manage at this point).

kins

That doesn't give me much faith in health insurance companies... (not that I had much anyway).

SanDiegogirl

Even if you didn't need coverage (presume by this phrase that the OP means "not mandated to have it") if you ARE able to get health insurance wouldn't you want to take it up?

Can't understand how, if one is able to have medical insurance, you would not do so. I'd rather pay premiums that have the worry of a huge medical bill should I get really sick.