catlover3

Me again - thanks all for your assistance with my questions so far.

We entered the US on our endorsed immigrant visas on 19 December. Green cards are in the mail. We left again on 11 January ( missing it already). The short trip was just to check out neighbourhoods, find housing etc.

We'll be back to LA for good on around 30 April (ish). Should we take advantage of open enrollment now to find health insurance? Seems a bit silly to pay those additional 3 months (Feb - April) when we aren't there. If we don't do it, do we need to wait a whole year to enrol again via California Covered?

Thx again guys!

Pulaski

Immigrating is a qualifying event for interim enrollment, but you have already immigrated, so unless you anticipate a birth, adoption, marriage, divorce, death of your spouse, or either you or your spouse starting a job that includes health insurance, then you'll have to suck it up and enroll now.

Being assessed as not having current qualifying covereage (the NHS is qualifying coverage) can cause problem when you next try to enroll, especially as the ACA appears likely to be abolished, you don't want to be uninsured as that may create huge problems if you need to enroll in whatever replaces the ACA.

catlover3

Thanks Pulaski.
I've done s little additional research and moving permanently to California is classed as a qualifying life event enabling us to enrol outside of open enrollment - I think!
http://www.coveredca.com/PDFs/SEP-Acceptable-Documents.pdf

Pulaski

But that's my point, by immigrating you are deemed to have "moved permanently". Usually "moving permanently" would apply to USC's who can move anytime they want between states, but your permanent move is documented by your immigration documentation. What you are suggesting may work, .... or it may not.

kodokan

I agree with Pulaski. You have already immigrated - the fact that you then chose to go to the UK for a long 'holiday' is irrelevant. As a Permanent Resident, the only way to be exempt from buying healthcare is to spend more than 330 days in a calendar year outside of the US.

When you return in April, you may find yourself locked out of being able to buy health insurance for 2017; this would be the case under the current system, and who knows what the new post-Trump system might look like? So you'd likely be insurance-less for the year, AND have to pay the fine.

catlover3

I see both of your points. I did attempt to enrol just now but it's asking me for a US address which of course we don't yet have. Perhaps short term visitors insurance would do it for the first 8 months or so?

kodokan

Hmm, tricky about the address. Which address are USCIS mailing your Green Cards to?

Any visitors/ tourist insurance would be rendered invalid by you being a resident in the US, and would almost certainly not be ACA-compliant, leading to a fine.

nun

The bottomline here is that it's very dangerous to your health and finances to be uninsured in the US. It is the height of foolishness not to get health insurance.

Pulaski

(i) visitors' insurance is for visitors, not for people who have moved permanently, so at best would patch you up in the expectation that you would go "home" for further care, treatment, and follow-ups, at worst your claim might be rejected entirely.

(ii) visitors' insurance isn't ACA compliant, so you will be fined l, through your tax return, for not having ACA compliant insurance - the fine may be as much as the three months of insurance you "don't need", or more!

catlover3

Okey doke. I wonder how to get round the lack of an address though? Also no bank account yet. I'll try to call CC when they open!

Pulaski

You need(ed) an address in the US for your green card, what will/did you use for that?

catlover3

We were house sitting so we used that address.

BUT- UPDATE: I just called Covered California and we do not have to enrol now. We will be able to use special enrollment as we are not classed as having moved until we have an address in the US. Phew!

Thanks for all your help everyone.

SanDiegogirl

...... hopefully Covered California will be around in April

....... hopefully something cheaper and "terrific" will be in place once Obamacare is repealed!

catlover3

Some crazy things have happened in politics lately, but that would be lightning fast (fingers and toes still crossed).

nun

No! not Phew......crossing fingers and toes isn't a solution, you are in the US without health insurance and that is dangerous to both your health and your wallet. Get insurance ASAP. People coming from the UK are use to the NHS, if you need medical care in the US and you don't have insurance you will be billed and that could easily bankrupt you if you need an extended hospital stay.