Lolitainkwell

Hello I am new here.

I have met a man from the USA and we plan to marry.

He is a Type 1 diabetic as I am and I am unsure where this leaves me in terms of paying for my healthcare as his insurance won't cover it.

I am also unsure of the process and where I even start, so any information would be gratefully received.

Thanks all.

L x

Noorah101

Hi and welcome to BE.

The diabetes won't prohibit you from immigrating, so that's good news. If you get employed in the USA, perhaps your employer will cover it. Otherwise, you will do whatever your boyfriend is currently doing to pay for his diabetes needs.

As for where to start...there are two paths you can follow: K-1 Fiance Visa or Immigrant Spouse Visa.

Our Wiki Guide has a comparison chart, and also more specific information about each one. See the blue bar at the top of this page.

Have you met in person yet?

Rene

SanDiegogirl

Not sure what you mean by his insurance won't cover it.

Under current insurance laws, an insurance company cannot refuse you because of pre-conditions. So, if your partner has an insurance policy AND it can be amended to include his spouse/family then you should be able to be added. However, his/your monthly premiums will be increased to include you.

If his policy does NOT include coverage of spouse/family etc, you will need to obtain your own health insurance policy.

Depending on where you intend to live you can visit your State's medical exchange to find policies or if the State does not have its own exchange then go to

www.healthcare.gov

to find policies.

chawkins99

My wife and I are both type 2 diabetics. My insulin (without insurance) costs about $2,600 per month. My wife uses the 'cheap' generic insulin which costs around $800 per month. With insurance, we pay $50 each per month.

If you can't get insurance through your fiancé/husband, you'll need to look at private insurance if you can get it but expect to pay through the nose.

Jerseygirl

Welcome to BE.

As your opening post and subsequent replies refer mostly to US healthcare I have moved your thread over to our Trailer Park Forum. The Immigration forums are purely to discuss US visas/citizenship.

If you have any questions specificallyregarding visas (as Noorah101 mentioned)...please open a new thread here...

Marriage Based Visas - British Expats

Lolitainkwell

Thanks Rene!
Yes we have met and I am going over again in a few months.
Boyfriend has insurance and is classified as disabled as is deaf, and I am not covered, so will have to make my own arrangements.
Thanks you for the links

SanDiegogirl

In which case budget several hundred dollars a month for premiums.

If you are intending to work your employer might have a health scheme which would usually mean they might pay part of the premiums.

Rete

Does the BF work? Or is he homebound and receiving social security disability and Medicaid? If he is on Medicaid, then no, you cannot be covered even after marriage and will need to purchase your own healthcare policy. If he works, however, you should be able to get coverage under his policy after your marriage even if it means that you have to pay the full cost of your portion of the healthcare coverage. The thing to note is that healthcare provided by an employer is usually substantially better than healthcare obtained privately. This might mean lower deductibles and co-pays, might also include drug coverage under the same policy again with co-pays, and some employers also offer dental and vision. Note that the last two are not always offered. I've never been offered vision in any company or law firm I have worked in over the last 50 years.

As one who is a type 2 diabetic and also profoundly hearing impaired (as is Maste, another poster on these forums who is going through adjustment of status based on marriage to a USC), I can sympathize with him and his disability.

His disability should not be a deterrent to your obtaining a marriage-based visa either. In the off chance that he is not working and doesn't get a large disability check from social security, he might need to find a joint sponsor for the financial affidavit of support. That, at least, is not an insurmountable problem.

Noorah101

Well no, you aren't covered now, but will you be covered by his insurance after marriage?

Rene

Steve_

Yes Rete is right (say that 10 times fast), I'd first of all make sure that you're not covered.

If you're not you really don't want to move to the US and when you go on to www.healthcare.gov to buy a plan and look at the coverage for prescription drugs you will see why. The only exception to that I think is if you happen to live within easy driving distance of the Canadian or Mexican borders.

Insulin in the US is absurdly expensive, go to www.goodrx.com and look up what you're on. Novorapid is called: Novolog in the US.

There are two ways around it, you use crappy old types of insulin like Humulin R and Humulin NPH (which also don't require a prescription) or you get it from Mexico or Canada, top tip: CanadaRxConnection | International Prescription Referral Service In Canada it's not a prescription drug so you can just drive across the border and buy it.

OTC price for a 10ml vial of Novorapid or Fiasp in Canada is around CAD$35. On goodrx.com the lowest price listed (Costco) is $537. You read that correctly. There's no way can you afford it without insurance and even if you have insurance, the individual plans from healthcare.gov don't come close to full coverage and the plan will cost well into the thousands.

The Canadian pharmacies (only certain provinces allow it, mainly Manitoba and BC) that sell to Americans via mail order usually double the OTC price, so it's $70 for a vial, plus shipping and then you cross your fingers and hope CBP don't seize it (they don't seize "personal use" quantities which basically means one prescription).

Unless you're minted, just don't bother. Or at least insist on moving closer to the border. Mexican prices are a teeny bit higher than Canadian prices.

Trump is promising a prescription drug plan but I doubt it will come anywhere near the Canadian prices. If it even happens (unlikely as the Republicans are in the pocket of Big Pharma).