platypus81

Hi all! my girlfriend ans I are about to move to the US for three years and we were wondering if any of you could help us with the following issue regarding our health insurance:

1) I am on a 80/20 state plan PPO (H1B visa) which have terrible reviews from the customers. The company obviously provides only that insurance but I am wondering if its worth looking for a different one. I dont want to be in trouble if I need assistance...on top of that the coverage only starts at the beginning of september and I wonder if I should find a coverage for my first three weeks in the US.�

2) my girlfriend is on a B2 cohabiting visa and according to the guidelines of my insurance package I should not be able to include her as my dependent. I will probably try to ask anyway but we are now looking for an alternative solution for her coverage. Do you have any recommendations for her? She will be in the US for ten days now, then from october to mid december and again from mid january to mid may.

Thanks!

sir_eccles

Generally speaking you can always waive coverage and look for an individual plan either on the exchange or privately. However, in my experience exchange plans have more limited coverage dollar for dollar and you won't get the company chipping in their share.

Getting married will help.

SanDiegogirl

If your company won't cover your girlfriend on the company policy then you have no choice but to go with either a private company (one which is NOT on your State's exchange) or a health company which is on the State's exchange.

If no State exchange then try healthcare.gov for the Federal exchange.

Although your girlfriend is going to be in the US for periods only, you will have to pay for an annual contract.

Getting cover for the first three weeks is going to be difficult but Google short term health insurance and see what you come up with.

Group plans are usually better then individual ones.

Rete

From your prior posts, she will not be here for any great length of time, unless you have changed that plan.

Is she looking for a plan for six months or so? I know she will be returning to Europe to continue working, etc.

kodokan

All the insurers get terrible reviews and make it ferociously tiresome to claim - stick with your subsidized work plan.

scrubbedexpat099

Travel Insurance

Asg123

But note- you generally can't waive coverage from your company and get a subsidized plan through the exchange.

retzie

+1 Insurance here sucks. It's part of the cultural experience. Be glad you have a PPO.

OP: have you actually looked at prices?? We're not talking a hundred bucks a month here. I strongly suggest measures that won't leave your gf stuck on travel insurance (if they'll even take her).

General question: Would an exchange even accept a B-2?

scrubbedexpat099

Exchange does not deal with visitors.

Pulaski

(i) GF only visits for periods which travel insurance allows, returning to the UK in between.

OR

(ii) You upgrade GF to Mrs Platypus. If you care more than two hoots for her why would you put her in the position of having inadequate health insurance?

platypus81

thanks. I have tried to run a simulation on this website:

http://www.visitorscoverage.com/visitor-health-insurance/quotes/

from the 15th of January to the 15th of May and they have several options for a reasonable price. For example:

patriot america plus
Total Price
for 4 months 1 day
(Total 121 days)
$354.80
BUY
Plan pays 90% of first $5,000; then 100%
(Outside Network: Pays 80% for first $5000, then 100%)
Outside USA & Canada: Pays 100% up to the policy maximum.
Comprehensive coverage plan
Coverage from 5 days to to 365 days
PPO network (See list of doctors and hospitals)
Renewable and Cancelable
Up to $500,000 coverage for acute onset of pre-existing conditions
Covers during international travel
Not available for purchase in Maryland (MD) state.
See plan brochure | Description of Coverage | Plan FAQs

am I missing anything?

Pulaski

Is it ACA compliant?

scrubbedexpat099

She is a visitor, so does not matter.

Pulaski

After 27 weeks in the US in any one year she'll be tax resident and therefore required to file a US tax return so presumably liable for the penalty for not having health insurance? No?

SanDiegogirl

When does she move from visitor to resident?. In January she is staying until mid May (4 months) so her status will not be a visitor then.

I was under the impression that for the first few months she would be flying back and forth on her B2 co-habiting visa, not on the VWP.

I doubt whether if she made a claim in travel insurance, they would pay.