CoachMB

Does anyone know what is required legally of somebody that's here on a temporary working visa with regards to health insurance? I've been here on a couple of H2Bs originally, but been on a longer 3 years visa (in the last year of it now), and in the past have just had a form of travel insurance from back home that specializes in long stay travel insurance. However i let it lapse, and never got around to renewing it.

Going through my taxes (using turbo tax) its trying to slap me with approx $700+ penalty for not having a health insurance plan in the US. Even if say i had had the aforementioned travel insurance, i don't seem to have an option to include anything like that. So essentially even if i had it, and paid for it, i would be hit with this penalty either way.

Does this mean i now need to go out and get myself a proper plan for this year so i don't get stung in future years with the same penalty? Ive literally no knowledge of the plans over here, but from what i understand it, it could cost me a fortune just to pay the insurance each month. I don't make a lot, so this is less than ideal.

Anyone in the know or with more experience able to give any advice?

Hotscot

What's your declared income?

You have no insurance?

What would be your intention if you needed healthcare?

Exactly what long term insurance have you had? Company and policy title please.

If you're on the last year of your visa why are you concerned about future years?

For someone who has 'apparently' been coming to the US for years your lack of knowledge is disturbing young one...

Jerseygirl

Long term travel insurance is worthless...because you are not a visitor but a temp resident.

Sally Redux

https://www.healthcare.gov/get-coverage/

theOAP

As for the tax side and your tax return, travel insurance is not considered as MEC (minimum essential coverage). TurboTax may not tick the box on line 61 of your 1040, and with residence in the US, you will not qualify for a Section 911 exemption (330 days outside the US in the tax year or permanent resident abroad) from the required individual shared responsibility.

See the following information, especially question 5:

Questions and Answers on the Individual Shared Responsibility Provision

sir_eccles

I believe as a non immigrant on a working visa you are eligible to use the marketplace to buy insurance.

If you don't buy insurance then you may pay the penalty in your taxes.

CoachMB

Thanks for the replies. I am admittedly naive on this topic. The first couple of years I was here short term (7-8 months) , and was told in advance i should book travel insurance for the stay.

Once i got the longer visa, my work was not particularly good at making people aware of the situation. I realize its not their job to baby me, but i just didnt realize that it was a must, or that i would be hit by fees. My intention was to get the travel insurance again, but apparently that would have been a waste of time anyway.

http://http://www.coeconnections.co.uk This is the plan i had used before, the comprehensive plan. They specialize in people that are traveling and working overseas, and I believe a lot of people in my position have used them (I coach soccer here).

My earning last year were about 30k.

Work are talking if a visa extension beyond this year, so hence i would be interested in sorting this for future years.

Evidently i will need to suck up the penalty for last year, but need to get myself sorted out for this year at least. Any suggestions as to particular providers that can cover me at a low cost? On my earnings the extra expenditure is going to really hurt me if its hundreds a month.

CoachMB

Thanks.. thats what I said in my last post..

Hotscot

Sally gave you a link. What did you determine?

CoachMB

So probably not relevant in my case as I'm on a 3 year visa, but what makes somebody a permanent resident abroad?

I personally still maintain residence in the UK. However I do not spend 330 days or more outside the US, so presumably this makes me a US resident for this purpose?

Not so much me, but some of my colleagues come on H2b Visas, maybe 8-9 months at a time. Does this mean my work should be advising them to get on a US healthcare plan? Previously they have just been getting the travel insurance. Is this useless in those circumstances too?

Furthermore, is it the case that the travel insurance itself will be useless? Or that if something happened, you can use it.. but it just doesn't exempt from a fee when it comes to doing the taxes?

If it was the latter i would obviously need to weigh up the cost of the penalty vs the cost of paying for a US health care plan, as the travel insurance is a lot cheaper.

Thanks in advance for any further input. i am looking into plans using that link. Thanks.

retzie

Sounds like you will be eligible for a government subsidy through the marketplace, which should make your premiums more manageable. Although the marketplace website(s) can be a bit painful, you should be able to determine at least a ballpark amount yourself online. The options available to you will vary by state.

One of the major issues with travel insurance is that they will just ship you home if anything too pricey happens. And it's really not that difficult to hit 'too pricey' here . It would be much better to sort local insurance if you can.

CoachMB

This bit is kind of my point. Since I am still also a permanent UK resident, surely it makes sense for me that if anything happened, i can be shipped home and get treated on the good ol' NHS. If the monthly premium adds up to be more than the penalty that I'm made to pay when filing, then that is better for me financially no? I realize thats not ideal, but on 30k i like to try stretch my earnings as best i can. Admittedly i am pretty naive and ignorant over this, and this may be a simplistic view.

augigi

I believe the NHS has residency rules as to eligibility for treatment (as they should) - precisely so people can't abuse the system as you propose.

It's not a secret that people need health insurance or they will pay a penalty - it has been in the news for months and months.

sir_eccles

As you can see it all gets pretty complicated very quickly. As for residency, it depends on who you ask. IRS has a substantial presence test which you probably meet. USCIS, residency means different things and you are on a non-immigrant visa. NHS may not consider you a resident, I don't know what their rules are.

You probably do qualify for a subsidy, so your premium for a bronze plan might be very affordable.

CoachMB

Thanks for the responses. I am looking into options and seeing what the damage is. I guess i am sucking up the penalty this year!