Below, are five tips to help you choose the ideal medical insurance plan when moving to the US:
- If Traveling to the U.S. Temporarily before Moving, Choose Travel Medical Insurance
Its always refreshing to get a sample before you buy; in the same way you may want to visit the U.S. before you actually deciding to move there. When you visit the U.S. before actually moving, you may want to purchase a travel medical insurance policy. Even if you are initially moving on a visitors visa or a non-immigrant status before you receive the permanent status, you can purchase a travel medical insurance policy for your initial stay in the U.S. - Check for Eligibility
You may be eligible for domestic health care plans as soon as you have established permanent residency and/or have a social security number. You can go to the Domestic Healthcare Plan Marketplace at HealthCare.gov, the homepage will prompt you to first enter your state of residency in order to navigate you to your local state domestic healthcare provider website. Also you can check your local Social Security Administration office to check eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid (insurance available based on income requirements).
Green card holders under the age of 65 are eligible for domestic healthcare plans after holding their green card for 6 months. Green Card holders ages 65 and above have to wait 5 years in order to apply for Medicare. Medicare is a domestic healthcare plan for senior citizens in the U.S. (65+ years of age). - Not Eligible? Heres Plan B.
If you are not yet eligible for domestic healthcare plans, then you can purchase a short-term travel medical insurance policy until you are eligible. Short-term medical insurance policies are available to those who are eligible for domestic healthcare plans (permanent residence, long-term work visa holders, U.S. citizens and others) but are awaiting enrolling in domestic healthcare plan. Short-term policies are only available for a short-period of time varying from 3 months to a year. These policies are formatted like travel medical insurance policies in that they only cover unexpected illnesses, sicknesses, or injuries that may occur. Once you are eligible and able to enroll in a domestic healthcare plan, it is in your best interest to do so since domestic healthcare plans offer the most coverage. - Stick with the Long-Term Policy (Domestic HealthCare Plan)
Make sure once you are eligible for a domestic/long-term policy, that you go with one of those. Travel medical insurance is not an alternative to domestic healthcare plans, instead it is an option for those who are not yet eligible for domestic plans since they are in the US for a temporary period.
While every resident or citizen can still enroll in a domestic healthcare plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), they will not face tax penalties when filing taxes in the US, if they did not. This alteration to the ACA policy is applicable beginning January 1, 2019. - Traveling for leisure? No problem!
After moving to the U.S., if you travel outside of the country for leisure or business, you can purchase a travel medical insurance policy as well. Travel medical insurance policies will cover you anywhere outside of your home country, once your home country is the U.S.
Its time to pack your bags and get on that flight. You have nothing to worry about once you are covered with travel medical insurance. Its time to meet new people, see new places and learn new things. If you can get your safety covered first, then you are ready for take off. At VisitorsCoverage we want to make sure you step into your destination with the right foot.
