Health Insurance for Green Card Holders and Immigrant Visa Applicants to the USA

Health insurance for green card holders and immigrant visa applicants coming to the USA is a new requirement. According to the recent proclamation from U.S. President Trump, effective November 3, 2019, all US immigrant visa applicants must show proof of adequate health insurance or provide proof that they have the means to pay for their healthcare out of their own pocket.

Who is Affected?

This requirement for immigrant visa insurance is primarily targeted towards family-based immigration applicants. Most employer-based immigrants are not affected as most of them are already in the U.S., not applying for an immigrant visa, and probably already have health insurance through their employer. It also does not apply to refugee or political asylum-based immigrants, or non-U.S. citizen children of U.S. citizens.

Complete details

U.S. Department of State Guidance

While the United States provides the best healthcare in the world, it is also the most expensive in the world. A simple visit to an emergency room may cost several thousand dollars. A heart attack may cost $50,000 to $80,000 or even more. A serious accident can cost a few hundred thousand dollars. In short, it is not possible for most people to show proof that they have enough money to pay for healthcare treatments out of their own pocket. Therefore, the only feasible option is to purchase adequate new immigrants health insurance.

What is Adequate Health Insurance

There are numerous options listed for showing the proof of adequate health insurance for immigrant visa applicants. If someone is able to get ACA compliant health insurance plans without subsidy, they should definitely get this type of insurance; it will meet the requirements and it will provide the most coverage of all the different types of insurance. Of course, because they provide the most coverage, they tend to be very expensive as well.

Under Section 1 (b) of the proclamation, it says:

(iii) a short-term limited duration health policy effective for a minimum of 364 days – or until the beginning of planned, extended travel outside the United States;

(vii) a visitor health insurance plan that provides adequate coverage for medical care for a minimum of 364 days — or until the beginning of planned, extended travel outside the United States;

Visitor health insurance plans have traditionally been available to short-term foreign tourists coming to the United States. The eligibility for some insurance plans has been modified to accommodate immigrant visa applicants and non-U.S. citizen green card holders that are in the U.S. Both non-immigrants and immigrants can purchase these plans.

Such health insurance plans are considered short term health insurance plans. Short term health insurance doesn’t cover the ongoing maintenance of pre-existing conditions, preventive checkups, maternity, and several other things. They will cover any new medical conditions, injuries or accidents that may occur after the effective date of the policy. Additionally, some plans will cover acute onset of pre-existing conditions, which is an unexpected and unforeseen emergency that occurs without any prior warnings or symptoms and you must receive treatment within the next 24 hours.

Visitor health insurance and immigrant health insurance plans are low cost and therefore affordable options.

You can make an instant purchase of new immigrants health insurance and medical insurance for green card holders online on insubuy.com. As soon as you purchase the insurance, you will be able to print the visa letter to take to the U.S. embassy/consulate so that they can issue your immigrant visa, allowing you to travel to the U.S. so that you can become a green card holder.

Purchasing from home country or U.S. companies

Some immigrant visa applicants might consider purchasing immigrant visa medical insurance from their home country, but it’s important to know that it could be a waste of effort and money. The insurance plans available in many countries won’t meet the requirements for the immigrant visa. The plans available from the home country may only allow a maximum duration of 2 or 3 months (maximum 6 months); even if you are traveling on an immigrant visa.

Anyone preparing for their appointment needs to purchase New Immigrants Insurance from a U.S. based company. Insubuy can help you ensure that the insurance plan meets the requirements for your immigrant visa and that you will have the required proof of coverage to take with you to the U.S. embassy/consulate appointment.