Can I Get Health Insurance before I Get my Green Card?

Can I Get Health Insurance before I Get my Green Card?

The exorbitant healthcare cost in the US may not leave you with any options other than getting insurance coverage for you, your dependents, and your family members. Visitors or immigrants coming to the US have poor access to the healthcare services here, hence insurance coverage is something that people should really focus on while traveling to the US.

Now, if you are waiting for a green card, can you still purchase a health insurance plan? The answer is yes! Till you receive your green card, you are a visitor in the US and need health insurance coverage just like any other visitor in America.

There are many non-US citizens who come to America uninsured and face serious barriers to medical care. They pay out-of-pocket expenses when they receive treatment and care. A trip to a hospital pushes you into debt, and therefore insurance is much needed to save you from getting financially drained.

Can you buy health insurance from Marketplace if you don’t have a green card?

If you are not a US citizen or not a lawfully present individual in the US, you are not eligible to buy a health insurance plan from the Marketplace. In this case, you can get help from outside the Marketplace and turn to licensed and reputable insurance companies  operating in the US. You can purchase a policy that suits your visa status and change the plan when you receive your green card.

Only lawfully present immigrants and green card holders can purchase coverage from Marketplace. A new immigrant to the US like parents and relatives of individuals who are citizens or residents of the US can buy health insurance plans from Marketplace under the Obamacare program or Affordable Care Act (ACA) program.

What visitor insurance plans can you purchase?

If you are currently in the US on a visitor visa and your family members have applied for a family-sponsored Green Card, you are considered a visitor till you receive your Green Card. During this time, you can buy any of the visitor insurance policies and then switch to long-term health insurance plans for green card holders once you receive your Green Card.

Some of the popular plans you can buy are:

• Safe Travels USA Comprehensive– The plan offers coverage for medical accident and sickness, emergency medical and political evacuation, repatriation of remains, trip interruption, baggage, and accidental death & dismemberment. COVID 19 is treated and covered as any other sickness. You can find multiple options for emergency medical policy maximum and deductibles. Optional upgrades available for athletic sports, return to home, and AD & D.

• Patriot America– The maximum limit ranges from $50,000 to $1,000,000 with deductible in between $0 to $2,500. The plan offers emergency medical evacuation up to $1 million and pays 100% in-network. It can be extended to 24 continuous months but offers no coverage to acute onset of pre-existing conditions, remote transportation, and supplement accident. You can  consider Patriot Platinum plan to enjoy higher coverages.

• Atlas America– The plan covers emergency medical evacuation, emergency reunion, repatriation of remains, political evacuation, hospitalization and outpatient treatment, acute-onset of pre-existing conditions, sports coverage, pregnancy complications during the first 26weeks of gestation, and more. It also offers different travel assistance services to make your journey safe and smooth. Do check the brochure to know about the policy limits.

• Liaison Travel– Liaison Travel has three choices- Basic, Choice, and Plus with various medical maximum and deductible options. The plan offers travel benefits along with medical benefits like a trip interruption, trip delay, loss of checked baggage, and lost or stolen travel documents. Optional coverage is provided for hazardous activities.

To know which plan suits you the most, contact Visitor Guard®. We are a licensed  and have helped  several customers to find the right visitor insurance while traveling abroad.