Question about medical insurance for parents (new green card holders)

[submittedviaemail]

Narendra,

I like your site and am evaluating different options for insurance for my parents who just got their green cards. Couple of questions to help me narrow down:

(a) If they are going to be in the US for 6 months/year, is it advisable to buy insurance for those 6 months or for the entire 12 month period?

(b) If the latter, does insurance cover stays in India?

(c) Can we keep renewing insurance in perpetuity? What happens after 3 years?

Thanks

[insubuy]

You can either buy 6 months insurance or you can buy annual insurance.

If you buy 6 months, it would have to be a new policy every time. Look at the products under https://www.insubuy.com/new-immigrant-insurance/.

In those products, buying and paying is one and same thing. If you buy for 6 months, you pay for 6 months upfront. Alternatively, some products allow you to purchase for shorter duration and then you renew it.

You can also purchase the insurance that would cover year round and both in US and in India. Look at the products at https://www.insubuy.com/expatriate-health-insurance/ They allow you to pay monthly even if you buy for 1 year at a time. You can continue to renew the insurance as long as you are eligible for it. And you are eligible for it as long as you are not eligible for domestic insurance.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

[submittedviaemail]

Thanks. In the first category, which products allow to purchase for shorter duration (let’s say 3 months) and then renew it? Is there any disadvantage of buying a new policy every time vs. purchasing annual insurance now?

I need to purchase this in the next 2-3 days now as my parents arrive here on Tuesday, so any insights would be appreciated

[insubuy]

If parents are going to stay here for short duration and go back and forth India/US, you will have to purchase new policy every time. Every time you purchase new policy, all conditions start all over again such as deductible, coinsurance, pre-existing conditions etc.

You can purchase Patriot America. You can renew it as long as you purchase for minimum 3 months initially.

[submittedviaemail]

Thanks. I was looking between Patriot America and Patriot GoTravel America. For the initial 4 month period, the latter is $100 cheaper and it seems that the benefits are the same.

Do you think the later will be fine?

[insubuy]

Both are similar in Medical, but different in Travel. There are several benefits in Patriot America that are not there in Patriot GoTravel America.

Visit https://www.insubuy.com/new-immigrant-insurance/ and compare them side by side. And look at the Travel section under that.

You can buy either of them.