Medical Insurance

[insurance_dude]

Wondering if anyone has tried to get insurance (on a visitor visa) via coveredca.com. Per https://www.coveredca.com/documents-...wful-presence/, it seems like anyone with a non-immigrant visa can get coverage.

I did some research online and a lot of blog posts essentially say "NO, one cannot signup for these insurance plans (if one is on a visitor visa)". Then, I realized most of these blog posts are by companies like **** *.com, who essentially run a marketplace like coveredca.com (obviously,they have no incentive to say anything else).

[immihelp]

No. You can't purchase insurance for visitors from places like Covered California.

In order to purchase ACA compliant domestic insurance, you would need the social security number, credit history and US income details and the visitor would have none of them.

Even though it lists many non-immigrant visa types, most of those people live here in the US. For example, H1 worker really lives here and will stay here year round.

In any case, ACA compliant insurance can be purchased only during the open enrollment period and must be kept year round. Visitors come and go at any time of the year. Therefore, such insurance plans are not suitable nor meant for visitors anyway.

In short, Covered California is for California residents. And visitors are not residents of California.

That is why you need to purchase visitors insurance from a reputed company like Insubuy at https://www.insubuy.com/visitors-insurance/

Anyway, it is up to you to believe us or not. For your satisfaction, you can always try applying and see what happens. Make sure to post your findings here for the benefit of others.

[insurance_dude]

Thanks, I will call coveredca.com tomorrow and see what they say. Per recent changes in CA, undocumented immigrants up to 26 years old are now eligible for coverage via ACA (so I presume SSN and other details are not needed anymore). There is also a bill in state senate to allow undocumented immigrants 65+ to access the health care marketplace. The irony is that visitors have to declare themselves as "undocumented" to access ACA marketplace in CA.

Of course, the key difference between ACA marketplace insurance and visitors' insurance is coverage for pre-existing conditions. However reputed companies like insubuy may be, they do have a conflict of interest in the recommendations they make regarding ACA marketplace.

[immihelp]

If you believe everyone who tries to help or is selling something has a conflict of interest, you are free to do whatever you want.

[angelica]

Thanks, I will call coveredca.com tomorrow and see what they say. Per recent changes in CA, undocumented immigrants up to 26 years old are now eligible for coverage via ACA (so I presume SSN and other details are not needed anymore). There is also a bill in state senate to allow undocumented immigrants 65+ to access the health care marketplace. The irony is that visitors have to declare themselves as "undocumented" to access ACA marketplace in CA.

Of course, the key difference between ACA marketplace insurance and visitors' insurance is coverage for pre-existing conditions. However reputed companies like insubuy may be, they do have a conflict of interest in the recommendations they make regarding ACA marketplace.

Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for the ACA marketplace in California. People under 26 regardless of immigation status who have very low incomes are eligible for Medi-Cal (California's Medicaid). (And it is not only for people who are "undocumented"; it is for people in any status, including nonimmigrants. Nobody would "declare themselves as undocumented".) This is different from the marketplace; Medi-Cal is a government plan for low-income people.

In any case, an SSN is not needed to buy a marketplace plan. (Many categories of long-term nonimmigrants do not qualify for SSNs.) The applications say to just leave it blank if you don't have an SSN. The only question is whether a marketplace plan is appropriate if you do intend to stay a full year.