Health Insurance For H1B Visa Holders And Foreign Workers In The US

You’ll prepare for your US arrival if you have an H1B visa (Person in Specialty Occupation Visa). Health insurance is essential in the US, so plan ahead!

If you’re new with American healthcare, H1B visa health insurance can be confusing. US healthcare is complex even for Americans, let alone foreigners.

Do H1B Visa Holders Need to Get Health Insurance in the United States?

H1B visa holders must have health insurance in the US. Living without healthcare in the US is impractical due to its high cost. Private H1B health insurance (non-ACA-compliant) is needed if:

• You are not eligible for ACA-compliant medical insurance yet (you have just gotten your H1B visa); or
• Your employer does not offer group health insurance and you cannot find a suitable health insurance plan on the Marketplace.

You can compare plans and get a free H1B health insurance quote at Insubuy.

If you have any family members with you in the US, such as your spouse and children, you have to get health insurance for your dependents as well, or they can be added to your plan.

Once you and your family members become eligible to get a Green Card, you will have to get medical insurance for Green Card holders.

Types of H1B Health Insurance

The type of H1B health insurance you need or, more accurately are eligible for, depends on your residence status. Therefore, you can have:

• Short-term insurance
• Long term (domestic) insurance

Short-term H1B health insurance

You are a “visitor” or “temporary resident” in the US if you just acquired your H1B visa. You cannot get ACA (Affordable Care Act – ObamaCare) compliant health insurance.

You must buy a private short-term H1B health insurance plan during this time. GeoBlue Xplorer is a top H1B plan.

After acquiring your H1B visa, you become a tax resident alien after six to ten months. You qualify for long-term or household plan.

Long-term (domestic) H1B insurance

You can get long-term ACA-compliant H1B health insurance 6–10 months after receiving your visa. Even without a Green Card, you are a resident alien for tax purposes if you have lived in the US for at least 183 days.

You can get ACA-compliant insurance by:

• Through your employer. Most large companies offer their employees healthcare plans, usually in group plans. These group plans are cheaper both because they are for a large number of people as well as because the
• employer covers part or most of the expenses.
  Through the Marketplace. If your employer does not offer health insurance or the plan they are offering does not suit your needs, then you can buy your own ACA-compliant health insurance through the Marketplace (healthcare.gov).

If neither of the two plans meets your needs, you can buy health insurance from a private firm. However, your H1B insurance will not be ACA-compliant, and you may be fined 2% of your annual salary when you submit your taxes.

Remember:

Even after you become eligible for ACA, you can still purchase short-term H1B health insurance if you think it suits your needs better. They are usually cheaper than domestic ones.

But short-term health insurance only covers periods starting from as little as three days to a maximum of three years, while long-term or domestic health insurance covers periods starting from one month to up to 60+ years.

Additionally, because short-term plans are not ACA-compliant, they don’t usually offer coverage for things like pre-existing conditions or maternity.

Get a Free Quote and Compare H-1B Health Insurance Plans!

What Does H1B Health Insurance Cover?

Domestic health insurance covers pre-existing diseases and maternity. These plans must meet ACA standards.

Short-term private health insurance coverage varies by firm and policy. All plans cover doctor visits, hospitalization, emergency services, surgery, etc. Some plans cover acute pre-existing conditions, but few cover maternity or pre-existing conditions.

Where to Buy H1B Health Insurance?

H1B health insurance is available through the Marketplace (if you qualify for the ACA) or through private companies. If you are looking for a short-term H1B health insurance plan, you can examine different types of coverage before making a decision on websites like Insubuy.

Keep in mind:

Comparing different policies is important because not all of them offer the same coverage. So, it goes without saying that plans with better and longer coverage will cost more.

Don’t go for the cheapest plan you can find, because those plans usually cover only a small portion of your medical expenses. So, if your H1B health insurance policy claims they will cover $5,000 per accident/illness, but you have a $40,000 medical bill, you will have to pay the rest out of your own pocket.

Best Health Insurance Plans for H1B Visa Holders

Here are the best health insurance plans available for H1B visa holders:

• GeoBlue Xplorer Premier
• Available up to age 74
• Medical benefits Include:
• Inpatient and Outpatient Care
• Medical Evacuation and Repatriation
• Optional Dental and Vision Care
• Optional Maternity Benefits
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment
• Unlimited maximum
• Not Available to Residents of: New York, Maryland, Washington, and South Dakota.

IHC Secure

• Plan pays 80%, 70% or 50% until out-of-pocket max is satisfied, then 100%
• Available up to age 64
• Two options available – Secure STM and Secure Lite
• For Secure STM: Plan pays 80%, 70% or 50% until out-of-pocket amount is satisfied, then 100% thereafter up to policy maximum
• For Secure Lite: Plan pays 80% or 50% until out-of-pocket amount is satisfied, then 100% thereafter up to policy maximum
• 10 day free look back period, cancellation request must be sent 15 days prior to next monthly payment.
• A $25 application fee applies
• Not Available to Residents of: California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington

IHC Short Term Connect

• Available up to age 64
• Two options available – Connect STM and Connect Lite
• For Connect STM: Pays up to 80%, 70% or 50% up to out of pocket maximum, then covers 100% up to Policy Maximum
• For Connect Lite: Pays 80% or 50% up to out of pocket maximum and then 100% up to the policy maximum
  10 day free look back period, cancellation request must be sent 15 days prior to next monthly payment.
• A $25 application fee applies
• Not Available to Residents of: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Washington DC, Delaware, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington

IHC Care Access Plan

• Available up to age 64
• Plan pays fixed benefit amounts for these covered situations
• Covers for only defined Critical Illness, Hospitalization & Surgery
• 10 day look-back period, no refund available after that
• Optional Coverage for preventive wellness, diagnostic testing and physician office visits
• A $25 application fee applies
• Not Available to Residents of: Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin

Insubuy allows you to compare several types of health insurance coverage. You can carefully examine each policy before deciding on the one that best meets your needs.