US health insurance" width="350" height="233" />US health insurance" width="350" height="233" />
Foreigners and immigrants moving to the US have to face many new challenges living outside of their home countries. Securing medical coverage can be one of those challenges — but with everything else on your plate, you might not even be thinking about it! While the US usually doesn't require that you have a health policy in order to immigrate, we strongly recommend it, whether you're a single young person with no medical issues, a parent of a large family, or a retiree.
Travel to and life in a new country comes with new stressors, new risks and many unexpected developments. You don't want to be left paying huge hospital bills if the worst happens. From basic coverage to comprehensive support, you have options to protect yourself and your family in the United States. Let this guide help you find the best health insurance for foreigners in the USA.
Foreigners and immigrants moving to the US have to face many new challenges living outside of their home countries. Securing medical coverage can be one of those challenges — but with everything else on your plate, you might not even be thinking about it! While the US usually doesn't require that you have a health policy in order to immigrate, we strongly recommend it, whether you're a single young person with no medical issues, a parent of a large family, or a retiree.
Travel to and life in a new country comes with new stressors, new risks and many unexpected developments. You don't want to be left paying huge hospital bills if the worst happens. From basic coverage to comprehensive support, you have options to protect yourself and your family in the United States. Let this guide help you find the best health insurance for foreigners in the USA.
If you are an expat moving to the USA, there are three providers that we recommend the most:
Cigna Global is a provider with worldwide coverage. It offers excellent service and benefits to clients, with people on the ground in major countries to give you immediate response when needed.
Cigna also offers a flexible plan that lets you choose which modules and benefits to include in the policy. Being able to tailor-fit your US health policy is an advantage that will help you budget expenses.
GeoBlue Xplorer is a very popular health insurance provider in the USA. It offers more comprehesive benefits than Cigna Global in its base plan alongside a premium level of customer service.
GeoBlue Xplorer is a partner of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of America (BCBS), a leading insurer in the USA. This gives GeoBlue a wider network of high-quality doctors and hospitals included in its policies.
IMG offers several affordable medical insurance plans in the United States. It is the best provider for foreigners on a tight budget who do not want to sacrifice basic coverage.
IMG's Bronze and Silver plans provide basic level coverage for medical care. Their Gold and Platinum plans offer additional benefits to clients. We recommend the Gold and Platinum plans if you’re staying for more than a year because these policies provide comprehensive benefits.
The United States government does not require most expatriates or even US citizens to obtain health insurance in America. However, the cost of medical services in the US is so high that you risk spending all your savings to pay the bills. So, while it is generally not required, it is highly recommended that you get US medical coverage to save on hospital bills and gain access to appropriate care.
The requirement for getting medical coverage in the USA also varies depending on your country of origin and visa type. Some visa types will require you to obtain at least basic coverage.
Because medical costs in the US are higher than the average of most countries, living without health insurance isn’t a great idea. The US has a relatively higher rate of medical inflation and doctors tend to provide more tests and scans before treating a patient. Some of the higher costs are due to medical facilities in the US often using the latest equipment and providing above-average service to clients.
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Healthcare in the United States is largely privatized, and public healthcare is provided only to a small portion of the population. This is why most people, including the locals, have private health plans.
The federal Medicare program is available only to retirees. The Medicaid program, on the other hand, is reserved for the poorest citizens in the country. If you’re looking for new immigrant health insurance, you won’t qualify for either of these programs.
If you’re coming to work in the States, your employer will usually offer a policy that extends coverage to immediate family members. However, this is often not enough to shoulder the high average cost of doctor visits, medications, emergency room trips and hospital stays. Most of the time, the best health insurance for non-US citizens is an international health plan, which will provide access to a wide range of medical treatments worldwide.
Health Insurance for New Immigrants: For most foreigners seeking an immigration visa, health coverage is not required. However, this rule changed recently and can change again. Some visas, like the J-1, do require proof that you are covered by an approved provider. Check the J1 Visa Insurance Requirements for the most up-to-date information on the requirements for your particular visa type.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, details the shared responsibility provision — sometimes called the individual mandate. Its goal is to make sure all US citizens and permanent residents have access to quality and affordable health coverage. To pay for it, the government needs most individuals to buy a minimum level of coverage.
All US citizens living in the country are subject to individual shared responsibility provisions. Permanent residents and foreign nationals who have been in the United States long enough during a calendar year to qualify as resident aliens for tax purposes are also covered by the provision. The category includes non-resident aliens who meet certain presence requirements and elect to be treated as resident aliens.
Non-residents, including international students on the F, J, M, and Q visa categories, are not subject to the individual mandate during the first 5 years of their stay in the country.
For individuals in the J category, including teachers, trainees, au pairs, students, and travelers, the ACA states that they are not subject to the individual mandate for 2 years.
Beginning with the 2019 plan year (for taxes filed in April 2020), the ACA or Shared Responsibility Payment no longer applies. This means that if you don’t meet the requirements of the individual mandate, you won’t have to pay a fine moving forward.
Foreign nationals who live in the US for a short enough period that they do not become resident aliens for federal income tax purposes are exempted from the individual mandate. See the IRS website for more details on when a foreigner becomes a resident alien for federal income tax purposes.
Individuals who are exempt under this rule are:
For more information see Pub. 519. More: Shared Responsibility from the IRS (See Question 11)
