After many threats and lawsuits the Supreme Court finally made the Public Charge valid.  This has huge ramifications for new and potential immigants.  At E&M Global Insurance we have been seeking solutions for some time to this problem.  We have put together together some domestic and international solutions below:

Domestic Health Insurance

In certain states a non-ACA (Affordable Care Act) plan can be purchased.  These pl the United States.  These are considered short term plans and vary in length from anywhere from 1 month to 3 years.  Depending on the state plans can be renewed

• The recommended carrier for this is National General (Aetna). They do not require a Social Security Number and or have a requirement that the individual be in the United States for 12 months before coverage can be issued.

Domestic Solutions Are Available in the Following States:

AL, AR, AZ, DC, FL, GA, IA, IN,  IL, KS, KY, LA, MI, MO, MS, MT, NC, NE, ND, NV, OH, OK, PA,  SC, SD, TN, TX,  UT, VA, WI, WV and WY.

ACA (Affordable Care Act) plans can be purchase during open enrollment or with a Special Election Period during the year.  This would cover all pre-existing conditions.  Most carriers do require a Social Security or Tax ID #.  Clients could apply for a subsidy to offset some of the costs, but we are unsure if that would be considered a Public Charge.

International Health Insurance

• Available in All 50 States
• Plans do Not Require a Social Security Number.

For International Health Insurance Plans coverage can be purchased before an induvial is in the United States.  Plans do not have waiting periods but are subject to medical history.

• Recommended Carriers for International Coverage are Cigna Global and GeoBlue.
• Cigna Global does offer a guaranteed issue ACA plan for certain Visa Types (E, H, O, R, etc.). For a complete list please contact us.

If you have any questions, please let us know.  We are here to help.

The term “public charge” is one that may only be familiar to immigrants or families of immigrants in the United States. Essentially, when someone reaches “public charge” status, they are likely to become completely dependent on the government to sustain them. Immigrants who are at risk of being considered a “public charge” can be denied entry into the U.S. and immigrants who already reside in the U.S. can have their ability to become a Legal Permanent Resident denied as well.

In August of this year, the Trump administration has made changes to the “public charge” policy, expanding the definition of who may or may not fall under this categorization. Things like family status, medical history and health, the individual’s age, financial resources, education, and whether or not the person has any skills that could benefit the U.S economy are all taken into consideration before entry into the U.S or renewal of LPR (Legal Permanent Resident Status) can be approved.

Another one of the major effects of these changes is that if a person applies for entry into the U.S and they do not currently have medical insurance, they can be considered a “public charge” due to the risk of them falling ill or getting injured and the cost of the medical bill falling on the American taxpayer. Many of the circumstances that are considered before an individual can be granted entry into America are unavoidable. Financial status, age, and education may be out of someone’s control by the time they immigrate and these may count against them in an evaluation.

Purchasing a non-subsidized private health insurance plan is one thing that they can do in order to have a better chance of not being considered a “public charge” and losing the opportunity to start a new life in America. If an individual enters the U.S with a private insurance plan, this shows DHS that they will not become a burden on the taxpayers and is viewed only as a positive in the application process.

As leaders in the international insurance industry, E&M Global Insurance foresaw these changes taking place. We partnered up with all of the major carriers and are able to get a policy approved as soon as possible. We are premier sponsors of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), working closely with immigration attorneys to ensure that their clients are not denied entry into the U.S due to inadequate insurance. Any individual who is looking to immigrate to the United States should take the first step toward securing their application and visit EMGlobalInsurance.com.