American ex-pats (present or former) I need your help!
April 9, 2015 8:09 AM   Subscribe

Please, someone tell me how to get insurance for the several months I am in the US without being a permanent resident.

I've asked some form of this question before, and got some solid advice, but no specific suggestions of how to do this, so I thought I'd try again.

I am an American citizen, and an expat, and I have state insurance in my country. My partner is a green card holder of the US, currently living abroad (with permission of the US government -- he has a re-entry permit so he doesn't lose his "residence" even though they know he's now living abroad.)

We are spending several months in the US this year (and hopefully in future years.) How the hell do we get insurance?

Here's the problem: I've seen temporary insurance plans that either don't cover US citizens, or require you to be resident for the past few months. That won't work. I've also seen ones that would cover expat US citizens but not permanent residents (because, in theory, your are a resident.)

Travel insurance that we have does not seem to cover us for longer than a month or so.

We are considering just getting normal "I live here" ACA insurance (some upsides to that, and willing to pay the money) BUT that seems to require you being a resident, and 1) we aren't resident and 2) we're worried this might screw up our non-residency status for tax purposes (all of the money we make is abroad, and we don't want to pay double taxes.)

Still, we don't really need fancy insurance -- basically just emergency for us and our kid. Will pay out of pocket for any other care we need.

I honestly welcome any thoughts at all on this incredibly aggravating situation!!!
posted by EtTuHealy to Health & Fitness (5 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
You do not qualify for ACA; don't do that.

Travel insurance that we have does not seem to cover us for longer than a month or so.

You have two choices. Even though you are just going on one trip, get a multi-trip policy. They don't have the same limitations. My travel insurance company charges like €60 for this.

You can also buy multiple single trip policies. For a family of 3, my insurance company is quoting €113 for 30 days. So buy from the AA for month 1, someone else for month 2, the AA for month 3, etc.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:20 AM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]


Are you sure you'll pass the tests for the foreign earned income exemptions if you're in the US for several months in a year? The physical presence test requires you to be abroad for at least 330 days in a 12-month period, and the bona fide residence test rules are sufficiently hand-wave-y but feel like multi-month stays in the US will probably not make the IRS happy.
posted by that girl at 12:40 PM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]


I'm going to echo that girl - I can't help you re. the insurance options, but I'd seriously look into whether you're going to be able to claim to be "non-resident" for tax purposes. Both my sister and I have both gone through this: as that girl says, you need to be abroad for 330 days to count as non-resident in the physical presence test, and the other one is less clear-cut, but either way I'm not sure a "several month" stay in the US is going to work well for being able to claim foreign earned income exemption.
posted by ClaireBear at 12:53 PM on April 9, 2015


I used World Nomads while backpacking and for the few weeks I was back in the US that happened before that policy finished and before I got back on my dad's insurance. I had a 4 month policy . They consider travel as going 150 or 200 miles away from your place of permanent residence. They were surprisingly fast about reimbursement too!

I believe they do family plans too.
posted by astapasta24 at 2:46 PM on April 9, 2015


Like you, I'm a US citizen residing outside the US, have health insurance in my country of residence and who needs to visit the US for a few months. I input my hypothetical 2 1/2 month travel plans into the insurance selector at squaremouth.com. Results: USA-Assist has policies. I know nothing of the company or it's policies.
posted by Homer42 at 5:15 AM on April 10, 2015 [1 favorite]


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