Coverage Requirements for New Citizen Traveling?
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My wife is a US citizen who lives outside the US. We were married in July and she was here for only 21 days. She doesn’t have health insurance and under the residency requirement, she is exempt. However she has to come back to the US in November and will likely be here for more than a month. That means she would have been outside the US for less than 330 days this year. Does she need to get health insurance as soon as she arrives and if she does apply, will she get it right away? And if she does not, does she pay the penalty for only the months she was in the US without health coverage?
Heidi Massari
I split my time between California and Nevada for about 100 days a year (50 days each state) and spend the rest of my time overseas, where I am a dual citizen. I am self-employed so need to obtain insurance under the ACA. Would I be required to obtain insurance under Covered California or Nevada or a third marketplace?
Erin
If you are a bona fide resident of a foreign for the entire tax year you are considered covered with regards to the Affordable Care Act and the mandate to have minimal essential coverage whether you have coverage or not. There’s more details in the answer on this page.
If you are still required to purchase insurance, than you are going to choose the state you consider a residence in for tax purposes. If they truly are 50/50 and no true residence, then I would call both Marketplaces and ask them directly. If you are able to shop in either, you should take the time to look at plans on both Marketplaces (California and Nevada) and compare coverage options and prices (which vary regionally). Then I also suggest that you consider getting catastrophic coverage (if eligible) or at least looking at the coverage networks of each plan closely to find the network that will work best for your preventative and primary care which is covered before deductible.
Rajan
I am a green card holder and will be traveling abroad from October 20, 2016 through April 3, 2017. During this period, I will have no income. I will be paying taxes in 2016 and 2017. I have insurance through October 26, 2016. I believe I can use the short gap exemption rule for 2016. Do I need to get insurance for Jan-March 2017, even though I will not be in the US during that time? I intend to enroll in a health care plan in April 2017.
Taimur Amjad
Hello, I am a US citizen and currently live in Maryland. I have health insurance through my Maryland employer. On Sep 9th I will be moving abroad permanently. I will qualify for the foreign earned income exclusion and also intend to give up Maryland residency.
I would still like to buy health insurance to cover my visits to the US for ~30 days and also in case there is a medical emergency and I need to come to the US for treatment (since healthcare is poor where I am going). My question is do I buy from the exchange (and if so which state since I intend to declare myself non-resident for Maryland) or can I buy insurance somewhere else for the purpose described? What are my best options?
Thanks!