Does ObamaCare Provide Travel Insurance?
Hello.
My name is Lauren and I am currently looking into short-term health insurance to cover me between jobs. I will be finishing my current job at the end of April, and will not start my new job until probably July. All my checkups are up-to-date and I am quite healthy, so I would need coverage for a little over 2 months for emergency expenses. I will be traveling internationally during this time period, so would need coverage that covers me during travels.
Can you advise if there is an option for me with Obamacare? Thank you in advance.
Answer
Short term and travel insurance are sold by private companies, they don't count as coverage under the ACA, but if you'll have a less than three month gap you won't owe a fee.
You can learn more about short term coverage here.
Learn more about coverage gap exemptions from the fee here.
Make sure to keep in mind your employer may have a 90 day waiting period. To avoid having more than three month gap in coverage you can look for a major Medical plan on the Marketplace that covers traveling, get travelers as supplemental coverage, or simply pay the fee.
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Read the question before you answer. She’s asking if there is international coverage with Obama Care, not if she will be fined.
ObamaCare does not provide international health coverage, for traveling outside of the country one should go with travel insurance.
That being said, the fee part is important as a person must maintain coverage and or an exemption throughout the year unless they are outside of the country more than 330 days. In this story it sounds like there could be 3 or more months without minimum essential coverage through their job (due to the 90 day waiting period). They should be aware that short term and travel insurance don’t count as minimum essential coverage, that losing employer coverage triggers a special enrollment period for 60 days in the Health Insurance Marketplace, and that that coverage obtained through the Marketplace won’t help with traveling outside of the US (inside the US a multi-state PPO would cover you).