Foreign health-insurance has impact on LPR status?

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octopus

Registered Users (C)
I am long term permanent resident. For years, I had been uninsured. Since last year, I have health travel insurance from a foreign country that covers my medical expenses in the U.S.

I have personal reasons for that, but one of the obvious reasons is cost.

Should I be worried about its implication on my legal status as LPR? Does it in any way affect my eligibility for US citizenship?
 
octopus said:
I am long term permanent resident. For years, I had been uninsured. Since last year, I have health travel insurance from a foreign country that covers my medical expenses in the U.S.

I have personal reasons for that, but one of the obvious reasons is cost.

Should I be worried about its implication on my legal status as LPR? Does it in any way affect my eligibility for US citizenship?
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I can't imagine how that could affect your immigration status - but I have some additional thought.

Travel insurance is usually for a temporary period and when submitting a claim you would be expected to show that the trip was temporary (i.e. proof of round trip flights, temporary accommodation and so on). Are you sure your travel insurance will even pay out if you have a large claim?

Secondly, given that your insurance will not qualify under the ACA reforms, you will be "fined" via a tax penalty. Is that OK with you?

I have arranged a healthplan and pay the full unsubsidized cost - so yes - it is expensive. However, at lower incomes the costs are reduced though subsidy - are you sure it doesn't make sense to have a fully qualified plan and benefit from more than the "catastrophic illness" approach you are currently taking?
 
That insurance won't affect your LPR status in the US. But if the insurance company realizes you're a permanent resident of the US, they may refuse to pay, because that type of policy is based on you being a primary resident of the country where the policy was issued. Get a major injury or illness that costs over $20,000 in treatment, and they will dig that up as a reason not to pay.
 
My employer was offering me some health coverage through the company, but that would still be more costly than what I have from abroad.

The current insurance I have surely covers me, I read the agreement, I hope I didn't miss something important though.



However, my employer said that he fills an annual census/report where he has to state who has an insurance and who hasn't as well as those who have insurance through different insurance companies, in my case, a foreign off-shore company. I hope that still won't be an immigration issue, potential naturalization problem.



Thanks for the responses Jackolantern and others :-)
 
I have seen some of these foreign health insurance plans (in this case from Germany) designed for long stay expats to the US, but most would only cover you for up to a year or two, and I think they would not apply to anyone who is deemed a permanent resident of that country where you claim to be an expat to (because you are not, you are a permanent US resident).
 
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