Tag Archives: health insurance

Now You Have Your H-1B or E-3 Visa What About Social Security & Healthcare?

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Apart from the fact online there is very limited information (especially freely available) about the whole visa process, how much it costs and how you can get one beyond a forum here and there, there is also not much about this topic.

So you have followed your own instincts, other resources or maybe even the information contained in this blog. You now have your H-1B visa or your E-3 Visa and you are soon to board a plane to take you to the US.

Well the first thing is to realise that you will have an experience that will benefit you for the rest of your life and no matter what you may face that may be different from what you are used to, it will be a challenge that will only benefit you.

So there are 2 aspects of society, I will cover briefly in this post today and combined with other posts both already posted and in the future you will get a great insight into the US life in the early days.

1. Social Security Number

This number is the absolute key to you function in the US System. Once you have a Social Security Number, you have it for life so if you have applied and received for a social security number on a prior visa like J-1 visa for Work and Travel or Internship that number still applies.

Many companies and people are under the mistaken illusion that you can’t get paid until you have the Social Security Number but that is NOT entirely true. You must have APPLIED for the Social Security Number at the the very least and your employer can put APPLIED where they would normally write your number on the employer tax forms. Then when you get the number it can be inputted. (this is the Government Social Security Site confirming you do not need a SSN to begin work).

You can apply for your Social Security Number (SSN) a few days after you arrive in the US on a work visa like H1B or E3. The reason why you have to wait a few days is that your arrival needs to be registered in the US System and that can take a few days.

All you need is your Passport with your visa, your I-94 card, filled out application form and letter of employment and you are set. The card will be mailed to usually within 2-8 weeks. You can often go back to the same office a few days later and get your number even if you haven’t got your card.

This number will be used by landlords, phone companies, banks/credit cards, health providers and of course your employer to verify you, check your credit, etc. so do not give this out to anyone as it is the basis of identity fraud in the US.

2. Health Care and Health Insurance in the US

I have a link to my Health 101 post in the US which is a little more detailed than this short synopsis will be. Suffice to say Healthcare and Health Insurance in the US is nothing like anywhere else in the world.

It is extremely expensive, there is virtually no safety net and the entire industry is a for profit venture like any other business. In most parts of the world, you are probably used to a system where your Government covers half, most or all of your health and medication costs. If Private Insurance is part of your system, the monthly costs or premiums while seeming excessive in your own land pales in comparison to the hundreds of dollars a month required here for the basic coverage.

Well chances are your employer either fully or maybe in conjunction with a deduction in your pay check is paying for your Health Insurance. Most coverage comes in 4 parts, being medical, prescription, dental and optical.

The terms you have to become familar with is the US Health system are;

co-pays: Which is a payment made by you as a small contribution for a medical visit (usually $10-$50 depending on your plan). Some plans have no co-pays

Rx: Is the US short hand mean prescription

in-network: Your health insurance provider negotiates rates with providers so they will usually cover 100% of fees if you visit somebody in network. They may only pay 80-90% of costs if you visit some out of network.

Also just as a final point of note US eye doctors and optometrists are not allowed to fill foreign eye prescriptions. You must have a prescription from a US doctor (you can always find places in Chinatown areas that will bend this rule)

I hope this all helped…till next time. 🙂

CJ

Health Insurance 101 while working on a US Visa

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So most people have probably heard scary stories about the US Health system and/or seen Michael Moore’s documentary Sicko and have a lot pre conceived notions about the US Health System.
Look Michael Moore did focus on the absolute worst types of cases to get his message across but the genesis core of his message is true.

The US Health System is first and foremost a business and secondary a process for caring for people!

So while there a few exceptions, most processes follow that rule and also is why the corporate players in this industry make a lot of money  (i.e. owners of clinics, pharmaceutical executives, owners of pharmacies, etc.).

As foreigners (or non=immigrants as we are classified) on a working visa like H-1B, L-1, E-3, etc. or other types of visa like J-1 we also have an additional set of things we need to be wary of when living in the US. Some states like Massachussets make health insurance mandatory either via the employer or paying yourself.

For the true working visas; H-1B, L-1, E-3, etc. there is no specific requirement that you have health insurance. In most cases you will be with employer who either mostly or fully pay your monthly premiums on your behalf for medical, prescription, dental and vision insurance. At the corporate negotiated rates this probably amounts to hundreds of dollars a month (probably minimum $350-$400/month for all three).

There is no public health system in the US…Repeat….There is no public health system in the US

So If your employer does not provide you with private health insurance and you don’t take it out yourself, you are not covered for anything in any situation. Should you choose to visit a doctor for a general check up at the casual rate, your bill can run into the hundreds of dollars!

While I will give you further tips in another post, even if you have health insurance, the insurers are looking to deny you coverage at any possible opportunity so don’t assume automatically they will pay for your visit. Like I said it is a business firstly!

So stay tuned in the future as I will tell you how to frame doctor visits and write letters to insurance companies to appeal their ridiculous judgments.

For the J-1 visa holders, your health insurance is mandatory in most cases and either via your sponsor organization or an approved insurer you will need to pay for a travel type insurance policy. (occasionally some interns will have nice employers that provide them full insurance but this is rare).

This travel policy generally is designed to cover only the basics when you are truly sick or hurt performing general activities. It is not for general check ups, issues with sexuality/pregnancy, usually only emergency minimal dental, no optical coverage, no alternative care or chiropractic, etc.

Depending on your policy for all visa holders , you will also have to pay what is known as a co-pay (co-payment) for your doctor visits and this ranges mostly between $0-50 depending on your plan. So often even with full coverage insurance that applies to your visit you will still have to pay money! This increases even more if you are talking about hospital visits and surgeries.

I know this post sounds like all doom and gloom…well it is for a large proportion of US citizens as well but I will do my best in my posts to help you navigate through the mess! 🙂

CJ