Ask Our Specialists

Does it include CW-1 holders (Visa for Professionals and Other Workers)? Yes

1. As long as there are no claims submitted, insurance company will refund fully unused months minus $25 cancellation fee. It is mentioned in the brochure. Please look at the section named 'Quality Guarantee' at /patriot-america-lite/visitor-insurance/ This section is below 'Optional Riders' and above 'Preferred Provider Network'. In your example, you get refund for 1 month minus $25 cancellation fee as long as there are no claims submitted. 2. It will be covered as long as it was during first 3 months. You are simply extending the coverage. You are not repurchasing the insurance. Everything remains same. You are just making the payment in installments. You will have the same policy number with extended dates. It is explicitly not written in the brochure because it is not an issue. And every possible scenario or question that the customer may have can not be practically covered in the brochure. That's why brokers like ourselves provide help and further clarify the matters. I hope that answers your questions. If you have any further questions, please feel free to post them here or call us. I read the refund section. Thanks for clarifying the extension issue, i.e., the extension is not treated as a new policy. I have gone ahead and taken the IMG Protection America plan from this site for 4 months and will extend it later, if needed.

Honestly, those limits are well below the actual expenses. In your example, you will have to pay $1000 out of your pocket. That is not that bad. What if the surgery costs $20,000 or $30,000? (And, many times it can.) You will still have to the difference yourself. If the limits in fixed coverage plan were enough or close to enough, comprehensive coverage plans would not exist that cost 2 to 3 times more. Please read /visitors-insurance-types/ I always recommend everyone to buy comprehensive coverage plans. To understand how the plans work, for example, please look at Visitors Care procedure at /international-medical-ppo-network/ and Protection America procedure at /international-medical-ppo-network/

New immigrants are NOT eligible for benefits like Medicare. Medicare has two parts: Part A and Part B. Part A covers major things like hospitalizations, surgeries etc. Part B covers other things like prescription drugs, dr. office visits etc. Within Part B, there are different levels of coverage: From A to J. You can say, BA to BJ. Regular US persons (citizens, residents etc.) can get Medicare Part A if they have worked in US for 40 quarters (10 years for most people) and are above the age of 65+. New immigrants can't get that. If they have stayed in US for 5 years as greencard holder, and above 65+, they can BUY medicare from the government. Part B has to be purchased by everyone, even those who are US citizens, born in US and have worked in US all their life. This is commonly referred as Medicare Supplement Insurance. (Again, the eligibility to buy this one is also same as Part A.) In short, new immigrants can't get Medicare. Therefore, they will have to purchase private health insurance. However, as everyone in US who has been here for long time in US will go to Medicare at the age of 65, regular domestic health insurance companies like Aetna, Cigna, Blue Cross, Fortis, Unicare (and thousands others) don't sell health insurance to 65+. New immigrants are entering the system from the middle. Then how to fill the gap? Therefore, new immigrants have to purchase essentially the same type of insurance plans that are purchased by visitors. Actually, visitors insurance is popularly used term. However, it is the same temporary insurance for anyone who comes to US new or temporarily on any visa, or even new immigrant, who is non US citizen, that can't get insurance from regular domestic health insurance companies in US. Only difference is duration for which people would want to buy the coverage. While visitors would buy coverage for short period, new immigrant would buy for longer duration. Keeping that in mind, we have dedicated page just for new immigrants at /new-immigrant-insurance/ Of course, any such gap filling insurance would NOT cover any pre-existing conditions, general physical check ups etc. It is like this, "something is better than nothing". You are buying it because there is no other option. Also, you can't get other benefits like Medicaid etc. Before they immigrate to the US, you would have signed an affidavit of support form I-864 (https://www.immihelp.com/show-form/i-864) that you are going to take care of all their expenses and they will not be burden on government etc, etc. If they now try to utilize anything like Medicaid because of old age, no or low income etc, government can actually send the bills to their sponsor for reimbursement. This voids the purpose of trying to utilize anything like Medicaid and it may also adversely affect your ability to sponsor more people in future. Thanks very much for an excellent answer. Does that mean if my mother has a problem involving a pre-existing condition during those 5 years, it will be catastrophic financially? I have a brother who is a expecting his canadian immigrant visa very soon and he can sponsor my mother for canada after he moves there. Can you tell me if the health insurance scenario would be better in canada for my mother (as a visitor as well as an immigrant)? Please advise as it is a critical decision for our family. Thanks again. You are right. Until you get Medicare, you will be on your own if something related to pre-existing condition occurs. While I am not an expert in Canadian insurance, at a high level, I know that Canadian residents can get public health benefits (I am not sure of waiting period, if any; age factor, if any.) For visitors to Canada, it would be same situation as visitors to USA as visitors to Canada are NOT eligible for public health benefits. New immigrants are NOT eligible for benefits like Medicare. ........ Regular US persons (citizens, residents etc.) can get Medicare Part A if they have worked in US for 40 quarters (10 years for most people) and are above the age of 65+. New immigrants can't get that. If they have stayed in US for 5 years as greencard holder, and above 65+, they can BUY medicare from the government. Hello I was a green card holder for 15 years, worked in well-paying jobs for more than 40 quarters (over 10 years). Then I had to go back for family reasons. Now, my son is sponsoring me for a GC. I am 65+. Please tell me where do I stand with respect to medical insurance coverage? Naina Dear Naina, I believe that you would be able to get Medicare as you have worked in US for 40 quarters. Dear Naina, I believe that you would be able to get Medicare as you have worked in US for 40 quarters. Thanks very much for the response. Naina I learnt a lot of facts from this thread. Thank you all. Is Medicare only for those who worked for 40 quarters in USA? I know of a LOT of families where wifes are housewifes - either due to H4 visa or lack of opportunities or lack of education or due to small kids. They all are young (< 40) and would have never thought about Medicare. (I myselves never went this far and thought about Medicare). Do you think all those who are housewifes forever in USA will be eligible for Medicare once they become USC? Their husbands are in well paid jobs and would have worked in USA for more than 30 yrs by they time they reach 65. I am just curious to know.. Thank you all in advance.. Non working spouse can get medicare based on the work history of working spouse. That's why that is not a problem. Thank you for the clarification... Just to clarify, I've sponsored both my parents for GC. My mom has worked for 10+ years in the US. My dad did not. Now that they are both GC holders, my mom who is about to turn 65 would qualify for Medicare and her SS benefits. Will my dad as a spouse qualify for medicare as well as 50% of my mom's SS benefits? Will this in any way violate the affidavit of support I signed? Your response is much appreciated. ync I was unclear if your quote below is in response to the question about parents who are USC only. Sorry if you have to repeat this. thanks. Non working spouse can get medicare based on the work history of working spouse. That's why that is not a problem. Your dad getting SS benefits based on your mother's work history is not a problem and does not conflict with the affidavit of support your provided. And this applies to any one who worked for 40 quarters in US, not just US citizens.

Both are good plans. You can actually visit /international-student-medical-insurance/, enter your crieria and you will see the prices for both the products. You can check the boxes next to each product and you can compare them side by side to decide which product would be most suitable for you. And if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time.

These are little unusual questions and I had to get clarification from IMG. Following is their reply. 1. All those eligible tests would be covered under hospital room & board including miscellaneous. 2. This is a hypothetical situation that is difficult to answer. The determination is made based on the medical information and records we receive. My instinct is: for a disease with a minimum incubation of 15 days, if the insured is found to be infected as of day 10, that would probably be deemed pre-existing lacking any evidence to the contrary. 3. It would depend on whether or not the above disease was covered. Complications of a non-covered disease are also not covered. Thankyou for the information, I appreciate the prompt response. Some how, the answer to the second question bothers me, because, how would any one even know about it, unless the doctors find out that there is a virus which is making all the trouble and I believe incubation periods of various viruses is not common knowledge. I hope the answer could be wrong. Anyways, thanks again. Pratik Pai The precise answer is "Any condition that manifested before the effective date would not be covered". Everything else is derived from that. For some condition to be considered pre-existing, it is not necessary that the person knows about it, or has symptoms. If incubation period is not common knowledge, then it would be determined based on doctor's opinion whether the condition manifested before the effective date or afterwords. And claim would be adjusted accordingly. From what you suggest : "Any condition that manifested before the effective date would not be covered" Manifested: (dictionary says) is "Clearly apparent to the sight or understanding; obvious" So if the disease is not clearly apparent to the sight or understanding, which can be the case with (my example) Hepatitis A virus, the insurance should not have a problem reimbursing. Again, thanks of lot for the information and I appreciate your help, this is nothing against you or what you have written, rather just seeking clarification for my better understanding. You definitely provide a greater service by helping people like me with these questions. But some how I have come to believe that this whole insurance thing does not serve the purpose. For older people, one can very well assume one or the other condition like diabetes, bp or heart disease, which ofcourse they do not cover. They should charge more premium if that is needed, but provide "insurance", and not just extort money and turn away when called. 1. I am not saying it would not be covered. As I said before, it is impossible for anyone to tell in advance whether something is going to be definitely covered. It is all decided when the claim is submitted and the adjuster has all the information in front of her/him including but not limited to the treatment, test results, exam notes, attending physician report and medical records. Everything else would be just hypothetical discussion and we can continue to discuss it forever. However, unfortunately, I don't have any more precise answer for you. 2. There is no insurance plan from any company anywhere that would cover pre-existing conditions for visitors to USA. There is no other choice or better option. It is simply not economical for any insurance company to cover pre-existing conditions. No matter what premium they charge, they will always end up paying more money than they collect. Insurance is for future protection. And they will generally cover any new medical conditions, sicknesses, injuries or accidents that may occur after the effective date of the policy.