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IMG Protection America is a comprehensive coverage plan: /visitors-insurance-comprehensive-coverage-plans/ Let's say you buy $50,000 policy maximum with $250 deductible. If you get sick, first you pay $250 deductible once. Then insuance company will pay 80% for first $5,000 in eligible medical expenses. After $5,000, they will pay 100% up to policy maximum. IMG Visitors Care is a fixed coverage plan: /visitors-insurance-fixed-coverage-plans/ Let's say you buy $50,000 policy maximum with $75 deductible. If you get sick, first you pay $75 deductible once per policy period. Then insurance company will pay $50 for doctor's visit, $300 for emergency room visit, $3,000 for surgery and so forth. And you have to pay any difference beyond, no matter how high the difference may be. It is better to buy comprehensive coverage. Thank you very much for the clear clarification. one more question i would like to ask you. some of my friends told me InboundUSA insurance is also good.. I requested for an online quote for 6 months for my mother who is 49 years old and it gave the total premium as $231 with deductible of $75. Do you think that would be the good option ? which one do you suggest me to go either IMG or Inbound ? thank you very much in advance. Inbound USA is good as well. There are few differences between Inbound USA vs. Visitors Care. In Inbound USA, everything is per incident basis, while in Visitors Care, it is per period of coverage basis. e.g., in Inbound USA, you pay deductible of $75 per incident, while in Visitors Care, it is $75 per period of coverage. If you take $50,000 coverage, in Inbound USA, prescription drugs coverage is $100/incident, while it is $250 per period of coverage in Visitors Care. Please look at the brochures for both of these plans to look at more differences.

Yes, it is possible buy insurance with social security number. Please look at /j1-visa-health-insurance/ for J1 exchange visitor insurance.

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.