If your family member is in the US on an H1B visa, you can accompany them under a permit known as an H4 visa. This visa allows you to stay in the country while your family member is working in the US, but of course, it’s important that you have the required health insurance should you need medical attention while staying in the country.
Do H4 Visa Holders Need Health Insurance?
No, you don’t need health insurance while in the US under an H4 visa, but they are also ineligible for U.S. marketplace insurance. Your immigration status under H-visa types is not connected with a health insurance requirement, but it’s in your best interest to have it for the following reasons:
- Healthcare is expensive in the US. In fact, according to Healthcare.gov, the average cost of a three-day hospital stay in the US is around $30,000. With insurance, you are better prepared to cover any medical-related costs.
- It may be a requirement in some states in the US. So, if your family member lives in California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, or Vermont, you and your family are required to declare proof of health insurance in your tax form; otherwise, you risk paying a tax penalty.
Health Insurance Options for H4 Visa Holders
Similarly to your family member who is on an H1B visa, you have the following options for health insurance while you are in the US:
- Short-term visitor insurance.
- Long-term health insurance.
Short Term Visitor Insurance
This kind of insurance is ideal for you during your initial stay in the US after you get your H4 visa. For those first few months, you are not yet considered a resident, so you can’t buy long-term health insurance in the US as citizens and residents do.
This is where short-term visitor’s insurance is a great option. It will cover you until you can buy long-term health insurance. The best option for you to find short-term insurance is Insbuy, an insurance broker that allows you to compare several health insurance plans and their benefits simultaneously and purchase the insurance plan directly from there.
Comparison marketplaces like Insubuy have different types of health insurance plans listed, making it possible for you to read each policy carefully before settling on the one which best suits the needs of your family members.
Long-Term Health Insurance
After you’re considered a resident, usually after living in the country for 6 months or more, you have the following options for long-term health insurance:
- Insurance through your spouse/employment. Your family member who has an H1B visa is most likely to have health insurance through their company/employer. In most cases, you, as their spouse/partner/family member, can also be included under the same health insurance policy. This means you do not have to purchase a health insurance policy on your own.
- Insurance from the Marketplace. You can also purchase insurance from the Marketplace at Health.gov, a government-run site where you can find more affordable insurance and insurance plans that follow the Affordable Care Act guidelines.
- Insurance directly from an insurance company. If, for whatever reason, your family member does not have employer-based insurance, then you also have the option to buy any health insurance policy from a health insurance company in the US.
Please note that under H4 visa, you do not have a social security number since this is a non-immigrant (short-term) visa. As a result, most health insurance companies will be hesitant to cover you without a social security number, so the best option for you for health insurance is being covered through your family member’s insurance.
Does H4 Visa Health Insurance Cover Pregnancy?
In most cases, it covers pregnancy and maternity care, but there are a few things to consider depending on when you buy your insurance:
- If you buy your insurance while you are already pregnant— your best option is to get coverage through your spouse’s insurance from work. They might be able to include you in the insurance plan, but there might be a waiting period before your maternity services are covered. Otherwise, any other health insurance plan will most likely not cover your pregnancy at this point.
- If you buy your insurance before becoming pregnant, you can explore more options in terms of health insurance, but employer-based insurance is still your best option since looking into individual health insurance is difficult without a social security number.
Can I Stay in the US with a H4 Visa Without Insurance?
Yes, as mentioned above, health insurance is not mandatory, so you can stay in the country with your family members without insurance.
However, we don’t really recommend this because, think of it this way: the longer you stay in the country, the more likely you will need some type of medical service, e.g., if you get sick or injured.
In this case, without insurance, you are solely responsible for paying your medical fees, and because healthcare costs in the US are expensive, you will most likely suffer a financial loss.