Returning Expat Need Health Insurance (plan, coverage, Michigan, wife)

[jwt8070]

I have been living overseas for over a decade. Before I became an expat, I was single and has my health insurance through my employer. Now I am married with two kids and am self employed (my wife is a foreign national). My family plans to relocate to the US in summer 2019.

I am not familiar with the ObamaCare legislation since I was living outside the US when it happened so I hope people here can help me out.

1. I have been receiving emails from HealthCare.gov saying that the enrollment for 2019 is open until Dec 15 2018. Do I must enroll before the deadline (Dec 15) in order to purchase health insurance for 2019?

2. Can I purchase health insurane for less than a full year? Please note that we plan to move in summar 2019. We don't know the exact month when the move will happen.

3. Are there other health plan marketplaces out there? I only know HealthCare.gov. By the way, we plan to move to Michigan if it makes a difference.

4. What about dental insurance? Do we need to purchase dental plan separately? If so, are there marketplace for buying dental insurance?

[Gator Fan 79]

Originally Posted by jwt8070

I have been living overseas for over a decade. Before I became an expat, I was single and has my health insurance through my employer. Now I am married with two kids and am self employed (my wife is a foreign national). My family plans to relocate to the US in summer 2019.

I am not familiar with the ObamaCare legislation since I was living outside the US when it happened so I hope people here can help me out.

1. I have been receiving emails from HealthCare.gov saying that the enrollment for 2019 is open until Dec 15 2018. Do I must enroll before the deadline (Dec 15) in order to purchase health insurance for 2019?

2. Can I purchase health insurane for less than a full year? Please note that we plan to move in summar 2019. We don't know the exact month when the move will happen.

3. Are there other health plan marketplaces out there? I only know HealthCare.gov. By the way, we plan to move to Michigan if it makes a difference.

4. What about dental insurance? Do we need to purchase dental plan separately? If so, are there marketplace for buying dental insurance?

Hi JWT. Welcome back. Short answer for #1 and #2 is that moving to Michigan from out-of-state is a qualifying event that allows you to apply for an ACA policy based on your projected income for 2019. You have 60 days upon establishing residence to apply for coverage.

https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/heal...llment-period/

[nightlysparrow]

Have you sorted through the visa requirements for your wife and kids? If not, your projected date is very optimistic!

Presuming you have been filing a US tax return every year as the law requires of its citizens (on worldwide income, no matter where you reside), bring your 2017 and your 2018 transcripts (you will have filed 2018 by the time you're back). This will prove your self-employed income for the marketplace. My sister is self-employed, and the marketplace required her to submit her taxes.

If by chance you haven't filed, do that backfiling now or the IRS will penalize you.

No, there is no marketplace for dental insurance. It's entirely self-pay unless you buy a private policy somewhere, like Delta Dental.

[jwt8070]

Originally Posted by nightlysparrow

Have you sorted through the visa requirements for your wife and kids? If not, your projected date is very optimistic!

I have started the immigration process for my wife a few months back. Hope it will be completed before the summer.