School me on the ACA, Private Health Insurance, and SaskHealth

[FrozenToes]

I tried posting this in the Health subforum, but didn't get any replies or much interest there. I'm hoping someone here has or is figuring this out already and can help us out a little.

My spouse will be immigrating to Canada from the US partway through the year, and will be on a visitor visa while the family class PR application is processed (and therefor not working). They currently have employer provided health insurance in the US, but that will end when they move. SaskHealth said that they'll be eligible for provincial coverage once CIC issues their AoR on the application (all things told, it looks like about 3-4 months from crossing the border to health card in hand). I have additional health insurance through work that will cover spouses, though I'm not sure yet if that will be immediate or dependent on the provincial coverage.

What we're trying to work out are our obligations and options under the ACA - they'll be in the US enough of this year not to qualify for the non-resident exemption, and will need to file a US tax return next year (probably?), so I'm assuming we'll have to do something, but I'm not sure what our options are, which might make sense, or where to start figuring this out. Answers, suggestions, or even pointers to good resources would be much appreciated.

 

[Ponga]

Since you are speaking about `them' in the third person, does that mean that you are not coming to Canada with them?

If you are not...you ARE included in your wife's PR application correct?!?! Because if you are not declared as her spouse, she could NEVER sponsor you to Canada.

I started a thread here discussing the ACA and how it impacts an American moving to Canada:

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/-t274152.0.html


Hope this helps a bit.

 

[FrozenToes]

Since you are speaking about `them' in the third person, does that mean that you are not coming to Canada with them?

If you are not...you ARE included in your wife's PR application correct?!?! Because if you are not declared as her spouse, she could NEVER sponsor you to Canada.

Sorry for any confusion, I tend to use singular they as a pronoun a lot. I'm a Canadian citizen already living and working in Canada and will be sponsoring the PR application.

A link to that thread sounds like it could be very useful, thanks!

 

[OntarioBound]

I tried posting this in the Health subforum, but didn't get any replies or much interest there. I'm hoping someone here has or is figuring this out already and can help us out a little.

My spouse will be immigrating to Canada from the US partway through the year, and will be on a visitor visa while the family class PR application is processed (and therefor not working). They currently have employer provided health insurance in the US, but that will end when they move. SaskHealth said that they'll be eligible for provincial coverage once CIC issues their AoR on the application (all things told, it looks like about 3-4 months from crossing the border to health card in hand). I have additional health insurance through work that will cover spouses, though I'm not sure yet if that will be immediate or dependent on the provincial coverage.

What we're trying to work out are our obligations and options under the ACA - they'll be in the US enough of this year not to qualify for the non-resident exemption, and will need to file a US tax return next year (probably?), so I'm assuming we'll have to do something, but I'm not sure what our options are, which might make sense, or where to start figuring this out. Answers, suggestions, or even pointers to good resources would be much appreciated.

He will have to file a US tax return next year because he is a US citizen (no way around this if he is a US citizen). As for ACA, if he wants to do everything by the book, yes, he will need to get health coverage where he resides, which most likely will be only for the state where the coverage is issued. He could look into Cobra from his current employer he is leaving also instead of going the ACA route (Cobra is usually fairly expensive especially when it includes one dependent, but the out of pocket could be lower than some of the ACA choices.) So my feeling is, he will need to sign up for the ACA, or for Cobra (for himself and his dependents) and get some kind of coverage that will work within Canada. (If your husband has made too much money this year in the US already, he won't be able to get any ACA discount, so he will have to sign up on the open market.) At least, that's what I would do. Good luck to you.