# Obamacare for a dependent - cross border



## Catalanista (Aug 24, 2013)

I wonder if anyone here can help with a medical insurance question.
My US husband will be joining me shortly to live in the UK.
He has a legal responsibility to provide medical insurance for his daughter in texas , which he currently does via his US employer plan.
Obviously once he ceases working in the US his employer will no longer provide cover for his daughter.

What would be the best option for him to cover his daughter's insurance in Texas?
Can she get obamacare through her father who will be living in the UK?

He does not want to involve his ex's policy, if possible?


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

I've moved this into a thread of its own because it's a slightly tricky issue.

I suspect he'll have to get a private policy to cover his daughter, but precisely how that works I'm not sure. With luck someone here on the forum will have an idea.
Cheers,
Bev


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## Catalanista (Aug 24, 2013)

Thanks Bev, hopefully someone out there can help


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

He has at least a couple options:

1. Presumably his daughter is living with an adult in Texas, and that adult presumably has health insurance (or can get it, e.g. via the "Obamacare" health exchange). In my view an adult who does not have health insurance as a resident of Texas is not an adequate guardian for a minor, so I would not allow that point to be negotiable. He can then pay any health insurance premium difference to include his daughter within her household's insurance coverage. That difference should be negligible, and there are either no U.S. tax consequences or the tax consequences are favorable. This would be the preferred option, I think. She has every right to be included in that household's insurance coverage since she is living in that household.

2. He may be able to continue his employer-provided coverage for his daughter through something called COBRA. He would continue paying his employer for that coverage at the employer's group rate plus an administrative fee. Though I think he's required to continue his coverage too under COBRA, which probably means this is not an attractive option. He should check with his employer's HR department for details to see if he can continue coverage via COBRA only for his daughter.

3. His daughter may qualify for CHIP or Medicaid.

On edit: I would make sure that any insurance coverage for his daughter includes at least emergency care coverage when she is outside the U.S., e.g. visiting her father in the U.K. Many/most U.S. insurance carriers -- e.g. policies purchased through the Obamacare health insurance exchanges -- are very happy to provide such coverage since it's less expensive than U.S. care, but it's something to verify.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

On the COBRA idea, I would check to see how long COBRA coverage can be maintained. Everything had changed since I was last living in the US but IIRC COBRA coverage was limited to 12 to 18 months after leaving the employer.
Cheers,
Bev


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

What the child may or may not qualify for is irrelevant as long as the divorce decree states that the father is responsible for medical coverage. We have lived all over the US but Texas seems to be a state which does not dally with child support and divorce related obligations. Yes, I have seen travel restrictions being imposed.

COBRA covers the former employee plus respective dependents. Premiums are extremely high and it has a limited coverage period.

The Father can either arrange something with the mother to cover the child under her policy, take out a policy for the child only or work his way through Obama Care to find out if she can be covered by herself.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Before we get too much farther here, how old is his daughter? Also, does your husband claim his daughter as his dependent when he files taxes? Will that continue?


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

BBCWatcher said:


> Before we get too much farther here, how old is his daughter? Also, does your husband claim his daughter as his dependent when he files taxes? Will that continue?


In another post here, I believe she said that the daughter is 12 years old.
Cheers,
Bev


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

OK, let's assume 12. I wasn't sure if we're talking about a separate household with a young adult, but clearly we're not. (Yes, that's possible in at least some states. New York, for example, has routine child support orders that run until age 21 at least.)

I don't think there are too many options that do not involve the custodial parent's participation to a limited degree. The father is leaving the U.S. and losing his U.S. employer-provided coverage, so alternate arrangements must be made. I've listed those possible alternate arrangements.

With information about the daughter's household structure (including ages of the other members), county of residence, and household income I could probably run a calculation to estimate what if anything including her would add to an Obamacare exchange policy in terms of premiums. But that's the bottom line, really, that the non-custodial parent simply needs to cover that delta (and have assurance she's covered).

There is one additional "exotic" option I can think of: buying an "expat" policy that provides U.S. coverage for the daughter. That probably isn't going to be cheap (nor is COBRA if that's even an option), but how much is not talking to the other parent worth?


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## Catalanista (Aug 24, 2013)

Thanks guys. Yes shes 12, lives with mom and her unmarried partner in texas.
My husband only declares himself on tax declaration forms.

Looks like obamacare will be the way to go if thats at all possible.?


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

How does the custodial parent (the mother) get her health insurance today?


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## Bellthorpe (Jun 23, 2013)

twostep said:


> COBRA covers the former employee plus respective dependents. Premiums are extremely high and it has a limited coverage period.


Just beginning to look at health insurance premiums in anticipation of my wife and I both being self-employed. At first glance COBRA seems to be the best interim solution. But it's a minefield, and is going to need much spreadsheet time ...


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Bellthorpe said:


> Just beginning to look at health insurance premiums in anticipation of my wife and I both being self-employed. At first glance COBRA seems to be the best interim solution. But it's a minefield, and is going to need much spreadsheet time ...


OK, it may have changed, but as far as I know, COBRA is a law allowing someone to pay for their own healthcare under the employer plan for a period of time after being terminated. If you haven't been employed in the US with an employer health care plan, then I don't think COBRA applies to you.
Cheers,
Bev


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## Bellthorpe (Jun 23, 2013)

Sure, and thanks, but my wife is presently employed, with an excellent health plan. Hence us looking at COBRA


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