A Reader Asks: Can Foreign Visitors Buy Health Insurance Exchange Plans?

A Reader Asks: Can Foreign Visitors Buy Health Insurance Exchange Plans?

Q. Does Obamacare offer coverage to visitors to the United States who plan to stay for up to six months?

A Reader Asks: Can Foreign Visitors Buy Health Insurance Exchange Plans?

A. Even if you鈥檙e visiting the United States for several months, you generally won鈥檛 be eligible to buy a health plan on the health insurance marketplace, say experts.

In addition to United States citizens, the exchanges are open to people who are 鈥溾�� in the United States. If you鈥檙e here as a tourist or have a non-immigrant visa, you鈥檒l likely satisfy that requirement, says Jenny Rejeske, a health policy analyst at the National Immigration Law Center.

More From This Series Insuring Your Health

A Reader Asks: Can Foreign Visitors Buy Health Insurance Exchange Plans?

But there鈥檚 also a residency requirement to buy coverage on a state marketplace. In general, 鈥測ou have to be living in the state and intend to reside in the state,鈥� or work there, says Rejeske. It鈥檚 unlikely that someone who鈥檚 in the United States temporarily would meet those tests, she says.

Related Topics

InsuranceCost and QualityInsuring Your Health

More from 吃瓜不打烊