If you have an insurance policy of any kind, it is important to decide how the policy will be handled if you are detained or deported. The first step in this process is to determine what types of insurance policies you and your family have in force.
Common kinds of insurance policies:
- Health insurance, which may be covered by your employer or purchased individually;
- Car insurance, if you own, lease, or operate a car;
- Homeowner’s insurance, if you own a residence;
- Renter’s insurance, if you rent their residence;
- Insurance on a business, if you own one;
- Life insurance, which may be covered by an employer or purchased individually; or
- Other forms of liability insurance.
You should familiarize yourself with the benefits received under your insurance policies, and what you would forgo in the event of change in status or cancellation of the policy.
Keep in mind that each type of insurance and each insurance carrier is different. The factors to consider and the strategy for handling each policy could depend on the insurance company’s rules and protocols.
If You Have Health Insurance Through the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”)
Lawfully present immigrants are eligible to use the Health Insurance Marketplace, but undocumented immigrants are not. If a change in immigration status means you are no longer lawfully present in the U.S., you are also no longer eligible for coverage under the ACA or for any other premium tax credits or savings on Marketplace plans that you receive. Marketplace recommends reporting any change in citizenship or immigration status to your insurance provider as soon as possible, however, each insurer will have different reporting requirements, policies on grace periods and consequences for failure to report. For more information, contact the Marketplace at 1-800-318-2596.