Many newcomers have weeks or months with no health insurance. A short gap can still bring a very large bill. Plan for it in your first week.
Job waiting period. Many employers make new workers wait before their health plan starts. Under federal law, a job plan's waiting period cannot be longer than 90 days. Ask HR: "What day does my coverage start?"
Coverage from home usually stops when you move.
Visitor insurance often ends when your status changes.
Option 1: Marketplace special enrollment
If you are lawfully present (for example a green card holder, refugee, or many work visa holders and their families), you can usually buy a Marketplace plan at healthcare.gov or your state site.
Moving to the US from abroad is a life event. You usually get 60 days to sign up.
Losing other coverage is also a life event.
Coverage starts only after you pick a plan and pay the first premium (monthly price).
See When you can sign up: open and special enrollment for the steps.
Option 2: Bridge to a job plan
If your job plan starts in two or three months, you can still buy a Marketplace plan now and cancel it when the job plan starts. Tell the Marketplace about the new coverage so you do not keep paying.
Option 3: Short-term health plans
Short-term plans are sold by private companies for a limited time. They can be cheaper, but:
They do not have to follow the main health law rules.
They often do not cover pre-existing conditions (health problems you had before), pregnancy, mental health or prescriptions.
They can have low payment limits.
Read the list of what is not covered before you buy. Federal rules on how long they can last are changing, and states add their own rules.
Most schools require F-1 and J-1 students to have a school health plan or an approved plan of their own. J-1 students and their families must meet State Department insurance rules. Ask your international office when the school plan starts. It may start on the first day of the term, not the day you land.
If you get sick in the gap
For a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the ER. Hospitals with emergency rooms must check and stabilize you even if you cannot pay.
For other problems, try a community health center. They charge by income. See Care without insurance: health centers and free clinics.
Ask for the cash price before a visit or test. Many urgent care centers and labs have one.
After a hospital visit, ask the billing office about financial assistance.
Thinking the job plan starts on your first workday.
Missing the 60-day window after arriving.
Buying a short-term plan without reading what it excludes.