ITIN used for health insurance

 

A member asks:

I would like to know if somebody can qualify for health insurance with ITIN number. I do not have a social security number. If yes, what will be the requirement to apply for medical coverage in this case?

OnlineAdviser responds:

Yes an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) issued by the US Department of Treasury Internal Revenue Service (IRS)can be used in place of the social security number (SSN) on any insurance application. The IRS requires that an insurance company obtain the SSN or ITIN of any policy owner who may receive an insurance benefit payment. 

There is no difference in the insurance application procedure; just use the ITIN in the social security number field for any policy listed on Freedom Benefits or the supported insurance exchanges.

As a side issue, you may need to know that a few health insurance plans require American citizenship and, if so, this would be one of the questions on the application. An ITIN can still be accepted instead of a social security number even for these plans. Eligibility for the large majority of health insurance plans is based solely on location of residence and citizenship is not an issue.

Keep in mind that it takes up to six weeks to obtain a ITIN so plan in advance if you need this. International insurance policies for foreign nationals in the US do not require a SSN or ITIN so this may be a better option for a short term insurance coverage need. See the listing of international policies on the Site Map for more information.

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