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. Even if youre visiting the United States for several months, you generally wont 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 in the United States. If youre here as a tourist or have a non-immigrant visa, youll likely satisfy that requirement, says Jenny Rejeske, a health policy analyst at the National Immigration Law Center.
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But theres also a residency requirement to buy coverage on a state marketplace. In general, you have to be living in the state and intend to reside in the state, or work there, says Rejeske. Its unlikely that someone whos in the United States temporarily would meet those tests, she says.