I have been living overseas for the past few years and returned to the US since March. Though I am in the US now, I am looking for jobs simultaneously in the US and the same foreign country I have been living in for the past few years.

My question is - should I sign up for healthcare coverage before mid May so that coverage starts in June as to avoid the penalty for 2017 though there is a chance that I may leave the US (say, in Oct 2017 if job search does not progress much)?

My concern is if I get coverage (probably Medicaid in an expanded Medicaid state as I currently do not have income) to start in June and then later leave the US, can I still claim foreign domicile for the entire year (i.e. coverage exemption) as if my domicile has not changed anytime during the year (I have established foreign domicile since I have lived overseas for years)?

In another scenario - if I do not get coverage but ended up started working in the US (say, 1 Sep 2017), then would I have a coverage gap in this case since I physically arrived in the US in Mar? Or could I claim foreign domicile ends right before work starts (e.g. 31 Aug 2017) without leaving the country?