Sick Aunt - What are the chances?

[James-Bond007 6]

Experts - 

Hope all are doing well. I have a situation that i'd like to get your advice on.

 

I have an aunt who has not been feeling well for years, and after many diagnosis at different public and private clinics, they said she has arthritis. This started 3 years ago, and until today, after many medications she is been on for years, the pain isn't going away. I would like to explore another route: bring her here for opinions from specialists in the state, hoping to find what exactly is wrong with her. She can't sponsor herself, and I want to sponsor her. 

 

Based on your experience, what are the chances for her to be granted a visa? This is not intended for her to IMMIGRATE in the state because she is married and has 2 kids.

 

I have can prove income for past years, with some cash in savings. If granted visa, I will be paying her bills out of pockets as they come. She raised me and I want to return the favor. Does she have a shot at getting a visa? thanks for your inputs.    

[Boiler 43,396]

Strongly suggest you check the costs of any treatment, some savings is unlikely to hack it.

 

She can visit on the VWP for treatment.

[Lemonslice 4,549]

5 minutes ago, James-Bond007 said:

Experts - 

Hope all are doing well. I have a situation that i'd like to get your advice on.

 

I have an aunt who has not been feeling well for years, and after many diagnosis at different public and private clinics, they said she has arthritis. This started 3 years ago, and until today, after many medications she is been on for years, the pain isn't going away. I would like to explore another route: bring her here for opinions from specialists in the state, hoping to find what exactly is wrong with her. She can't sponsor herself, and I want to sponsor her. 

 

Based on your experience, what are the chances for her to be granted a visa? This is not intended for her to IMMIGRATE in the state because she is married and has 2 kids.

 

I have can prove income for past years, with some cash in savings. If granted visa, I will be paying her bills out of pockets as they come. She raised me and I want to return the favor. Does she have a shot at getting a visa? thanks for your inputs.    

Where is your aunt?  Your profile says France and if she is French she probably would not need a visa to visit for a consult.

 

You might also want to look into a service like this one: 

https://www.massgeneral.org/second-opinions/

 

Wishing your aunt the best, hopefully she can find the appropriate treatment.

[TNJ17 1,329]

Where is she from? If she’s from France, you guys have waaaaaay better healthcare than we do and no cost, so I don’t see why you’d wanna bring her here. Anyways, if she’s from France she doesn’t need a visa and should have no issues coming in. 

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

Alternatively if she wants to stay longer than the 90 days on VWP she can apply for a B medical visa, she’d need to show details of the treatment, that she can pay for it etc.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

   They will want proof of funds to cover living expenses and treatment.  

[Coco8 1,039]

Instead of going to clinics, she needs to look for doctors that are also professors at some university or at a research hospital that are specialists in arthritis or rheumatology more generally. 

 

I'm from a 3rd world country and I can get better healthcare here than in the US. I avoid going to the doctor in the US. A few months ago I went to the doctor and he gave a battery of blood tests, which cost me a fortune, and he didn't include the basic test he should have included! Ridiculous. My family is full of doctors so if there is a serious medical issue in the family, we just look for the person or persons who will are the best in the country for that and that is it. Plus, healthcare is not ridiculously expensive. 

[yuna628 9,527]

I would suggest putting efforts into investigating who is the best professor or doctor on rheumatology in France, and exploring options there first. She won't be well served by simple clinics. Rheumatology is a complicated field, but you can't beat an extremely well-trained doctor on the subject. My mom's rheumatologist correctly diagnosed her with cancer, when everyone else missed it. Of course as she is in France, she'd be free to visit under the VWP, but as you should be aware the cost of healthcare would be extensive and some of the testing would take a long period of time. She would be unable to be insured, as her condition is pre-existing and she is not an LPR. Travel insurances would not assist on the cost. From my own experience people do seek treatment all the time, Johns Hopkins in particular, but they are generally extremely wealthy. have access to a medical visa, and would have a rare-type condition.

[Coco8 1,039]

30 minutes ago, Coco8 said:

Instead of going to clinics, she needs to look for doctors that are also professors at some university or at a research hospital that are specialists in arthritis or rheumatology more generally. 

 

I'm from a 3rd world country and I can get better healthcare here than in the US. I avoid going to the doctor in the US. A few months ago I went to the doctor and he gave a battery of blood tests, which cost me a fortune, and he didn't include the basic test he should have included! Ridiculous. My family is full of doctors so if there is a serious medical issue in the family, we just look for the person or persons who will are the best in the country for that and that is it. Plus, healthcare is not ridiculously expensive. 

Because I'm still confused about living in the US, by "here" I mean the 3rd world country. The doctor that gave me the wrong tests was in the US. 

Half of the time I don't know where I live 

[James-Bond007 6]

Thanks all for your helpful inputs. My profile says France because that's where my wife immigrated from to the US. No, my aunt isn't in France, she is currently in the Ivory Coast, which is not a VWP participant. As someone suggested above, for now, i will research for other specialists (other than the ones she is seen already) in other towns across town, if available. Again, thanks for sharing your thoughts.  

[CEE53147 559]

Even getting her an appointment for a consult is likely to be a problem as many doctors are not taking new patients.  Obtain an appointment before making any other plans and certainly before she enters the country.  In my area waits of over 6 months to nearly a year for specialists for a new patient are common. Also, inquire about the costs; they may require prepayment.

[Boiler 43,396]

3 hours ago, CEE53147 said:

Even getting her an appointment for a consult is likely to be a problem as many doctors are not taking new patients.  Obtain an appointment before making any other plans and certainly before she enters the country.  In my area waits of over 6 months to nearly a year for specialists for a new patient are common. Also, inquire about the costs; they may require prepayment.

If you are going for a B Medical then you will need a lot of evidence regarding the treatment you have lined up and ability to pay.

[Ontarkie 13,902]

4 hours ago, James-Bond007 said:

Thanks all for your helpful inputs. My profile says France because that's where my wife immigrated from to the US. No, my aunt isn't in France, she is currently in the Ivory Coast, which is not a VWP participant. As someone suggested above, for now, i will research for other specialists (other than the ones she is seen already) in other towns across town, if available. Again, thanks for sharing your thoughts.  

Something you can try is getting her medical records and see if you can get a doctor to review them. 

 

 

[CEE53147 559]

Has she been evaluated for diseases other than arthritis? 

 

Comprehensive blood tests may provide clues. Lyme disease is one that comes to mind that cause the wife of a friend many problems and was hard to define.  Look at the Mayo Clinic website. It is a great reference

 

I suggest looking at the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) website to see what initiatives are in her country.

 

I believe there are things that can be done near her home.

Edited May 14, 2018 by CEE53147

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

   Joint pain is a common symptom of  hep C.  Has she been tested for that ?   If she is older , there is a higher chance of that than most think even in the US.