Health insurance for elderly parents

[mawilson 2,133]

My parents are toying with the idea of selling their UK home and retiring in Florida or

California a couple of years from now. With the USD-GBP exchange rate these days,

they can afford a much bigger house here in the States and still have money to spare.

I can naturalise and petition for them, so the legal aspect should not be an issue.

The only real question is health insurance, since they won't have access to the NHS.

What options are available to seniors who are 1) permanent residents (not citizens,

or at least not right away) and 2) have never worked in the U.S?

Thanks

Mark

[Alt name 1]

Not many, other than private health insurance my friend. That can take a serious budget bite. They can rely on luck perhaps, not good for elderly though. If you petition them then you of course are going to be held personally responsible.

[Boiler 43,704]

Wasn't Arnie proposing a State coverage for California?

Many USC's will get a job in Wal Mart or the Medical Benefits, many companies are cutting back on that/ making it imposiible to qualify.

Best to look at a Union Shop such as Safeway.

[chuck_n_rose 0]

I wouldn't count on Arnie's plan for state health care. Best bet is to try and purchase private medical insurance, look at the prices. I'm sure ballpark prices are available on the net.

[mawilson 2,133]

What about Medicare/Medicaid?

[mawilson 2,133]

They can rely on luck perhaps, not good for elderly though.

Luck? I don't think so

They have prescription drugs, regular doctor visits, examinations - you can rely on luck

when you're 20+, not when you're 60+.

[athena_ny 1]

What about Medicare/Medicaid?

I believe you have to have been in the USA for 5 years to qualify for Medicare, and with both Medicare/Medicaid there are income/resources requirements. When my grandfather went on Medicare, he had to get rid of a lot of his assets to qualify. (And his his fear that his kids would steal "all his money" - not that he had a lot - the government got most of it.)

Qualified immigrants : http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicaidEligibility...oads/alien1.pdf

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicaidEligibility...oads/alien2.pdf

There are also income/resource guidelines at www.cms.hhs.gov, but it doesn't sound like they're going to be in the poor house, so they may just have to pick up private insurance, which tends to be quite costly. (When we looked at it for my MIL, we were looking at about 300/month.)

[mawilson 2,133]

Thanks, meow!

[Chris Parker 10]

What about Medicare/Medicaid?

I believe you have to have been in the USA for 5 years to qualify for Medicare, and with both Medicare/Medicaid there are income/resources requirements. When my grandfather went on Medicare, he had to get rid of a lot of his assets to qualify. (And his his fear that his kids would steal "all his money" - not that he had a lot - the government got most of it.)

Qualified immigrants : http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicaidEligibility...oads/alien1.pdf

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicaidEligibility...oads/alien2.pdf

There are also income/resource guidelines at www.cms.hhs.gov, but it doesn't sound like they're going to be in the poor house, so they may just have to pick up private insurance, which tends to be quite costly. (When we looked at it for my MIL, we were looking at about 300/month.)

Be aware that Medicare/Medicaid, while federally funded programs, are nevertheless run and administered by the states. Some states have found 5 year restrictions for permanent residents to qualify to be unconstitutional under state law, requiring the state to offer these benefits to such permanent residents with state funding only since the federal government won't pay. Likewise, some states have found sponsor deeming (i.e. consideration of income/assets of the I-864 sponsor towards the eligibility requirements) to be inappropriate under state laws. The states themselves must decide which of the benefit programs they administer are to be considered public charge. So, it is never necessarily black & white about these programs based solely on federal guidelines.

Edited January 11, 2008 by Chris Parker