Health Insurance for Mom

[new2010 2]

Hi, I petitioned my Mom to immigrant here (IR-5). She arrived at JFK on 9/14/10. On 10/09/10, she received both her green card and social security card. It was pretty fast! I thought the green card would take longer since we are in New York City.

The next thing I want to do is to get a health insurance for my Mom. It's very expensive to be sick in the United States without having insurance. I petitioned my Mom myself because I earn enough.

Can my Mom apply for Medicaid? I went to a health insurance company and told them the situation of my Mom. She is not working but I am. I'm sponsoring her. They told me my mother can get approved by Medicaid to receive free health insurance because she is not working. Isn't that too good to be true? Is there some catch later on?

I thought I have to be responsible for her health insurance since I'm the sponsor. If she gets any government help, they will come after me to pay for the cost. I asked the insurance company if they will and they told me NO. Health insurance is a separate thing not like SSI or food stamps. I don't have to be responsible for any health insurance cost of my mother's.

I'm surprised if this can be the case. I just can't believe it. I remember reading others looking for health insurance for their immigrant parents as well. If all immigrant parents can get free health insurance from the government, isn't that a great thing???

Any comment or suggestion will be appreciated. I really have no idea...

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

Isn't Medicaid a "Means tested benefit"? If so then she's excluded from receiving it for 5 years. Then as her financial sponsor if she dos receive it while the Affidavit of Support is still in effect (until she naturalizes or works 40 quarters) the Gov't can seek compensation from you for the expense they incur on her behalf.

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

you would be suprised at the amount of people that are on medicaid that have not paid one cent into it

I think you are confusing Medicaid with MEDICARE....

Medicaid is Welfare Health Coverage, most of the people on it have never paid a single cent into it.

If someone immigrates here at 60 and has never paid into the system I don't know that they would qualify for Medicare (Retirement Health Coverage) anymore than they would qualify for Social Security Monthly Checks.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

The immigration forums is NOT the appropriate location to start and continue a discussion about the pros and cons of any policy or issue related to anything other than the direct immigration related topic appropriate to this forum. 7 posts politicizing the discussion have been split off and made into their own separate topic in the Politics and Religion forum. Please do NOT continue such discussion here. If you have no practical advice to offer the OP regarding finding affordable health care for her mother, then do not use this forum for any other purposes. Continue the discussion in the Politics and Religion forum: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/279007-medicaidmedicare-discussion/

Comment relevant to this discussion from one of the split posts returned to the topic here:

New2010: So now I'm checking out for my Mom. I hope that she can get something for free. Just hoping but knowing that's not easy... My husband and I pay $3000 a year on health insurance through his company. I hope to get some reasonable cost of health insurance for my Mom.

Edited October 19, 2010 by Kathryn41

[Boiler 45,670]

She has basically 2 options at the moment:

She gets a job which comes with Medical Insurance.

She buy in the open market. At 60 it is not going to be cheap, look for a high deductible plan to make it affordable.

From memory she can buy into Medicare in 5 years. Probably the cheapest option then.