Is Obamacare temporary insurance coverage "means tested benefit"?

[Pat80 12]

I came to the US with K1 visa and now applying for green card which is in the process. In March this year, my husband and I applied for Obama care (Masshealth connector care) which is not the medicaid. Yesterday, I received a temporary insurance coverage letter that allow me to have insurance coverage until they can finished processing my case due to the delay from system difficulty.

The problem is that from this coverage, I'm eligible to use the same provider as medicaid person and free medical service until I get the new insurance. And as I noticed from the affidavit of support from I-864 that my husband signed for. If I use any benefit from US government including medicaid, he has to pay back all cost. This make me not sure whether my husband has to pay anything after I go to see doctor?

Does anyone have experience about this? please help.

Below is some info I got from http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/immigrate/immigrant-process/documents/support/i-864-frequently-asked-questions.html

Means Tested Public Benefits

Federal means tested public benefits are the following:

• Food stamps
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Medicaid
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• State Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

FAQs: Means Tested Public Benefits

Expand All

Can the applicant use government assistance or public benefits?

If the sponsored immigrant uses federal means tested public benefits, the sponsor must repay the cost of the benefits.

And this is from USCIS website

Q. What publicly funded benefits may not be considered for public charge purposes?

A. Non-cash benefits (other than institutionalization for long-term care) are generally not taken into account for purposes of a public charge determination.

Special-purpose cash assistance is also generally not taken into account for purposes of public charge determination.

Non-cash or special-purpose cash benefits are generally supplemental in nature and do not make a person primarily dependent on the government for subsistence. Therefore, past, current, or future receipt of these benefits do not impact a public charge determination. Non-cash or special purpose cash benefits that are not considered for public charge purposes include:

• Medicaid and other health insurance and health services (including public assistance for immunizations and for testing and treatment of symptoms of communicable diseases; use of health clinics, short-term rehabilitation services, and emergency medical services) other than support for long-term institutional care

I'm so confused

[Boiler 43,604]

An interesting issue and I do not know the answer, I would call them and ask if they have put you on Medicaid.

[Pat80 12]

An interesting issue and I do not know the answer, I would call them and ask if they have put you on Medicaid.

That's a good idea. I'll try giving them a call this Monday.

[NikLR 13,220]

I don't think so. There was a thread in the "moving here and your new life" forum that talked about obamacare and how immigrants may use it. Try searching there for your answer.

[Pat80 12]

I don't think so. There was a thread in the "moving here and your new life" forum that talked about obamacare and how immigrants may use it. Try searching there for your answer.

Thank you for your advice.

[lanza_david 0]

Hi! did you get an answer for this? is obamacare assistance considered means tested? I am thinking about sponsoring my mom but I am very afraid of doing that because I could not afford health insurance for her if we cannot use obamacare.

Edited August 16, 2016 by lanza_david

[Merrytooth 5,748]

Hi! did you get an answer for this? is obamacare assistance considered means tested? I am thinking about sponsoring my mom but I am very afraid of doing that because I could not afford health insurance for her if we cannot use obamacare.

Obamacare is referring to 'Affordable Care Act' which not exactly affordable at all once you see the insurance price.

Check out this health exchange website which is the official website for Affordable Care Act

https://www.healthcare.gov/

If you are from Minnesota, you will be using the MNSure website https://www.mnsure.org/