Success getting healthcare for immigrant parents over 65

[missads 59]

At the risk of repeating other posts, I just wanted to share my experience of being able to find affordable health insurance for my parents. Here are some details:

Parents - over 65, here on Green Card (permanent residents)

Living in the US for less than 5 years (about 2 years)

Eligible for tax subsidy through Obamacare (this does NOT constitute a public charge)

Residents of State of Michigan, have social security numbers

Eligible for Silver level insurance plans

Filed their $0 federal/state taxes jointly, separate from mine (I do NOT claim them as dependents on my tax return - this is important)

I had searched the healthcare.gov website last year for insurance for them and came up empty handed. We purchased "travelers insurance" online (***removed***) but got shafted. My parent had a major health incident and they didn't cover anything (all claims were denied as pre-existing condition) Stay away from these types of insurance.

I tried healthcare.gov again this year and couldn't find anything again. They seem to assume everyone over 65 is eligible for Medicare by default. This isn't true for immigrants, they need to have lived in the US for at least 5 years before they can participate in Medicare.

Anyway, the short story is the website is still not up to date. If you want to purchase health insurance, you will need to work with a healthcare navigator. There are several public service organizations that have these navigators who will help you for free. They will help you do the application over the phone, and then it works. I am in Michigan and went through Jewish Family Service.

I was able to get health insurance for my parents who have no income, for around $100 a month per parent (after $1000 tax subsidy, because their income is less than $21K) Now that is REALLY affordable, and it is proper mainstream insurance (Blue Cross Michigan) None of that travelers' insurance BS.

Just trying to get the word out, because the open enrollment deadline is January 31st. If your parents arrive after Jan 31st, you can still sign up at that time, because their arrival date qualifies as a special "life event". But if they are already in the US, please sign up by Jan 31st. Otherwise they will have to wait until November for the next enrollment period to begin.

[L_n_O 3]

Thank you for posting on this topic. I just started the sponsorship process for my parents so won't have to deal with all this (in VA) until close to next year but I appreciate you outlining all the hoops you navigated!

Did you by any chance come across any website that lets you find a local healthcare navigator or the public service orgs that do this sort of thing?

[minions2 24]

is this only for 65 older? my mother is less than 65 but has some major health issues too..

thank you for the info

[Villanelle 4,121]

https://localhelp.healthcare.gov/#intro

^Heres where you can search for local help to fill out your application. As far as I understand it there are many factors when determining if an adult is eligible and how much assistance/rates offered are including income, household size and age. If you are in need of health insurance- APPLY and find out. The worst that happens is you are denied.

Its also worth noting the above scenario may not apply to everyone everywhere. Some of it depends on whether or not the state expanded medicaid and the states rules for medicaid for immigrants with less then 5yr as a LPR. In some places it is possible- in others... well I believe there is several million people (citizens and LPRS) that make too little for subsidies and too much or are other wise disqualified for medicaid and are in whats known as the coverage gap.http://kff.org/health-reform/issue-brief/the-coverage-gap-uninsured-poor-adults-in-states-that-do-not-expand-medicaid-an-update/

[iamwhatiam80 92]

At the risk of repeating other posts, I just wanted to share my experience of being able to find affordable health insurance for my parents. Here are some details:

Parents - over 65, here on Green Card (permanent residents)

Living in the US for less than 5 years (about 2 years)

Eligible for tax subsidy through Obamacare (this does NOT constitute a public charge)

Residents of State of Michigan, have social security numbers

Eligible for Silver level insurance plans

Filed their $0 federal/state taxes jointly, separate from mine (I do NOT claim them as dependents on my tax return - this is important)

I had searched the healthcare.gov website last year for insurance for them and came up empty handed. We purchased "travelers insurance" online (***removed***) but got shafted. My parent had a major health incident and they didn't cover anything (all claims were denied as pre-existing condition) Stay away from these types of insurance.

I tried healthcare.gov again this year and couldn't find anything again. They seem to assume everyone over 65 is eligible for Medicare by default. This isn't true for immigrants, they need to have lived in the US for at least 5 years before they can participate in Medicare.

Anyway, the short story is the website is still not up to date. If you want to purchase health insurance, you will need to work with a healthcare navigator. There are several public service organizations that have these navigators who will help you for free. They will help you do the application over the phone, and then it works. I am in Michigan and went through Jewish Family Service.

I was able to get health insurance for my parents who have no income, for around $100 a month per parent (after $1000 tax subsidy, because their income is less than $21K) Now that is REALLY affordable, and it is proper mainstream insurance (Blue Cross Michigan) None of that travelers' insurance BS.

Just trying to get the word out, because the open enrollment deadline is January 31st. If your parents arrive after Jan 31st, you can still sign up at that time, because their arrival date qualifies as a special "life event". But if they are already in the US, please sign up by Jan 31st. Otherwise they will have to wait until November for the next enrollment period to begin.

Killer post. Thanx.

is this only for 65 older? my mother is less than 65 but has some major health issues too..

thank you for the info

For 65 and under, Obamacare will give you options and subsidy as well if she qualifies with the income limits.

[missads 59]

There's more discussion in a thread I started in the "Starting your new life in America" section

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/582733-success-getting-healthcare-coverage-for-immigrant-parents-over-65/

(I believe it belongs in this section, but saw similar posts being moved to that section. whatevs...)