emergency medical care and public charge query

[cymbalseatguitars 24]

hello everyone

 

ive been in the states for a year now - no green card yet (my interview is scheduled for next month), and the March 2020 lockdown prevented me from being able to generate a SSN. After several months of extended travel insurance, and having great difficulty securing private healthcare coverage without a SSN, I decided to risk going without healthcare and cancelled my travel insurance - I’m otherwise healthy. 
 

The risk didn’t pay off! I suffered a medical emergency recently and had to attend the ER.  Having no experience of American hospitals, I was a little overwhelmed by both pain and all the paperwork I had to sign. 
 

i receive a phone call today, and come to realise that one of the applications I filled was for the state’s medicaid program. Now, I explained to the advisor on the phone that I’d not quite realised what I was signing, and that I would surely not be able to make use of the program, given im a recent immigrant, issues pertaining to being a public charge etc. 
 

The advisor explained that, actually, the program covers tons of immigrants in this situation (including undocumented ones). I told her I’d call her back.

 

so, with this in mind, I’m very curious. Surely I’m on the precipice of becoming a public charge should I follow through with the application. Would that information be accessible to anyone in uscis? I’m able to cover the cost of treatment myself, but I’m curious as to whether there are information sharing practices between agencies with regard to healthcare - seems unlikely? 
 

anyway, thanks!

[Boiler 43,718]

I have yet to come across travel insurance that would cover someone migrating.

 

You do not need a SSN to get healthcare.

 

Which State are you in? Some are much more generous than others.

 

US Government does not do joined up thinking especially now.

 

Is this a K1?

[Cilllah 470]

You definitely don't need a SSN for healthcare. I have been on my husbands and so has my daughter since we arrived. I'm pregnant and it's been a non-issue.

[cymbalseatguitars 24]

I understand that my lack of SSN doesn’t preclude my ability to get healthcare - what I really want to know is whether receiving mass health coverage for my ER visit could fall foul of the public charge ruling, and whether there’s any real likelihood that it could ever even be found out by USCIS

[Boiler 43,718]

It is  public charge issue, I have no idea how realistic it is that they could find out, I can not remember if it asks anywhere on the forms you complete if you have, perhaps on the I 944?

[Shiro0827 2]

If it involved a life threatening issue then the 5yr eligibility can be waived depending on the state. I know our local county assistance stated that it has to a case where your life will be threatened if not treated.