Bad Knee 74Yrs Old

[TryJahLove 0]

My mother recently got her green card (Age 74) through me (US Citizen) and she finding it difficult to walk because of her bad knee. Can I apply for medicaid, medicare or NJ Hospital Care Payment Assistance Program (Charity Care).

 

Thanks AjSaxtin

[TBoneTX 47,504]

Welcome to the forum!  Your thread is moved from Off Topic to the "Moving to the US" forum, to be among similar threads.  People will be along to help.  Good luck to you and your mother.

[Boiler 47,474]

I suppose a lot depends on what you mean by recently.

 

Why does her existing Health Insurance not cover it?

[Crazy Cat 44,446]

13 hours ago, TryJahLove said:

My mother recently got her green card (Age 74) through me (US Citizen) and she finding it difficult to walk because of her bad knee. Can I apply for medicaid, medicare or NJ Hospital Care Payment Assistance Program (Charity Care).

 

Thanks AjSaxtin

Unless she marries someone already receiving Medicare based on work credits, she has to have 5 years as a Green Card holder for Medicare.

Edited May 21 by Crazy Cat

[JeanneAdil 7,079]

Having income enough to be able to afford health care insurance for a bene is one thing that concerns a CO during interview 

medicaid is state by state but they consider total family income and if you could afford the visa , more than likely income is too high for assistance from the state.  you can try but be prepared to bare all income and all you own 

 

And if you passed the income for this, check into the following site for insurance costs 

 

https://affordablehealthinsurancetoday.com/horizon-blue.php?pub_id=22123251053&sub_id=6545705559&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22117021167&gbraid=0AAAAAC03UWpIKWc3jCucvIaWkYcs8UT2Z&gclid=CjwKCAjw87XBBhBIEiwAxP3_A7X7tuXXc2G2QBdggShZjFPMpC_tTC2UPIZfQ3Zx5z0f5njFBVpXGBoCal4QAvD_BwE

 

 

[MMRF 44]

She can get insurance from the NJ state exchange.

[Moda25 68]

Most states won’t give her any benefits if she hasn’t lived in the US as a permanent resident for 5 years.

[JeanneAdil 7,079]

2 hours ago, Moda25 said:

Most states won’t give her any benefits if she hasn’t lived in the US as a permanent resident for 5 years.

Even illegals who could not prove residency have been able to get medicaid 

the way it sometimes works is Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for most federally funded healthcare programs like Medicaid or CHIP. However, they do have access to emergency care, and hospitals are reimbursed for these services through a mechanism known as "Emergency Medicaid"

 

but each state controls their own services and some states like California and Colorado have programs for undocumented persons

 

the White house is working on a bill as announced in May to remove 14 million illegal from that system

 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/05/one-big-beautiful-bill-protects-medicaid-by-removing-illegals-from-the-program/

 

[WeekendPizzaiolo 110]

16 hours ago, TryJahLove said:

My mother recently got her green card (Age 74) through me (US Citizen) and she finding it difficult to walk because of her bad knee. Can I apply for medicaid, medicare or NJ Hospital Care Payment Assistance Program (Charity Care).

 

Sorry to hear about your mother's knee. I hope it's acute and short-term. It would appear that NJ requires 5 years of permanent residency to be eligible for NJ's medicaid (see NJ Medicaid Requirements and NJ FamilyCare Immigrant FAQ) :

 

Quote

 

In general, immigrant adults must have Legal Permanent Resident status in the U.S. for at least five years in order to qualify for NJ FamilyCare. Some immigrant adults can qualify if they are lawfully present, regardless of when they entered the U.S. Examples are refugees and asylees, and there are others. Immigrants age 19 and 20 who are lawfully present and have very low income ($509 a month for a single person and $805 a month for a family of 2 – 2025 guidelines) can also qualify.

 

Some neighboring states, such as NY and PA, do not have the 5 year requirement for permanent residents, but she would need to reside in different state to qualify.

 

If I were you, I would gather pricing information from NJ ACA marketplace (see here). Since most people over 65 are eligible for medicare, you might have difficulty getting pricing online through the NJ Compare Plans and Costs website, which refers you to the medicare website if the age entered is at least 65. So you may need to call the number 833-677-1010. There is a 60 day window for a special enrollment period after a qualifying life event (such as moving from a foreign country). With an ACA subsidy, the premium can be quite low.

 

While you are navigating the bureaucracy for insurance, consider taking her to a charity clinic. The National Association of Free and Charity Clinics has a nationwide directory here: https://nafcclinics.org/find-clinic/. Some clinics are free while others have a sliding scale based on financial means.

[Moda25 68]

@JeanneAdil I don’t know what you mean by your reply but my mother has been living here with me in Maryland for 8 years so I know what I’m talking about. She could only get Medicaid after her 5 years of residence. My income doesn’t even play any part in that decision making because she is considered an adult on her own with no income. 

[Boiler 47,474]

1 minute ago, Moda25 said:

@JeanneAdil I don’t know what you mean by your reply but my mother has been living here with me in Maryland for 8 years so I know what I’m talking about. She could only get Medicaid after her 5 years of residence. My income doesn’t even play any part in that decision making because she is considered an adult on her own with no income. 

There is what the Feds do and what States do.

 

California and Ny certainly have been very generous expanding cover using their own funds.

[JeanneAdil 7,079]

2 hours ago, Moda25 said:

@JeanneAdil I don’t know what you mean by your reply but my mother has been living here with me in Maryland for 8 years so I know what I’m talking about. She could only get Medicaid after her 5 years of residence. My income doesn’t even play any part in that decision making because she is considered an adult on her own with no income. 

it was to your statement that people had to live in US 5 years for getting medicaid

and the system has a way around that 

hospitals have to give them service and medicaid under the emergency medicaid pays hospital 

 

 

 

[Boiler 47,474]

The OP seems to have gone but not lets forget she must have a Sponsor.

[DELTAFOXTROT 96]

On 5/20/2025 at 8:15 PM, TryJahLove said:

My mother recently got her green card (Age 74) through me (US Citizen) and she finding it difficult to walk because of her bad knee. Can I apply for medicaid, medicare or NJ Hospital Care Payment Assistance Program (Charity Care).

 

Thanks AjSaxtin

She should be eligible for ACA (ObamaCare) insurance and should be able to enroll anytime, since she meet special requirements for enrollment.

 

I have had Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Ambetter insurance thru ACA and it's great insurance, but of course coverage depends on how much you pay or how much she gets federal credit

[DELTAFOXTROT 96]

On 5/21/2025 at 6:45 PM, Boiler said:

The OP seems to have gone but not lets forget she must have a Sponsor.

OP said she has a greencard already