missads

Hence my confusion. From your first quoted part: “regardless of how long you lived in that city or country…” He NEVER set foot in Malaysia, let alone lived there, other than being taken from the police boat to the jail and then later released. I guess being in jail may technically count as living somewhere, but not in the common parlance, in my opinion. 
 
And in the second quoted part, it says “if you were convicted of a crime…” He never was convicted. But in another place it just says “arrested.” 
 
Thanks to those who took the time to answer politely. After doing all of my wife’s K1 visa, AOS, ROC, and naturalization paperwork singlehandedly, there have certainly been plenty of times that USCIS instructions have been unclear or contradictory. Thankfully, I’ve gotten many good answers here on many different things. 
 
What rubs me the wrong way is getting a response commenting on how well my wife “clearly does or doesn’t understand” something in her non-native language. My 6th grade students have learned how to speak to each other in a more helpful and respectful fashion than that. Shame. 

I'm giving them a workaround to use the website to get an ESTIMATE of subsidies, premiums, plans. Otherwise healthcare.gov directs applicants down the Medicaid path, which is a dead end for new immigrants (except in CA.) Btw, this workaround was suggested by an official healthcare navigator.
 
Just to be clear, do not use this workaround (using a higher income) for the actual application itself. That much should be obvious to any reasonable person, but let me state it explicitly. Happy?

Where exactly does it state that if you CAN be claimed as a dependent you MUST file as a dependent? What the law says is that IF you (the sponsor/child) claim someone (parents) as a dependent, then you can't claim a tax subsidy for their health premiums, because your income is included in the household income. If they file separately, they are considered a separate "tax household" even if they live in your house (same filing address.)
With all due respect, it doesn't matter what you "think". The only thing that matters is the law.
To summarize, in order to claim the tax credit for parents with no income:
- Beneficiaries (parents) should NEVER have been claimed as dependents on their sponsor's (child's) US tax returns (this is REALLY important)
- Beneficiaries should file their own tax returns as married filing jointly (if married) In this case, it would be 0 income, 0 taxes on the forms.
- Fill out the health subsidy reconciliation form the following year. Again 0 income means 0 taxes.
I wish people would stop fear mongering and just stick to the facts.

@ProbeGT @missads  thanks again for the wealth of information you guys shared!  I was able to sign my mom up with tax credits in NJ and can confirm that indeed you needed to be denied by medicaid (due to being a new immigrant) before being eligible for the PTC.  Atleast in NJ thats the process that needed to be followed and as already been pointed out the actual process can/will vary between states.  I'm still unclear what would happen after 5 years when one technically becomes eligible for Medicaid...
 
Has anyone gone through this process in VA and willing to share their steps/experience to get it done?  Thanks!
 
p.s: cross posting in both threads to reach more folks, apologize for the duplicate post!

Just finished a binge reading this thread. First off thank you to @missads for enlightening and helping so many folks!!. I live in California and my parents just got here a few days back on their GC. They applied for their GC from India and we are currently waiting for SSN, GC etc. I will be talking to assisters and local county health services to get my application in correctly. Will post with details here for the benefit of others.
Meanwhile is anyone is in CA has gone through the process recently or is going through it, would love to connect. Please DM me.

Repeat with me: "PTC or any Obamacare subsidy does NOT constitute a public charge under ANY circumstances".
When you're done saying it once, repeat it again just to make sure you do get it =P
 
Don't worry about public charge, the USCIS and/or healthcare.gov both specifically state it will not be considered a public charge. Check out the sister thread below, I have shared a link somewhere in it that specifically addresses the public charge issue.
 

There seems to be a lot of honest misinformation out there. Most people (including me, until recently) just assume that their newly immigrated senior parents are not eligible for health coverage. I have gone through the process successfully and can only report on my experience.
My advice to the skeptics is to use a healthcare navigator or call the healthcare.gov team directly and apply for health insurance. Don't be paralyzed into inaction simply based on hearsay. The worst thing they can do is say no. More likely though, you are going to be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Hi Mia77,
Just because we sponsored our parents' green cards (I-864) it doesn't mean they have to be declared as our dependents in our tax returns. The two are completely separate. If they file taxes separately (this is really important) and they don't work / have any income, they are eligible for maximum healthcare tax subsidy. The law specifically states that healthcare subsidy does NOT constitute a public charge (quoting my very experienced healthcare navigator.)
To be clear, this only applies to health insurance purchased on the open exchange. Federal programs (Medicare) and state programs (Medicaid) will apply the sponsor's income for any means tested benefits. The one exception is the state of California. Their Medicaid program (Medi-Cal) is very liberal and does not apply the sponsor's income when determining eligibility, even if you filled out an I-864. Also, recent immigrants (in the US less than 5 years) with no income are eligible for Medi-Cal. I was considering moving to CA just for this, until I found out Obamacare covers my parents. But I digress...
Again, to make the most use of the healthcare subsidy, don't claim your parents as dependents on your taxes and you should be fine. You lose a bit in the form of tax deductions for dependents, but the payback in terms of health coverage is well worth it IMO...

@ProbeGT @missads  thanks again for the wealth of information you guys shared!  I was able to sign my mom up with tax credits in NJ and can confirm that indeed you needed to be denied by medicaid (due to being a new immigrant) before being eligible for the PTC.  Atleast in NJ thats the process that needed to be followed and as already been pointed out the actual process can/will vary between states.  I'm still unclear what would happen after 5 years when one technically becomes eligible for Medicaid...
 
Has anyone gone through this process in VA and willing to share their steps/experience to get it done?  Thanks!
 
p.s: cross posting in both threads to reach more folks, apologize for the duplicate post!

True, and hopefully some of those naturalized citizen children stumble upon this thread at some point and get a better understanding of what benefits their parents are and aren't entitled to, BEFORE bringing them over here!

I'm giving them a workaround to use the website to get an ESTIMATE of subsidies, premiums, plans. Otherwise healthcare.gov directs applicants down the Medicaid path, which is a dead end for new immigrants (except in CA.) Btw, this workaround was suggested by an official healthcare navigator.
 
Just to be clear, do not use this workaround (using a higher income) for the actual application itself. That much should be obvious to any reasonable person, but let me state it explicitly. Happy?

I have been away for a while, but thought I'd provide a quick update (hopefully without getting into an argument with anyone.)
 
My parents (zero income, LPR, not claimed as dependents on my taxes) have been legally enrolled in Obamacare for two years now. They have received PTC (subsidy) that makes the insurance very affordable. They have filed tax returns (federal and state) with the subsidy reported on Form 8962. They had to use the "married filing jointly" option while filing their tax returns independent of mine (I did not claim them as dependents even though we both entered the same physical address in our respective tax returns.) No issues whatsoever.
 
We relocated to another state this year and enrolled in that state's Obamacare program, again with no issues. This time we enrolled in-person through an official healthcare navigator at a state-run signup event. She too confirmed that LPR parents are eligible for Obamacare and are entitled to PTC if they have zero income and file their taxes separately.
 
Just putting this information out there for your reference. Believe the naysayers if you want, but Obamacare with PTC is available to LPR parents (remember - zero income and NEVER claimed as dependents on their child's taxes.)
 
God bless Obama! My parent suffered a major illness and I would have been bankrupt by now if not for Obamacare...

Please refrain from using strong language like "fraud". If you follow the discussion on the previous page (e.g. look at Post #27) I have pointed to instances where the forms indicate LPRs are eligible for premium tax credits.
I believe there is some confusion on the definition of "dependent". USCIS' definition of dependent (i.e. beneficiary of a visa sponsor via form I-864) is different from the IRS' definition of a tax dependent.
My research indicates that if parents with no income file taxes separately, there are not considered a dependent. They are not considered a part of the sponsor's "tax household" even if they are part of the "physical household" i.e. live at the same address as the sponsor. Mia77 disagrees with this. My parents have applied and been approved for insurance coverage with premium tax credits. Has Mia77, or anyone else for that matter, applied and been turned down based on the "dependent" clause? We have both made our points, you can do your own research and come to your own conclusions.
Healthcare.gov reviewed my parents' immigration status, tax records etc. and determined that they were eligible for premium tax credits. We provided all the information they asked for (copies of green cards, SSN for looking up tax and other government records) We did NOT withhold any information, we did NOT commit fraud. We went through a certified healthcare navigator, even he confirmed that there was a lot of misinformation out there, and that LPRs are indeed eligible for tax credits.
I'm just trying to help by sharing my experience on the forum. I do not appreciate my advice being called "fraud" when I'm trying to help other folks in a situation similar to mine.

Huh? No, I didn't claim my parents as dependents on my taxes. Yes, they filed a separate, completely empty (no income, no taxes, no deductions) tax return (married filing jointly) last year, and plan to do the same this year as well.
I think you are conflating two separate things. Being your parents' GC sponsor does not "require" you to claim them as dependents on your taxes. You are allowed to claim them as dependents, but you may choose not to do so (which is what I did.)
The trade-off is that you give up the standard deductions you'd otherwise get for dependents (and pay higher taxes as a result,) in return for getting a subsidy on their health insurance premiums. Make sense?

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. Many seem to assume, wrongly, that 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 healthcare.gov has still not caught on to this. 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 just fine. I am in Michigan and went through Jewish Family Service. Have your parents green cards and SSN handy, that is all they need.
There appears to be a widely held misconception that immigrant seniors over 65 are not covered by Obamacare. This is absolutely NOT true. You don't have to wait for 5 years for Medicare to kick in. Recent immigrants older than 65 can purchase health insurance via healthcare.gov, just like any other US citizen or legal permanent resident. Some state exchanges might not know it, the person you talk to on the phone might not know it, the healthcare.gov website certainly doesn't appear to understand this special situation, but trust me parents on green cards who have been in the US less than 5 years ARE eligible for subsidized health coverage.
I was able to get health insurance for my parents who have no income, for around $100 a month per parent (after a $1000 tax subsidy, because their income is less than limit of ~$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.

There seems to be a lot of honest misinformation out there. Most people (including me, until recently) just assume that their newly immigrated senior parents are not eligible for health coverage. I have gone through the process successfully and can only report on my experience.
My advice to the skeptics is to use a healthcare navigator or call the healthcare.gov team directly and apply for health insurance. Don't be paralyzed into inaction simply based on hearsay. The worst thing they can do is say no. More likely though, you are going to be pleasantly surprised by the results.

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. Many seem to assume, wrongly, that 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 healthcare.gov has still not caught on to this. 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 just fine. I am in Michigan and went through Jewish Family Service. Have your parents green cards and SSN handy, that is all they need.
There appears to be a widely held misconception that immigrant seniors over 65 are not covered by Obamacare. This is absolutely NOT true. You don't have to wait for 5 years for Medicare to kick in. Recent immigrants older than 65 can purchase health insurance via healthcare.gov, just like any other US citizen or legal permanent resident. Some state exchanges might not know it, the person you talk to on the phone might not know it, the healthcare.gov website certainly doesn't appear to understand this special situation, but trust me parents on green cards who have been in the US less than 5 years ARE eligible for subsidized health coverage.
I was able to get health insurance for my parents who have no income, for around $100 a month per parent (after a $1000 tax subsidy, because their income is less than limit of ~$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.

Great thread!
 
Also, please see this thread regarding those who are under 65.  For all who are reading this, I do suggest reading @missads thread as well.  It was the inspiration for my post
 
 

It's been a few years since @missads wrote a very helpful post about getting ACA insurance for immigrants over the age of 65.  The original post (linked below) is still a good read for anyone going through this process.  
 
I recently helped a relative apply for insurance through the ACA.  There is a lot of confusion regarding whether immigrants can use the ACA, is this a public charge, do they get medicaid or medicare, etc?  If you are over 65, many will assume that you simply get Medicare (as indicated by @missads's post).  Similarly, if you have lower income, people assume you will get Medicaid.  For new immigrants to the US, neither would apply (with few exceptions).  I will try to provide some information regarding this based on our own experience. 
 
We initially contacted a licensed insurance agent to go through this process.  The agent was familiar with the ACA, but was as unfortunately not familiar with immigrants applying for insurance through the ACA (mostly confusion regarding the public charge rule, which I guess is confusing by design).  The agent also said that a social security number and green card were required, but these documents are not required (as indicated in other posts in this forum as well).  Initially, we got short term insurance for the first few months, which was okay for medications, but had high deductibles, was subject to preexisting condition rules, had poor hospitalization coverage, and had higher premiums.  Thankfully, we did not need to use this insurance, but the lack of coverage and acceptance at most hospitals was something that was hanging over our heads. 
 
We then started looking into applying for insurance through the ACA.  We actually called the ACA help line and were told that we could apply, but that we would not get a subsidy since the applicant was an immigrant with no income (they thought that the subsidy could not be calculated since there was no income to base the subsidy off of)
 
At this point we figured we had nothing to lose, so we then applied for insurance through the ACA website, and were successful.  We received a decent subsidy as well.  This made both HMO and PPO plans very affordable (all were less than $300 a month, and many of the HMOs were less than $100 a month). 
 
In the Healthcare marketplace, plan availability and pricing varies state to state, and even zip code to zip code.  One plan may be $500 a month in one state/zip code, and the same plan may be $300 a month in another state/zip code, so your pricing may vary. 
 
1. What immigration statuses qualify for insurance through the ACA?
See link here: https://www.healthcare.gov/immigrants/immigration-status/
Note that this also includes applicants to certain statuses as well.
 
2. I am going through the adjustment of status/AOS process, am I eligible?
Yes: https://www.healthcare.gov/immigrants/immigration-status/
Applicants for any of these statuses qualify to use the Marketplace:
- Temporary Protected Status with Employment Authorization
- Special Immigrant Juvenile Status
- Victim of Trafficking Visa
- Adjustment to LPR Status
- Asylum (see note below)
- Withholding of Deportation, or Withholding of Removal, under the immigration laws or under the Convention against Torture (CAT) (see note)
 
This would include those who entered in on a K1/K2/K3 visa, as these are categories that will go through the adjustment of status (AOS) process.
 
3. What documentation do I need to prove immigration status?
The ACA application provides a list of acceptable immigration documents.
 
4. I have not received my physical green card, how can I prove my immigration status?
The ACA application list of acceptable immigration documents includes "Immigrant Visa with I-551 language" and "Temporary I-551 stamp".  It also includes"I-797 Notice of Action"
 
5. I am going through Adjustment of Status/AOS via K1 or via marriage in the US, how can I prove my immigration status?
The ACA application list of acceptable immigration documents includes "I-797 Notice of Action"
 
6. I am one of the handful of people who has a K3 visa, and will be going through Adjustment of Status/AOS process as well, how can I prove my immigration status?
The ACA application list of acceptable immigration documents includes "I-797 Notice of Action"
 
7. Why not just get Medicaid or Medicare?
Most new immigrants do not qualify for medicaid and/or medicare.  Medicare is a system that one must pay into (by working a certain amount of time in the US, if I am not mistaken).  Immigrants with less than five years of presence in the US are not eligible for Medicaid except for certain situations (See Medicaid website for more information)
 
8.  So I can't get medicaid, can I at least qualify for an ACA subsidy?
This is probably the most confusing part of the application and the ACA in general, but the answer is Yes, you may qualify for a subsidy based on your income. 
Reference: https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i8962
Alien lawfully present in the United States.
Certain aliens with household income below 100% of the federal poverty line are not eligible for Medicaid because of their immigration status.
You may qualify for the PTC if your household income is less than 100% of the federal poverty line if you meet all of the following requirements.
- You or an individual in your tax family enrolled in a qualified health plan through a Marketplace.
- The enrolled individual is lawfully present in the United States and is not eligible for Medicaid because of immigration status.
- You otherwise qualify as an applicable taxpayer (except for the federal poverty line percentage).
 
Since we met these requirements (enrolled in an ACA plan, will file taxes on our own/not as a dependent, and are not eligible for Medicaid), we qualified for a subsidy, subject to the calculations. 
 
9. How do I qualify for a subsidy? 
The ACA application will ask you for information regarding your estimated income for the year. There are many threads and forums that discuss how to estimate your income, so I won't go through that here.  It is understood that if you underestimate or overestimate your income, everything will get adjusted during when federal income taxes are filed.
 
When filling out the application, we indicated "No, I have not been denied medicaid" (because we never applied), but then answered "Yes" to "Were you found ineligible for Medicaid based on immigration status".  It is a bit confusing since we did not apply for Medicaid, but this seemed the closest since we knew that we were not eligible for Medicaid based on immigration status.  This is the key sequence of questions that will force the system to evaluate your application and calculate a subsidy based on being an immigrant who does not qualify for medicaid (as indicated on IRS form I-8962).  If you select "No" for "Were you found ineligible for Medicaid based on immigration status", your application will be forwarded to Medicaid, which can be problematic for a number of reasons, namely - delays (Medicaid takes a lot of time), you will likely be denied anyways (immigration status), potential issues related to being a public charge (still being litigated, but better to not deal with that if at all possible), and the system will show that you applied for Medicaid.
 
10.  I just came to the US, how do I prove my income (or lack thereof)?
If you arrived during the previous year (for example, you arrived in December 2019, and are applying for ACA insurance in 2020), you should file a tax return even if your income is $0.00.  This was also mentioned by @missads.  Make sure that the ACA applicant is not claimed as a dependent on someone else's taxes.  If they are claimed as a dependent, then the TOTAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME will be used in the ACA subsidy calculations.
 
If you haven't filed taxes yet, the ACA has an "income worksheet" that can be used to prove income.  Since we had no income at the time of application, we write "$0.00" for the value, and then write an explanation below (where the form asks for any additional information).  We explained that the applicant was a new immigrant and did not have any income, and that they would file taxes at the appropriate time.  We also attached a copy of the visa and I-551 stamp indicate the date of entry.  Moving forward, you should file taxes each year (even if your income is $0.00), as this will be the standard way of proving income (or lack thereof). 
 
11.  I did not receive my SSN/SS card, how can I apply?
The ACA application does not require a social security number (the field is optional)
 
12.  When should I apply?
ASAP!  You have 60 days within a given "life event" to apply for insurance.  "Gaining lawful immigrant status" or "Gaining LPR status" (I don't recall exactly what the wording was) is an applicable life event.  If you apply before the 15th of the month, you will get insurance beginning the next month.  If you apply after the 15th, your insurance will be active after an additional month. 
For example:
If you apply on November 12, your insurance will be active December 1. 
If you apply on November 16, your insurance will be active January 1.
 
13. I just arrived to the US, and open enrollment is over, how do I apply?
See #11 above.  "Gaining lawful immigrant status" is a life event, so you can apply.  It is best to apply as soon as possible, as the clock begins the day you enter the US. 
 
14.  What about the public charge rule?
The public charge rule was in court when we went through this process.  However, many posts have indicated that taking ACA subsidies does not make one a public charge.  This also appears to be indicated here: https://www.healthcare.gov/immigrants/lawfully-present-immigrants/
Enrollment in a Marketplace plan (with or without premium tax credits) is not a public benefit under the public charge final rule.
Previously, this was also inferred to at this link as well: https://www.uscis.gov/news/public-charge-fact-sheet
 
15.  I want to get my SSN to make things simpler
There are many posts on VJ about SSNs not being sent in a timely manner, and SS office closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Please refer to these posts for guidance on obtaining a SS number.  The general theme, at the time of this writing, is that you can call the local SS office and plead your case.
 
16. People on VJ, among other places, say "why don't you just work?"
Many immigrants with LPR status are retired, so they have worked, but have incomes that are low enough to qualify for a subsidy.  Others may be looking for work, but still need coverage in case something happens. 
 
17.  Can I really file taxes even if my income is $0.00
Yes, the IRS allows you to file taxes even if your income is $0.00
 
Hopefully this helps.  Best of luck!
 

This whole thread is dedicated to that very topic!

The rise in premiums typically will have nothing to do with how much you individually have had to use the plan or age, under ACA, and a lot to do with state regulations/regulators, the collective cost the insurance company is shelling out in that coverage area per year, strain of heavy collective use (a pandemic would do it), lack of competition, and general price control fluctuation costs. Some people, depending on the state may find their premiums rarely change or may even lower.
 
Medicare B premiums will rise soon largely because of new and extremely expensive drugs being available for treatment options and cost burden of COVID19... someone's got to collectively foot the bill.
 
Well, for one... the person actually has to qualify for Medicaid financially to begin with, regardless of if they have been here long enough to be eligible to use it. Secondly, while I'm sure many successfully use it and have no issues with the quality of doctors available to them - I have to say in some areas you'd be better off seeking treatment with a good insurance. There are further regulations which are a bit complicated to explain that strongly limit treatment and choice of care with Medicaid. 
 
I can't exactly say what the benefit would be to buy into Medicare, but at least from the experience of my mom having cancer and my dad being critically ill -- there was virtually no worries about their care. Everything was paid for, they needed the best and they got the best. I can't say they'd have that peace of mind if they had something else.

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. Many seem to assume, wrongly, that 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 healthcare.gov has still not caught on to this. 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 just fine. I am in Michigan and went through Jewish Family Service. Have your parents green cards and SSN handy, that is all they need.
There appears to be a widely held misconception that immigrant seniors over 65 are not covered by Obamacare. This is absolutely NOT true. You don't have to wait for 5 years for Medicare to kick in. Recent immigrants older than 65 can purchase health insurance via healthcare.gov, just like any other US citizen or legal permanent resident. Some state exchanges might not know it, the person you talk to on the phone might not know it, the healthcare.gov website certainly doesn't appear to understand this special situation, but trust me parents on green cards who have been in the US less than 5 years ARE eligible for subsidized health coverage.
I was able to get health insurance for my parents who have no income, for around $100 a month per parent (after a $1000 tax subsidy, because their income is less than limit of ~$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.

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. Many seem to assume, wrongly, that 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 healthcare.gov has still not caught on to this. 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 just fine. I am in Michigan and went through Jewish Family Service. Have your parents green cards and SSN handy, that is all they need.
There appears to be a widely held misconception that immigrant seniors over 65 are not covered by Obamacare. This is absolutely NOT true. You don't have to wait for 5 years for Medicare to kick in. Recent immigrants older than 65 can purchase health insurance via healthcare.gov, just like any other US citizen or legal permanent resident. Some state exchanges might not know it, the person you talk to on the phone might not know it, the healthcare.gov website certainly doesn't appear to understand this special situation, but trust me parents on green cards who have been in the US less than 5 years ARE eligible for subsidized health coverage.
I was able to get health insurance for my parents who have no income, for around $100 a month per parent (after a $1000 tax subsidy, because their income is less than limit of ~$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.

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. Many seem to assume, wrongly, that 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 healthcare.gov has still not caught on to this. 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 just fine. I am in Michigan and went through Jewish Family Service. Have your parents green cards and SSN handy, that is all they need.
There appears to be a widely held misconception that immigrant seniors over 65 are not covered by Obamacare. This is absolutely NOT true. You don't have to wait for 5 years for Medicare to kick in. Recent immigrants older than 65 can purchase health insurance via healthcare.gov, just like any other US citizen or legal permanent resident. Some state exchanges might not know it, the person you talk to on the phone might not know it, the healthcare.gov website certainly doesn't appear to understand this special situation, but trust me parents on green cards who have been in the US less than 5 years ARE eligible for subsidized health coverage.
I was able to get health insurance for my parents who have no income, for around $100 a month per parent (after a $1000 tax subsidy, because their income is less than limit of ~$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.

Please refrain from using strong language like "fraud". If you follow the discussion on the previous page (e.g. look at Post #27) I have pointed to instances where the forms indicate LPRs are eligible for premium tax credits.
I believe there is some confusion on the definition of "dependent". USCIS' definition of dependent (i.e. beneficiary of a visa sponsor via form I-864) is different from the IRS' definition of a tax dependent.
My research indicates that if parents with no income file taxes separately, there are not considered a dependent. They are not considered a part of the sponsor's "tax household" even if they are part of the "physical household" i.e. live at the same address as the sponsor. Mia77 disagrees with this. My parents have applied and been approved for insurance coverage with premium tax credits. Has Mia77, or anyone else for that matter, applied and been turned down based on the "dependent" clause? We have both made our points, you can do your own research and come to your own conclusions.
Healthcare.gov reviewed my parents' immigration status, tax records etc. and determined that they were eligible for premium tax credits. We provided all the information they asked for (copies of green cards, SSN for looking up tax and other government records) We did NOT withhold any information, we did NOT commit fraud. We went through a certified healthcare navigator, even he confirmed that there was a lot of misinformation out there, and that LPRs are indeed eligible for tax credits.
I'm just trying to help by sharing my experience on the forum. I do not appreciate my advice being called "fraud" when I'm trying to help other folks in a situation similar to mine.