Currently her in California and pregnant

P

preggypinay

New Member
Hi - I am currently here in California and due to give birth in 3 months. I am intending to go back to the Philippines but my sister is convincing me to stay and take advantage of the Medi-Cal program so that I can have my baby born here as a citizen. She said that I would qualify and give it a try.

My fear is that even if I qualifyfor the assistance and I do go back to the Philippines after giving birth, I think I will not be able to come back here again since this will be on the records.

I do not know anyone who has a similar situation and cannot really say that this has any effect when re-entering US.

Please reply to this thread if you have any info regarding this...

Thanks!
 
I agree with your sister, assuming you are a Filipino citizen your baby would be a dual citizen with the right of visa-free unlimited stay in the Philippines and US. You'd be giving your baby a privilege that takes decades for many to achieve.

Sorry I can't help with your other questions, I've never been approved for a tourist visa. It seems like you have two concerns:
a) you'd be using public assistance
b) you'd have a USC child

I assume you are asking:
1) Is either a violation of your present B status
2) Will either make future tourist visa's harder to obtain

Hopefully others on this forum have answers to those questions.

One other thought, will you be overstaying your I-94 expiration as a result of the birth and the subsequent months of newborn care? That would definitely cause problems with both 1) and 2) above.

-ML

FYI, I requested a new Filipino forum: http://boards.immigration.com/forumdisplay.php?f=276
 
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On your question regarding my i-94 - No, I will not be overstaying. I will head back to the Philippines a month to two after giving birth.

I appreciate your response to my post...

Thanks a bunch!
 
Whoever signed an affidavit of support for you will be responsible - as they should - for your expenses. These range from $10,000-20,000 and could go upwards of one million dollars if the child has a problem.

How are you receiving prenatal care? Most doctors will not see people without insurance. Many will not take new patients who have had suspect care due to liability issues if the child has a problem. Lack of prenatal care greatly increases the risk of an infant with brain damage and death even months after birth. Are you willing to risk a life of pain and even death for your child because of this choice? I am tempted to send you some links to premie blogs so you can see how devastating a premature birth can be.

A US citizen child gives you no benefit for 21 years.

You will have been a public charge and may be denied entry in the future- it is only fair, you have demonstated that you are a bad risk.

You and your sister are planning to take advantage of US taxpayers. Your sister is dishonest; I hope she is on the hook for the medical bills! You need to pack yourself up and take your dishonest sister with you. I have enough problems paying my own familiy's bills; I don't want to pay yours. You are giving Filipinas a bad reputation; rest assured, any charitable donationa I might have made to organizations supporting efforts in the Philippines are now considered to be payments for whatever health care you have received while you are here.

I hope that the US congress will soon require comprehensive medical insurance for any one entering the country. The state insurance pool in my state costs about $2000/month for a woman of child bearing age. If you want to come for a 6 month visit, fork over the $12,000 before you enter the country. If you can't buy the insurance, stay home.

By the way, I am forwarding your questions to my congressman as a demonstration why something must be done to stop the abuse of the US health care system and American taxpayer by visitors to this country.
 
PreggyPinay,

Concerned4us's post isn't exactly correct.

If you were sponsored for a green card, then there is a chance that your sponsor would be liable for your care. Since you're on a tourist visa and these visas don't require financial sponsorship (and I assume no one filled out an I-864 for you), no one would be liable for the costs of any care. It would be charged to the US taxpayers, and I don't blame Concerned4us for being angry about that.

Even if someone did sign an I-864, pregnancies and neo-natal care usually qualify under Emergency Medicaid, and Emergency Medicaid is excluded from the I-864. So a sponsor would still not be liable to refund the government's costs.

Medi-Cal is the California version of the Medicaid program, which supports health care needs of people who are out of money. By using Medi-Cal you are essentially saying you have no money, so I'm not surprised if that can be used against you in future visa applications (I just don't know the official policy). If you're on a multi-entry visa, I don't know whether a birth is considered a violation of status that would void the visa.

You'll have to weigh the pros/cons. If someone has definitive answers on the above questions, it can help you as you make this very important decision.

-ML
 
It is very likely her visit was "sponsored." When her sponsor signs for her at various places, the sponsor is responsible for the bills.

Some hospitals and doctors offices are very aggressive about having a responsible party sign. They demand social security numbers before seeing the patient. I hope she isn't planning to commit identity theft too and use falsified documents. If someone has no insurance, they will demand payment up front or get the signature of someone with a residence in the US to sign. When the sponsor does not pay, the sponsor's credit goes down the drain. But then again if the sponsor is advocating this, they probably are not very credit worthy in the first place.

Emergency medicaid would apply to emergency - appearing at hospital in active labor is an emergency. Prenatal care is not an emergency and is most certainly is something a RESPONSIBLE pregnant woman should have. Lack of prenatal care is one of the main reasons for premature births and all of the ensuing problems.

In my state nearly 60% of births are paid for by Medicaid; one must prove that they are ENTItTLED to Medicaid to obtain it. People on visitors visas are NOT entitled. Illegals are NOT entitled.

Many doctors will not accept Medicaid patients at all. Many doctors will not accept new patients in late pregnancy. In my area the last time I checked, a new OB patients who has no established relationship prior to pregancy can expect a 4-5 month wait for an initial appointment if they are taking new patients at all. Clinics might accept her, but with the number of poor Americans flooding them in this economic downturn, they are still limited to the number of people they can take. If their patient load is full, it is full.

Even people like my family who have health insurance and pay our bills immediately often wait months for appointments because of the shortage of primary care doctors. And who do you think the doctors prefer to see - one they know will pay the bill or a probable deadbeat.

This woman is irresponsible and expecting the American taxpayer to pay for her anchor baby. If Medi-Cal will give pay for all of this care for her, it reinforces my opinion of CA.

What this woman is proposing is irresponsible and immoral. If her baby dies or has a problem because she failed to return to her home, she and she alone is responsible. I hope she can live with her choice.
 
Medicaid is a federal/state joint program, where the federal government and the states share 50% of the costs. The federal government prohibits this joint program from paying for any services to tourist visa holders, illegal aliens, and green card holders in the first 5 years, unless it is for "Emergency Medicaid". Emergency medicaid is also not chargeable to any sponsors.

Your health needs involve 3 parts:
1) prenatal care
2) the costs of the delivery
3) the costs of newborn care

#2 is covered by emergency medicaid, and #3 is covered because it is furnished to a US citizen. #1 is not covered by Medicaid.

However, states are free to pay for additional services for the poor if they choose, however the federal government will not pay their 50% share. Recognizing the increased costs of #2 and #3 above if #1 is not done properly, California passed a law in 1989 paying for prenatal care for all people with incomes under 185% of the federal poverty level. This includes tourists and illegal immigrants. Therefore Medi-Cal, which is a combination of Medicaid plus California-specific add-ons, covers all aspects of pregnancy if your income is under the 185% cutoff.

Many people like concerned4us are angry at the costs this adds to the US taxpayers, and many proposals are being debated to change all the relevant laws, but at this time the law is on PreggyPinay's side regarding payment.

I agree with concerned4us's prenatal care comments. For the sake of your baby you should make sure you seek prenatal care immediately. Depending on your decision you should immediately return to the Philippines for prenatal care there, or immediately register for Medi-Cal and have prenatal care in CA.

Medi-Cal has a special law that offers presumed eligibility for pregnant women, so if you choose to have your baby in the US, you can go to a Medi-Cal participating doctor and seek treatment immediately, and deal with the Medi-Cal application as a secondary priority.

-ML
 
California's law may be on PreggyPinay's side. It isn't here. We may be unsophisticated, but we are not stupid.

PreggyPinay, just be sure that when you take your anchor baby back home and proudly announce how you managed to take advantage of US citizens (like your new child) that you make sure all of the women that you send to the US to follow your example know to go to California. Your sister's taxes can contribute the dozens or even hundreds or thousands of children that are born to the Filipina women who learn from you and those you tell how to take advantage of American taxpayers.

I'm sure your child will be SO proud of his/her mother. Just remember, at this time, a US citizen may file for parents. There is nothing to guarantee that this will be true in the future especially with all of the discussions revolving around anchor babys and amnesty.
 
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Concerned4us -

A simple "People on visitors visas are NOT entitled" would have sufficed but I do appreciate the additional information.

I just wanted to clarify that it is not my intention to give Filipinas a bad reputation. Maybe it was yours.

ml_boston -

I have gathered more information than what I expected from my post. Thanks a bunch.
 
just be very careful. iwas caught by the officer at the poe pregnant and have medicaid.they send me back to my country and told me that if i ever i want to enter usa again i make sure i already have my immigrant visa.i think they already canceled my tourist visa without telling me
 
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