Health Care Benefits for Green Card Holders
- Thread starter shs00
- Start date
TheRealCanadian
Volunteer Moderator
shs00 said:
Permanent Residents are eligible for Medicare the same way as citizens are, subject to the 40-quarter contribution minimum.
What I meant was not the difference in care/benefits between citizens and permanent residents but rather whether or not green card holders are entitled to any health care (vs having to pay out of pocket for any and all health care services)?
If so, where can they obtain these services (e.g. county hospital?) and furthermore, what is the procedure for them to follow (e.g. registering, etc beforehand vs just walking into a hospital) before they can avail such services.
Thanks again.
If so, where can they obtain these services (e.g. county hospital?) and furthermore, what is the procedure for them to follow (e.g. registering, etc beforehand vs just walking into a hospital) before they can avail such services.
Thanks again.
Please elaborate:
1. what you mean by the 40 quarter contribution minimum?
2. you mentioned green card holders are entitled to medicare the same way as citizens....follow up question is who is entitled to Medicare (is it only after 65 yrs, and if so, what sort of health care benefits can LPRs under 65 avail)?
1. what you mean by the 40 quarter contribution minimum?
2. you mentioned green card holders are entitled to medicare the same way as citizens....follow up question is who is entitled to Medicare (is it only after 65 yrs, and if so, what sort of health care benefits can LPRs under 65 avail)?
shs00 said:
When the medicare tax is deducted from your payroll, for each quarter you earn one point. This way, when you work atleast 40 quarters (and pay payroll taxes), you become eligible for Medicare benefits.
shs00 said:
Some info about Medicare:
http://www.medicare.gov/
TheRealCanadian
Volunteer Moderator
shs00 said:
There's something called medical insurance, you know......
Regarding free health care at a county hospital or other such indigent care situation, that might start getting us into public charge territory.
over 65 health coverage options
Clinton passed a law that forbade states to use fed funds to provide health benefits to GC holders over 65 until they completed 5 years as permanent residents. After 5 years they are able to buy one part (can't remember part A or B) of Medicare. Regarding insurance, most insurance companies deny insurance for such high risk applicants. I know of a friend whose parents were denied health insurance in WI. He then moved to MN (the state with the highest health insurance cover in the US) where the state provides insurance through a private company for those who are denied health insurance. This also includes new GC holders who are waiting for medicare "coverage" albeit to buy the hospital coverage part.
Most of the information about health insurance coverage is not readily available. The best thing to do is to contact the state health commissioner for more information.
Clinton passed a law that forbade states to use fed funds to provide health benefits to GC holders over 65 until they completed 5 years as permanent residents. After 5 years they are able to buy one part (can't remember part A or B) of Medicare. Regarding insurance, most insurance companies deny insurance for such high risk applicants. I know of a friend whose parents were denied health insurance in WI. He then moved to MN (the state with the highest health insurance cover in the US) where the state provides insurance through a private company for those who are denied health insurance. This also includes new GC holders who are waiting for medicare "coverage" albeit to buy the hospital coverage part.
Most of the information about health insurance coverage is not readily available. The best thing to do is to contact the state health commissioner for more information.
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Upstate_NY
Registered Users (C)
The question is not that clear and hence, we have conflicting answers.
If a GC Holder worked for 10 years and is over 65 yrs, he/she can avail insurance thru Medicare. If they are economically poor, they may avail a certain part of Medicare thru Medicaid.
If the GC holder has never worked here and is over 65, they qualify for Medicaid in some states like NY if they could prove that they have no income or financial assets. NJ, PA, VA etc wouldn't offer Medicaid to GC Holders who have never worked here.
However, if one is a citizen, never worked here and have no income, they qualify for Medicaid in most states.
Hope this helps.
ps: This is first-hand knowledge
If a GC Holder worked for 10 years and is over 65 yrs, he/she can avail insurance thru Medicare. If they are economically poor, they may avail a certain part of Medicare thru Medicaid.
If the GC holder has never worked here and is over 65, they qualify for Medicaid in some states like NY if they could prove that they have no income or financial assets. NJ, PA, VA etc wouldn't offer Medicaid to GC Holders who have never worked here.
However, if one is a citizen, never worked here and have no income, they qualify for Medicaid in most states.
Hope this helps.
ps: This is first-hand knowledge
TheRealCanadian
Volunteer Moderator
redsword said:
Yes. You were paying FICA taxes then (SS/Medicare). Generally speaking, it'll include all the time you were working in the US, with the exception of time in F, J and some L situations.
benefits are virtually identical for gc holders and for citizens.
they both have to meet the same 40 quarter criteria.
if you are over 65 and don't have 40 quarters what you can do is apply for SSI and receive Medicaid (called Medi-cal in California).
the catch is that in order to get SSI you really have to be a citizen. And there is no waiting period there. So on the day you get your citizenship certificate just go to the local social security office and apply.
one more tidbit to nibble on is that if you do barely qualify for social security (same 40 quarters requirement) and the payments somehow come out to be very small then you can apply for SSI and be able to qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid (Medi-cal). Very useful if you ever find yourself in a nursing home.
questions about government assistance? I'm the person to ask.
they both have to meet the same 40 quarter criteria.
if you are over 65 and don't have 40 quarters what you can do is apply for SSI and receive Medicaid (called Medi-cal in California).
the catch is that in order to get SSI you really have to be a citizen. And there is no waiting period there. So on the day you get your citizenship certificate just go to the local social security office and apply.
one more tidbit to nibble on is that if you do barely qualify for social security (same 40 quarters requirement) and the payments somehow come out to be very small then you can apply for SSI and be able to qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid (Medi-cal). Very useful if you ever find yourself in a nursing home.
questions about government assistance? I'm the person to ask.
and on top of that
if you retire to one of those countries with agreements with SSA you can have your social security check sent to you in that country. If you are no longer living, your non-citizen non-gc holding spouse or child can also claim survivors benefits from that country and never have to set foot in the US again
if you retire to one of those countries with agreements with SSA you can have your social security check sent to you in that country. If you are no longer living, your non-citizen non-gc holding spouse or child can also claim survivors benefits from that country and never have to set foot in the US again