Medical insurance - ObamaCare

[QB75]

Hi,
I'm a green card holder and and entered the US with my family in 2022. I'm self-employed and run a small business which is my sole source of income. We used to have a private medical insurance for two years but it's expensive. As green card holder, can I apply for Obamacare medical insurance to get coverage for my family and myself? A friend told me green card holders can't apply for government-aid medical insurance and this will affect their legal status.
QB

 

[newacct]

Yes, you can absolutely buy a health insurance plan from the Obamacare (ACA) marketplace (during the annual open enrollment period, unless a life change entitles you to a special enrollment period). You can get the subsidy (Premium Tax Credit) if your income is below 400% of the poverty level. There has never been any problems with that.

In most states, green card holders are not eligible for Medicaid until they've had a green card for 5 years, but in some states (e.g. California and New York), very low income green card holders in the first 5 years can get their Medicaid. There are some questions about whether the sponsors of the I-864 Affidavit of Support could be theoretically liable for reimbursement if the immigrant uses Medicaid. (If you immigrated through a family-based petition there would have been an Affidavit of Support, but if you immigrated through an employment-based petition there would not have been.) There are no such issues with Obamacare.

 

[QB75]

Yes, you can absolutely buy a health insurance plan from the Obamacare (ACA) marketplace (during the annual open enrollment period, unless a life change entitles you to a special enrollment period). You can get the subsidy (Premium Tax Credit) if your income is below 400% of the poverty level. There has never been any problems with that.

In most states, green card holders are not eligible for Medicaid until they've had a green card for 5 years, but in some states (e.g. California and New York), very low income green card holders in the first 5 years can get their Medicaid. There are some questions about whether the sponsors of the I-864 Affidavit of Support could be theoretically liable for reimbursement if the immigrant uses Medicaid. (If you immigrated through a family-based petition there would have been an Affidavit of Support, but if you immigrated through an employment-based petition there would not have been.) There are no such issues with Obamacare.

Thank you so much

 

[controlsauce]

Yes, you can absolutely buy a health insurance plan from the Obamacare (ACA) marketplace (during the annual open enrollment period, unless a life change entitles you to a special enrollment period). You can get the subsidy (Premium Tax Credit) if your income is below 400% of the poverty level. There has never been any problems with that.

In most states, green card holders are not eligible for Medicaid until they've had a green card for 5 years, but in some states (e.g. California and New York), very low-income green card holders in the first 5 years can get their Medicaid. If you need help understanding your options, you might want to call Dave Banking customer service for financial guidance. There are some questions about whether the sponsors of the I-864 Affidavit of Support could be theoretically liable for reimbursement if the immigrant uses Medicaid. (If you immigrated through a family-based petition there would have been an Affidavit of Support, but if you immigrated through an employment-based petition there would not have been.) There are no such issues with Obamacare.

Yes, as a green card holder, you can apply for Obamacare through the Health Insurance Marketplace and may qualify for subsidies based on income. This will not affect your legal status. Your friend may be confusing Obamacare with Medicaid, which has stricter rules for recent immigrants. You can check your eligibility and apply through your state’s Marketplace.