Sponsoring Parents GC - healthcare?

T

Talwar01

New Member
Hi,

I'm eligible to apply for US citizenship in a few weeks. Assuming that goes through, I am hoping to sponsor my parent's Green Card application.

The question I have is regarding healthcare. My father has all the usual ailments seen in India - diabetes, BP, heart conditions including a bypass surgery.

If he is to live with me as a permanent resident, what are my options to provide healthcare for my Dad? I'm told that pre-existing conditions are not covered usually by health insurance companies, so what do people do when they bring elderly parents to live with them in the US?:confused:
 
They pay ridiculous amounts of money for healthcare and insurance, your parents will not qualify for medicare and so they will most likely have to pay out of pocket and/or buy in to some insurance.

That is part of the risk of bringing parents from another country. You are their sponsor and you will be responsible for the care.
 
PraetorianXI said:
They pay ridiculous amounts of money for healthcare and insurance, your parents will not qualify for medicare and so they will most likely have to pay out of pocket and/or buy in to some insurance.
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I guess because they're being sponsored for not being able to qualify for medicaid???

How about medicare if they're over 65? Or you have to be citizen to qualify?
 
m_img said:
I guess because they're being sponsored for not being able to qualify for medicaid???
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Generally, yes. Since the states are all going broke I expect sponsors to start getting hit to repay over the next few years.

How about medicare if they're over 65? Or you have to be citizen to qualify?
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They need to have contributed for 40 quarters.
 
I have the same situation and the answer is you pay your medical bills yourself unless you can get them on your health insurance package at your work,which is very rare.
Doctor visits are not that bad,every 3-4 months a few hundred bucks,but if something serious happens,i.e. some type of surgery,you are screwed.
 
Talwar01 said:
If he is to live with me as a permanent resident, what are my options to provide healthcare for my Dad?
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Two options:
1. He or your mother would need to get a job that provides health insurance. He will be unable to obtain affordable insurance as an individual (if he can get any insurance at all).

2. Become a millionaire so you can afford to pay for his health care.
I'm told that pre-existing conditions are not covered usually by health insurance companies, so what do people do when they bring elderly parents to live with them in the US?:confused:
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Most people's plan is to pay for minor treatment out of pocket, and have their parents go back to their original country for surgery or major treatment. That's going to be my plan as well if my parents move here. I can't afford $100K+ for major surgery or cancer treatment up here.

Your problem is that your father has multiple chronic conditions, which could cost you a couple thousand dollars every month to monitor them and pay for medication and supplies; it's not a situation where you just need to save up $10K for him to have a surgery overseas once every 5 or 10 years.
 
TheRealCanadian said:
Generally, yes. Since the states are all going broke I expect sponsors to start getting hit to repay over the next few years.
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Well, if you have pay back medicaid, it is still the cheapest option compare to going directly to the doctor.

They need to have contributed for 40 quarters.
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This amounts to 10 years... that means when you become citizen after 5-6 years, you still are not eligible for this?
 
m_img said:
Well, if you have pay back medicaid, it is still the cheapest option compare to going directly to the doctor.
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Perhaps.

This amounts to 10 years... that means when you become citizen after 5-6 years, you still are not eligible for this?
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That's correct. Even native-born citizens are not eligible unless they or their spouse contributed for 40 quarters.
 
TheRealCanadian said:
That's correct. Even native-born citizens are not eligible unless they or their spouse contributed for 40 quarters.
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What does it means for contributions, contribute to what? Is this social security contributions??? Even on H1B contribute to Social Security... does these contributions count???
 
Talwar01 said:
Hi,

I'm eligible to apply for US citizenship in a few weeks. Assuming that goes through, I am hoping to sponsor my parent's Green Card application.

The question I have is regarding healthcare. My father has all the usual ailments seen in India - diabetes, BP, heart conditions including a bypass surgery.

If he is to live with me as a permanent resident, what are my options to provide healthcare for my Dad? I'm told that pre-existing conditions are not covered usually by health insurance companies, so what do people do when they bring elderly parents to live with them in the US?:confused:
Click to expand...


Your father won't be eligible for Medicare because he hasn't contributed into the system by working in the US for at least 10 years.

He won't be eligible for medicaid as well because in order to be eligible for Medicaid, one must be legal for five...President George Bush signed that law two years ago; otherwise Medicaid used to available to everyone who is legal regardless of years of legal residency in the US.

That means, he needs to pay from his pocket or if your mother gets a job so that she can get medical insurance for your father as a spouse coverage. No any insurance company will insure him because of so many medical complications he has...and if some companies might do then the cost will be skyrocketting. If President Obama were to bring some change in healthcare, then your father might be able to obtain affortable medical insurance despite of pre-existing medical conditons; otherwise you will need to do high level search to find an insurance for him that you guys could afford.

Good luck
 
Some states like Massachusetts have state mandated health insurance scheme which anyone residing in that state can participate.
 
m_img said:
What does it means for contributions, contribute to what? Is this social security contributions??? Even on H1B contribute to Social Security... does these contributions count???
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FICA/Medicare contributions, and yes, FICA contributions on H-1 count toward the 40 quarters.
 
nkm-oct23 said:
Some states like Massachusetts have state mandated health insurance scheme which anyone residing in that state can participate.
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I think Mass. is the only state with that. And participation is actually mandatory (with subsidies for the poor to help them afford it).
 
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