SanDiegogirl

The reason why I said that prices might change is because until you input your full details and you actually apply for a plan they don't guarantee that you will get the subsidies shown on the fact sheet for the plan.

So, for example, doing a quick "show me the plans" exercise, a plan shows a premium of 160 per month with a subsidy of 450 a month, BUT they don't guarantee that subsidy until you actually apply.

I input details for an 80 year old with a 30k income on the California Exchange and it offered me 34 plans.

Orangepants

I met an English lady and her husband, both are around 70 I think, who came over last year to live, sponsored by her son and his wife, both USC. She friended me later that week on Facebook. I will ask her what they did for insurance.

scrubbedexpat099

Some months ago I went to a Retirement Seminar hosted by one of the usual suspects and asked about their recommendations following Obamacare, they had plenty to say about other subjects relating to maximising your income but got a complete blank about how this fitted in.

In Colorado he would probably be looking at around $600 for a high deductible plan and twice that for a lower deductible plan.

Several things still confuse me, one of them is when your income goes below the threshold for subsidies, normally you would then be kicked into Medicaid, but in many States you have to be at least a 5 year LPR to get it. I think NY and CA allow you in from day one.

So there may be a sweet spot for income and being retired he may well be able to manage his finances to hit it.

The main problem with Obamacare is finding Doctors etc who will take it, he may have limited options/ travel issues. More of an issue if you are a regular user.

I could envisage a situation as a new aged GC Holder you could have a much better deal than someone who worked here all their life and had to use Medicare.

fulwood

I googled this and found following:

Do seniors like parents who are green card holders qualify for Medicare?
In most cases, a new immigrant or a recent Green Card holder may not qualify for Medicare Insurance due to specific and strict eligibility criteria.

What are the eligibility criteria for Medicare? Can a green card holder apply for Medicare?
A US citizen or legal permanent resident aged 65 years or older usually qualify for Medicare. One of the eligibility criteria is that the person or spouse must have worked in the US and paid Medicare taxes for minimum 40 quarters.

If you are a recent green card holder or new immigrant to the US, aged 65 years or older, and never worked in the US, you may not immediately qualify for Medicare
If you don't qualify for free Medicare, you can still purchase it, if the following holds true in your casee:

You're 65 years or older.
You have recently become a US citizen by naturalization and haven't worked enough quarters to have social security coverage.
You are a lawfully admitted alien (green card holder) and have constantly lived in the United States for 5 years or longer and don't qualify for the Social Security benefits
How to get more information about Medicare eligibility and other options?
Visit Medicare department online at Medicare.gov: the official U.S. government site for Medicare or call 1800.MEDICARE (1800.633.4227). Discuss your situations and options available for you.

How to apply for Medicare for a green card holder?
The first step towards buying Medicare insurance is to enroll in Medicare. Please visit MediCare.gov or call 1800.MEDICARE (1800.633.4227).

What are the options to get health insurance for new immigrants and green card holders?
If you don't qualify for Medicare or any other private health insurance, you can buy temporary health insurance providing medical coverage applicable for non-US Citizens. To get quotes and compare available polices and coverage, please visit - Health Insurance plans for Green Card Holders

sir_eccles

No, you said "As we all know premiums can still change when you submit your full medical history." Which is completely wrong. There is no way for an insurer to change the premium based on medical history other than age or smoking.

You are now talking about something completely different.

robin1234

We know the aged parent newly arrived here will be eligible for Medicare after five years as a resident (paying full premium for Part A, then also paying premium for Part B and other Medicare add-ons if desired.)

It's the first five years that are the issue. Five years is a long time in the life of an eighty year old.

scrubbedexpat099

There is no age limit on Obamacare and it is likely to be a much better deal than buying into Medicare.

jamgramet

Thanks Orangepants!

jamgramet

What does "off the exchange" mean exactly and how would he do that?

Nutmegger

The best way would be to find a local broker who specializes in health insurance, and knows the full gamut of offerings, rather than going from company to company yourself. Just google for health insurance brokers in your area.

scrubbedexpat099

Directly with an insurance company, if you can find one that does this age group.

sir_eccles

As others have said going directly to a broker or insurance company without applying through the marketplace exchange. Note, by doing this you cannot get a subsidy.

Steve_

People over 65 can actually get healthcare though the exchanges, under the ACA. Once the person is a US citizen, then they qualify for Medicare - but never having paid in, they would be subject to Part A premiums ($407 a month) and that doesn't include Parts B, C and D obviously.

I have a feeling you might find it's better to stick with an ACA compliant plan for someone with no Medicare credits, it really depends on what the prices are in your jurisdiction and how unhealthy said person is.

There was one, I'm just trying to remember who it was... as I recall she said she got her parent an ACA compliant plan.

Yes, you'd think that at first glance and so did I, however the actual market for the healthcare exchanges isn't as big as you might think.

For example Nevada scrapped their own website and went largely to using the Federal one for 2015 because there were so few people using it, it wasn't cost-effective to carry on with it. Now their website basically links to the federal one.

So it's not a huge number that drops off to a tiny number, it's a small number that drops off to a tiny number.

I suspect it might make more sense to use an individual ACA compliant plan indefinitely than go the "five years, naturalize, then pay Medicare premium" route. It would depend on where in the country you are and how ill the person is though. And assuming there isn't some stupid rule or regulation that prevents you from doing it that way.

Steve_

It's not madness, it makes perfect sense. Very few countries will allow immigrants to bring over their aged parents because of the drain they will be on the public purse. The US on the other hand allows any citizen to sponsor in their aged parents - but you get nothing (or nearly nothing) from the government to help.

You want to bring them over, you've got to pay to look after them. Makes sense to me.

Which would you prefer? In Canada it's next to impossible to do it, they only allow 5,000 parents in per year. You're looking at 10+ years to get a visa.

Bob

Apart from costs...they might find it very difficult to settle in with a complete change in lifestyle, loss of friends, familiarity of setting, etc, etc.

It's come up more often than not to be a factor for older parents to not settle down over the years on BE, even more so than for younger members with work/families because of the whole social circle.