Stephen123

My mother just moved here, I sponsored her, she needs healthcare but is having trouble finding anyone who can suggest a company. She is retired and budget concious. We are in MA. Can anyone help ?

ian-mstm

With respect, you should have considered this prior to her moving. She may not be eligible for health care at all - and if you can find a company to cover her, the premiums might be over the top!


Is she eligible for the Affordable Care Act?

Ian

Rete

Check into Mass Health. Your mother is a PR and should qualify for state issued healthcare. You can start here:

http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/consumer/insurance/

Pulaski

Isn't there some called "Masscare", or similar, that predates the ACA?

I suspect that if insurance is available it will be at least $1,000/mth, and it wouldn't surprise if it was twice that much, and quite possibly with copays and deductibles that are as much again.

Rete

As I noted and had given the link, it is called MassHealth.

They have a program for eligible seniors Senior Care Options (SCO) although I have not researched it at all.

My familiarity with MassHealth is a direct involvement with dear friends who reside in MA who are low income without employer healthcare options.

Pulaski

You are right - I spent more than ten minutes writing my post, because I was distracted, so hadn't seen your post when I wrote mine.

scrubbedexpat099

Some States allow new PR's to sign up for Medicaid.

md95065

But, since Medicaid is a means tested benefit the OP's mother will not be eligible unless or until she gets down close to poverty level.

scrubbedexpat099

OP said she is retired so i am assuming her income is relatively low.

md95065

I understand that she is retired but I was assuming (hoping!) that her retirement income would be sufficient to put her well above the Medicare eligibility limits because, well, you would pretty much have to be insane to move from the UK to the US if that was not the case ...

SanDiegogirl

Since her son sponsored her would HIS income not be taken into consideration?

Does not the sponsor have to earn enough to cover the immigrant's needs so that the immigrant does not have access to public funds? Is Medicaid considered a public fund?

Rete

Assume this as well since here in MS $1700 monthly is over the threshold and in MA my friend gets only $850 a month in social security retirement benefits and that is considered over the threshold.

Who in their right mind would allow their parent to emigrate to the US if the parent is destitute or if they the petitioner cannot afford to pay all the parent's expenses, including healthcare. So again based on his one and only post, she does have income just is being very prudent with it.

md95065

I'm not sure about Medicaid - although there is both Federal and State funding, each state sets up and administers its own medicaid program with its own set of rules. Certainly, in California, permanent residents are eligible for medicaid.

SanDiegogirl

Personally, I don't see the logic of immigrants having to have sponsors in order to enter the US (and said sponsors having to have a minimum income) and then the immigrant being eligible for state welfare programs.

scrubbedexpat099

Seen plenty of cases where Parents have immigrated and were covered by Medicaid, not means tested in accordance with the I 864, not an issue. On that subject never heard of a case where the Gov has enforced the I 864, must be one, but most unusual.

Some States are more generous than others.

We have no idea where the mother os from and know hardly anything about her circumstances. For 90% plus of the world being on Medicaid in the US is likely to much better than their other options.