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Retirement in the US, pension and medical care

Retirement in the US, pension and medical care

Old Nov 4th 2007, 2:48 pm
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Default Retirement in the US, pension and medical care

My elderly dad has completed his 5 years residency in the US and qualifies to buy into Medicare, which will cost about 1/3 of his total pension income. We are looking forward to getting him some health coverage as you might imagine, even though it is at a high cost.

So we went to Social Security get him signed up. The SS person didn't know what the procedure was so he went away to figure it out and after a couple weeks he sent us a form which is related to the UK-US agreement on social security. Dad has to provide his work details from the UK on the form.

But I just read here that the agreement doesn't cover Medicare!

http://www.ssa.gov/international/Agr..._Texts/uk.html

So he'll still have to pay for Medicare, but first he has to jump through the red tape hoops. He has too much income and resources (with his pension) to qualify for Medicaid, btw.

I am not sure how filling out these forms for US social security would affect his pension - he gets a pension from his former job as well as a tiny UK pension which apparently was frozen a long time ago at I think 40 pounds a week.

Has anybody else retired here who worked in the UK who can let us know anything about all this?

Dad has also got, I think, 16 US social security credits. You need 40 to get Social Security here, but apparently you can combine them with the UK equivalent "credits" - so maybe he'd get a US Social Security pension? It isn't clear to me.

Thanks for any info!
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Old Nov 4th 2007, 3:36 pm
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Default Re: Retirement in the US, pension and medical care

Have you searched for similar threads in this and the Trailer Park forum? I do recall threads about retirement and medical care in the US. There's probably some info in past threads.
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Old Nov 6th 2007, 1:31 am
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Default Re: Retirement in the US, pension and medical care

Will it make any difference if he becomes a U.S. citizen?
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Old Nov 6th 2007, 11:04 am
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Default Re: Retirement in the US, pension and medical care

It won't make any difference if he becomes a U.S. citizen. You have to have at least 40 credits to get social security. You can take credits from the U.K to top up if you haven't got enough U.S credits. Taking part of the U.K credits does not affect your U.K pension, you will still get that at 65 and it will not be reduced by taking the credits.
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Old Nov 6th 2007, 12:09 pm
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Default Re: Retirement in the US, pension and medical care

If they haven't already done it, UK Soc Sec should add the effect of the US work to the calculation of the UK Soc Sec pension.

I think that US Soc Sec will contact UK Soc Sec, but make sure they do, or that you do.
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Old Nov 6th 2007, 1:59 pm
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Default Re: Retirement in the US, pension and medical care

Sentosa is correct. Being a US citizen makes no difference as far as SS and medicare.

It does make a difference as far as welfare - supplementary security income (SSI) and medicaid are generally not available to non-citizens, except disabled. Fortunately many elderly qualify as disabled and if they are poor enough, they will get reasonable care. Better than Medicare coverage.

But for those with a pension that keeps you above poverty level and more than 3K or 6 K (or thereabouts, depending what program) in the bank, you have to wait 5 years to become eligible for Medicare and then buy into it at about $600 - more if you get a medigap type policy to cover the expenses that are still there with medicare.

If you can reduce your resources (give your money to your family) and keep your resources down, there are ways to get on those medicaid programs. But I understand from some friends that it can be pretty humiliating. The case workers are overburdened and many are suspicious of people coming in to claim welfare benefits. and you have to keep reporting into the system as it is means tested, so you're tied to the red tape. Still, better than no health care.

In the meantime, it's hard to get insurance. My dad has been paying his way and fortunately for a guy of 92 he's in pretty good shape.

We thought we were over the last hurdle but now they want him to do this thing with social security - I have no idea what it will mean for his pension and so on. But it has no impact on the medical insurance situation.

Thanks for the interest in the topic - I hope my info on SSI and Medicaid might be of help to someone. I don't konw how many of you are considering bringing elderly parents to live with you in the US, but it seems rather difficult as far as medical care goes.

I wonder what it's like in the UK now as far as medical care and life in general for the elderly? I've been in the US since 1980.

My daughter who went back there with her US hubby to have my grandchildren (!!) says she is getting excellent medical care, though not dental care. They are not that well off, and it was impossible for them to make ends meet in the SF bay area, so they thought they'd try the UK and are glad they did, so far.
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Old Nov 6th 2007, 2:34 pm
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Default Re: Retirement in the US, pension and medical care

I just found out that after a person dies, if he or she has received health care under Medi-Cal (the name of Medicaid in California), the government can rcover medical expenses from the estate.

http://dpss.lacounty.gov/dpss/estate...ry/default.cfm

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Old Nov 8th 2007, 12:50 am
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Default Re: Retirement in the US, pension and medical care

Originally Posted by JackieP
My elderly dad has completed his 5 years residency in the US and qualifies to buy into Medicare, which will cost about 1/3 of his total pension income. We are looking forward to getting him some health coverage as you might imagine, even though it is at a high cost.

So we went to Social Security get him signed up. The SS person didn't know what the procedure was so he went away to figure it out and after a couple weeks he sent us a form which is related to the UK-US agreement on social security. Dad has to provide his work details from the UK on the form.

But I just read here that the agreement doesn't cover Medicare!

http://www.ssa.gov/international/Agr..._Texts/uk.html

So he'll still have to pay for Medicare, but first he has to jump through the redtape hoops. He has too much income and resources (with his pension) to , but qualify for Medicaid, btw.

Dad has also got, I think, 16 US social security credits. You need 40 to get Social Security here, but apparently you can combine them with the UK equivalent "credits" - so maybe he'd get a US Social Security pension?
If he has at least 6 U.S. Social Security credits he can combine U.K. credits for a U.S. Social Security benefit, but you can't combine credits to get Medicare, so he's going to have to buy Medicare Part A and B.

I think Part A is around $430 a month next year and Part B is $96.40.

Then you also have to think about if he wants Part D the prescription coverage, because there is a penalty tacked on for each month he was eligible but didn't have coverage if he later decides to sign up, unless he can prove he had coverage that was at least equal to what Medicare offers.

States can pick up Medicare premiums and co-pays through QMB and SLMB. Not sure if they use the same income levels for eligibility as Medicaid or if someone that is not a U.S. citizen can qualify, but the Medicaid office is where you can find out and enroll.

Now the other option is if you can get him married off to someone that's insured for Medicare and receiving or eligible to receive Social Security retirement benefits, then he can sign up on their record and the Part A would be free. After being married for a year he would also be eligible for spouse benefits or survivors benefits after 9 nine months if his spouse checks out.

https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0600801008
HI 00801.008 HI Entitlement for Aged Spouse of Age 62 Worker

HI eligibility for the age 65 or over spouse of a 62-year old worker begins with the month an insured worker attains age 62, rather than the first month throughout which the worker is age 62.

Neither the worker nor the spouse need actually establish entitlement to monthly benefits for this provision to apply. If the worker would have been eligible for RIB in the month he/she attained age 62 except for the fact that he/she was not age 62 throughout the month, the age 65 or over spouse can file for and establish entitlement to HI for the month the worker attained age 62.

https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0300202001
RS 00202.001 Spouse
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Old Nov 8th 2007, 3:07 am
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Default Re: Retirement in the US, pension and medical care

Originally Posted by JackieP
Sentosa is correct. Being a US citizen makes no difference as far as SS and medicare.

It does make a difference as far as welfare - supplementary security income (SSI) and medicaid are generally not available to non-citizens, except disabled. Fortunately many elderly qualify as disabled and if they are poor enough, they will get reasonable care. Better than Medicare coverage.
As far as I know (I'm open to correction), many (if not all) of the sponsorship obligations involved with bringing a parent into the U.S. fall away when the parent becomes a U.S. citizen.
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Old Nov 8th 2007, 7:58 am
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Default Re: Retirement in the US, pension and medical care

Originally Posted by JAJ
As far as I know (I'm open to correction), many (if not all) of the sponsorship obligations involved with bringing a parent into the U.S. fall away when the parent becomes a U.S. citizen.
All, but to be fair you would have a hard job finding cases where the Affadavit has been upheld in these circumstances when it is enforcable.

I have only seen it where the supported person has sought enforcement for their own support.
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Old Nov 8th 2007, 2:38 pm
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Default Re: Retirement in the US, pension and medical care

Originally Posted by JAJ
As far as I know (I'm open to correction), many (if not all) of the sponsorship obligations involved with bringing a parent into the U.S. fall away when the parent becomes a U.S. citizen.
After 5 years, when people can become citizens, the sponsorship stuff is pretty much over whether the parent is a citizen or not.

The main reason to get citizenship (apart from wanting to vote and all that) is if you are in need - you will qualify for welfare if you are a citizen but have to jump through hoops if not.

Did I mention that I just found out that the government attempts to get its money back after you die, if you were poor enough to qualify for medicaid benefits? It's a whole other attitude here as far as social welfare.

My adult daughter also has no medical coverage because she is self employed and has a prior condition. I'm pretty mad at the US health care system.
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Old Dec 7th 2007, 7:41 am
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Default Re: Retirement in the US, pension and medical care

Hello. Great thread. I have been looking for information and have no where to turn. I was born in the United States but I want to bring my mom over to live with me. She is 68yo. She once lived here but did not work long enough. So of course my concerns are if she came here could she get Medi-Cal which is Welfare health coverage in California.

You have to at a poverty level. She gets a pension form Ireland around $2400/mo. she has a home there so I am guessing she would have to have an off shore account? Leave the money in Bank or Ireland or give it to us which would mean us taxed.

I see people here (Los Angeles) old ppl from Armenia, Latin America and I wonder how do they do it? She is getting old, lonely and I miss her. I just dont know what to do?

Can someone tell me once your passed to come to US as a resident alien do you have to leave your home country to come to US in a particular amount of time? Is there time limit?

Reason is if there was no time limit to come here to US we could apply her to Medi-Cal and if that failed she wold just have to stay in Ireland.
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Old Dec 7th 2007, 10:10 am
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Default Re: Retirement in the US, pension and medical care

Originally Posted by keano
Hello. Great thread. I have been looking for information and have no where to turn. I was born in the United States but I want to bring my mom over to live with me. She is 68yo. She once lived here but did not work long enough. So of course my concerns are if she came here could she get Medi-Cal which is Welfare health coverage in California.

You have to at a poverty level. She gets a pension form Ireland around $2400/mo. she has a home there so I am guessing she would have to have an off shore account? Leave the money in Bank or Ireland or give it to us which would mean us taxed.

I see people here (Los Angeles) old ppl from Armenia, Latin America and I wonder how do they do it? She is getting old, lonely and I miss her. I just dont know what to do?

Can someone tell me once your passed to come to US as a resident alien do you have to leave your home country to come to US in a particular amount of time? Is there time limit?

Reason is if there was no time limit to come here to US we could apply her to Medi-Cal and if that failed she wold just have to stay in Ireland.
If you sponsor someone to come over here, and they receive welfare benefits - I believe the government can recover the cost from you.

This is intended to prevent people from coming over here, and immediately claiming benefits and becoming "a burden" to the taxpayers.
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Old Dec 7th 2007, 11:31 am
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Default Re: Retirement in the US, pension and medical care

The other thing to consider - once you are a PR in the USA I can't see a (legal) way to avoid declaring income, no matter where the money is stashed.
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Old Dec 7th 2007, 11:48 am
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Default Re: Retirement in the US, pension and medical care

Originally Posted by jenniferpa
The other thing to consider - once you are a PR in the USA I can't see a (legal) way to avoid declaring income, no matter where the money is stashed.
Sorry, not to be a grump, but...

The taxpayers of the U.S. tend not to be enthused when the query sounds like "We want to move to the U.S., hide our income, and immediately have the U.S. taxpayer provide us with support/benefits".
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