cosmicgirl

My parents want to move over here but are worried about the cost of private health insurance. They are 67 and 69 and both take a couple of medications each, my mother also has to keep her blood pressure in check. Have anybodies parents moved over here and can you recommend a reputable health insurer?

farmerwife

Depends on your state, if they offer a medical pool insurance program for otherwise uninsurable. Otherwise the regular ins companies don't insure over 65 s.

They will be eligible to buy into Medicare after they have been here 5 years on a green card. (Paying for Part A, and Part B - expensive). (Also Part D drug ins which is optional).

cosmicgirl

We live in Georgia.

Jerseygirl

What visa will they be using?

Ray

IR5 I would say

Jerseygirl

Sponsered by a USC right? The OP moved here towards the end of last year on her husband's visa.

cosmicgirl

Not sure as we would act as their sponsers.

Ray

Then if she is not a citizen yet ..they wont be coming for a while yet ..

Ray

You have to be a citizen first

Bluegrass Lass

If you are Legal Perm Resident, it will probably take you 10 years to get your parents here. As a LPR, you are last on the list to bring immediate relatives here.

Jerseygirl

A LPR can only petition for a spouse or unmarried child.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/B1.pdf

Giantaxe

And wouldn't sponsors legally be on the hook for medical expenses until medicare eligibility kicked in? Finding insurance for a 67 and 60 year old is going to be tough and almost certainly expensive.

hobbes79

This is eons away for me, and considering how well my wife and mother get on, possibly longer than that...

But we live in Mass which I know has some interesting rules regarding health ins. It's basically illegal here to not have insurance, as I understand it. If you don't, they'll screw you on your taxes with some sort of fine.

For if/when my parents are considering coming over, the following from an official website appears to suggest they would get free health care... they wouldn't have any income, wouldn't qualify for Medicaid, would be over 19 and would be a "legal alien":

http://www.mahealthconnector.org/por...tte.cachetoken

Am I understanding this correctly? Has anyone tried it?

farmerwife

The insurance thing - very state specific. Don't know about Georgia.
Mass seems to be one of the better ones.

Bob

Currently $912 fine come tax time...getting the free insurance means dirt poor, really poor so that'll be a hard sell...especially if they have any assets worth anything...