hi,
please read because i sincerely need some help
i just have been diagnosed with a pituitary tumor and need surgery
one of the hospital here will help with their program for people who do not have insurance with the condition that i have to sign an agreement that i will work with medicaid to see first if medicaid can help first to cover it or a portion of it.

my worry is that if i ask for medicaid,will they go after the sponsor on the I 864 to ask them to pay back,I sincerely do not want them have financial problem because of me.

many people told me that medicaid is a means tested public ,so i cannot ask for it but i just read in one of the thread here that the us goverment does not consider permanent resident who ask for medicaid a public charge
so,may i ask for it?

Or it does not consider a public charge to be on the ground for deportation but they will still ask the sponsor to pay back?
please everybody who know something please answer me because the hospital agreed to keep my case pending ONLY until monday june 7
thank you very much

How long have you been here and what state do you live in? Is this considered emergency treatment?

I think generally a 'public charge' determination comes when you receive some form of cash payment, such as welfare payments. I believe Medicaid is specifically exempted from the public charge determination.

http://www.wceca.org/publications/Im...%20Revised.pdf

However, generally Medicaid is NOT available to a new immigrant until 5 years after they have a Green Card. So my concern would be that you apply for Medicaid, get denied (due to the ban) and then you'd have a big bill over your head from the hospital.

It really varies a great deal by states. Some states allow <5 years in certain cases, some do not. Many states will not sue a sponsor for payments, but there are various regulations and policies that differ on a state-by-state basis.

The new federal government sponsored health insurance high risk pools are supposed to be starting up this month around the country. According to the health care reform act, green card holders should be eligible to participate in those pools. Check with your state to determine if you are eligible.

http://www.asjonline.com/Issues/2010...ou-Should.aspx
http://www.healthreform.gov/forums/b..._20100430.html

Unlikely your sponsor will get to pay up. Very rare occurrence and I have never heard it happen.

If it wasn't detected ( Tumor.) before they gave you your Visa Package..'tain't your fault or your sponsors. Folk get sick...period.

Now if you wos a malingerin' git with a bad case of terminal laziness, maybe.

BTW...I've been here 23 years. You could look around for a free hospital or charity to see if they will operate. In any case, you offer to pay $10.00 a month, they've gotta take it.

Know of several friends here paying off $80,000.00 plus at $5.00 a week !
My buddy had a Heart Transplant in Austin a few weeks ago...all for free ! He is 30 y/o.

Another Mexican friend. 55y/o ..been here 12 years, had by pass surgery...they put him on disability AND he gets a $850.00 disability check too! So far he's never payed a cent after I wrote and told the collections agency he was a non national and broke !

"Don't panic.".as they said in Hitchhikers Guide To The Universe.

Any chance you can catch a flight back to Blighty?

Q./ Where are you state wise.?
Q/. How old?
Q/. Married, single etc..?
Q/. Job..yes..no?
Q/. How long you bin here.?

PS...Dunno where they get that 'New Member' bollocks from..been on here fer years.!

Good luck!

But as mentioned, all depends on your status in the US, how long you've been in the US and what state you currently reside in.

Medicaid is the United States health program for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states Among the groups of people served by Medicaid are certain eligible U.S. citizens and resident aliens, including low-income adults and their children, and people with certain disabilities. Poverty alone does not necessarily qualify an individual for Medicaid. Medicaid is the largest source of funding for medical and health-related services for people with limited income in the United States. Because of the aging Baby Boomer population, the fastest growing aspect of Medicaid is nursing home coverage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicaid

I am in ohio,40 years old single,just been here a few months ,do not work and
they just detected the tumor by mri because i told the doctor i have blurry vision
can it be consider a emergency medicaid ?because the doctor send me to mri and they saw it?
the hospital here will help with the bill or some of it if medicaid said no to the case but the hospital condition to help is that i have be willing to work with medicaid first and my worry is if it yes for medicaid ,they will ask the sponsor to pay and i sincerely do not want to give them financial problem.
please help with advise anybody,i greatly appreciate it

the way I understand, you won't be eligible for medicaid, so whether or not it's an emergency is immaterial.


you'll be billed a small fortune and will be debt the rest of your life.

welcome to America.

Not necessarily true. OP, apply for medicaid. They may or may not accept you. The hospital cannot go after your sponsor only the Federal Government. Whether or not the feds will do so cannot be forecast.

A tumor that is causing problems cannot be left untended. If you don't want to apply in the US, perhaps you can return to your home country and have the surgery there.

maybe, but he's been in the country 2 minutes.
I don't think he's even a permanent resident yet. just being processed.


apply all you want. I know what side of the decision my money is on

I kind of agree.
According to the British US embassy site, medicaid is a means tested benefit, so they can go after your I-864 sponsor.

Emergency medicaid is not considered a means tested benefit though, so its all down to whether this is considered an emergency or not. Not sure if there is an official definition or who gets the final say in this.

http://travel.state.gov - Scroll down to means tested benefits.

Why cant you fly home ...

As someone who had a tumor removed 3 weeks ago I very much understand your situation.

You do not really have much choice. Work with the hospital and medicaid to get the cost covered. If for some reason your sponsor is asked to pay that is the agreement they made with the US government when they and you asked for a visa. You don't get to pick and choose the terms it is something that might have to be faced. Your health is the most important consideration.

My 24 hour stay in hospital with 3 hours of surgery cost just over $30k. At 62 I didn't hesitate if any, all or none was covered by my insurance just got it resolved. You have a lot more of your life in front of you than I expect I have what's it worth. Sorry to be blunt but having been there DO NOT let the great concerns about the financial implications impact upon making prudent medical decisions.

My thoughts exactly, you've only been here a few weeks, the NHS probably thinks you went on holiday. I'd go home and get better. Good luck.
Medical here is nothing like the UK even using medicaid it can be very stressful as some things are not covered.

To the OP

What you originally stated is that the hospital has a program in place to fund the surgery but in order to use it you have to file for medicaid at the same time. Just because you applied for medicaid does not mean you will get it. In all likelihood, you will not. If accepted for medicaid or not, it would appear that the hospital's fund will pay for the surgery and that fund is not means tested.

As for the federal government going after your financial sponsor, yes, it is written into the I-864 that they have the right to do so. Have they done so in the past to others faced with having to use medicaid because of illness? We don't know. Even if they did, you would have the first choice to make resitution to the federal government and yes, it can be in monthly payments. If you then defaulted on the payments, then they would turn to the financial sponsor.

I have had a cyst in the same area all of my adult life. At least they called it a cyst 30 years ago. I've never had surgery but then I've never had any medical issues caused by it being there.

The choice, of course, is yours to make. Either you apply along with applying for the hospital's fund for the surgery or you don't. If you can't return to your home country for the surgery then you need to have it done here. The consequences of not having it might mean you become physically disabled and then your financial sponsor is on the hook for your support anyway. At least by having the surgery you have a good chance of living a long and healthy life and by working and paying taxes you will be helping to pay back indirectly the monies you accepted from medicaid if it were improved.

BTW I do not know what country you are originally from and although you use of English is very good, it does tell me that it is not your first language. If you do not understand what I've written, I could try to make it simplier but not quite sure how.