Phoenixsuns

Hello,

I fear I know the answer already! My mother is 89 and currently living in the UK. Two years ago I moved to the US (on a green card) to be with my American wife. Although we have medical insurance for ourselves it does not offer the option for family members. I know there are various schemes for Canadian citizens that utilise their social medicine cover, but is there anything for Brits? I know it is going to be very expensive as the US is the only civilised country not to have social medicine, (hopefully will change!) but can anybody point me in the right direction to see if at least I can get a quote as I would love her to spend her remaining years with us ?

Many thanks for advise offered

Jerseygirl

There's loads of threads in this forum and the Trailer Park on this very subject. Read down the list of thread titles in the index because some are very recent.

Manc

she needs a visa too.

Bob

Apart from the cost, is it wise to move away at that age from everything she knows?

Can be hard enough for people able to get out and about, but on someone older?

Anyway, might want to check into local state schemes because at that age, chances are very slim to get any kind of coverage at all without being on some group employment based scheme.

Bill_S

You probably don't want to hear this, but she's better off in the UK with the NHS. It's unlikely that you would find an individual policy to cover her. Even if you did, it wouldn't cover medication. Unless you are quite wealthy, think very hard about this.

And manc is right. You'll need to naturalize before you can sponsor her. Permanent residents can't sponsor parents.

SanDiegogirl

If it's just a quote you are looking for try ehealthinsurance.com and see if you can get anyone to quote you. Note that quotes given on the web are introductory quotes so even if you manage to get one the rate WILL go up after approx 6 months and yearly after that.

Mummy in the foothills

My Mom is 70 and gets insurance for her visits from the bank and age concern.
She stays for a couple months at a time and even they are reluctant to cover her that long.
I don't see how you are going to get cover for any longer. But it will be the least of the worries anyway, is she even eligible for a visa of any kind?

Jerseygirl

I think the OP will need to get US citizenship...which looks like it will be at least a year away...before he can sponsor his mother.

Getting US healthcare insurance for a 90+ year old will be near to impossible...even travel insurance for a 89 yr old will be difficult...even without any pre-existing conditions.

Ray

Yoy wont get an Insurance company to touch her ..and with the affidavit of support you will end up paying medical bill ...a week in hospital can be $100k
can you afford that a few times

Phoenixsuns

Many thanks for all your advice it is what I feared! The main reason we wanted to move her here was that we could look after her and all the people she knows are no longer! Will just have to arrange frequent trips back to see her.
Once again thaks to everybody who took the time to reply.

HertfordshiretoLongIsland

Wait, you are giving up that easily? Poor Mum - there is nothing like being with family.

There must be a way to arrange this.

Have you consulted an attorney? What about Medicaid?

If you are selling your Mum's house in the UK you will have some extra capital surely?

I think at the very least she will be able to buy into the Exchanges when they are up and running in 2014.

HertfordshiretoLongIsland

Also, if you are married to a citizen you can apply for your citizenship 2 years and 9 months after obtaining permanent residency, so you will soon be eligible. I would apply as soon as you can if I were you, especially if you are hoping to sponsor your Mum. As the other posters told you, you have to be a citizen to sponsor someone, this cannot be done by a permanent resident.

Duncan Roberts

She might be able to buy into a states high risk pool. She will need a denial of coverage from other insurance companies and will need to jump through hoops and eventually she might get some coverage, but, and it's a big but, it will be massively expensive. Other than that, she won't be eligible for medicare or medicaid and won't stand a chance via a private insurance firm. Just with standard stuff that comes with being 90, she will rack up tens of thousands of dollars of bills each year without insurance. That number could run into the hundreds of thousands if something moderate to severe happens.

Bob

Best solution would be to move to the UK, not to bring the mother to the US.

Medicaid won't be a goer and selling a house, well that'll cover a couple weeks hospital stay.

HertfordshiretoLongIsland

Duncan Roberts you are so negative, how do you think Original Poster "OP" feels when you use terms such as "won't stand a chance" and how exactly do you know that OP's Mum will rack up "thousands of dollars of bills each year without insurance." Is that a scientific estimate?!

OP knows that not having medical insurance in the United States is not an option, hence his question which was specifically: How can he get medical insurance for his ageing mother. OP, if you were resident in New York your Mum would be eligible for Medicaid, see this link from the New York Immigration Coalition for explanation:

http://www.thenyic.org/templates/doc...er.asp?did=151

Of course each State sets its own guidelines for Medicaid, but I would hope and suspect that the situation would be similar in Arizona. I did a quick Google search for you OP and found this Georgetown University Health Policy Institute document at the following link:

http://healthinsuranceinfo.net/getin...ance/medicaid/

The document states that: "Legal residents who are not U.S. citizens may be eligible for Medicaid, however questions concerning immigration status and eligibility should be directed to the Arizona Department of Social Services." So make a start by contacting that Agency. NB. When you do contact them, don't divulge your Mum's name, I would just ask a theoretical question.

Arizona’s Medicaid is provided by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), their website is: http://www.azahcccs.gov/Default.aspx
OP I would suggest that you read their eligibility policy manual at the following link:

http://www.azahcccs.gov/shared/Eligi....aspx?ID=acute

Of course, assuming that your Mum is eligible for Arizona Medicaid, her income will have to be, (read "look"), low enough for her to qualify. You may want to consult an attorney on this point, but again if her income is too high I am pretty sure that it this can be overcome with some out-the-box thinking!

Good luck!