kika

Hi

Has anyone looked into sponsoring - or successfully done so - their British parents so they can move to the States and retire? I'm in the process of becoming a US citizen (my husband is American) and am just waiting for my interview date. According to the processing status of my Service Center, I'll probably be waiting another year.

Anyway, my parents have retired and have been living in Spain for the past 3 years and we miss each other desperately. I've heard negative things about Brits retiring in the US due to the extensive cost of medical care. I just wondered if anyone had actually gone through it and found a decent insurance package...?

We're so fed up of living apart and my husband and I prefer our quality of life here in the States. With the airlines hiking up their prices, my parents getting older and my husband and I thinking of starting a family in the next few years, having my parents here in the States seems like our only solution.

By the time we'll get approval of their sponsorship, they'll be in no position to get a full-time job in order to get medical insurance that way.

Has anyone been through this?

Thanks

meauxna

Since your question is more about the pros and cons of their moving, I will put your post in the USA forum. Several members have sponsored their parents over and can comment on the insurance and other issues.
If you want it moved back, just ask.

Bob

There's been a few threads in the past about it and a few people have done it.

The biggest issue is always medical costs though...will they be willing to work the 40 quarters and all that...

Unless they are independently minted that cost of medical wouldn't be an issue, it'll be seriously hard on them, not to mention they'll be in a new country without their own friends and familiar surroundings, which will make it a tougher transition on them...

Perhaps a B2 visa and doing 6 month stints at a time?

Steerpike

My Iranian hairdresser recently became a citizen and told me she brought her mum over. When I asked about the medical insurance aspect, she said her mum either was, or would soon be, eligible for Medi-Cal, the California State medical program. Since we pay high taxes here in CA, this may be a reality, though I haven't had the time to look into it myself.

Since your profile suggests you live in Nevada, a place with no state tax, I would guess you are less likely to have such an option ...

I would love to bring my mum over but at 80, I fear the medical aspect would be too problematic. One possibility I'm considering is buying a condo as an investment and having her come visit for several months at a time, each time on 'vacation' insurance.

I'm interested in learning more about this ...

Michael

In the US, the federal government covers all legal residents after age 65 through the medicare program. The following is a quote from medicare FAQ.

17) Are there rules for immigrants to qualify for the Medicare program?

Yes. To be eligible for Medicare, you must be a legal United States resident

Medicare includes Part A, Part B, and Part D coverage. Part A (hospitalization) is free, Part B (out patient care) is a small added cost, and Part D (prescription drug benefits) is also an additional cost. However, there are deductables and co-pay for the programs but supplemental insurance from private companies can be purchased to cover excess costs.

http://www.disabilitybenefits101.org...aqs.htm#_q1141

Besides medicare there is the medicaid program for low income individuals which covers 100% of medical costs in many states.

A little story

My maid is from El Salavador (currently USC). Her husband is from India (also a USC) who was taxi driver. He had 5 heart attacks in the past 8 years so he hasn't been working too much. They own a house in the San Francisco bay area but since she was having difficulty making the mortgage payments, they rented out the house and moved into her sons house.

Although the hospitalization for her husband was covered by insurance, his insurance lapsed after he could no longer drive a taxi due to his heart attacks. Both were then covered 100% by medicaid (Medi-Cal). I don't understand why, since they still owned the house that they were renting out.

All of that may seem strange but they then sponsered her 80 year old mother for a GC (probably co-sponsered by her son). Her mother arrived in the US about 3 years ago and after 6 months had a stroke and stomach problems causing her to have impatient care for about 4 months. Medicaid covered 100% of the care.

A second story

My girlfriend emigrated to the US with her mother, father, and brother from Taiwan in the late 1970s. The family is relatively wealthy and sponsered all the relatives including aunts, uncles, grandfather, and grandmother. Approximately 12 additional total. Although all of them currently own a house in the bay area (minimum $600K each), the grandmother (not sure if she owns) gets medicaid (Medi-Cal) benefits. Recently one of the aunts (not married) died and did not have a will but she had a small life insurance policy ($40K). In that case, the grandmother is automatically the benificary but didn't claim the life insurance since she didn't want to lose the medicaid benefits (she is about 95 years old) and would possibly only have medicare benefits if she claimed the insurance. The remainder of her assets was divided amoung the other relatives.

I suspect that the grandmother gave away all her assets so that she would be eligible for medicaid. I also suspect the family also gives her money when she needs it.

Michael

The 40 quarters is for Social Security benefits and not medical benefits.

ian-mstm

Considering the state of health care coverage in the US, the word "impatient" is strangely appropriate!

Ian

Rete

I beg to differ. My husband, now a USC, was not able to apply for medicaid as he had not worked for 40 quarters. Direct advice from the SSA. Yes, he could have applied for one of the medical plans from the government but at a fee. He will have his 40 quarters in March 2009 and his paperwork sent to him by the SSA in January told him just that.

Michael

I wasn't refering to medicaid but was refering to medicare. Medicaid is generally for low income and I don't know the exact criteria for medicaid. However, I know that my maids mother and my girlfriends grandmother both got medicaid with 0 quarters.

However, the OP should check the exact eligibility for either medicare or medicaid from the SSA.

penguinsix

I think there is a 'buy-in' option to medicare (old folks) but you need to be here as a green card holder for 5 years or so. Medicaid (poor folks) has a variety of different approaches that vary from state to state. Medi-cal, the California version of Medi-caid has a few more benefits for immigrants than some other states.

I think you're probably looking at $1,000 a month if you want to get private insurance to cover them. You might, through your existing family coverage from you or your husband, be able to get a 'dependent parent' rider that attaches to what you are already paying. So say from $500->$1,000, but still a bit cheaper than having them buy on their own.

This is a very *rough* rundown and probably slightly inaccurate. It's a real pain to find this type of insurance for your folks if they are retired. This really isn't the country to retire to unless you can afford the insurance.

farmerwife

Stories are stories....

Re Medicare; Eligibility and Qualification for Medicare are not the same thing. The Fed Gov. covering all residents after age 65 for Medicare is not true. There have been a lot of threads on this before.
Quickly, - 40 quarters of work required to be covered at age 65.
If no work history, buy in to the program is only possible at 65 and older, for those who have been here as LPR for five years.

For a USC, it is a relatively straightforward process to sponsor a parent.
Start by filing an I- 130 form for each one.
I sponsored both my parents.
In the absence of health insurance through work, or Medicare coverage for 5 years, it is (about) impossible to find standard individual coverage for age 65+ because the insurance companies assume Medicare is there.
The answer lies at your State level, availabilty of health coverage varies by State. Some but not all States have a high risk pool that the otherwise uninsurable can buy in to. Or perhaps they will be in State like CA or Mass with some other State program.

Michael

I stand corrected.

I guess my maid knows how to work the system.

Bob

Your talking about a state plan which is different.

Out in NV, there would probably be bupkiss available.

Bob

It's not really a state program, just a mandatory "you've got to have insurance" thing and if you can't get it through work, you can buy it from the state, discounted.

farmerwife

Even though you have to "buy it" from the state, it still seems better than some of the other states with seemingly zero options for the otherwise uninsurable.... i.e. poor choice but better than none...