# Want to bring elderly mother to US as permanent resident



## Shasta (Oct 13, 2013)

It looks as if Obamacare will allow legal elderly immigrants to participate so I would love to bring my 95 year old mother to US to live wit us permanently. We have hesitated to do this before now because she would have to live here for 5years to be eligible for Medicare, and because of her age the last time she visited us the maximum amount of health insurance coverage we could obtain for her was $50000, which in the US is not adequate. 
Can she transfer her state pension to the US? 
If anyone has information on either of these subjects I would appreciate them sharing it. I have no idea where to start so anything will help.
Thanks


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## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

at that age you could never get insurance ... medicare will not cover her 
and I doubt very much she could pass the medical for immigration 

obamacare is not effective yet


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Obamacare says nothing about insuring very elderly immigrants. It covers folks up to 65 and then its still Medicare or Medicaid.


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## Shasta (Oct 13, 2013)

Davis1 said:


> at that age you could never get insurance ... medicare will not cover her
> and I doubt very much she could pass the medical for immigration
> 
> obamacare is not effective yet


I plan on waiting to see if Obamacare will be a possibility. Too soon right now. I am a US citizen now so she would have priority as my mother and we would be responsible for her care. Not sure in this case she would have to pass a medical. She could come here as a visitor and then we could apply for her to stay but in that case there would be no decent health care coverage until she got a green card and would qualify for Obamacare.


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## Shasta (Oct 13, 2013)

Crawford said:


> Obamacare says nothing about insuring very elderly immigrants. It covers folks up to 65 and then its still Medicare or Medicaid.


I saw saw something about coverage for legal immigrants on line. I think they would have to be under Medicaid until they had been here 5 years and could then qualify for Medicare.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Shasta said:


> I saw saw something about coverage for legal immigrants on line. I think they would have to be under Medicaid until they had been here 5 years and could then qualify for Medicare.


She is not eligible for Medicaide nor Medicare. IPad is no means to google details but you can do that on your own. Obamacare does not cover Medicare age and above. You are in a predicament a lot of baby bomber immigrants have.


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## Shasta (Oct 13, 2013)

I am probably wrong about the Medicaid but if she is legally in this country Obamacare requires everyone to buy insurance or be fined. Wouldn't she be eligible to buy from the exchanges the way everyone else would? This, of course, is assuming we could get her a green card.


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## 2fargone (Jun 14, 2011)

Shasta said:


> I am probably wrong about the Medicaid but if she is legally in this country Obamacare requires everyone to buy insurance or be fined. Wouldn't she be eligible to buy from the exchanges the way everyone else would? This, of course, is assuming we could get her a green card.


Ok, at 95 that is a very hard trip to make for someone that age. And it will take time for your mom to get the visa so she won't be able to make the move till she is 96 or 97. 

Your mom could get insurance, but the prices she would pay would be very very expensive.


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## Shasta (Oct 13, 2013)

Last time she came to visit she was 90. Sure wish we had kept her here then but she still had a sister and friends living so she didn't want to stay. Now she's the last of them living and things aren't working out very well with her living with my brother and his wife. Shame we don't have crystal balls.
Thanks for your replies. Helps me realise that I am perhaps full of wishful thinking at this point.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

As long as you are a US citizen you can sponsor her Green Card. Until shutdown processing times were extremely short. 3-6 months.
Grene Card does not entitle her to Medicaide or Medicare. Age wise she is eligible for Medicare thus no Obamacare. It is a devilish cycle. We found fairly good coverage for around $750/mo


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## Shasta (Oct 13, 2013)

Thanks Twostep. Is the $750 for one person? Also do you know anything about pension transfer to US?


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

I think you may be getting some incorrect information here. But to offer a more precise answer, what state would she live in? And what's her approximate monthly or annual income (in current U.S. dollars)?

The correct answer is that all lawfully present non-citizens who are not eligible for premium-free Medicare or Medicaid can buy health insurance through the Obamacare exchanges. And they can also receive federal subsidies to do it if qualified. For example, in Connecticut a 95 year old with $15,000 in annual income could enroll in a "silver" plan with a $2000 annual deductible at zero premium -- the federal subsidy would fully cover the premium cost. (I used Connecticut as an example mostly because they have a great exchange Web site that makes simple scenarios easy and quick to illustrate.)

After 5 years of residence she would have the choice of either Medicare or an Obamacare exchange policy.

This is one of the ways Obamacare is wonderful. A 95 year old immigrant is basically uninsurable in the U.S. until January 1, 2014. Now a low income elderly immigrant is not only insurable but typically insurable at zero premium.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Here's a quick explanation.


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## Shasta (Oct 13, 2013)

BBCWatcher said:


> I think you may be getting some incorrect information here. But to offer a more precise answer, what state would she live in? And what's her approximate monthly or annual income (in current U.S. dollars)?
> 
> The correct answer is that all lawfully present non-citizens who are not eligible for premium-free Medicare or Medicaid can buy health insurance through the Obamacare exchanges. And they can also receive federal subsidies to do it if qualified. For example, in Connecticut a 95 year old with $15,000 in annual income could enroll in a "silver" plan with a $2000 annual deductible at zero premium -- the federal subsidy would fully cover the premium cost. (I used Connecticut as an example mostly because they have a great exchange Web site that makes simple scenarios easy and quick to illustrate.)
> 
> ...




Thank you so much BBCWatcher for this information. I thought I had read something about this. We live in Illinois. I think the situation here will be similar to Connecticut 
but not sure. My mother's income is probably about the same. So glad I voted for Obama.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Illinois residents use healthcare.gov to shop for health insurance exchange policies.

The law is a bit weird. Technically she'll need at least US$11,490 per annum to qualify for the exchange because the assumption was that very low income individuals would qualify for Medicaid. Presumably her U.K. pension provides at least that small level of income. (There are some workarounds if you don't have $11,490 per year, but hopefully they aren't necessary for her.) She can receive subsidies to purchase health insurance, and yes, she is eligible for an exchange policy if she is legally present in the U.S. and if she does not qualify for non-premium Medicare or Medicaid.

If possible I would try to avoid signing a statement of financial responsibility when sponsoring her for immigration. I can't remember the minimum income requirement to avoid financial sponsorship, but I think she needs at least about $19,000 in her own income to be admitted to the U.S. without a financial sponsor. You probably don't want to have to repay Medicaid (for example) if she ends up with expenses such as long-term nursing home care. But I'm less familiar with this particular aspect, so please check into that.

Anyway, the Obamacare part at least is very good news indeed for many lawful immigrants to the U.S. including elderly immigrants who are not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid. Just like anyone else signing up for an exchange policy she cannot be turned away for a preexisting condition nor discriminated against because of her age. There is a higher premium because of her age, but federal subsidies also increase to support that higher premium. The federal subsidies are calibrated to support purchase of the second lowest cost "silver" plan.

Good luck.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Thank you for correcting me.


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## Shasta (Oct 13, 2013)

BBCWatcher said:


> Illinois residents use healthcare.gov to shop for health insurance exchange policies.
> 
> The law is a bit weird. Technically she'll need at least US$11,490 per annum to qualify for the exchange because the assumption was that very low income individuals would qualify for Medicaid. Presumably her U.K. pension provides at least that small level of income. (There are some workarounds if you don't have $11,490 per year, but hopefully they aren't necessary for her.) She can receive subsidies to purchase health insurance, and yes, she is eligible for an exchange policy if she is legally present in the U.S. and if she does not qualify for non-premium Medicare or Medicaid.
> 
> ...


I checked the healthcare.com site that the Illinois page directed me to and even chatted with a person there. You are right she would qualify but as she would be living with us they say the total household income is used to calculate premiums. I guessed what that would be for the approx. calculator they have there, and also the oldest age available was 64. The price came to about $475 a month for a 64 year old with a very small rebate. I hate to think what the premiums would be for her age.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Shasta said:


> I am probably wrong about the Medicaid but if she is legally in this country Obamacare requires everyone to buy insurance or be fined. Wouldn't she be eligible to buy from the exchanges the way everyone else would? This, of course, is assuming we could get her a green card.


deleted


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

BBCWatcher said:


> I think you may be getting some incorrect information here. But to offer a more precise answer, what state would she live in? And what's her approximate monthly or annual income (in current U.S. dollars)?
> 
> The correct answer is that all lawfully present non-citizens who are not eligible for premium-free Medicare or Medicaid can buy health insurance through the Obamacare exchanges. And they can also receive federal subsidies to do it if qualified. For example, in Connecticut a 95 year old with $15,000 in annual income could enroll in a "silver" plan with a $2000 annual deductible at zero premium -- the federal subsidy would fully cover the premium cost. (I used Connecticut as an example mostly because they have a great exchange Web site that makes simple scenarios easy and quick to illustrate.)
> 
> ...


This lady, if of low income, would not qualify to emmigrate to the US without support of her family - they would need to sponsor her - and as such she would be their dependent.

As her sponsors they would be responsible for her health care costs under the Obama scheme and therefore the total income of the household would need to be taken into consideration for premium costs.

It is not conceivable that one can be eligible to enter the country but then be of such low income that the tax payer picks up the bills for health care costs. Therefore to say that she would be eligible for zero premiums with an exchange health policy is unrealistic. 

Similarly while after 5 years she MAY be eligible for Medicare you fail to point out that she will have to pay for Part A - currently at 410 dollars per month - plus every other part of Medicare. Premiums alone will be 500+ dollars per month.

One also has to take into consideration that at 95 the lady is likely to require at minimum home help care or assisted living if not nursing home care - none of which is fully covered by either exchange policies or Medicare/Medicaid. Something else to think about.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Folks, let's slow down here a bit. I think we're both repeating information and getting it wrong in the process.

1. Yes, if you make your mother a co-resident under the same roof then household income will count in determining exchange subsidies. So...don't make her a household co-resident! Find an arrangement where she lives in the (landlord owned) downstairs apartment with its own postbox, for example. Let her have her space, but she can still be very close by. She's living a lot farther away than across the street right now, isn't she? She can move as close as she wants _just not in the same household_. (Though the families can visit each other for tea or whatever as often as they want.)

2. Yes, as I pointed out she'll need sufficient income from her U.K. pension -- she's getting a pension, folks! -- to avoid somebody having to be her financial sponsor for immigration. I did mention that, clearly, and that it would be highly preferable to avoid financial sponsorship if avoidable.

3. Yes, Medicare costs money in this situation. Medicare is not a requirement after five years. She can stay on a health insurance exchange plan as long as she wants, and that's probably going to be the best choice. I never said otherwise, but she will have the choice after five years.

OK? Is all that clear now?

Really I think it's much more helpful to the original poster to find _solutions_ to how he can bring an elderly relative to the U.S., and my replies are very much in that spirit.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Unless mother's financial situation allowed her to self sponsor she will need a sponsor for her AoS. But unless she cooperates and goes through the Green Card process, leaves her familiar surroundings and moves to the US - it does not matter what might or might not be possible by which loophole.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Well sure. But I think we can safely assume the original poster isn't asking purely for academic reasons.

This isn't a "loophole," by the way -- that's quite unfair. It's exactly, precisely the PPACA's intent. There are millions of lawful immigrants to the United States that are uninsured or underinsured. The PPACA's drafters intended to close as many coverage gaps as politically possible, and this was definitely one of them they very much had in mind. The only surprise here is that many Americans would consider this coverage surprising. The vast majority of developed countries already cover their lawful immigrants in their public health insurance systems.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

twostep said:


> Unless mother's financial situation allowed her to self sponsor she will need a sponsor for her AoS. But unless she cooperates and goes through the Green Card process, leaves her familiar surroundings and moves to the US - it does not matter what might or might not be possible by which loophole.


I definitely agree with you, twostep, on this side of the issue. We had a case here in France where someone brought over their 90+ year old mother with all the best intentions in the world. They set her up quite nicely, including a care taker, health care and the whole bit. But the poor little old lady really didn't quite understand where she was or that she was doing anything other than a "visit" with her daughter. 

Admittedly, there was the language issue here, too, but ultimately they wound up taking her back to her familiar surroundings in the US. Older folks often have difficulty changing residence, much less cultures. 
Cheers,
Bev


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

....Or the 95 year old in question could be extremely lonely, eager to see her grandchildren or even great grandchildren, and she could have just run a marathon. But she just wants an affordable health insurance solution before she makes the move to the U.S. We simply don't know the original poster's full situation.

With concerns noted, and absent information to the contrary, isn't it reasonable to give the original poster the benefit of the doubt?


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Do I know the feeling Bev:>( 
After a frantic "I am all lone" call I got US citizenship and a house with a separate wing (2 br/kitchenette/... about 1500 sqf, garage, used P/U). Then Her Highness refused to be "locked into a dark hole".


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Have been through a couple of rounds of moving elderly family members - some personally, some vicariously through friends or relatives. It's never an easy decision, and very often the availability (or complexity) of health care, personal care, activities, social opportunities, or other fairly mundane issues wind up being the deciding factor. 
Cheers,
Bev


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