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Filed: Country: United Kingdom
Timeline
Posted
  rebeccajo said:
Why would a wealthy person want to put themselves in the same position as a lot of the working class poor?

Perhaps because most insurance health plans have restrictions and exclusions that they would find unacceptable?

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Posted

That's not the relevant calculation, mawilson. With unlimited funds, I'd probably quit my career, but that doesn't give me good advice about what I should do now.

Chances are, unless your friend is extraordinarily wealthy, insurance will always be in his best interest. Not just because costs for likely end-of-life benefits (ongoing cancer treatments, surgery, etc.) can run into the millions of dollars, but because even if you have millions to spend potentially on your health, why would you if you could get coverage and do other things with those millions?

AOS

-

Filed: 8/1/07

NOA1:9/7/07

Biometrics: 9/28/07

EAD/AP: 10/17/07

EAD card ordered again (who knows, maybe we got the two-fer deal): 10/23/-7

Transferred to CSC: 10/26/07

Approved: 11/21/07

Filed: Other Timeline
Posted

Peejay....

From what you have said, at this point I kind of don't think your step-daughters coverage is your 'family' problem any longer. You know what I mean?

The girl needs to find her own coverage. Either through work or by other means. I presume she understands she can't take assistance from the government without some level of risk to you via the I864 you filed for her.

In our city, there is a private clinic that offers medical services to the poor who have no health coverage. If there is something like that around you, I'd suggest she go there.

  mawilson said:
  rebeccajo said:
Why would a wealthy person want to put themselves in the same position as a lot of the working class poor?

Perhaps because most insurance health plans have restrictions and exclusions that they would find unacceptable?

I mean why would they go without coverage when they can well afford it?

Like I said, you'd have to be VERY wealthy in this country to go without coverage. Unacceptable restrictions trumps wiping out a small, hard earned fortune.

Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Brazil
Timeline
Posted
  mawilson said:
  flames9 said:
Why wouldn't any wealthy person have health insurance? The average heart operation can easily run in the 2 to $300,000 range

Good question.

Let's forget about the $1m limit for a second and pretend you have unlimited funds at your disposal.

You want the best healthcare that money can buy.

Do you really want an insurance company to tell you what you can and cannot do?

Maybe you do, I just don't know. Does Bill Gates have an HMO or PPO? :unsure:

But a health insurance company doesn't tell you what you can and can't do; they just tell you what they will and won't pay for. If you're a gazillionaire, and your health insurance company doesn't want to pay for an experimental surgery, then you can pay for that out of pocket.

Posted
  mawilson said:
  rebeccajo said:
Why would a wealthy person want to put themselves in the same position as a lot of the working class poor?

Perhaps because most insurance health plans have restrictions and exclusions that they would find unacceptable?

One can still buy one's way around the restrictions. Your friend would be able to pay out-of-pocket for things he wanted, and use the insurance for the rest.

AOS

-

Filed: 8/1/07

NOA1:9/7/07

Biometrics: 9/28/07

EAD/AP: 10/17/07

EAD card ordered again (who knows, maybe we got the two-fer deal): 10/23/-7

Transferred to CSC: 10/26/07

Approved: 11/21/07

Filed: Country: United Kingdom
Timeline
Posted
  rebeccajo said:
But a 'well off' retired person (1M or better) could find themselves wiped out pretty quickly without some type of coverage.

Agreed.

So does anyone know how expensive or hard it is to insure a 70-year-old immigrant

(in good health and no pre-existing conditions)?

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Filed: Country: United Kingdom
Timeline
Posted
  Alex+R said:
But a health insurance company doesn't tell you what you can and can't do; they just tell you what they will and won't pay for. If you're a gazillionaire, and your health insurance company doesn't want to pay for an experimental surgery, then you can pay for that out of pocket.

I understand that.

At the same time, insurance companies are businesses. How can they make money insuring

an old person, unless they charge them outrageous premiums and deductibles?

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Filed: Country: United Kingdom
Timeline
Posted
  Caladan said:
How old is the immigrant? How is his or her health?

I'm guessing you included the $1million figure to let us know that the person has the means to purchase health insurance, so we're not having to limit ourselves to bargain-basement kinds of deals. Without knowing the specifics, it's hard to say, but insurance companies tend not to like to have older people in the risk pool because statistically they're a lot more likely to incur heavy medical costs. It should be buyable somewhere, but expect a heavy premium. (If no one wants to sell them insurance, I believe they can buy into Medicare.) First step should be to look into price quotes from insurance companies.

Insurance is definitely a necessity, and I'd say having one that comes with doctor's visits & regular checkups covered is no longer optional if your friend is older. High-deductible is great when you're young and never go to the doctor, but when you're old, things start breaking and needing regular maintenance. And $1 million goes up in smoke pretty fast should your friend have a heart attack or get diagnosed with cancer or any of the other things that start happening.

Thanks, C.

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Filed: Country: United Kingdom
Timeline
Posted
  Alex+R said:
That's actually what I was referring to. $1 million saved is not a level where you don't need health insurance. You just buy it. BFD. I don't even understand the original question.

The original question was

  mawilson said:
What kind of health insurance can a wealthy retired immigrant get in the U.S.?

What's there not to understand?

:unsure:

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline
Posted

One is just going to have to shop around for the best deal!! No different than 1 has to shop around for the best automobile insurance!!

Insurance can be pricey no matter what age one is!! Hospitals/Insurance companies are here for 1 reason--too make money!! The more of a risk you are, the more $$$ they will charge you. a non smoker rate will be more than a non smoker, just like a healthy 70 yr old rates will be more than a healthy 20 yr old! 1 just has to have the facts together, and go shop for the best coverage that suits you. If one thinks they are fit as a fiddle, maybe you want to have insurance that has a higher deductible. Then one has to consider PPO, HMo's. There is soo much to know about the USA health care system, it can lead you to alcoholism,lol My wife works for the Federal govt, and i recall her bringing home a book on what type of insurance we wanted to go with and it was thick!! Soo many options!! Best of luck

Canadians Visiting the USA while undergoing the visa process, my free advice:

1) Always tell the TRUTH. never lie to the POE officer

2) Be confident in ur replies

3) keep ur response short and to the point, don't tell ur life story!!

4) look the POE officer in the eye when speaking to them. They are looking for people lieing and have been trained to find them!

5) Pack light! No job resumes with you

6) Bring ties to Canada (letter from employer when ur expected back at work, lease, etc etc)

7) Always be polite, being rude isn't going to get ya anywhere, and could make things worse!!

8) Have a plan in case u do get denied (be polite) It wont harm ur visa application if ur denied,that is if ur polite and didn't lie! Refer to #1

Posted
  mawilson said:
  Alex+R said:
But a health insurance company doesn't tell you what you can and can't do; they just tell you what they will and won't pay for. If you're a gazillionaire, and your health insurance company doesn't want to pay for an experimental surgery, then you can pay for that out of pocket.

I understand that.

At the same time, insurance companies are businesses. How can they make money insuring

an old person, unless they charge them outrageous premiums and deductibles?

Risk pools, basically. I'm 28 and until last week had never used any medical care beyond an annual checkup and the occasional prescription. Yet my health insurance runs about $5000 per year (counting what I and my employer pay). Get people my age and under into a plan, and it's pretty much free money for the insurance company, out of which they can pay for people who are using it. (This becomes a problem as a population ages, generally.)

Still, it's not going to be easy for a 70 year old, for the reasons you cite. It'll be expensive. As to whether any will take him on, that's a good question I'm not really qualified to judge. And a lot of policy varies by state, so it would make a difference where he intended to live what his options are.

We also found it difficult to secure C. health insurance before he was a permanent resident. We ended up buying six months of travel insurance, but we're going to have to revisit this question again soon. Bleh.

AOS

-

Filed: 8/1/07

NOA1:9/7/07

Biometrics: 9/28/07

EAD/AP: 10/17/07

EAD card ordered again (who knows, maybe we got the two-fer deal): 10/23/-7

Transferred to CSC: 10/26/07

Approved: 11/21/07

Filed: Country: Belarus
Timeline
Posted
  rebeccajo said:
Peejay....

From what you have said, at this point I kind of don't think your step-daughters coverage is your 'family' problem any longer. You know what I mean?

The girl needs to find her own coverage. Either through work or by other means. I presume she understands she can't take assistance from the government without some level of risk to you via the I864 you filed for her.

In our city, there is a private clinic that offers medical services to the poor who have no health coverage. If there is something like that around you, I'd suggest she go there.

I know what you mean. If it weren't for the I-864 it would and really should be my stepdaughter's problem to live with. It's not really a family problem, but it is a Peejay problem though because of the I-864.

No...she does not know that an uninsured trip to the emergency room is a big risk to my life savings. My wife does not want me to tell her. If she did know I seriously doubt that it would even register on her radar screen. It's nothing personal against me...we have a good relationship. It's just that she is the kind of kid that 5 minutes from now is the future and 5 minutes ago was the past and that small 10 minute window of her life is the extent of her consciousness, comprehension, and attention span. She's not a bad kid, but that's just the way it is.

The point of this whole thread has been that most people would not risk their life savings against going totally uninsured. I certainly would not take the chance of leaving my stepdaughter uninsured when the dime falls on me. I'll do everything I can to keep her insured until she is eligible for US citizenship and hope she will fulfill the requirements necessary to become a US citizen. Thus freeing me from the obligations of the I-864. However, there is no guarantee she will do the necessary work to become a US citizen...even if we paid the fees. Case in point being the money we threw down the drain trying to send her to college classes she habitually cut.

I didn't post this looking for sympathy or to vent. I have always taken what life throws my way and deal with it as best as I can. I just want to bring to everyone's attention that there are ramifications to signing an I-864. You are financially responsible if you sign an I-864. You never really know how things will eventually turn out and you are financially responsible for situations that are out of your hands and you have absolutely no control over. That's the bottom line. Leaving a sponsored immigrant uninsured is a risk not to be ignored.

"Credibility in immigration policy can be summed up in one sentence: Those who should get in, get in; those who should be kept out, are kept out; and those who should not be here will be required to leave."

"...for the system to be credible, people actually have to be deported at the end of the process."

US Congresswoman Barbara Jordan (D-TX)

Testimony to the House Immigration Subcommittee, February 24, 1995

Posted

I believe that emergency medical care is not excluded by the I-864. Now, if she's still your dependent, &c., the financial risk from an emergency is there, but I don't think the I-864 burdens the USC sponsor with emergency care (since it's not a means-tested benefit.)

AOS

-

Filed: 8/1/07

NOA1:9/7/07

Biometrics: 9/28/07

EAD/AP: 10/17/07

EAD card ordered again (who knows, maybe we got the two-fer deal): 10/23/-7

Transferred to CSC: 10/26/07

Approved: 11/21/07

Filed: Country: Belarus
Timeline
Posted
  Caladan said:
I believe that emergency medical care is not excluded by the I-864. Now, if she's still your dependent, &c., the financial risk from an emergency is there, but I don't think the I-864 burdens the USC sponsor with emergency care (since it's not a means-tested benefit.)

I've always been under the impression and assumption that the I-864 burdens the sponsor with any public charge. Certainly the uninsured in Houston / Harris county end up at the city or county taxpayer funded hospitals. They are mandated by Federal law to provide emergency medical care. It is no small stretch of the imagination to assume that they can find out if someone is a sponsored immigrant. Emergency medical care is not free if there is a deep pocket with money to pay the bill. The question is whether they would sue for payment using the I-864.

I read about a naturalized US citizen in one of the northeastern states that was sued by her state for public funded medical care provided to her sponsored immigrant mother through the I-864. Sued by the state...not the Federal government. I do not know if that is just the policy of that one state or even if the other 49 states do it too. I don't know if fraud was involved or remember the circumstances cited in the story.

It gave me the impression that I wouldn't want to go there and that scenario is something to be avoided. I wish I knew more about the extent of liabilities that sponsors are actually liable for. I've always assumed it was for any taxpayer funded public charge.

"Credibility in immigration policy can be summed up in one sentence: Those who should get in, get in; those who should be kept out, are kept out; and those who should not be here will be required to leave."

"...for the system to be credible, people actually have to be deported at the end of the process."

US Congresswoman Barbara Jordan (D-TX)

Testimony to the House Immigration Subcommittee, February 24, 1995

 
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