Medi-cal Insurance on 2yr conditional GC

[ronron 0]

hello everyone, is it possible for me a 2 yr conditional visa holder to apply for Medi-cal insurance (medicaid)?? i have some health issues but i can't afford the hospital visits here. any suggestion plss. i just received my conditional GC month ago. i'm working, but my salary is not enough. thanks!

[nickbits 43]

See http://www.visitorscoverage.com/insurance/knowledge/medicare-medi-Cal-mediCaid-insurance.htm

Edited October 16, 2011 by nickbits

[nickbits 43]

hello everyone, is it possible for me a 2 yr conditional visa holder to apply for Medi-cal insurance (medicaid)?? i have some health issues but i can't afford the hospital visits here. any suggestion plss. i just received my conditional GC month ago. i'm working, but my salary is not enough. thanks!

Also http://www.nilc.org/ce/nonnilc/sponsoredimms&bens_ca_2006-10.pdf

Looks like you can apply for Medi-Cal but it's possible your sponsor will be required to repay.

Which Public Benefits Will a Sponsor Need to Repay?

Sponsors who sign "enforceable" affidavits of support (Form I-864) may need to

repay "means-tested public benefits" used by the immigrant after he or she becomes

a lawful permanent resident. The only federal benefits that are considered "meanstested"

are: Supplemental Security Income (SSI), food stamps, CalWORKs, Medi-Cal

(nonemergency), and Healthy Families. Most immigrants whose sponsors signed

"enforceable" affidavits of support have not been eligible for these federally funded

programs, due to a five-year bar (waiting period) on these services. California

provides benefits to some of these immigrants using state funds. But California has

not decided which state-funded benefits a sponsor may need to repay and cannot

ask sponsors to repay benefits used before it makes this decision. States are not

required to go after sponsors, and to our knowledge, no government agency in

California has sought reimbursement from a sponsor up to now.

Edited October 16, 2011 by nickbits

[Jojo92122 1,924]

Medi-Cal is not an insurance program. It is a welfare program for the poor. A person must have less than $2000 in countable assets to qualify for Medi-Cal.

Regular Medi-Cal is a means tested benefit that the I-864 sponsors will be liable for. Regular Medi-Cal is for doctor's visits and regular care.

Emergency Medi-Cal is not a means tested benefit. The I-864 sponsors are not liable here. Emergency Medi-Cal is usually applied for in the hospital after a person has been admitted - it's to cover emergency care.

Green card holders should not apply for regular Medi-Cal. If they get it, their I-864 sponsors will need to repay any benefits they receive.

If you receive regular Medi-Cal benefits, your I-864 sponsors will be liable to reimburse the government. If your spouse sponsored you, then he/she would be responsible for all your bills. That's not insurance.

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Medi-Cal is the same as Medicaid. Medicaid is the federal program (US government program) that partners with the states to provide care for the poor. In California, the joint federal/state program is called Medi-Cal. In Tennessee, it is called TennCare.

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http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3183.html#4

Affidavit of Support Forms (I-864 series forms) - Frequently Asked Questions

Means Tested Public Benefits

Federal means tested public benefits are the following:

Food stamps

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Medicaid

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

State Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

FAQs: Means Tested Public Benefits

Can the applicant use government assistance or public benefits?

What assistance programs are not considered means tested public benefit programs?

Can the applicant use government assistance or public benefits?

If the sponsored immigrant uses federal means tested public benefits, the sponsor must repay the cost of the benefits.

What assistance programs are not considered means tested public benefit programs?

The following types of assistance are not considered means tested public benefits and do not have to be repaid.

Emergency Medicaid

School lunches

Immunizations and treatment for communicable diseases

Student assistance to attend colleges and institutions of higher learning

Some kinds of foster care or adoption assistance

Job training programs

Head start

Short-term, non-cash emergency relief

Edited October 16, 2011 by Jojo92122

[ronron 0]

Also http://www.nilc.org/..._ca_2006-10.pdf

Looks like you can apply for Medi-Cal but it's possible your sponsor will be required to repay.

Which Public Benefits Will a Sponsor Need to Repay?

Sponsors who sign "enforceable" affidavits of support (Form I-864) may need to

repay "means-tested public benefits" used by the immigrant after he or she becomes

a lawful permanent resident. The only federal benefits that are considered "meanstested"

are: Supplemental Security Income (SSI), food stamps, CalWORKs, Medi-Cal

(nonemergency), and Healthy Families. Most immigrants whose sponsors signed

"enforceable" affidavits of support have not been eligible for these federally funded

programs, due to a five-year bar (waiting period) on these services. California

provides benefits to some of these immigrants using state funds. But California has

not decided which state-funded benefits a sponsor may need to repay and cannot

ask sponsors to repay benefits used before it makes this decision. States are not

required to go after sponsors, and to our knowledge, no government agency in

California has sought reimbursement from a sponsor up to now.

thanks for your reply! so basically, if i get medi-cal my sponsor might be liable for a repay.. thanks

[Jojo92122 1,924]

thanks for your reply! so basically, if i get medi-cal my sponsor might be liable for a repay.. thanks

Strike out "might" and replace with "is." If you get Medi-Cal, your sponsor IS liable to repay the benefits. It is up to the government to request payment. If the government requests repayment, your sponsor IS liable to pay it. There is no argument at that point that your sponsor might have to repay the benefits, the sponsor must repay the benefits.

[Jojo92122 1,924]

Read this; http://www.accessproject.org/downloads/Immigrant_Access.pdf

Immigrant Access to Health Benefits

II. IMMIGRANT ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAID

Prior to enactment of PRWORA, states were required to provide Medicaid to

all legally present immigrants who met Medicaid eligibility requirements.

PRWORA fundamentally changed immigrants’ access and eligibility in

several significant ways:

! States can choose to provide Medicaid coverage (or not) to all

qualified immigrants who were legally present in the United States on

or before August 22, 1996, the date the welfare law was enacted.13

! Certain groups of legally present immigrants who previously were

eligible for Medicaid, such as Persons Residing Under the Color of

Law (PRUCOL), are no longer eligible for Medicaid.

! Many new immigrants are barred from receiving Medicaid and other

federal means-tested public benefits for their first five years in the

United States.

! States can establish eligibility rules for post-August 22, 1996 entrants

who are no longer subject to the five-year bar.14

! New sponsor-deeming of income rules and enforceable affidavits of

support create additional barriers to access. (See Chapter 4.)