Medicare eligibility for MIL

[james&olya 1,121]

We are exploring options for possibly bringing my widowed MIL here from Russia. A big issue is the cost of health care. Based on the little research I have done it appears to me that the only way to qualify for free Medicare on her own would be if she worked 40 quarters (10 years)! Since she is 62 already that is unlikely to be an option.

An alternative appears to be if she were to find an American citizen suitor to marry. She would apparently qualify based on his 40 or more quarters of work paying Medicare taxes. But it is unclear to me if she would still have to wait 5 years after getting her green card or if the coverage would start right away at age 65. Anybody out there that has dealt with this that knows the answers?

[apple21 953]

That's the downside of petitioning parents, the cost of providing health care for them.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

If she is your mother in law you can't petition her. Your spouse can only after she gets her USC if they still allow parent petitions after immigration reform.

[Penguin_ie 5,996]

**** Moving from Bringing Family of Greencard Holders to Bringing Family of USC *****

Yes, she would still need to wait 5 years.

[RICARDO4EVA2 194]

If she is your mother in law you can't petition her. Your spouse can only after she gets her USC if they still allow parent petitions after immigration reform.

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[james&olya 1,121]

If she is your mother in law you can't petition her. Your spouse can only after she gets her USC if they still allow parent petitions after immigration reform.

Yes, of course, we know that, my wife expects to apply for citizenship in a little over a year from now. My MIL would not be wanting to move any sooner and possibly not for a few years after that anyway. She helps look after her mother, my wife's grandmother and she may live another 10 years possibly. The financial burden of purchasing health care at today's absurd prices may be prohibitive. Health care providers give hugely 'discounted' rates to medicare and the big insurance companies but charge grotesquely inflated prices to those trying to pay for care 'out-of-pocket'! It may prevent my MIL from ever coming here other than to visit.

[Noel194 53]

Yes, of course, we know that, my wife expects to apply for citizenship in a little over a year from now. My MIL would not be wanting to move any sooner and possibly not for a few years after that anyway. She helps look after her mother, my wife's grandmother and she may live another 10 years possibly. The financial burden of purchasing health care at today's absurd prices may be prohibitive. Health care providers give hugely 'discounted' rates to medicare and the big insurance companies but charge grotesquely inflated prices to those trying to pay for care 'out-of-pocket'! It may prevent my MIL from ever coming here other than to visit.

The new healthcare law should ease that burden. The new law prohibits more than a 3:1 premium difference between the cheapest policy and the most expensive policy. It is also possible for your MIL to "Buy into" Medicare after she becomes a USC she would have to pay 10 years premiums and then she would be covered for the rest of her life just as if she had worked.