Emergency Medicaid and other programs...

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Good luck on your immigration journeys!

Based on the following from the I-864 form:

"This provision does NOT apply to public benefits specified in section 403© of the Welfare Reform Act such as, but not limited to, emergency Medicaid, short-term, non-cash emergency relief; services provided under the National SchoolLunch and Child Nutrition Acts; immunizations and testing and treatment for communicable diseases; and means-tested programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act."

That means Emergency Medicaid is not a means-tested benefit, right? Therefore someone like me who has no health insurance and has a green card can apply for it? Don't get me wrong, I can pay for my medical bills, as my husband and I have enough saved up. But if/when an emergency situation arises, it's good to have adequate medical coverage, as costs can get too high then. And if there is a way to get free and/or discounted healthcare in an emergency, it would definitely be helpful!

So, I was wondering if anyone here on VJ has applied for emergency medicaid? Did you apply for any other programs too? If so, did you encounter any problems? Were you successful in your application? How does this emergency medicaid program work exactly? Is there anyone else who knows more information about this emergency medicaid program and about the other programs (besides asking the Social Services Office, that is)?

Any comments, suggestions, thoughts, or ideas is appreciated. Thank you.

Ant

Edited March 22, 2007 by AntandD

[Boiler 45,516]

Varies by State

Means tested

All the ones I have seen are very limited in scope - if you are at risk of a heart attack, you only get treatment once you have had it.

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Oh, I forgot to mention....I'm in New York State, if that's any helpful info at all....

Ant

Varies by State

[Ladylethal 12]

I was wondering about those things as well.

Does going to a family planning clinic to get cheaper pills counts as a means-tested benefit?

If needed, can a USC spouse apply to all those without prejudice? The Medicare is personal but say something like food stamps due to unnemployment, that would benefit the LPR as well, is that allowed? That situation is very confusing to me, 'cus now I'm even asking myself if I can have a student loan for college studies.

[Toledospod 0]

Well, if its of any help to you Ant and anyone else that's wondering, here's my take on the whole Medicaid thing as its worked out for me and my wife and daughter. I live in Ohio, so I don't know how this applies to New York(or any other state).

I found out several month ago that I could apply for Medicaid with my wife(I am the UK citizen and she is the US citizen)if I didn't earn over a certain amount per month. I only had one part-time job which paid really poorly, so I definitely qualified in that respect. The only other requirements was to show that I had a Green card and that my wife and daughter were US Citizens and that we all had Social Securtiy numbers. So I guess that you would have to a social security number at the very least and most likely a Green Card to prove you live permanently in the US.

I applied for Medicaid based on the above criteria and they approved me. They re-certify us every 3 months to make sure that we are still eligible, though I reckon we won't be next time around as I now work two part-time jobs totaling about 50-55 hours a week and the combined monthly pay may be more than I can qualify for. I can't say what it'll be like for you, but I would suggest checking with your local county health department. The Medicaid program here is known as 'Healthy Start, Healthy Families', but it may be called something else in NY.

Hope this helps!

Londonspod aka Anthony

[Anna C. 4]

I thought permanent residents aren't entitled for anything like that???? I thought that's why we have the affidavit of support.... I also was already mad that I may pay for medicare each month out of my paycheck as well as for social security without being entitled to receive those benefits.... Which is really unfair.

[Toledospod 0]

I thought permanent residents aren't entitled for anything like that???? I thought that's why we have the affidavit of support.... I also was already mad that I may pay for medicare each month out of my paycheck as well as for social security without being entitled to receive those benefits.... Which is really unfair.

*shrugs* All I can say is they approved us here in Ohio. I looked through the paperwork that the county health department sent and it mentioned proof of citizenship(as opposed to residency), so I phoned them to ask them if I qualified as an LPR Green Card holder with my wife as the US Citizen and they said yes. Its a bit odd, 'cos we can't vote here at all, so I guess its one law for us and another completely different one for everyone else??

So are you saying that even though I pay Social Security I would never be entitled to any of its benefits until I become a US Citizen?

[Ladylethal 12]

No people, the issue is not that Green Card holders are not eligible, we are eligible and will be approved if we try. The thing is when our spouses sign the affidavit of support for the AOS, they're saying they're the ones who'll pay for all our expenses, which means that when we apply for a federal benefit such as medicare, the government is entitled to bill the sponsor for all expenses the green card holder makes on the federal benefit's programs.

So in the end, it doesn't matter that you applied for medicare, if you use it, your spouse will be billed for that.

Read the I-864 affidavit, at the very end it explains that.

Edited March 22, 2007 by Luis&Laura

[ardilla 0]

Medicaid is a federal - state program (the states pay a percentage and the feds pay a percentage after the states pay) and is designed for low and middle-low income individuals and families as well as people with disabilities. It is means tested. Emergency Medicaid is available to anyone with a bona fide health threatening emergency regardless of immigration status. SCHIP is a child health program that is partly funded by Medicaid-like funding, and some states (including mine) choose to cover adults as well as children for this benefit. Those states can choose to have expanded benefits (and to expand eligibility to include immigrants and those who would otherwise not qualify) as long as they pay for it.

Medicare is a federally funded program (no state $) and it is not means tested. It is for persons over age 65 (67 nowadays), who have contributed to the Medicare fund via a minimum number of payroll tax deduction quarters of contributions. It is also available for people of any age with end stage renal disease and those who are certified by the social security admin as permanently disabled.

Some states have expanded health programs under SCHIP (State Child Health Insurance Program) that not only cover adults but also otherwise Medicaid-nonqualified individuals. If you are lucky enough to live in one of those great states (I do!) you may indeed qualify.

Planned Parenthood has special funding in many states and people can get access to sliding scale discounts at this and other similar programs without federal means testing nor affecting their immigration status.

It is best to consult with an immigration attorney before applying for, and accepting, this type of benefit. Just because you qualify doesn't mean that it can't be counted against you in the immigration realm. I know people who have learned this the hard way.

[meauxna 15]

Medicaid is a federal - state program (the states pay a percentage and the feds pay a percentage after the states pay) and is designed for low and middle-low income individuals and families as well as people with disabilities. It is means tested. Emergency Medicaid is available to anyone with a bona fide health threatening emergency regardless of immigration status. SCHIP is a child health program that is partly funded by Medicaid-like funding, and some states (including mine) choose to cover adults as well as children for this benefit. Those states can choose to have expanded benefits (and to expand eligibility to include immigrants and those who would otherwise not qualify) as long as they pay for it.

Medicare is a federally funded program (no state $) and it is not means tested. It is for persons over age 65 (67 nowadays), who have contributed to the Medicare fund via a minimum number of payroll tax deduction quarters of contributions. It is also available for people of any age with end stage renal disease and those who are certified by the social security admin as permanently disabled.

Some states have expanded health programs under SCHIP (State Child Health Insurance Program) that not only cover adults but also otherwise Medicaid-nonqualified individuals. If you are lucky enough to live in one of those great states (I do!) you may indeed qualify.

Planned Parenthood has special funding in many states and people can get access to sliding scale discounts at this and other similar programs without federal means testing nor affecting their immigration status.

It is best to consult with an immigration attorney before applying for, and accepting, this type of benefit. Just because you qualify doesn't mean that it can't be counted against you in the immigration realm. I know people who have learned this the hard way.

Thank you for this excellent summary!

[Canuck78 0]

Well, here is my experience with this.

When I was pregnant with our son 2 years ago, I applied for SoonerCare (Oklahoma) and they told me I didn't qualify because I had not been a LPR for 5 years...actually, I didn't even have a green card yet, BUT they told me I would qualify for Emergency Medicaid for the month of my delivery. We used it because at that time, my hubby had just changed jobs and his insurance hadn't kicked in yet. So far, nobody has asked us to pay back anything and it was never even mentionned. So I don't know. I hadn't even thought about all that. We were in a rough situation and we needed to do something.

I also got WIC and BC pills for free through the Health Dept.

[Meriem_DZ 37]

This is the USCIS webpage that explains public charge.

Meriem

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Good luck on your immigration journeys. Thanks to everyone for your replies (and yes, I've read all of them), and especially telling about your personal experiences and other additional factual information too. For those of you who were successful in your applications, I'm glad that it worked out well for you and your family. By the way, did the US government ever ask either you, or your sponsor, or anyone else for repayment of those benefits? Did it affect your immigration process in any way, and in particular for US Citizenship?

As for my situation, I did talk with my local NYS Dept. people about this, and they don't know what to do, as they've rarely (if ever) deal with an immigration situation since nobody from another country immigrates to the area that I'm living in! They said that they'll check about the immigration stuff though and ease my concerns about it affecting the immigration process (even though I qualify financial/income-wise), so hopefully I do qualify for something or other in an emergency medical situation, as it could be costly to pay for an unexpected emergency...

So meanwhile, it's a waiting game, and hopefully there will be no medical emergencies on my end (lol...more motivation for me to stay healthy, indeed)! Sigh, I miss free Canadian healthcare (but I would never ever move back to Canada to live there again).

Ant

Edited March 24, 2007 by AntandD