Health Insurance for my mother (potential immigrant)

[vkrishn 97]

Hello all,

I am planning to bring my mother to live with me in California. She is 67yrs old and currently living by herself in India and would rather have her with us so that we can be around her. Neither I or my sister who lives in New jersey cannot move to India for good and bringing our mother here seems to be the best option. 

 

I know the I-130 and NVC process since i did it for my wife when i brought her on F2A to the U.S but trying to get clear information with respect to all these new rules around health insurance.  My mother has a 10yr tourist visa with her and while I know people bring their parents on tourist visa and file I-130 and I-485 concurrently post 90 days of arrival, i want to do the consular processing route since its the right thing to do. 

 

I have few questions about health insurance. 

 

1. I have been reading up online and based on the new health insurance directive, beneficiary ( in this case mother) needs to have health insurance at the time of interview and it cannot be anything from covered california or Obamacare which leaves with the option of getting a visitor insurance which is pretty much useless. 

2. Lets say i do get the visitor insurance until she touches down, then i get mixed info that she will be penalized for moving to medi-cal under covered california. A friend of mine brought his Mother in law from india (his wife sponsored) and she is on medi-cal and pays no premium and no cost to her. She files her own taxes and does not work. Is it true that once the immigrant reaches US, they cannot avail ACA and has to be on private insurance until they get the citizenship? 

3. How are you guys who are applying for parents post Nov3rd 2019 (that is when USCIS/DOS are implementing this rule) coping up with health insurance directive? What are you getting to show the consular officer that you either have the means or will get provite insurance for the next 5 yrs? 

4.Are parents of US citizens exempt from the new health insurance directive that came in to effect on Nov3rd? Any source/confirmation? Couldn't find on USCIS website and one website says it depends on how you prove to the consular officer? 

 

I am her son and its my responsibility to take care of her. I can afford the insurnace partly and my sister will chip in and we will make it work. But trying to get a feel of if we have to pay $1K to $2K per month as insurance premium for my mom for the next 5yrs or is there an alternative that would not be this expensive. 

 

Some links i have read so far: 

https://www.boundless.com/blog/new-health-insurance-requirement-explained/

https://www.nilc.org/issues/health-care/health-insurance-proclamation-oct2019/

 

Thanks for all your help and any suggestion is appreciated. 

[Boiler 46,010]

I think $2k a month is a reasonably budget, obviously depends on her medical situation and of course the older we get the more let us say challenging it gets.

 

5 years? I assume you are referring to when she can buy into Medicare? That currently would be less than $1k but of course no insurance covers everything and in 5 years time who knows what the deal will be, Medicare Trust fund is supposed to be in trouble in 2026. 

 

Is your family long lived? You could be looking at 30 years of costs.

[vkrishn 97]

12 hours ago, Boiler said:

I think $2k a month is a reasonably budget, obviously depends on her medical situation and of course the older we get the more let us say challenging it gets.

 

5 years? I assume you are referring to when she can buy into Medicare? That currently would be less than $1k but of course no insurance covers everything and in 5 years time who knows what the deal will be, Medicare Trust fund is supposed to be in trouble in 2026. 

 

Is your family long lived? You could be looking at 30 years of costs.

Thanks for the reply. 

 

5 years number was the timeframe she needs to wait to apply for N-400 and 1yr wait to become a citizen. I believe that after she becomes a citizen she will be OK for medi-cal (California) which should cost her $0 based on info i know now. 

 

I can't predict how long my mother would live. My father passed away a 10yrs back and he was 63. 

 

I also read an update that a judge put a stay on the  health care proposal by trump but that does not mean it won't come back up as a rule and neither will we know what the consular officer does at the visa interview. They will find lots of reasons to deny a case and being government and all they don't have to provide any reason either unless i go through FOIA or make an enquiry with congressman/senator post denial. 

 

 

[Boiler 46,010]

All you can know for certain is what the situation is this year, by the end of the decade who knows.