medical bills financial assistance

[Nananana 0]

Hello, I have a doubt, I have a green card and I know that I'm not supposed to apply for food stamps because is from the government and that would implicate with me trying to apply for my citizenship in the future, but I know i can apply for unemployment.

Anyway, im on unemployment because i lost my job due to Covid19, now I have $800 in medical bills to pay, but i can't afford it, would it be ok for me to apply for a financial assistance with the hospital to help me to pay for those bills or is this situation like food stamps ?

 

thank you 

 

 

[Fe.Ta 874]

15 minutes ago, Nananana said:

Hello, I have a doubt, I have a green card and I know that I'm not supposed to apply for food stamps because is from the government and that would implicate with me trying to apply for my citizenship in the future, but I know i can apply for unemployment.

Anyway, im on unemployment because i lost my job due to Covid19, now I have $800 in medical bills to pay, but i can't afford it, would it be ok for me to apply for a financial assistance with the hospital to help me to pay for those bills or is this situation like food stamps ?

 

thank you 

 

 

Do they have the option of doing a payment plan for you?  You can explain that you are unemployed due to COVID and can only pay a certain amount (i.e. $20) per month.  Most places will allow you to do that and it is not considered "assistance" that would affect being eligible for citizenship.

 

Also, please fill your timeline.  Thanks!

[JeanneAdil 6,606]

Your concern  is with immigration and benefits but you should first look up or talk to social worker to see even if you qualify

each state is so very different on this issue of medicaid and food stamps

some do not allow you to get food stamps unless there is a child in the house (in that case a child under 5 can have vouchers for eggs,  cheese,  milk and butter under the healthy child act)

and if you have a spouse that is working ,  you probably make too much money in your household as some states ,  even unemployment benefits is too high for any help 

and social services officers don't ask about your monthly bills to determine if you need help,  they look at household income and assets like Owning a house ,  car,  etc

basically what i am saying is this great country thinks we have to feed the world but makes our own people just about beg for help

 

before you go to a social service office look into a community or church sponsored food bank that is not public assistance 

[Nananana 0]

my doubt is, i know that i can't apply for food stamps because if i do so i can not become a citizen, but is ok to apply for unemployment because i worked and pay my taxes, so is actually the company that i worked for who's paying for unemployment.  

so is it 

 

food stamps = financial assistance to pay medical bills (which is a no no) or 

unemployment = financial assistance to pay bills (because i was fired due to covid and the hospital is a private company instead of government department ) 

 

this whole thing is so confusing to me so im just trying to understand 

 

thank you

 

[Villanelle 4,122]

7 hours ago, Nananana said:

Hello, I have a doubt, I have a green card and I know that I'm not supposed to apply for food stamps because is from the government and that would implicate with me trying to apply for my citizenship in the future, but I know i can apply for unemployment.

Anyway, im on unemployment because i lost my job due to Covid19, now I have $800 in medical bills to pay, but i can't afford it, would it be ok for me to apply for a financial assistance with the hospital to help me to pay for those bills or is this situation like food stamps ?

 

thank you 

 

 

You are pretty confused so I am going to try to keep this simple but please post back if you need more information.

 

There is NO FURTHER public charge determinations once you are issued a greencard. The public charge determination is only done when they are issuing the greencard for the first time. So no public charge determination at ROC (if applicable) none at naturalization

 

If you have a greencard then someone filled out the 864 for you. Any means tested benefits you take while the 864 is active can be recouped (billed later) to the sponsor (whoever signed your 864) 

 

 

The following are things that are considered means tested benefits:

Supplemental Security Income;  

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; 

Any federal, state, local, or tribal cash benefit programs for income maintenance (often called general assistance in the state context, but which may exist under other names);  

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly called food stamps); 

Section 8 Housing Assistance under the Housing Choice Voucher Program; 

Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance (including Moderate Rehabilitation);  

Public Housing (under the Housing Act of 1937, 42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.); and 

Federally funded Medicaid (with certain exclusions). 

 

 

Programs and this that are NOT considered-
 

Emergency medical assistance;  

Disaster relief;  

National school lunch programs;  

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children ;  

The Children’s Health Insurance Program;  

Subsidies for foster care and adoption;  

Government-subsidized student and mortgage loans; 

Energy assistance;  

Food pantries and homeless shelters; and 

Head Start.    

This is a fact sheet from USCIS about the topic https://www.uscis.gov/news/public-charge-fact-sheet

 

 

If you ever encounter a program and are not sure if it counts as a means tested benefit you can post on VJ the name of the program and the state and members can confirm whether it is or not.

 

What you are describing sounds like you have a bill from a hospital and the hospital is offering you assistance from their private assistance funds. This is common. As long as you are not signing up for medicaid you can take advantage of any payment assistance they offer you including sliding fees or payment balance reductions. 

[TBoneTX 45,835]

Thread is moved to General Immigration Discussion.