Health Insurance for parents over 70

[DolnaM 0]

We are in the final stages of the visa application, interview set for August. I expect my parents - 77 and 82 - would arrive sometime at the end of the year. If i have to i can start health insurance in October when application time opens.

 

My issue is finding  insurance options that is not prohibitively expensive.

 

I went to the MarketPlace, which redirected me to Pennie - (Pennsylvania's marketplace) and once i filled in their information I was told they are not eligible because they are over 65, I should go to Medicare.

I talked to Medicare and they said they would not be eligible because they have not spent 5 years here and that I could purchase coverage for them only if I purchase a plan for myself and add them to it. That is paying for 3 people and i already have insurance through my employer. I expect that would be extremely expensive.

 

So it seems i am going in circles. 

 

I also wanted to see if anyone has experience with getting insurance through VisitorsCoverage and whether it is reliable. If it is yes which plan is the most recommended especially if it becomes long term.

 

 

Edited July 13, 2021 by DolnaM

[Ontarkie 14,222]

~~Moved to Moving HEre and YOur New Life, from Bringing family of USC to America- as similar threads are discussed here.~~

[yuna628 9,676]

Buying through the marketplace (state or federal) is possible, but it will likely require you to speak to an actual human being. The federal marketplace website actually does briefly mention that type of eligibility in their FAQ. No they are certainly not eligible for Medicare. You could additionally attempt to buy health insurance privately through any major insurer in your state, though you'd again likely need to speak to someone. I'd recommend a health insurance advisor in your state, which might be able to point you in the right direction.

 

I would never suggest visitor insurance. It's an exercise in futility and will not offer pre-existing coverage. I have to honestly tell you that when it comes to health insurance - it will always be expensive. There is no way you can get around that, and it is especially important for the elderly to have proper coverage.

[Boiler 45,499]

Did you call Pennie? The online system is not likely to be designed to cope with unusual situations.

 

I believe New York and California do allow Medicaid from Day 1.

[DolnaM 0]

Yes, I have called Pennie, I talked to a lady prior to trying to register or get a quote on their site. She was the one who told me that there is no reason their system should not quote me, and if it doesn't then i should call Medicare. - honestly, she was not helpful, so likely i will try again, or go downtown to the Department of Aging for assistance.

 

To note, I realize this is not going to be cheap and i do want the best available for them, but i can't afford spending 25-30K in a year for 2 of them. I need to figure out how much i need to spend before i uproot them permanently.

[carmel34 3,626]

Certainly know the costs of health insurance before they make the move, as it can be very very expensive for older immigrants as you are finding out.  This issue will most likely come up at the interview so they should take information related to the cost of health insurance and who will pay for it to the visa interview.  Good luck!

[Unlockable 7,314]

4 hours ago, DolnaM said:

Yes, I have called Pennie, I talked to a lady prior to trying to register or get a quote on their site. She was the one who told me that there is no reason their system should not quote me, and if it doesn't then i should call Medicare. - honestly, she was not helpful, so likely i will try again, or go downtown to the Department of Aging for assistance.

 

To note, I realize this is not going to be cheap and i do want the best available for them, but i can't afford spending 25-30K in a year for 2 of them. I need to figure out how much i need to spend before i uproot them permanently.

Hi @DolnaM,

 

We have certainly seen the sticker shock reaction for parent's health insurance on this forum before so we understand. And personally, I think it is one of the most overlooked items involved with immigrating elderly relatives.

 

I remember seeing some lower tier health insurance options that was shared on the board by other members. Those cover routine visits and checkups. The issue is if there are any on-going treatments, therapy, or expensive medication with the elderly immigrants.

 

Don't give up on your search for lower cost options. There may be something out there.

[Lil bear 4,201]

We were in our early 60’s when we immigrated for the second time 🤪 5 years ago. We used marketplace ..yes you will be best speaking to a representative ..in person  if possible. We used marketplace for a few months prior to my husband getting employer based insurance. I estimated that I needed to set aside $25000 per year to cover premiums and deductible .. if we had no major issues during a year then we wouldn’t spend all that .. but one er visit can easily set you back $10000 if it’s heart / stroke/ significant medical concern.  Out state did not have expanded Medicaid so that was not an option. We were eligible for reduced premiums and that made it much better but there are so many rules regarding income etc that the risk is that they have to pay back the premiums tax credits on their tax return. Not a nice surprise I can tell you. We had to repay $750 each for

1 1/2 months coverage. Age increases premiums so the coverage for them will be way higher and rates are much higher now than  5 years ago. Not saying it’s a show stopper but you’ve got to know what the real cost is going to be. After 5 years they can buy into Medicare which today runs at around 600$ per month for parts A and B. In my opinion, basic coverage is useless for older people ..it’s the major issues .. even the ones that don’t turn out to be major but require significant investigation to rule it out .. that need to be covered. But top coverage with high deductible rather than low coverage with lower deductible. Just my thoughts and experience… 

Immigration is a qualifying life event which allows marketplace insurance changes  outside of the annual open period 

[Boiler 45,499]

A lot depends on what they are giving up in their home country.

 

I assume they do not have the finances to cover their own costs but are benefiting from services in their own country. Now some people who bring elderly parents here are coming from Countries with very limited services so something is better than nothing.

 

Important to remember that Insurance does not cover everything so just looking at the premium alone can be misleading. Cheaper premiums usually mean more out of pockets costs.

 

Also looking at what is available now when presumably the intention is that they will stay here a long time.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2021 by Boiler

[Calicolom 266]

56 minutes ago, Lil bear said:

We were in our early 60’s when we immigrated for the second time 🤪 5 years ago. We used marketplace ..yes you will be best speaking to a representative ..in person  if possible. We used marketplace for a few months prior to my husband getting employer based insurance. I estimated that I needed to set aside $25000 per year to cover premiums and deductible .. if we had no major issues during a year then we wouldn’t spend all that .. but one er visit can easily set you back $10000 if it’s heart / stroke/ significant medical concern.  Out state did not have expanded Medicaid so that was not an option. We were eligible for reduced premiums and that made it much better but there are so many rules regarding income etc that the risk is that they have to pay back the premiums tax credits on their tax return. Not a nice surprise I can tell you. We had to repay $750 each for

1 1/2 months coverage. Age increases premiums so the coverage for them will be way higher and rates are much higher now than  5 years ago. Not saying it’s a show stopper but you’ve got to know what the real cost is going to be. After 5 years they can buy into Medicare which today runs at around 600$ per month for parts A and B. In my opinion, basic coverage is useless for older people ..it’s the major issues .. even the ones that don’t turn out to be major but require significant investigation to rule it out .. that need to be covered. But top coverage with high deductible rather than low coverage with lower deductible. Just my thoughts and experience… 

Immigration is a qualifying life event which allows marketplace insurance changes  outside of the annual open period 

When I retired, we moved to Colombia. The main reason was, HEALTHCARE cost. I was on Medicare, Some diabetes prescription was not covered, the average cost $270 a month. We pay $100.00 per month, for insurance in Colombia, Medication copay for any medication $1.00 I just had major surgery here. This was in a world class hospital in Cali $65.00 copay for upgraded services. All doctors, and nurses spoke perfect English.    

[Lil bear 4,201]

1 minute ago, Calicolom said:

When I retired, we moved to Colombia. The main reason was, HEALTHCARE cost. I was on Medicare, Some diabetes prescription was not covered, the average cost $270 a month. We pay $100.00 per month, for insurance in Colombia, Medication copay for any medication $1.00 I just had major surgery here. This was in a world class hospital in Cali $65.00 copay for upgraded services. All doctors, and nurses spoke perfect English.    

Yep. Understand totally. Australian healthcare is similar .. trouble is our kids and grandkids live here !! 

[pm5k 129]

See the following posts for more information on healthcare for elderly parents.  I suggest reading both of these in detail.

 

Using a navigator:

 

This post is more updated, but references the legal basis as well (more DIY style)

 

 

[SalishSea 17,829]

10 hours ago, DolnaM said:

Yes, I have called Pennie, I talked to a lady prior to trying to register or get a quote on their site. She was the one who told me that there is no reason their system should not quote me, and if it doesn't then i should call Medicare. - honestly, she was not helpful, so likely i will try again, or go downtown to the Department of Aging for assistance.

 

To note, I realize this is not going to be cheap and i do want the best available for them, but i can't afford spending 25-30K in a year for 2 of them. I need to figure out how much i need to spend before i uproot them permanently.

This is one of the big drawbacks to trying to bring over elderly relatives.  I can't see it realistically costing less than that, unless you find something with large co-pays/deductibles, but that is just a different way of paying for care.

 

Health care in the US is very expensive.

[DolnaM 0]

Thank you. These were very helpful answers and the quoted thread offered additional information that i am able to start on.

[BowGurl 3]

My Mom lived here in Maryland (Montgomery County) for 5 years without insurance. She used to go to a community clinic and they gave her medications for her diabetes and high blood pressure for free. I only paid $15 per visit and the clinic referred her to specialists when she had kidney stones (gastroenterologist and other specialists I can't remember). Mammogram, colonoscopy  and MRI were also free. She just needed to fill out a form saying she did not have any income. The clinic was "funded" by Catholic Charities. You should check with your local community clinic and explain your situation.