Greencard or Visa & Health insurance

[Hopeworld 1]

1st of all, I want to thank everyone who helped me out during this process. I seriously would have never been able to do it without this forum.

I thought after the i-864 forms etc, the difficult part was over. HOLY (remove), it definitely is not.

I got e-mails about them having an interview at embassy May 16th just days ago.
Please, you do not need to know the answers to ALL questions in order to respond. Any help is appreciated!

 

Q 1:

After this interview, do they get a greencard right away? Or do they get a VISA first ?

Q 2:
If they get a VISA and NOT a greencard to start with, how long does it usually take to get a greencard after their Visa?

Q 3:
My parents usually go to doctor 3 times a week for checkup. They will have $0 US income. They do have some small savings but I was wondering about health insurance. They are both over 65.
I know Medicare require u to have worked for at least x years to qualify.  Are there any good zero cost health insurance in US (california, Los Angeles) that anyone knows of ?
Medical MIGHT work, just wanted to see if there's any other recommendations?

THANK YOU !!!!!!

Edited April 18, 2022 by Unlockable
offensive language

[Crazy Cat 41,888]

1 hour ago, Hopeworld said:

1st of all, I want to thank everyone who helped me out during this process. I seriously would have never been able to do it without this forum.

I thought after the i-864 forms etc, the difficult part was over. HOLY s____, it definitely is not.

I got e-mails about them having an interview at embassy May 16th just days ago.
Please, you do not need to know the answers to ALL questions in order to respond. Any help is appreciated!

 

Q 1:

After this interview, do they get a greencard right away? Or do they get a VISA first ?

Q 2:
If they get a VISA and NOT a greencard to start with, how long does it usually take to get a greencard after their Visa?

Q 3:
My parents usually go to doctor 3 times a week for checkup. They will have $0 US income. They do have some small savings but I was wondering about health insurance. They are both over 65.
I know Medicare require u to have worked for at least x years to qualify.  Are there any good zero cost health insurance in US (california, Los Angeles) that anyone knows of ?
Medical MIGHT work, just wanted to see if there's any other recommendations?

THANK YOU !!!!!!

1.  The consulate issues the visa.....after entering the US, parents will be mailed green cards.

2.  A few weeks to a few months after entering the US.

3.  3 times a week????????   Health care is EXPENSIVE in the US.  This should have been considered long ago.  "No cost"?  No!!!!!!!  They might qualify for some state benefit....

 

Medical care/Insurance is a MAJOR expense in the US.  

Edited April 18, 2022 by Crazy Cat

[powerpuff 6,712]

3 times a week? Woah! I don't think that will be financially feasible once they are here in the US. They aren't eligible for Medicare or Medicaid as they are new immigrants. 

 

You will need to do a lot of research in this regard. It can get very expensive to have insurance for elderly new immigrants. 

 

This thread might be helpful:

 

 

[millefleur 5,046]

You need to go via the Marketplace (healthcare.gov.) Here's some info on how that works for immigrants:

 

https://www.healthcare.gov/immigrants/lawfully-present-immigrants/

 

Medicare/Medicaid (which Medical is a branch of) is a means tested benefit. Most likely as new GC holders they won't qualify for it. The Marketplace has really good customer service, you can call them and they will go over the application with you.

 

Once you find them a plan (plans via Marketplace are paid per month), they can go to the doctor as much as they want but it'll depend on the deductible of the plan. The higher the deductible, the more they have to pay up front at each visit before the insurance starts paying. I do not see any kind of free $0 health care option for over 65 green card holders who just immigrated to the US, sorry. Every country has its pros and its cons, expensive health care is one of the cons of the US.

Edited April 18, 2022 by millefleur

[Unlockable 7,314]

*** One post edited to remove offensive language filter. As per the site's ToS, there is no use of offensive language or any attempt to bypass language filter by using symbols alternate spellings and characters on this site.

 

VJ Moderation

[Timona 4,207]

3 times a week? You should carefully reconsider.. ultimate decision is yours 

[Ontarkie 14,227]

I'm hoping the 3 times per week is a typo and you mean a year. It would be hard press to find a doctor around here who would see you 3 times a week for a check up.

[Hopeworld 1]

Sorry, I meant 3 times a MONTH not 3 times a week!

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

Three times a month is still almost every week, which is a lot here in the USA unless they have some disease which needs very closely monitored.3 times a year would be much more normal for elderly people here, less for healthy adults. 
Even if you get health insurance for them, after a few months of this pattern, the insurance will look at them closely and may drop them (again, unless they have ailments which require weekly visits). Your best option may be a private concierge  doctor that they can  "subscribe" to with a yearly fee and unlimited visits, but that would be private, not covered by insurance.

As a warning, we have seen it here several times with elderly parents that the CO at the interview wants not just the I-864 proven, but also proof you, as the sponsor, can pay for their health care needs.

Edited April 18, 2022 by Penguin_ie

[Boiler 45,532]

Do they not have Swedish pensions?

[Verrou 1,962]

Even for 3 times a months it still a lot. Depend on where u live. I live in portland,Maine, it’s not easy to get appointment to any doctor here. I have a huge stye in my eye for the past 4 weeks and the earliest appointment I can get is may 19 ( I called them 3 weeks Ago) 🙄

[millefleur 5,046]

2 hours ago, Misscloud said:

Even for 3 times a months it still a lot. Depend on where u live. I live in portland,Maine, it’s not easy to get appointment to any doctor here. I have a huge stye in my eye for the past 4 weeks and the earliest appointment I can get is may 19 ( I called them 3 weeks Ago) 🙄

See if there's an urgent care in your area. I usually use Minute Clinic for stuff like that, it's so much faster than waiting for an appointment elsewhere.

[millefleur 5,046]

**Thread moved from Bringing Family Members of US Citizens to America to Moving to the US and Your New Life In America to be among similar topics**

[SalishSea 17,837]

13 hours ago, Hopeworld said:

My parents usually go to doctor 3 times a week for checkup. They will have $0 US income. They do have some small savings but I was wondering about health insurance. They are both over 65.

3 times a WEEK?!   What in the world for??

 

Even with health insurance, be prepared to budget up to $1000 per parent of your own income to pay the premiums.  

 

Yeah, bringing over elderly parents who are not in good health as immigrants isn't cheap.

13 hours ago, Hopeworld said:

Are there any good zero cost health insurance in US (california, Los Angeles) that anyone knows of ?

NO.

[SalishSea 17,837]

13 hours ago, Hopeworld said:

Medical MIGHT work, just wanted to see if there's any other recommendations?

What do you even mean?  "Medical" = "medicare"?  If so, no.   They are not eligible for medicare.