bob121346

Christeen,

I appreciate your response and suspect you may be right I but would like to know where you got this info before I go ahead and accept any benefits. (Should I try to convince my wife by having her phone you? Just kidding!) Also might add that in NJ, ACA offers both tax credits and cost sharing benefits. Do you know anything about the cost sharing benefits? Are they allowed to us? What source can I go to for this info as well?

Thanks,

Bob

Thank you for replying (Jen and Mikey -- and Christeen). I already saw the aspe.hhs.gov page that Christeen sent and yes, it seems to indicate that it's OK to accept financial aid through ACA. The problem I have is that it is not specific enough. I really need to see something to reassure me (and my wife, of course!) that accepting this financial aid will not kick in the provisions of my I-864 sponsor contract regarding "covered means-tested public benefits."

I just this moment got off the phone with a USCIS officer who advised me, based on my personal financial situation, not to accept any subsidy through ACA. He, himself, did not have any document to refer to. He based his comment on his understanding of how ACA subsidies might work AND my financial situation as sponsor (I have small income--about $20,000/yr--and was probably accepted as sponsor solely on the basis of my retirement savings, which are pretty substantial).

So if anyone else is looking for an answer to this question, I can't say that I have a definite answer. I'm not even sure I agree with the immigration officer I just spoke to, but I may go along with his suggestion if I can't get a definite "yes" answer from anyone else. I'm currently checking via https://localhelp.healthcare.gov/ (I've contacted a local healthcare provider which I found through the Local Help feature on the ACA web site). Will post here if this avenue gives me that definite "yes" answer.

Bob

Jen and Mikey -- or anybody:

But will accepting a subsidy through ACA violate our I-864 sponsor agreement?

Bob

Hackettstown, NJ