Medical ok for a new green card holder

[dadbhawala]

Hi
My mom was doing her adjustment of status in the US and was on Kaiser CA medical insurance.
She got her GC and went to India. Can I move her to the Medi-cal program?
Would she face any issues if she enters the country and has Medi-cal?
Thanks

[Trinity71]

No one can advise if she would run into issues re-entering the U.S. on Medi-Cal, however, Medi-Cal is a tax funded program she is not eligible for. That is why people who sponsor someone for a green card have to sign the affidavit of support stating they will be financially responsible for the green card holder making sure they will not be a burden on U.S. tax payors. Enrolling her into benefits she is not legally eligible for can affect her status in the future.

[angelica]

If she meets the income and asset requirements of Medi-Cal, she is eligible to enroll (and it's her decision to make, as she is an independent adult). Use of Medicaid or other health insurance programs is not considered use of public benefits under public charge determinations under current rules. You as the I-864 sponsor can be liable for reimbursement for the costs, though I am not aware of any sponsors actually being sued for it.

[Towerwalah]

Hi Folks,
My parents (both 65+ years of age) are in AOS state currently and have alien numbers assigned to them. Would it be possible to get medical insurance for them via CoverdCA / Medi-cal at this point?
Would this in any way jeopardize the AOS -> GC conversion by purchasing medicare / applying for senior citizen medical?

Does getting covered-CA / medicare / medical qualify as a state charge?

Regards

[angelica]

Hi Folks,
My parents (both 65+ years of age) are in AOS state currently and have alien numbers assigned to them. Would it be possible to get medical insurance for them via CoverdCA / Medi-cal at this point?
Would this in any way jeopardize the AOS -> GC conversion by purchasing medicare / applying for senior citizen medical?

Does getting covered-CA / medicare / medical qualify as a state charge?

Regards

They are not eligible for Medi-Cal until they get their green card.

They can get insurance from the Covered California marketplace since they have a pending AOS. However, since it's not within an open enrollment period right now, they need to have a special enrollment period to enroll now. They have a special enrollment period if they moved into California within the last 60 days, or filed AOS (thus going into a status that is eligible for Covered California) within the last 60 days.

None of these jeopardize their status or immigration processes. The I-864 sponsor (you) might be theoretically liable for reimbursement if they get Medi-Cal.

[angelica]

Hi Folks,
My parents (both 65+ years of age) are in AOS state currently and have alien numbers assigned to them. Would it be possible to get medical insurance for them via CoverdCA / Medi-cal at this point?
Would this in any way jeopardize the AOS -> GC conversion by purchasing medicare / applying for senior citizen medical?

Does getting covered-CA / medicare / medical qualify as a state charge?

Regards

Actually, I forgot that since May 1, 2022, low-income people in California over 50 can get full Medi-Cal. So your parents technically are eligible for Medi-Cal now, if they meet the income requirements. And again, non-cash benefits like Medi-Cal (except for long-term institutionalized care) are not considered in public charge determinations.

[DeniroDin]

I guess you should better wait until she comes back and figure everything out with Medi-cal. I'm sure they'll tell her what to do when to purchase it, and which plan. Medi-Cal is the best insurance nowadays because it provides health care services for low-income individuals and families who meet defined eligibility requirements. One of my friends works in a private hospital and told me that pretty much every man has Medi-Cal as a health insurance plan and it's easier to work with this insurance, especially when your hospital also works with RCM Texas which delivers end-to-end revenue cycle management, and keeps track of health insurance plans.