Obamacare subsidies

[HappyHippo787]

I'm trying to get insurance for my mom who is a recent immigrant (green card holder.) She's 60 and we are in Texas. She hasn't been working for a few years, and probably won't have income in 2019. She cannot get Medicaid until she's been here for 5 years.

We are trying to not pay the full price insurance plan, which costs about $600 a month for the cheapest plan.

From what I read online (see link below) she should be able to get subsidies but I am not able to do so on healthcare.gov I entered $0 income for 2019 and the website said she's not eligible for subsidies. I entered $12,500, which is just above the poverty level, and the website asked for proof of income for 2018.

https://www.healthinsurance.org/obamacare/how-immigrants-are-getting-health-coverage/#recentimmigrant

[angelica]

I'm trying to get insurance for my mom who is a recent immigrant (green card holder.) She's 60 and we are in Texas. She hasn't been working for a few years, and probably won't have income in 2019. She cannot get Medicaid until she's been here for 5 years.

We are trying to not pay the full price insurance plan, which costs about $600 a month for the cheapest plan.

From what I read online (see link below) she should be able to get subsidies but I am not able to do so on healthcare.gov I entered $0 income for 2019 and the website said she's not eligible for subsidies. I entered $12,500, which is just above the poverty level, and the website asked for proof of income for 2018.

https://www.healthinsurance.org/obam...ecentimmigrant

Normally, you can only get the Obamacare subsidy (premium tax credit) if your income is between 100% and 400% of the poverty level. So an income of 0 would be too low to qualify (the idea is that Medicaid would cover people with incomes below 100% of the poverty level, although not all states expanded Medicaid, so there is a "hole" in some states). However, there is a provision that you can also qualify for the subsidy (premium tax credit) even if your income is below 100% of the poverty level, if you don't qualify for Medicaid "because of immigration status".

I believe that in Texas, adults are only eligible for Medicaid if they have disabilities, care for children or are pregnant, or are 65 or older in long-term care. So I believe that your mother would not qualify for Medicaid even after 5 years (i.e. she is in the "Medicaid coverage hole"), which also means she does not qualify for the Obamacare subsidy now either because she doesn't qualify for Medicaid for reasons other than immigration status.

Also, I believe that, if you can claim your mother as a dependent on your tax return (i.e. the legal conditions for you to claim her as your dependent are met), even if you don't actually claim her, she does not qualify for the Obamacare subsidy anyway. Instead, if your household income is low enough and you claim her, you get her subsidy.

[krypton9591]

I'm trying to get insurance for my mom who is a recent immigrant (green card holder.) She's 60 and we are in Texas. She hasn't been working for a few years, and probably won't have income in 2019. She cannot get Medicaid until she's been here for 5 years.

We are trying to not pay the full price insurance plan, which costs about $600 a month for the cheapest plan.

From what I read online (see link below) she should be able to get subsidies but I am not able to do so on healthcare.gov I entered $0 income for 2019 and the website said she's not eligible for subsidies. I entered $12,500, which is just above the poverty level, and the website asked for proof of income for 2018.

https://www.healthinsurance.org/obam...ecentimmigrant

Normally, you can only get the Obamacare subsidy (premium tax credit) if your income is between 100% and 400% of the poverty level. So an income of 0 would be too low to qualify (the idea is that Medicaid would cover people with incomes below 100% of the poverty level, although not all states expanded Medicaid, so there is a "hole" in some states). However, there is a provision that you can also qualify for the subsidy (premium tax credit) even if your income is below 100% of the poverty level, if you don't qualify for Medicaid "because of immigration status".

I believe that in Texas, adults are only eligible for Medicaid if they have disabilities, care for children or are pregnant, or are 65 or older in long-term care. So I believe that your mother would not qualify for Medicaid even after 5 years (i.e. she is in the "Medicaid coverage hole"), which also means she does not qualify for the Obamacare subsidy now either because she doesn't qualify for Medicaid for reasons other than immigration status.

Also, I believe that, if you can claim your mother as a dependent on your tax return (i.e. the legal conditions for you to claim her as your dependent are met), even if you don't actually claim her, she does not qualify for the Obamacare subsidy anyway. Instead, if your household income is low enough and you claim her, you get her subsidy.

the five year rule applies to medicare not medicaid. also the Tax credit is based on the combined household income so even if your mother didn't make anything this year seeing as you signed the sponsor statement to get her the Green card that means your income also applies as earned income for the purpose of that application. enter your income and that is what the correct answer will be.