Medicaid impacts B2 renew?

[fredricdavid]

I am holding L1A visa and my parents are visiting me. My mom felt quite bad last week and we went to ER of a hospital. Doctors immediately admitted her and treated her for 4 days for her heart attack. Meanwhile, social workers helped her apply for Medicaid. When she was discharged, we know that Medicaid would pay for her bills in the hospital.

Now I hear that the behavior may be considered as public charge and eventually impacts her next B2 visa application. Is that true? Should I talk with the hospital again and pay back the money as her son?

[inadmissible]

Obviously, it sucks being the taxpayer who is paying your mom's hospital bill, but no, this kind of benefit does not make her a public charge for immigration purposes.

See http://www.uscis.gov/news/fact-sheet...rge-fact-sheet

[fredricdavid]

Obviously, it sucks being the taxpayer who is paying your mom's hospital bill, but no, this kind of benefit does not make her a public charge for immigration purposes.

See http://www.uscis.gov/news/fact-sheet...rge-fact-sheet

Thank you for your reply. From the memo, I see "Benefits Not Subject to Public Charge Consideration" - "Medicaid and other health insurance and health services (including public assistance for immunizations and for testing and treatment of symptoms of communicable diseases, use of health clinics, short-term rehabilitation services, prenatal care and emergency medical services) other than support for long-term institutional care."

But would VO expects her to pay back the bill, before her B2 visa can be renewed? In other words, with a record of medicaid paying her bills, will her B2 visa be declined next time?

[immihelp]

I don't believe she is even eligible for Medicaid.

This is from medicaid.gov web site "In order to be eligible for Medicaid, individuals need to satisfy federal and state requirements regarding residency, immigration status, and documentation of U.S. citizenship."

Read http://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid-chi...d-and-chip.pdf

In short, the beneficiary needs to be either US citizen or greencard holder for 5 years, be US resident and have very low income in order to qualify for Medicaid.

[fredricdavid]

I don't believe she is even eligible for Medicaid.

This is from medicaid.gov web site "In order to be eligible for Medicaid, individuals need to satisfy federal and state requirements regarding residency, immigration status, and documentation of U.S. citizenship."

Read http://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid-chi...d-and-chip.pdf

In short, the beneficiary needs to be either US citizen or greencard holder for 5 years, be US resident and have very low income in order to qualify for Medicaid.

Thank you for replying. In NY state as least, medicaid is available to emergent conditions of tourists, even undocumented immigrants. My mom received her medicaid as a B2 visa holder. I don't know to renew her tourist visa, whether I should refund her bills, which was paid by Medicaid already.

[inadmissible]

B-2 renewal (which is treated as an issuance of a new visa for consular purposes) is contingent on prospective public charge considerations. That is to say, the fact that she may have been a public charge in the past (which she was not) is not determinive of her future likelyhood of becoming a public charge. That said, they will expect her to have the resources (or otherwise make arrangements) to defray all her expenses in the United States, lest there be a risk she becomes a public charge.

New York medicaid for nonimmigrants is funded purely with state moneys with no contribution from the federal government. I am not sure USCIS will know she received state public benefits, and I don't think (but I'm not sure) a question about that is even asked on form DS-160.

That said, please consider getting your mom some kind of comprehensive medical insurance in the future, the kind with coverage for pre-existing conditions. It will cap your liability for her medical expenses, rather than using the state as a backstop. You have a great job and make good money, and it probably embarrasses you in some way knowing your family members live on the dole. If it doesn't, then; I guess why worry right? Emergency medical services for the needy is part of the American social contract.

[insubuy]

Next time, please consider purchasing comprehensive visitors insurance from the US, available at https://www.insubuy.com/