Illegals getting health insurance.

amother

Fuchsia

Tue, Oct 31 2017, 11:42 pm

Someone in my community is in the U.S. illegally. I think she came around 12 years ago and was only supposed to stay for a year. At any rate, what does someone like this do for insurance? I would imagine individuals in this situation have babies and often incur expensive unavoidable medical bills. How does the process play out?

pesek zman

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 12:22 am

Shes not eligible for insurance

If she's prefnant, she gets prenatal and post natal care under Pcap Medicaid

Otherwise unless she has a true medical emergency requiring 'emergency Medicaid' she is ineligible for coverage

amother

Navy

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 8:44 am

they go to the emergency room. The emergency room doesn't deny anyone treatment. They try to get payment afterwards but if they can't then the hospital just has to swallow the cost.

SixOfWands

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 9:38 am

pesek zman wrote:

Undocumented immigrants are allowed to purchase health insurance, like everyone else in the United States. They're not entitled to government assistance. They can also go to free or low cost health clinics. They can go to the ER, but its a myth that ERs are required to care for everyone. They need to provide EMERGENCY care, and to STABILIZE patients. Routine medical treatment, for example, need not be provided.

pesek zman

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 9:46 am

SixOfWands wrote:

Interesting. I assumed one would need a social security # to purchase private insurance

But yes I was speaking about government funded insurance because the undocumented people that I know are not in the (financial) position to purchase private insurance

amother

Olive

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 9:57 am

SixOfWands wrote:

Myth or not, the illegals I know seem to use the ER for any medical concerns. Perhaps they only go to the doctor if there is an emergency, anyway, something I would love to do if I had the guts (do I really need to go to the doctor for every cold, or sore throat?). Theoretically, I think I should only go for emergencies or preventive care.

MagentaYenta

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 12:49 pm

amother wrote:

Myth or not, the illegals I know seem to use the ER for any medical concerns...

That is a practice not limited to undocumented people, it's quite common among those who are uninsured and won't use free clinics for whatever reasons.

Fox

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 1:46 pm

SixOfWands wrote:

Undocumented immigrants are allowed to purchase health insurance, like everyone else in the United States.

This. And good for them!

Most of the undocumented/illegal immigrants I've known in the Jewish community had insurance through a spouse's employer.

Slightly OT: Over the years, I've known or heard of many Jews who treated immigration law way too casually. Often they were marrying someone from the U.S. and did whatever initial paperwork was required to get them into the country. But then they kind of dropped it.

If you know someone in a similar position, encourage them to find an immigration lawyer and get things squared away legally. Yes, it will cost some money, but you really, really don't want to risk being deported.

amother

Linen

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 1:48 pm

Yeah but the illegals I know dont even give their real name so they don't get the bills... People who look like they are legal (speak fluent English etc) are asked to show ID. They told me no one asks them for ID or doesn't push for it.

imasoftov

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 2:13 pm

amother wrote:

I'm curious why you want to know.

Raisin

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 2:51 pm

The babies are us citizens so the mother can get pcap. I knew someone in this position and she was uninsured. shock

I couldn't live like that but I guess for some people living in the usa without health insurance is better then living in their country of origin.

You can pay doctors privately for general care. When I lived in the USA I had insurance but there was a co pay so I still needed to pay for most dr visits anyway.

I guess if this person I knew would have come down with a serious illness she could have gone back to her original country - a place with socialised medicine.

lioncub

Mon, Nov 06 2017, 4:19 pm

For pregnancy, she can get insurance without a problem. For the whole pregnancy and 2 months after.
Then the child will have his own insurance.

Some people have insurance from their own country applicable here. Not sure how that works but that's what my husband has.

Then I spoke to a cleaning lady who was going for regular check ups, she told me that at the hospital they ask to fill up a form and she has to show that she has low income and can't pay the bill and was treated anyway.

Then there are those who just give a fake name.

Then there are insurances that accept to cover no matter your status, for medication and things like that. As well as co-pay.

I'm not American (but legal) so had to learn all the ways. I used to travel to Canada for prenatals because I didn't know I could get insurance here.