seeking advice re: health insurance for an older new immigrant–a parent of US citizen, currently waiting for green card approval (living now in PA, the US)
hello,
I’d greatly appreciate some advice. Here is my situation: I’m a naturalized US citizen, fully employed, with health insurance via my employer (which does not allow me to add a parent to my insurance).
My question regards my mother, who is currently living with me, in the US. She is recently retired, and entered as a visitor on a B2 visa (she had visited me several times prior). Given Covid, and the fact that she can now stay here longer, I petitioned on her behalf, for her to apply for a green card, and she applied for adjustment of status (from visitor to LPR). Her case is pending, and it will take a while until she receives a final decision–around 15 months (?).
My main concern is the fact that she currently is uninsured. She had a short-term health insurance as a visitor, but now that expired. We live in Pennsylvania. I recently learned that, as an applicant for permanent residency, she would have been eligible to enroll through market place (Pennie), but she already missed the 60-day enrollment window.
This means that she needs to wait for a few more months, until she can enroll through marketplace, with the insurance to start in Jan. 2023.
My questions are:
what options does she currently have to buy insurance in PA before she would be eligible for Pennie/ the marketplace? (July 2022 to Jan. 2023)
as a new immigrant, she is not eligible for Medicare (the 5 year bar). She receives a small pension from her home country. Does she qualify to apply for advance premium tax credit when she applies through marketplace? Or would that be considered a form of public charge, which would jeopardize her chance to receive a green card?
a related question: Can she she will file her taxes on her own, or I should claim her as a dependent, and include her as part of my household? (Practically, I support her financially, as I pay for more than 50% of the costs, so she could qualify as a dependent from IRS perspective. However, if I include her as a dependent, she will then have to pay for health insurance in full.)
Lots of questions, I know. If you have any suggestions, I would be most grateful.
Many thanks!
