Both of my parents are new legal residents, I'm trying to get medical coverage for them but it seems impossible. Any advice?

The 5 year qualification period is what I am told, too. To add to that, the only provider who would insure an 80+ year old was Blue Cross; and the policy cost $600 per month in 2002 rising to $900 per month by the end of the qualifying period. Your parents' insurance would be significantly less because they are significantly younger; on the other hand you will need to allow for inflation and I dread to think what's happened to that in the health insurance market; but it should still be possible to get cover and at least you know how long you have to budget for.

I am advised that skimping on insurance is a very false economy indeed: are there any other family members who could contribute to a fund for your parents, perhaps?

Lucretia, it is my understanding that new citizens are ineligible for Medicare for 5 years, then they can apply. There is no income requirement or lack of income requirement.

I was going to suggest that you research insurance policies under Obamacare, but I see from your followup post that you did just that.

Medicaid is a different program. It is a federal program that is administered by each individual state with their own rules and regulations. It is for people who are indigent and cannot afford to provide for their own care.

Lucretia, if you don't mind my asking, what was your parents' country of origin? The reason I ask is that my (far from rich) great aunt was, I believe, but I can check later on today when I see my cousin, receiving some kind of supplement from her UK pension provider; so I wondered if there were any potential sources of help from your parents' earlier entitlements, perhaps?

To be honest I was quite surprised that my great aunt was allowed in (this is going back quite some time, well over ten years) - I can only think it must have cost my cousin and her husband an arm and a leg each. But she was over 80 by then and had a good many things wrong with her; may your parents' health needs never become overwhelming, God willing.

Try contacting Kaiser... a good friend of mine whenever her in-laws come to visit from the homeland and are here for months on end, they need health insurance. Apparently the costs were affordable so that the three grown children were able to pool their money and pay for the premiums for the in-laws.

The Mom-in-law recently became a U.S. citizen but she was surprised she wouldn't be eligible for Medicare... reason being she never had contributed to Medicare since she never worked in the U.S. But she would be able to get Medicaid, which is confusing to me since in their homeland they are considered wealthy.

Not helpful and it was not necessary to belittle our choice to want to become US residents/ and citizens by asking if we did did not think! We have been getting conflicting advice from lawyer/ social worker and case worker so I just thought I would ask on this forum which seemed to be a respectable one which has folks from all walks of life giving helpful suggestions. Not looking for a free ride we do want to pay and found that there is indeed an option under Obamacare for greencard holders.

have you actually talked to Medicare reps? If they don't qualify (I can see why they wouldn't)' then they will have to investigate Medicaid -- which will mean they will have to spend down their own money first. I don't think any private insurer will touch them at any cost.

This should have been thoroughly investigated before they made this big move, don't you think? The U.S. Is going broke with Medicare and Medicaid as it is. Allowing people into the program who didn't pay in to it is comPLETELY reckless.