Health Insurance for Immigrant 65+?

Question

My parents and I are bringing my grandmother from India and were trying to find an affordable health insurance plan for her. She has never worked in the U.S.A. so she is not eligilble for Medicare or other programs like it. She has pre-existing conditions. I was hoping to get $100,000 of coverage, but I would appreciate all the options I have so please list them all.

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP!

Answer 1

No one is going to give her insurance - ie, odds.  The odds are too in her favor, that she'll collect big time.

I almost never do this - but in her case, I will.  I think  her best shot will be to sign up with a health discount plan, like Ameriplan.  They don't pay anything.  You pay $50 a month or some such, and get a list.  The people on the list allegedly (because many times they won't) will give you a discount for the medical services.  

That's the only option, besides paying out of pocket.

Answer 2

It depends on where you live, in the DC area she could sign up for Kaiser and Carefirst Blue Cross most of the other carriers do not issue coverage over age 65 or for people who have not been in the US for less than 12 months. For example a 68 year old foreign national female could choose from plans ranging from $300 to $800 per month with Kaiser. Kaiser also covers other areas of the country. https://www.kaiserpermanente.org/

You can also get coverage from International Medical Group.

They issue plans for people outside their home country. http://www.imglobal.com/

With all the different health carriers and plans available most people really should use a health insurance broker. A Broker represents multiple carriers and can help you sort through all the different insurance companies and plan options in your state.

For example a typical broker can have access to 10 major carriers and 60 different plans just for one state.

You can try doing your own research on the internet, but if you give a good broker 5 minutes they will be able to make suggestions on which carrier may fit you best.

I suggest using yellowpages.com to search for health insurance brokers in your area.

Don't call your auto and home agent they specialize in property and causality insurance. As you can see from your other answer you need someone that specializes in health insurance.

Good Luck