What kind of health insurance can someone 76 years old with insufficient SS quarters to qualify for medicare get under Obamacare? I am considering the possibility of moving to the US to be near one of my kids. I have 34 SS quarters. One of my kids is in Boston, so the same question for Romneycare, since that is a going concern and no speculation needed.
I expect you’ll get a much better answer by calling the exchange hotline than you will here.
You might be able to get Medicare, you would just have to pay for Part A and possibly a late penalty for Part B sign up (but that might not apply since you only become eligible when you move back).
You could try an application at : http://www.ssa.gov/pgm/medicare.htm
Or check with your local embassy/consulate.
Part A: (Hospital Insurance) Premium
Most people get Part A automatically when they turn age 65. They don't have to pay a monthly payment called a premium for Part A because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes while they were working.
You will need to pay $441.00 per month if you don’t get premium-free.
The Part A premium is $243.00 for those individuals having 30-39 quarters of Medicare covered employment.
Part B: (Medical Insurance) Premium
The standard Medicare Part B monthly premium will be $104.90 in 2013, which is a .5% increase over the 2012 premium.
If your income is above $85,000 (single) or $170,000 (married couple), then your Medicare Part B premium may be higher than $104.90 per month. Learn More
So it looks like Part A for you will be $243/month
You might also look into the possibility of paying taxes for the last 2 years (giving you 8 more quarters of coverage). The minimum for a quarter in 2011 is $1120, in 2012 is $1130, in 2013 is $1160.
This is obviously a complicated area and I have no idea whether it would work. But paying taxes on $5,000 a year (plus late payment penalties) for a couple years is not a lot of money. This money supposedly coming from consulting or something similar in the U.S.
Or you might do this after you come to the U.S. so you only need to pay the additional premium for a couple years.
So you would need to consult a tax attorney (or a Straight Dope expert?).
Many thanks. If we do move, I will obviously have to investigate, but I just wanted an idea of what I would be facing. I can certainly bear the amounts cited. The main problems are that the coverage is incomplete with copays and maybe deductibles.
If you have lived out of the US since reaching 65 you will probably fall into the category that allows Medigap coverage with no underwriting for the first 12 months of eligibility. It varies by state, but in here in WA it runs around $170/month (less with a $2100 deductible) in addition to the other A & B premiums but covers most if not all co-pay/co-insurance additional charges. Alternatively, there is Part C aka Medicare Advantage which can cover additional charges.
Part D for drugs is also required.
Not on the topic, but this makes me think of The Orphan Master’s Son, a book about life in North Korea. Someone from the government is pointing out how foolish it would be to defect to the U.S. He says at one point, “Just think about what it would be like to live in a country where they even make you pay for your own medical care!”
Perspective, I guess.
I have lived outside the US since I was 31. But that reminds me of something. I spent four years at the University of Illinois which has opted out of Social Security. But there is no way I can figure out how I have 34 quarters of SS coverage without counting those four years. So a subsidiary question is what happens to people whose entire employment has been for an opted-out state or local government?
Have you tried this site?
I’d definitely check with Social Security. The U.S. has reciprocal retirement arrangements with some countries, including Canada. You must have worked enough in Canada that this would apply to you. For that matter, the relevant Canadian agency could probably point you in the right direction, too. I’m sure somewhere out there there’s info on credit for work abroad for Medicare purposes, but I haven’t had enough caffeine to find it yet.
Eva is right. A friend worked for years in France and after getting the right documentation from French authorities, will get US SS payment based on employment in both places. The governments swap funds as appropriate.