Medicare for Green Card Holder who already had Medicare and Soc. Security Benefits

@LazarusW679735 

There maybe some solutions which your mother will have to evaluate based on her needs.

1.  She could drop Traditional Medicare and pick up the best Medicare Advantage plan to fit her needs - with this option she would get her care and most likely her prescription drug plan thru one of the Medicare Advantage plans available to her.

Medicare.gov - Understanding Medicare Advantage Plans 

Under this scenario she would continue to pay her Part B premiums and continue her Part A and Part B Medicare coverage but she would drop the Medicare supplemental Plan because she would then be covered by her choice of a Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage, a Medicare managed care choice -  Medicare Part C.

2.  She could keep her Traditional Medicare coverage which she has now along with a Prescription drug plan and just drop her Medicare supplemental plan since it is optional coverage - but this might mean that she would have to pay any of her out of pocket cost out of pocket (what her Plan F covers now),  This may not be advisable without having a substantial income to pay for any high out of pocket cost which she would be responsible for after Medicare pays their part of any claim + her deductibles for Part A and Part B.

3.  If she is located within a state that has widened the guaranteed issue criteria for switching her Medicare supplemental plan to another and/or insurer without underwriting, or otherwise if she able to pass underwriting, she maybe able to save on the premium cost of her current Medicare supplemental plan by switching to another supplemental plan or insurer.

Medicare.gov- Medigap Basics 

Notices the related sub links at the bottom of this page.

Medicare.gov - Can I change my Medigap policy  

4.  She cannot drop Medicare but she could see if she qualifies for a Medicare Savings Program (MSP)- her state would handle this enrollment for which she has to qualify based on her income and assets, including her SS benefit.  Each program is a bit different in its coverage - sometimes only covering her Part A and/or Part B premiums all the way to giving her full Medicaid benefits and covering her Part B premiums -  which would make her a dual eligible - meaning having Medicare as her primary insurer and Medicaid as her secondary insurer.  This link coverage each of the programs, with eligibility limits,  as well as a state link to make application or ask questions.  

Medicare.gov - Medicare Savings Programs 

Medicaid as a combo with Medicare is still needs based on income and assets - the state where she lives will has the authority to evaluate her for the different type of MSP. 

Extra Help is sometimes included in these plans.  If not, she should also apply with the SSA for Extra Help.

SSA.gov - Apply for Medicare Part D Extra Help program 

6.  If she gets ones of these, there is no need for the Medicare supplemental plan however - there is a provision that she can suspend with the insurer her Part F for 24 months which receiving Medicaid coverage - suspension is important in case she loses the Medicaid coverage within those 24 months.

HHS.gov - 11/30/2024 - CMS Guidance on a Beneficiary’s Right to Suspend a Medigap Policy while Entitled to Medicaid 

7.  If she qualifies as a dual eligible (Medicare and Medicaid), she may have a choice of a Special Needs Plan which is a Medicare Advantage Plan which deals with those with chronic illness that have dual eligible status or a chronic disease.

Medicare.gov - Special Needs Plans

There are choices if she is eligible for them but if she has Medicare Parts A and B and a SS Retirement benefit that does open up some choices for her.  I doubt that they will even ask her about her immigration status or history since she has already got the 5-year residency period covered.  

A lot of info is available on Medicare.gov and/or SSA.gov but as always, they are complicated programs.  

📎  Lazarus @LazarusW679735 , awesome meeting someone else who was born in a foreign country to an American dad. Both of my parents are now gone, my dad died in Jamaica West Indies on his way home from work - car accident. My mom as was all of us kids was born there. She like your mom needed a green card. My 1/2 cent advice - try to avoid depending on the Government (Medicaid). It maybe different in YOUR STATE, but here in Virginia - there is talk of reducing Medicaid or eliminating. 2025 has just started and way too much going on. Anyway, glad your mom has you looking out for her.  💛  Take care, Nicole  👵

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➡️[*** Lazarus wrote Tuesday 4/29/25:

Hello Folks,

I have a situation that is very atypical, as far as I can tell. I am a US citizen since I was born, even though I was born overseas – due to having a US citizen father who worked abroad for most of his life. My mother is not a US citizen, both my father and mother lived overseas for most of their life (father still lives overseas to this day).

My father and mother divorced many years ago. Many years after the divorce, my mother started to receive Social Sec (small payment every month) and Medicare Benefits while living overseas due to have been married to my father. My mother is in her 80s now; and few years ago, I sponsored my mother to come to the US (i-551 or green card).

Currently, my mother receives a small Soc. Sec payment every month and is enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B. However, I have to pay every month for her medicare supplemental plan (Part F). Normally, if you sponsors someone (a parent) to come to the US, you would be considered liable (as a sponsor) for the use of any government assistance. However, her situation is rather unusual given that she have had Soc Sec and Medicare benefits before even moving to the US as a permanent resident. Would she be able to enroll and receive Medicaid benefits without further financial ramifications to the sponsor in this case.

Any insights would be appreciated. ***]

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📎  Lazarus @LazarusW679735 , I had tried to reply to your LAST post to me and the AARP software is blocking it. I am sending the AARP Moderator a PM (AARP private message) to ask them to post for me. Take care, Nicole 👵