We just found out my grandfather has Chronic Kidney Failure. He is 80 years old and is not a citizen or resident of the United States. He does not have insurance because he is from a third world country. Does anyone know of any funding available for people in this situation? My family is totally at a loss…we don’t know what to do but we want to do all we can to keep him alive.
If he is a permanent legal resident and he came into the U.S. after 8/96, once he’s been here 5 years, he could be eligible for Medicare or Medicaid. If he’s not here legally, hospitals must provide emergency dialysis only. In either case, people can always pay for dialysis out of pocket, but the cost is too much for most people. You might see if he could be added to someone’s existing health insurance as a dependent and/or check with the state insurance department to see if they can offer any suggestions. If he’s on dialysis or soon will be starting, the social worker at the dialysis clinic may know of state-specific resources. Finally, sometimes people from other countries can get care in their own country cheaper than in the U.S. and they may have government coverage there that doesn’t pay for care in the U.S. You can find out if there is dialysis in his home country at http://www.globaldialysis.com.