SOCIAL SECURITY LAW: Wife of Injured Immigrant Faces Rejection of Medicaid Claims

September 28, 2011

Phoenix- A wife of a 23-year-old injured immigrant is facing difficulty in availing Medicaid for the medical expenses of his husband, according to reports on Wednesday.

Reports said Jesus Cornelio, an immigrant from Mexico, has suffered heart attack and brain injuries after a soccer game in Phoenix. He was rushed to Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center and has been in life support. His wife, Evelyn Cornelio, a US citizen, was denied of availing Medicaid to pay for the medical expenses of his husband.

Jesus Cornelio arrived at United States in 2001 on a tourist visa. He married Evelyn, a US citizen, in April 2010. He then applied for a green card and just recently received his Social Security identification card on Saturday. The representative for the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services told Evelyn that coverage can only be given to legal residents of five years and above, reports said.

The Banner Center has given Evelyn seven days to decide whether to pursue with the local medical treatment or transfer to Mexico hospital. The doctors said that her husband could go on without life support for four days.