What about the other FSU countries like the Baltics, Georgia, Kazakhstan? Your in-laws will be comfortable enough there because lots of people speak Russian, the cost of care is probably no higher than Poland, and your husband can travel freely. The question is what it would take to get them legal residency in one of those countries.

I would bring them here soon, so the clock on medicare starts ticking. You can always hire ukranian home aides/nurses here. This is an option where you can control the variables.

OP. It might make sense for your ILs to look at a couple of communities when in Poland with your husband to see what rents might be, would they need a car, would some community be better with health care services SNF depending on the war trends a safe place to live in. I do think DH should make sure they have all papers and other important records in hand with maybe electronic copies with him in case the war or a health condition goces a sudden move. Also, to get a copy for both of their medical records and keep updated.

DH might also help in researching how basic services would be applied for such as housing, access to a doctor, banking etc, establishing temp residency.

OP here. Thanks to those who replied additionally. (I hadn't checked this thread for a while because there wasn't any new info for a bit.)
I especially appreciate the link to the Polish government site outlining assistance that's available. Of most interest is Ukrainians' rights to live in Poland for an extended period (I think maybe it's three years right now?). For stuff like health care, nursing homes, other stipends, etc, we planned to pay for those privately. I've looked at care costs (both health care generally and nursing homes) in Poland and that would be affordable for us. We have no interest in Polish taxpayers paying for us/them - that would certainly be entirely unfair, especially considering that we can pay.

My ILs wouldn't be eligible for U4U because they have other ways open to them. (Their son is a US citizen and they have open visitor visas.) So they'd have to buy insurance on the exchange and pay full price. That alone would be very expensive but still do-able. It's the care that many people need in their later years - in home aides, nursing home, etc - that we couldn't afford. (Nursing homes, I think, run around 10k/mo per person, for example...) Also, my ILs don't speak a lick of English, so coming here would be super isolating.

For right now, they're okay to stay in Ukraine on their own and travel to Poland to visit with my husband, but they're not aging backwards, so we need to at least outline a plan now while we're all thinking with our heads on straight vs in the middle of a crisis.

I only have knowledge of California. People bring their parents over, they are technically low income (as they aren’t part of their children’s household for the purposes of most of the entitlement programs) and they are given free medical care, in home support hours, and eventually subsidized housing. I believe if they enter as refugees (U4U) they will also get SSI immediately. If they enter as family reunification (I-130) they cannot get it until they are citizens, so it’s your call which program to use.

Basically your husband needs to find a Russian or Ukrainian speaking group on fb (for the U.S.) and ask there. People have been bringing their parents over for years if not decades and will be able to advise. NY is also a good state in terms of benefits for low income newcomers.

GL, it’s a lot of work but it can be done and not for a gazillion dollars

I'm speechless.

Anonymous wrote:From your page:
What services are provided within the framework of public health care?
For free you can use:
- basic medical care,
- specialized outpatient care,
- diagnostic studies prescribed by a doctor,
- treatment in a hospital,
- psychiatric treatment,
- rehabilitation (except resorts),
- dental services.
This is meant for temporary refugees, not for someone's nursing home stay!

They are entitled to the same public Polish healthcare as Poles. No one said anything about paying for nursing homes. Stop moving the goalposts. You can’t admit you don’t know what Poland is doing for Ukraine. This poor lady asked for help in a dire situation with goals not to isolate the ILs and make them accessible to her husband. What is your idea? And these ILs are in this situation because of the war so you can call them refugees or not. Poland made its decision to be as generous as possible and hence the date. It’s just assumed that if you leave Ukraine after the date it’s war related and Poland is not making Ukrainians jump through hoops.

I don’t know if my idea would be the answer for this family but at least I responded to her needs.

From your page:
What services are provided within the framework of public health care?
For free you can use:
- basic medical care,
- specialized outpatient care,
- diagnostic studies prescribed by a doctor,
- treatment in a hospital,
- psychiatric treatment,
- rehabilitation (except resorts),
- dental services.
This is meant for temporary refugees, not for someone's nursing home stay!

PP,

Forgot the link 🤭
https://www.gov.pl/web/ua/Yak-mozhna-skorystatysya-derzhavnoyi-medytsynoyu-v-Polshchi

Anonymous wrote:You need to have health insurance to get any care in Poland or another EU country. It's not like you move somewhere else and those taxpayers are going to pay for your care. Public health care is limited to citizens.

Short version in English in case you can’t read that:


You are entitled to free healthcare services in Poland if:

You are a Ukrainian national; OR
Spouses of Ukrainian citizens who came from Ukraine to Poland; OR
Ukrainian citizens with a Pole's Card who came to Poland; OR
Immediate family members of a Ukrainian citizen with a Pole's Card;

AND you can present a document proving that you crossed the border no earlier than 24 February 2022.

You need to have health insurance to get any care in Poland or another EU country. It's not like you move somewhere else and those taxpayers are going to pay for your care. Public health care is limited to citizens.

If they can live in a smaller town or city, you may be able to afford to move them to Poland. And there are many Ukrainian refugees staying in Poland so you may find a Ukrainian caregiver(s) for them. Is there any chance they are Catholic? Do they have only Ukrainian citizenship?