Medical Bills
Tips Regarding Medical Bills You Receive
If:
You have medical bills that you cannot pay OR
They are bills you believe are not accurate
AND:
You are preparing to file for asylum but do not yet have your “A”-Number issued by USCIS (Immigration) AND
You intend to stay and live in Maine
There is help!
If the bills you received were from Maine Medical Center, Maine Health, Greater Portland Health, Nordx, or Spectrum, follow these steps to cancel the bills:
First: Apply for MaineCare. Online at: www.mymaineconnection.gov. You will receive an application MaineCare ID number showing you have applied, even if you don’t have an eligibility appointment and decision yet. Or you can apply in person at the Maine Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) at the Jetport but you might have a long wait before you speak with someone.
Second: Apply for Free Care. Go to Maine Medical Center (22 Bramhall Street, 207-887-5100 or 335 Brighton Avenue (going towards Westbrook, 207-662-8000). Ask for the Financial Services office, and tell them you need to apply for Free Care.
When you apply for Free Care take with you:
A letter from the shelter (if you are staying there) saying you are living there and that you intend to find a permanent home in Maine; OR if you are living in your own apartment or house, a piece of mail with your name and address on it (an electric bill, a letter from the clinic, or from USCIS);
Your DHHS MaineCare application ID number even if you do not have a decision yet.
A print-out from General Assistance with how much you have received in the past few months.
Maine Health will process an application for Free Care, and will send you a letter saying you are unable to pay and that the bills should stop coming.
Third: Call the Billing Department and explain you applied for Free Care and MaineCare, you are waiting for their decision and you want them to cancel your bill.
Fourth: When you get the decision mail them a copy.
Billing Departments:
Spectrum Medical Group: 800-213-8382
Nordx 207-396-7820 or 888-393-4243
Greater Portland Health at 207-874-2141
Maine Health at 1-866-804-2499 or 207-887-5100
Taxes
BEWARE! There are many fraudulent tax preparers out there. Falling victim to scams or well-intentioned mistakes can be very costly, and potentially harmful to an asylum case.
These are reliable and reputable tax resources, all free:
Ca$hMaine Free Tax Prep for low-income residents, at several locations in Greater Portland (and elsewhere in the state)
In 2024, the Westbrook Community Center will provide free tax help for low-income residents Saturday mornings, February 3-April 6, between 8am-12pm. Advance reservations are required by calling 207.518.8579 - no drop-ins
The IRS has a free online free tax prep service called GetYourRefund. More IRS Free Tax Prep Info
IRS Account - create an online account to access information about filed returns
Supplemental Security Income
Supplemental Security Income, called SSI, is a state program that gives you cash to pay for basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter. Sometimes people call this program Social Security.
For more information, search this page for “Immigrant Eligibility for Supplemental Security Income”.
Phone Scams
Please remind your mentee, NEVER to give out any personal information over the phone unless they’ve initiated the call. Unfortunately there are frequent cases of people calling and saying they’re with the Social Security Administration or DHHS or whatever. The real folks will never call.
Credit Building
To help establish and build credit, people can apply for a secured credit card.
NOTE: The link is just an example, meaning we’re not suggesting you use CitiBank, as most/all credit companies will issue secured credit cards.
Car Buying
Contacts
Richie Axelsen/ President Owner, Auto Buying Assistant (ABA)
Mobile: (207) 838-6082
Office: (207) 447-9961
Email: info@autobuyingassistant.com
Richie is very experienced, user friendly, and has great contacts with dealers and bank loan agents.
Lou Couture/ Sales & Leasing Consultant, Rowe Ford
Office: (866) 753-7011
Email: info@autobuyingassistant.com
We found him to be transparent, ethical and fair.
cPort Credit Union
cPort CU has lowered restrictions on Auto loans. New borrowers are no longer asked to provide 20% down payment as it was the default for people with no credit history or less than 2 years of credit history. We can now lend up to 100% Loan-To-Value (barring any major red flags, no credit is still better than bad credit).
ProsperityME has a series of great workshops for mentees (& anyone else) about how to budget, establish credit & make contractual decisions. Strongly encourage the mentee to take advantage of these workshops.
Key Points
The mentor should never co-sign a loan for a mentee.
The mentor and mentee should discuss the following issues with the assumption that, in most circumstances, the goal is reliable transportation, not owning a car.
Determine how many times a week the mentee needs the speed, convenience and flexibility that private transportation (i.e., car, taxi, Uber) provides vs. regular bus service.
Estimate how much it would cost per week/month to liberally use a combination of public and third-party private transportation.
Confirm the mentee has a valid drivers license.
Financial Questions
How solid are the mentee’s work hours? Do they fluctuate?
What are the mentee’s regular expenditures:
Take-home pay
Rent
Food
Child care
Phone/internet/cable
Utilities
Miscellaneous
Has money been put aside for:
Emergencies
Immigration lawyer
Asylum legal fees
Car Expenses
Driving lessons (if necessary)
Purchase price/monthly payment
Yearly excise tax/car registration
Insurance
Fuel and maintenance costs
Benefits w/o Work Authorization
Benefits for Asylum Seekers Who are Waiting for a Work Permit
If you have applied for asylum and have a receipt from the federal government (USCIS) with your A number,
OR
If you had a work permit, that work permit has expired, and you are waiting for a new work permit to be issued, then you may be eligible for the following benefits:
Banking
Excerpt from mailing list discussion on 12/14/2017
There are no ATM fees at any credit union in Maine, and there are no monthly fees on the accounts, except the $25 to “join” the credit union. This fee is returned when you close your account. It shows up on your savings balance, but there is also an “available balance” which excludes the $25. There are still fees for overdrafts, of course, but they tend to be less than regular banks.
Some credit unions offer free overdraft protection (meaning they will move money from your savings to your checking) and I also have essentially a standing pre-approved loan on my account so I can use up to $1500 by just an on-line transfer. The balance of the “loan” then requires at least a minimum monthly payment, but the interest is much lower than a credit card, and is calculated by the day, so you can pay extra or pay it off whenever you want. I use this as a bridge for larger or unexpected expenses – new glasses, car repairs, etc.
I suggest you go in with your mentee to talk to someone at the CU/bank and learn whether they have these programs. You can also ask about how to build credit. Once you are a CU member, it is generally easier to get lower interest loans as well, looking ahead to buying a car or eventually having a mortgage.
Depending on how familiar your mentee is with the US banking system, you may also want to discuss how to write checks, use a debit card, use online banking, and especially how to track what money is left in the account when checks and debits haven’t posted yet, etc. When you are just scraping by, incurring an overdraft charge is devastating, and should be avoided at all costs.
It is also a good opportunity to discuss credit cards and provide some examples of how much interest you will pay on various balances. When I was teaching English classes in Lewiston, I discovered most of my students had no idea about this stuff.