@RaihanChy wrote:
Thank you for the answer, as medical bills can be crazy big and i dont have the capacity to pay any. As i provide food and shelter to my parents, i thought i can claim my parents as dependents. It always bothers me if i will be ever be liable for parents medical debts if any.(God forbides) and irs will be chasing after me as showing them as dependents.
You can claim them as tax dependents if their taxable income is less than $4200, and they don't file a joint tax return, and you pay more than half their support. They don't have to live with you. (Some dependents do have to live with you, but not your parents.)
Your living arrangement does not change their eligibility for Medicare. It might change their eligibility for Medicaid (but probably not) but that will depend on the rules of your state.
Claiming them as dependents does not in any other way make you responsible for their debts.
It sounds like you could use some help from an Elder law or Elder planning specialist. There are some financial changes you might be able to make now to improve your position should your parents become ill later. (If they have not earned money in the US--which I am guessing might be the case from the way you worded the question--they might not be eligible for Medicare or Medicaid either, which makes advance planning and expert help even more important.)
