Yes I agree in many ways it is one of the biggest benefits of the USA but considering how much is paid in taxes from wages you also have to consider how much you deserve that benefit
@@MexicoRelocationGuide - Agreed. My comment was not to be critical of either one or the other system, it was just an observation for people who do qualify for Medicare. It is a serious consideration for people over 65 and I am really glad you made the video.
Medicare will only cover emergency services while out of the country, the same is true for Canada Health. This is only applicable if you are vacationing, this does not cover you if you have moved out of the country. Now I have seen some agents espousing the idea of keeping a US or Canadian address and you can claim for emergency services while out of the country. Be aware that if the insurance company finds out that you are actually living in a foreign country and not a tourist or snowbird, they can come after you for what was paid out and you could also open yourself up in that situation to criminal charges of insurance fraud, if the insurance company wants to go there. Though that is possible to happen, it is unlikely unless you have someone report you. For keeping Medicare/Canada health and using some sort of gap insurance it would be way less expensive to get emergency evacuation insurance rather than a gap policy. This would fly you back to your home country via air ambulance, for treatment under Medicare/Canada Health after you had been stabilized. ALL Medicare plans will cover life threatening emergency out of the country, with Medicare Advantage plans being the ONLY ONE that covers these situations after 60 days outside the country. I am a Canadian that started in the insurance industry in Canada in 1981. For the last 20 years I have resided in the US and just retired as a Medicare insurance agent. For those asking about Medicare paying directly to Mexican Hospital/Dr., no they will not do that, you will have to pay out of pocket then submit for reimbursement when you get home. For the person asking about Cigna, they are a good company but depending on what type of insurance you are purchasing from them you could be paying a premium compared to other companies. When dealing with any insurance company your best bet is to go through a broker than an in- house agent. A broker is able to "shop" the insurance market for the type of insurance you are looking for and offer plans from any company that best suits what you want it to do as well as a price point you would be happy with. I just want to say, I am retired and the insurance industry can change very very quickly. The last I checked my above is accurate but do not take that as advice on what type of insurance or how you think you can use that insurance. Find yourself a good insurance broker that you are comfortable with and feel you can trust to look after your best interests and discuss with them what you need, are looking for, for your specific needs.
@Murray Doig, thank you for the information! Just one point of clarification, please. When you say it would be cheaper to have evacuation insurance over a gap plan, if using Medicare, don’t you need the gap plan once you are evacuated back to the US?
@@niteobaby Hey Dana, gap insurance when talking about a medicare plan is better known in the industry as Supplemental insurance. This type of plan is used with original medicare (the most expensive type of medicare as there are no limits on what you could have to pay out in any given year). The Supplemental plan takes over where original medicare ends, paying the difference on what you would be charged over and above original medicare and what it would pay. There are no co-pays, no sharing of expenses in any way. Original Medicare pays out thier portion then the supplemental plan picks up the rest. Original Medicare is GOVERMENT insurance, Supplemental and Advantage Plans are private insurance. Supplemental insurance requires that you qualify, health wise before you can get it. There is one exception and that is when you turn 65 and start Medicare. You can then get a Supplmental plan regardless of your current health. The insurance company can not turn you down, charge you extra etc. After this one time, you have to qualify to be approved with certain exceptions (wont go into them as this is already starting to look like a chapter in Insurance Memoirs). That is the US version of Gap insurance. It is only good out of the US for 60 days and only for life threatening emergencies. Gap insurance in the way I was referring to it and the way it would be used in a foreign country would be private insurance that would cover you for minor issues, a broken wrist, flu, etc that you would go to a doctor for and the gap insurance would pick up some or all of the costs. For something serious, cancer, heart problems etc the gap insurance would cover such a minor portion as to not be any use at all for mitigating costs. In this case evacuation insurance would fly you via air ambulance back to the states where your Medicare plan would take over covering costs depending on which type of plan you had if any. So we are clear on all of the above? If not let me know. So I currently have a Medicare Advantage plan, I pay nothing for it or in insurance jargon it is a zero dollar plan, meaning no cost to me other than what I pay Medicare out of my Social Security. And to be clear, EVERYONE that is on Medicare pays something out of Social Security for Medicare, with the exception of those in dire financial straits. My wife and I are planning on moving to Mexico here in the next several years, we will be keeping our Medicare plans and using evacuation insurance. It costs us nothing out of pocking for our plans, while being offered serveral bonuses of so much dental care, so much vision care, so much hearing care every year. Yes we would have to be in the states to take advantage of it, but we do plan on trips back to visits family and something that costs me nothing vs something that costs me very little is worth taking advantage of on those trips. Something worth mentioning on Supplemental plans are they are not free. There is no "zero-dollar" Supplemental plan. Costs usually start out in the range of $100 per month and go up with age or with how well the insurance company does with that type of plan. Also Supplemental insurance does not offer Medicare type D. This is the prescription drug plan and no it doesn't work outside of the country. So why keep it you ask? If you dont take part D when you are elegible because you don't have any prescription drugs you take, then when you need to take a prescription drug and decide to get part D, you will be penalized (permanently) for the number of years you didn't have it. Not a big deal right? Unless you get certain types of cancer and a ton of prescription drugs that are expensive. I had a Client that pays in the range of $200 month for part D. My advantage plan also gives me Part D for zero dollars to me. Cost range around the $30 a month mark or there abouts for Part D if you are taking when you are elegible. My advice to people is don't let your Medicare coverage drop, unless you are picking up some type of private insurance in Mexico that is comparable. I hope that helps Dana, and my apologies for the length of this reply. It is very difficult to cover Medicare with all its twists and turns so that people really understand what they have or can get and what the costs associated with those choices are. Regards
@@murraydoig3 Thank you so very much for your well thought out reply! It is quite a puzzle to figure out Medicare, alone, then with the added complication of needing health insurance/healthcare in a foreign country - it’s extremely difficult to make a best choice! I have spoken to a couple different Medicare brokers, one who wants to sell me an Advantage plan, for the reasons you discuss, and one who prefers plan G. Both of them insist I can use my plan at a medical clinic in Lake Chapala who promise to both take coverage (for emergency visits which are almost anything you need to see a Dr for, outside of a checkup) and bill your insurance - either Adv or supplement - for you. I’d also like to use an evacuation insurance but won’t really have a home base in the US once we move and I guess I’d need to provide some sort of address in the US for an Adv plan.
@@niteobaby Dana, as I said in my first reply the plan G for supplemental is a very good plan if you are LIVING IN THE STATES. Supplemental plans are only good for 60 days and have a LIFETIME limit of $50,000 outside the country. For the agents that are telling you, "sure, no problem using this for the clinic in Lake Chapala for pretty much any thing", well good luck getting re-imbursed for that. As for the clinic billing your insurance, yes they could do that BUT they will not be able to bill MEDICARE. Medicare will deny the claim. There is currently no system set up where Medicare will pay a health facility in Mexico directly. I would suggest you keep a permanent address in the states, perhaps a relative that could forward mail etc and use that for an advantage plan. I would not plan on using that plan while in Mexico unless you had a life threatening emergency. Then pick up an Evacuation policy to get you back to the states. Which ever agent you decide to deal with (Please make sure they are a broker and not an in house agent) please make sure you get a zero dollar PPO plan and not an HMO. Make sure your PPO plan includes Part D as well (should be able to get at no cost to you). Good Luck Dana!
Thanks! You are welcome to check out some of our shorter videos. Our livestreams are long for a reason because they cover a lot of information and we also take questions in real time
Valiant effort but the information was very confusing. I will contact someone from your list but must admit that I am less sure about this now, than before I watch this.
It’s a very complex topic because everyone’s medical situation is different. Consider this an overview If you want to have a deeper discussion I’d recommend working with a knowledgeable insurance broker. If you want our recommendations you can check out our Mexico Relocation Guide- where we give you our directory of vetted contacts in Mexico.
Pre-exiting condition is always a concern. Particularly as we get older. Is there a standard definition for pre-existing? For example is there a look back period as is common with travel insurance? If someone had an illness 10 years prior, is that illness (and related) considered pre-exiting for ever? I worry that, without specific definitions, it provides insurance companies an easy way to deny coverage
Loren, Pre-existing can be anything. You had a pinched nerve, it was fixed and it happened 7 yrs ago. When you first sign with an insurance company they will look at the type of condition and decide what the chances are it would re-occur and in what timeline. For most companies I have dealt with, depending on the type of pre-existing condition, they will slap a two year waiver on covering if it happens again. Myself, I have a couple of chronic medical conditions that although I probably won't require hospitalization in the future, I may, as well as ongoing expenses to manage the conditions even if no hospitalization is required. In my case the insurance company is definitely not going to cover those pre-existing conditions.
This was so helpful! I will go see Edgardo at the Lake Chapala Society where he has an office. Thank you for doing this interview. It seems that Medicare Advantage will only keep me for one year, but I may use my sister's address in another state and find some option there to continue. You cannot have a permanent residence in Mexico and continue with Advantage....at least with Regency, which is what I have.
@@MexicoRelocationGuide Thank you. This is what Regency told me directly. I sold my house in the U.S. and no longer have a legal residence there. They do business by what county you have an address. I will try to learn more about how to get around this, but they sent me a letter directly stating that I will only be covered for the remainder of the policy using the address of a close friend in the county where I used to reside.
Heard people referring to your information about Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and receiving care in Mexico. Just want to caution anyone that MA plans have a residency requirement. Not just a US residency but a COUNTY residency requirement. You have to have an address in the service area where the MA plan operates in order to be eligible for the plan. If you move out of the area, or are away for more than 6 months, they will start the disenrollment process. No disrespect, but brokers are compensated for each member they sign up for the plan. I am a former Medicare Advantage plan employee (Medicare Compliance Officer) and did not/do not receive compensation for educating members on how the MA plans work. While emergent / urgent care services are payable out-of-country (OOC) it is designed for short term travelers. Also need to caution on the definition of urgent care. Folks might run into problems if they seek office visits from an urgent care clinic and think it automatically qualifies as urgent care by the MA plan. Having worked in the US insurance industry, I'm cringing a little to hear broker advice on how plans work. The sales info can miss many of the details that cause one to think they are covered and are terribly dissatisfied when they have a claim and payment is denied. While brokers are invaluable for consolidating general information, I would encourage anyone to call the Plan directly to ask your specific questions. (Pro tip, call the Customer Service folks rather than the Sales people) It would be an interesting comparison to hear what Original Medicare covers for expats. I am less familiar with this, and if they cover emergent and/or urgent without requiring US residency, this may be the Medicare option for expats to retain. After all this info, those concerned with comprehensive coverage in Mexico need to supplement their US Medicare plan.
@@debbie1247 Thanks so much for your input. I have a Medicare Supplemental Plan (not Advantage). I'm still navigating through little information about what may/may not be used in Mexico. If you have a reference for such I would greatly appreciate it. I don't mind spending the time at all. ...just need to be pointed in the correct direction.
Great stuff, so very helpful, i really learned a lot from this about healthcare and insurance. Stuff I really needed to know since i hope to move really soon. I will go see Edgardo since I will start out in the Chapala area. Thanks Mariana
I hope you will be covering getting insurance after age 70 if you just moved. I realize it may be best to just get evacuation insurance. I am extremely healthy now, but I do have pre-existing conditions & family history of diseases or conditions that I have no indicators that I will develop them. Can I call Edgardo even though I am living in San Miguel de Allende?
I’ve been in Mexico for 2 years. I plan on staying. I currently have temporary residency. I have had insurance here and currently do. As I get older will I lose my insurance. I was wondering if I am loyal to a company I can continue to be covered as I age over 60 ?
They can raise their premium a lot though, which will force you to leave them... some ins companies price using a smaller cohort of people (like say all between 60 and 65 will pay X amount obtained from them adding losses + a profit and dividing by how many 60-65 they have), while others use a larger pool of ppl. The first example your premium may double after 60 and double again later (after 70)... whilst if it gets distributed over a larger group you will see smaller fluctuations year to year...I don't think this is covered much anywhere and what we plan to do is make quotes for different ages and see how it changes (there are online quotes - each of the brokers has a website for that)...the companies may never tell you how they price renewals and many brokers don't know these things themselves...they may also not know/may not say to you which are more inclined to deny coverage by calling things "pre-existing" etc etc...I feel like navigating a mined field with health ins in MX. Our main reason in moving was that we are 50 and can't pay it in USA, but the more i get into the MX details of it, the more I see it's not all roses and peaches...had to re-adust my budget several times due to this, plus renting prices, plus factoring in 10-20% tipping, plus gringo tax...in the end it's almost same as US, but better weather...we'll see how it goes in just a few months, when we move. Lots of stress (and $$$ spent) though with getting residency (both 1st part, 2nd part), finding rentals, learning the language, selling the house in US, being away from family...hoping it will be worth it in the end. Good luck!
Mariana, thank you so much for this very important information with your guest. I am a retired Realtor in California. A client of mine once said to me "Manuel, I feel that you protect me and my interests as my realtor. I never forgot those words from my client because I truly cared about my clients. I think that Eduardo is a person that has the best interests of his cliants and I will search him out if we move forward with our relocation to the Chapala area. Muchisimas gracias.....
Sorry Mercy- I don’t guarantee a reply to anyone unless you are a paying customer If you’d like to buy the guide you get invited to a private FB group where you get to post questions and I can answer them Mexicorelocationguide.com/guide/
Get access to our directory of contacts including healthcare brokers we recommend like Edgardo
bit.ly/3Pt5iBp
really helpful info- thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
I never thought I’d say this, but Medicare in the US seems to be much better insurance compared to what is available in Mexico for people 65 or older.
Yes I agree in many ways it is one of the biggest benefits of the USA but considering how much is paid in taxes from wages you also have to consider how much you deserve that benefit
@@MexicoRelocationGuide - Agreed. My comment was not to be critical of either one or the other system, it was just an observation for people who do qualify for Medicare. It is a serious consideration for people over 65 and I am really glad you made the video.
Very, very helpful Mariana!!
Thank you so much 😊
Glad you enjoyed it Pam!
Medicare will only cover emergency services while out of the country, the same is true for Canada Health. This is only applicable if you are vacationing, this does not cover you if you have moved out of the country. Now I have seen some agents espousing the idea of keeping a US or Canadian address and you can claim for emergency services while out of the country. Be aware that if the insurance company finds out that you are actually living in a foreign country and not a tourist or snowbird, they can come after you for what was paid out and you could also open yourself up in that situation to criminal charges of insurance fraud, if the insurance company wants to go there. Though that is possible to happen, it is unlikely unless you have someone report you.
For keeping Medicare/Canada health and using some sort of gap insurance it would be way less expensive to get emergency evacuation insurance rather than a gap policy. This would fly you back to your home country via air ambulance, for treatment under Medicare/Canada Health after you had been stabilized. ALL Medicare plans will cover life threatening emergency out of the country, with Medicare Advantage plans being the ONLY ONE that covers these situations after 60 days outside the country.
I am a Canadian that started in the insurance industry in Canada in 1981. For the last 20 years I have resided in the US and just retired as a Medicare insurance agent.
For those asking about Medicare paying directly to Mexican Hospital/Dr., no they will not do that, you will have to pay out of pocket then submit for reimbursement when you get home.
For the person asking about Cigna, they are a good company but depending on what type of insurance you are purchasing from them you could be paying a premium compared to other companies. When dealing with any insurance company your best bet is to go through a broker than an in- house agent. A broker is able to "shop" the insurance market for the type of insurance you are looking for and offer plans from any company that best suits what you want it to do as well as a price point you would be happy with.
I just want to say, I am retired and the insurance industry can change very very quickly. The last I checked my above is accurate but do not take that as advice on what type of insurance or how you think you can use that insurance. Find yourself a good insurance broker that you are comfortable with and feel you can trust to look after your best interests and discuss with them what you need, are looking for, for your specific needs.
@Murray Doig, thank you for the information! Just one point of clarification, please. When you say it would be cheaper to have evacuation insurance over a gap plan, if using Medicare, don’t you need the gap plan once you are evacuated back to the US?
@@niteobaby Hey Dana, gap insurance when talking about a medicare plan is better known in the industry as Supplemental insurance. This type of plan is used with original medicare (the most expensive type of medicare as there are no limits on what you could have to pay out in any given year). The Supplemental plan takes over where original medicare ends, paying the difference on what you would be charged over and above original medicare and what it would pay. There are no co-pays, no sharing of expenses in any way. Original Medicare pays out thier portion then the supplemental plan picks up the rest. Original Medicare is GOVERMENT insurance, Supplemental and Advantage Plans are private insurance. Supplemental insurance requires that you qualify, health wise before you can get it. There is one exception and that is when you turn 65 and start Medicare. You can then get a Supplmental plan regardless of your current health. The insurance company can not turn you down, charge you extra etc. After this one time, you have to qualify to be approved with certain exceptions (wont go into them as this is already starting to look like a chapter in Insurance Memoirs). That is the US version of Gap insurance. It is only good out of the US for 60 days and only for life threatening emergencies.
Gap insurance in the way I was referring to it and the way it would be used in a foreign country would be private insurance that would cover you for minor issues, a broken wrist, flu, etc that you would go to a doctor for and the gap insurance would pick up some or all of the costs. For something serious, cancer, heart problems etc the gap insurance would cover such a minor portion as to not be any use at all for mitigating costs. In this case evacuation insurance would fly you via air ambulance back to the states where your Medicare plan would take over covering costs depending on which type of plan you had if any.
So we are clear on all of the above? If not let me know.
So I currently have a Medicare Advantage plan, I pay nothing for it or in insurance jargon it is a zero dollar plan, meaning no cost to me other than what I pay Medicare out of my Social Security. And to be clear, EVERYONE that is on Medicare pays something out of Social Security for Medicare, with the exception of those in dire financial straits. My wife and I are planning on moving to Mexico here in the next several years, we will be keeping our Medicare plans and using evacuation insurance. It costs us nothing out of pocking for our plans, while being offered serveral bonuses of so much dental care, so much vision care, so much hearing care every year. Yes we would have to be in the states to take advantage of it, but we do plan on trips back to visits family and something that costs me nothing vs something that costs me very little is worth taking advantage of on those trips.
Something worth mentioning on Supplemental plans are they are not free. There is no "zero-dollar" Supplemental plan. Costs usually start out in the range of $100 per month and go up with age or with how well the insurance company does with that type of plan. Also Supplemental insurance does not offer Medicare type D. This is the prescription drug plan and no it doesn't work outside of the country. So why keep it you ask? If you dont take part D when you are elegible because you don't have any prescription drugs you take, then when you need to take a prescription drug and decide to get part D, you will be penalized (permanently) for the number of years you didn't have it. Not a big deal right? Unless you get certain types of cancer and a ton of prescription drugs that are expensive. I had a Client that pays in the range of $200 month for part D. My advantage plan also gives me Part D for zero dollars to me. Cost range around the $30 a month mark or there abouts for Part D if you are taking when you are elegible. My advice to people is don't let your Medicare coverage drop, unless you are picking up some type of private insurance in Mexico that is comparable.
I hope that helps Dana, and my apologies for the length of this reply. It is very difficult to cover Medicare with all its twists and turns so that people really understand what they have or can get and what the costs associated with those choices are.
Regards
@@murraydoig3
Thank you so very much for your well thought out reply! It is quite a puzzle to figure out Medicare, alone, then with the added complication of needing health insurance/healthcare in a foreign country - it’s extremely difficult to make a best choice! I have spoken to a couple different Medicare brokers, one who wants to sell me an Advantage plan, for the reasons you discuss, and one who prefers plan G. Both of them insist I can use my plan at a medical clinic in Lake Chapala who promise to both take coverage (for emergency visits which are almost anything you need to see a Dr for, outside of a checkup) and bill your insurance - either Adv or supplement - for you. I’d also like to use an evacuation insurance but won’t really have a home base in the US once we move and I guess I’d need to provide some sort of address in the US for an Adv plan.
@@niteobaby
Dana, as I said in my first reply the plan G for supplemental is a very good plan if you are LIVING IN THE STATES. Supplemental plans are only good for 60 days and have a LIFETIME limit of $50,000 outside the country. For the agents that are telling you, "sure, no problem using this for the clinic in Lake Chapala for pretty much any thing", well good luck getting re-imbursed for that. As for the clinic billing your insurance, yes they could do that BUT they will not be able to bill MEDICARE. Medicare will deny the claim. There is currently no system set up where Medicare will pay a health facility in Mexico directly. I would suggest you keep a permanent address in the states, perhaps a relative that could forward mail etc and use that for an advantage plan. I would not plan on using that plan while in Mexico unless you had a life threatening emergency. Then pick up an Evacuation policy to get you back to the states.
Which ever agent you decide to deal with (Please make sure they are a broker and not an in house agent) please make sure you get a zero dollar PPO plan and not an HMO. Make sure your PPO plan includes Part D as well (should be able to get at no cost to you).
Good Luck Dana!
@@murraydoig3 Gracias, señor!
Thank you so much for this and all your TH-cam videos. They are very helpful to me! Muchas gracias!
De nada!
I found your channel few days ago.It’s great! Only thing that I’d suggest….keep the videos SHORTER!
Thanks! You are welcome to check out some of our shorter videos. Our livestreams are long for a reason because they cover a lot of information and we also take questions in real time
Thank you for this program. It was very informative!
Valiant effort but the information was very confusing. I will contact someone from your list but must admit that I am less sure about this now, than before I watch this.
It’s a very complex topic because everyone’s medical situation is different. Consider this an overview
If you want to have a deeper discussion I’d recommend working with a knowledgeable insurance broker. If you want our recommendations you can check out our Mexico Relocation Guide- where we give you our directory of vetted contacts in Mexico.
Pre-exiting condition is always a concern. Particularly as we get older. Is there a standard definition for pre-existing? For example is there a look back period as is common with travel insurance? If someone had an illness 10 years prior, is that illness (and related) considered pre-exiting for ever? I worry that, without specific definitions, it provides insurance companies an easy way to deny coverage
Loren, Pre-existing can be anything. You had a pinched nerve, it was fixed and it happened 7 yrs ago. When you first sign with an insurance company they will look at the type of condition and decide what the chances are it would re-occur and in what timeline. For most companies I have dealt with, depending on the type of pre-existing condition, they will slap a two year waiver on covering if it happens again. Myself, I have a couple of chronic medical conditions that although I probably won't require hospitalization in the future, I may, as well as ongoing expenses to manage the conditions even if no hospitalization is required. In my case the insurance company is definitely not going to cover those pre-existing conditions.
@@murraydoig3 Thank you for your reply. This speaks to how important it is to be honest and accurate in completing the application.
Should a person applying for private or public medical insurance go through mandatory medical tests before issuing an insurance??
Depends on the insurance company, the applicants age, and their pre existing conditions
Thank you for your response..
This was so helpful! I will go see Edgardo at the Lake Chapala Society where he has an office. Thank you for doing this interview. It seems that Medicare Advantage will only keep me for one year, but I may use my sister's address in another state and find some option there to continue. You cannot have a permanent residence in Mexico and continue with Advantage....at least with Regency, which is what I have.
That’s not what the Medicare brokers I have talked to have said. You might just need to talk to the right broker who knows about expats
@@MexicoRelocationGuide Thank you. This is what Regency told me directly. I sold my house in the U.S. and no longer have a legal residence there. They do business by what county you have an address. I will try to learn more about how to get around this, but they sent me a letter directly stating that I will only be covered for the remainder of the policy using the address of a close friend in the county where I used to reside.
Heard people referring to your information about Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and receiving care in Mexico. Just want to caution anyone that MA plans have a residency requirement. Not just a US residency but a COUNTY residency requirement. You have to have an address in the service area where the MA plan operates in order to be eligible for the plan. If you move out of the area, or are away for more than 6 months, they will start the disenrollment process. No disrespect, but brokers are compensated for each member they sign up for the plan. I am a former Medicare Advantage plan employee (Medicare Compliance Officer) and did not/do not receive compensation for educating members on how the MA plans work.
While emergent / urgent care services are payable out-of-country (OOC) it is designed for short term travelers. Also need to caution on the definition of urgent care. Folks might run into problems if they seek office visits from an urgent care clinic and think it automatically qualifies as urgent care by the MA plan.
Having worked in the US insurance industry, I'm cringing a little to hear broker advice on how plans work. The sales info can miss many of the details that cause one to think they are covered and are terribly dissatisfied when they have a claim and payment is denied. While brokers are invaluable for consolidating general information, I would encourage anyone to call the Plan directly to ask your specific questions. (Pro tip, call the Customer Service folks rather than the Sales people)
It would be an interesting comparison to hear what Original Medicare covers for expats. I am less familiar with this, and if they cover emergent and/or urgent without requiring US residency, this may be the Medicare option for expats to retain. After all this info, those concerned with comprehensive coverage in Mexico need to supplement their US Medicare plan.
@@debbie1247 Thanks so much for your input. I have a Medicare Supplemental Plan (not Advantage).
I'm still navigating through little information about what may/may not be used in Mexico.
If you have a reference for such I would greatly appreciate it. I don't mind spending the time at all. ...just need to be pointed in the correct direction.
Thanks so much for this 😊
Hope you learned something new
Great stuff, so very helpful, i really learned a lot from this about healthcare and insurance. Stuff I really needed to know since i hope to move really soon. I will go see Edgardo since I will start out in the Chapala area. Thanks Mariana
I hope you will be covering getting insurance after age 70 if you just moved. I realize it may be best to just get evacuation insurance.
I am extremely healthy now, but I do have pre-existing conditions & family history of diseases or conditions that I have no indicators that I will develop them.
Can I call Edgardo even though I am living in San Miguel de Allende?
Getting insurance after 70 will be very hard. It’ll be better for you to pay out pocket, and keep Medicare in the USA
@@MexicoRelocationGuide That is exactly what I am doing 😊 Thanks!
Is there any benefit to getting medical insurance before the age of 60, as opposed to waiting even just to 61?
Other than being covered sooner?
I’ve been in Mexico for 2 years. I plan on staying. I currently have temporary residency. I have had insurance here and currently do. As I get older will I lose my insurance. I was wondering if I am loyal to a company I can continue to be covered as I age over 60 ?
Yes! If you continue your policy with a company they cannot cancel your insurance based on age
They can raise their premium a lot though, which will force you to leave them... some ins companies price using a smaller cohort of people (like say all between 60 and 65 will pay X amount obtained from them adding losses + a profit and dividing by how many 60-65 they have), while others use a larger pool of ppl. The first example your premium may double after 60 and double again later (after 70)... whilst if it gets distributed over a larger group you will see smaller fluctuations year to year...I don't think this is covered much anywhere and what we plan to do is make quotes for different ages and see how it changes (there are online quotes - each of the brokers has a website for that)...the companies may never tell you how they price renewals and many brokers don't know these things themselves...they may also not know/may not say to you which are more inclined to deny coverage by calling things "pre-existing" etc etc...I feel like navigating a mined field with health ins in MX.
Our main reason in moving was that we are 50 and can't pay it in USA, but the more i get into the MX details of it, the more I see it's not all roses and peaches...had to re-adust my budget several times due to this, plus renting prices, plus factoring in 10-20% tipping, plus gringo tax...in the end it's almost same as US, but better weather...we'll see how it goes in just a few months, when we move.
Lots of stress (and $$$ spent) though with getting residency (both 1st part, 2nd part), finding rentals, learning the language, selling the house in US, being away from family...hoping it will be worth it in the end.
Good luck!
Mariana, thank you so much for this very important information with your guest. I am a retired Realtor in California. A client of mine once said to me "Manuel, I feel that you protect me and my interests as my realtor. I never forgot those words from my client because I truly cared about my clients. I think that Eduardo is a person that has the best interests of his cliants and I will search him out if we move forward with our relocation to the Chapala area. Muchisimas gracias.....
Thank you! Yes he really cares
Thank you so much, please I sent you an email yesterday, I'm expecting a reply. I'm Mercy
Sorry Mercy- I don’t guarantee a reply to anyone unless you are a paying customer
If you’d like to buy the guide you get invited to a private FB group where you get to post questions and I can answer them
Mexicorelocationguide.com/guide/