# Medicare



## 197649 (Jan 1, 2013)

I just got a letter saying I was allowed Medicare. I said I get hospitalization Plan A free. But had to pay $104.90 a month for medical Plan B. But if I elected to not take the Plan B that as a vet I would NO LONGER be eligible to receive TRICARE. 
I can use TRICARE here in the Philippines. But I have never heard of Medicare here anyone can field this question. Can you use Medicare here in PI


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

c_acton98 said:


> I just got a letter saying I was allowed Medicare. I said I get hospitalization Plan A free. But had to pay $104.90 a month for medical Plan B. But if I elected to not take the Plan B that as a vet I would NO LONGER be eligible to receive TRICARE.
> I can use TRICARE here in the Philippines. But I have never heard of Medicare here anyone can field this question. Can you use Medicare here in PI


Short answer is no. Medicare is not usable here. Closest place it can be used is Guam. On the Tri-Care issue its best to visit the RAO at the Angeles VFW.


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## Nickleback99 (Aug 6, 2011)

Question on top of this...Are most Americans who truly settle/retire to PI forgoing any Medicare B payments once retired...or are any paying it just in case for a U.S. medical return


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## Nickleback99 (Aug 6, 2011)

Noting that they fine or penalize you if u delay paying part B, but then sign up later. As for the whole Tricare tie in, that is a political ploy to pretty much Force you to buy Part B. You can rest assured all these costs and "hidden" expenses are going to get Worse, not better under Obamacare


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## CebuStudent (Apr 25, 2014)

Nickleback99 said:


> Noting that they fine or penalize you if u delay paying part B, but then sign up later. As for the whole Tricare tie in, that is a political ploy to pretty much Force you to buy Part B. You can rest assured all these costs and "hidden" expenses are going to get Worse, not better under Obamacare


I cancelled my Tricare when they informed me that I could not use it here. Now only coverage is as a dependent on the PhilHealth policy. Not sure how this stands up to new health care required on our UDA income tax.


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## Nickleback99 (Aug 6, 2011)

Residing overseas is one of the Exemptions under the ACA "Obamacare" such that you do not have to purchase any plan under ACA while residing outside the country. 
Americans who are NOT residents of the USA, do NOT have to participate if you meet the requirements of being a resident of another country (or if you are outside the USA for 330 days or more per year). You can find more details below on Exemptions to ACA and how to qualify as a Non-Resident US citizen at:

https://www.healthcare.gov/exemptions/


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## CebuStudent (Apr 25, 2014)

Nickleback99 said:


> Residing overseas is one of the Exemptions under the ACA "Obamacare" such that you do not have to purchase any plan under ACA while residing outside the country.
> Americans who are NOT residents of the USA, do NOT have to participate if you meet the requirements of being a resident of another country (or if you are outside the USA for 330 days or more per year). You can find more details below on Exemptions to ACA and how to qualify as a Non-Resident US citizen at...


Wow! Fantastic - good info to know. Thanks!


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## 197649 (Jan 1, 2013)

Nickleback99 said:


> Residing overseas is one of the Exemptions under the ACA "Obamacare" such that you do not have to purchase any plan under ACA while residing outside the country.
> Americans who are NOT residents of the USA, do NOT have to participate if you meet the requirements of being a resident of another country (or if you are outside the USA for 330 days or more per year). You can find more details below on Exemptions to ACA and how to qualify as a Non-Resident US citizen at:
> 
> https://www.healthcare.gov/exemptions/


Thats all well and fine for those who don't want or need medical care. If you have a policy here in PI and are happy with that then your good. I have not found any medical insurance here that is worth the paper its written on for the price they charge.


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## Nickleback99 (Aug 6, 2011)

I hear ya. I was just commenting/providing info on ACA and living overseas in general and that nobody can be penalized at tax time for not participating...think that goes in full effect in 2016....when they Live overseas. YOUR situation, however, may be a "Catch 22" because it sounds like You Do have to purchase MedicareB IF you want to continue having Tricare which you can use apparently in the P.I. (lucky you). The problem for the rest of us (and I'm Former military/USMC, but not retired) is that if we Don't choose MedB, then later Do choose to enroll, we'll have to pay a "fine" or penalty for late enrollment.....sort of "darned if you do, darned if you don't", should we choose to go back to U.S. later for serious health issues. Anyway, I'm sure some other more savy Expats on here have more knowledge to add and clear up the confusion that is ACA and Especially Medicare & TriCare.


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## 197649 (Jan 1, 2013)

Nickleback99 yes in a way I am fortunate. Everyone has their own situation. To be honest if I could find a good plan here I would go for it. ACA is a money pit for us overseas folks. The sad part is it is locked in and our government officials have once again managed to screw us while pocketing money. I only use tricare for my wife as I am 100% disabled. That being the unfortunate part.


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## lendanear (Jun 4, 2014)

*medicare*

I'm a filipina married to an American living here in the Philippines since 2005. At that time, he stopped Medicare deductions from his Social Security retirement. We are thinking about moving back to USA. How does he go about getting back on Medicare and is there a penalty?


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

lendanear said:


> I'm a filipina married to an American living here in the Philippines since 2005. At that time, he stopped Medicare deductions from his Social Security retirement. We are thinking about moving back to USA. How does he go about getting back on Medicare and is there a penalty?


Don't know of and do not think there is any penalty involved. For information on returning to Medicare coverage, have your husband contact American Citizen Services at the embassy for instructions...


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## lendanear (Jun 4, 2014)

thanks for that reply...have a great day!


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## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

This is one of the biggest tragedies that retired people have ever faced while living overseas. There are over 600,000 US Citizens living in the Philippines and we cannot get Medicare because of the corruption that has taken place in the past. Medical care is expensive here, even if you are lucky enough to be a beneficiary on your Filipino Spouse's PhilHealth policy. I won't go into any details here on this forum but I am supposed to have a procedure performed. For it to be done, it will cost 100,000 pesos even tho I am a beneficiary on my wife's PhilHealth policy. I can't afford something like that. Since I am non-military, it would be difficult to travel to Guam for any health care procedure to be done and before Medicare would even consider helping me, I have to have paid 100,000 pesos out of pocket for them to even consider my case and they would never look at anything in my behalf that was done overseas in the past. We are all in a Catch 22 situation here, dam*ed if we do and dam*ed if we don't. I know for sure that I can't afford to even fly to Guam, and it is not worth the cost to do that.


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

In reference to Nickelback's post. As all Military Vet's are entitled to The VA Medical program, the way to handle this part is to get enrolled with the VA as this complies with the requirement for some insurance so to eliminate the penalty. As I am already enrolled in the VA, I will maintain it after moving to the ROP, thusly eliminating the penalty if I should ever move back to the US. I think we are in the same category(former Military/USMC but not retired) and this is the way I plan to handle this issue.

Fred


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## Nickleback99 (Aug 6, 2011)

Thanks Fred! Great info and did not know that. Time for me to register with VA then. 18 months to go, but who's counting?!


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