# Possible alternative to Medicare for expats ?



## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

Anyone here familiar with this :
Christian Healthcare Ministries | Healthcare cost sharing ministry

I, personally, opted out of Medicare coverage. I have no idea what medicare costs but this option seems reasonably priced. Looks like it would cover a person in the US or Mexico...

Someone once brought this to my attention maybe 12 or so years ago, back in the days when 'pre-existing' conditions were a topic (in the US). Today, in the US, can a person be excluded from insurance coverage due to pre-existing conditions ? Wasn't that addressed at some point by ObamaCare ? Was ObamaCare repealed ?


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## Firstlast (Jan 11, 2021)

Beware, beware, beware of Mexican medical care, particularly the public facilities. There is no consistency between hospitals in the public sector in the same city or state. There are private hospitals/clinics that give better treatment /care for greater cost vs the peso, but less than comparable care in the US. Some accept US insurance, but Medicare will not accept out of US care. I strongly suggest you thoroughly research.


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## AnneLM (Aug 16, 2016)

Mango, this cost sharing program is secondary to Medicare, so it complements Medicare coverage but is not an alternative to it. "Members eligible for Medicare—for example, those qualifying for Social Security disability—and members 65 or older must have Medicare Part A and Part B (or a Medicare Advantage Plan) to be considered Medicare-participating members who can receive full sharing eligibility."
The Affordable Care Act (aka Obama Care) has not been repealed, though it has been modified. Health insurers cannot deny coverage due to pre-existing conditions. This faith based program was apparently granted an exception to ACA, so you need to read read the fine print and ask specific questions about what preexisting conditions are covered.
Finally, be sure to read their Guidelines very carefully, especially the Statement of Faith. Would you be able to go along with that?


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

Well - in principal I'm ok with those guidelines. Had you asked me a year ago I might have had a different opinion. I'm probably more 'Christian' today than I have been since I was an altar boy. Now - as for regularly attending services - well I would have to start that practice afresh...

At one point yesterday I started answering their online questionnaire just to get a sense if there were any real gotchas and it did ask about Medicare Part B - and I answered that I DID NOT have it and the questionnaire just kept right on going - it did not stop me.

BUT - if this coverage is in fact an add-on/in addition to Part B coverage - other than the fact that participation in this program actually communally helps others (which is an important aspect) - I'm not sure it quite fits my needs. [Edit: well except that it would provide coverage while IN Mexico whereas Medicare does not]. At the moment I have a Mexican will - and I have US financial accounts with beneficiaries (St Jude's, Make-A-Wish etc). I've got the charity angle completely covered. If I were to become a US resident again I would likely have a US will written and toss my new Mexican will (which by the way is no trivial thing to set up). 

NOW - just for giggles I called the Medicare folks a little while ago. For a government agency they sure were friendly, and the phone wait times were not bad at all. SO - this 'penalty' aspect isn't all that bad for me personally at the moment. I thought the enrollment age was 62 but it is 65, and they grant you an auto extension of some months. Anyway - I would have until this September to enroll in Part B and incur a 20% penalty. The part B coverage is $170.10 and the penalty is $34 / month. If I elected to go that route that is not a big deal. Now it sounds like that penalty goes up an additional 10% every year so at some point I guess you could be talking some real money.

This being March I have some time to think about things. They also were kind enough to tell me what my Medicare number is (I had no idea) and apparently just like setting up social security while in Mexico it sounds like you need to talk to the FBU-folks at the US embassy about Medicare as well. 

Thank you for your clarifications.


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## AnneLM (Aug 16, 2016)

It's helpful to write down 3 or 4 medical scenarios you have faced in the past or are likely to face in the future and research what the bottom line would be for each scenario under a variety of coverage options. (Medicare A only, plus B, Medicare Advantage plans, plus private insurance, etc.) It's time consuming and confusing, but really the only way to figure out what is right for you. Be sure to include prescription drug expenses. 
If you do contact the faith-based organization, be sure to ask very specific questions about their coverage outside the US, as they refer to "missionaries and others serving abroad." 
Personally, I could not participate in an organization that requires members to believe homosexuality to be sinful and does not cover birth control or "births from unwed mothers," although I am long past needing coverage for either! Not my brand of Christianity.


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

The 'guideline' that caught my attention was the sexual activity outside wedlock. That isn't important to me currently but if I were a 30-something single guy...

Edit : At one point in my career I worked for a really wealthy guy. He was extremely generous and when my wife needed treatment for breast cancer he picked up the entire tab. He was the founder of a few successful companies two of which were on the stock market. To show their appreciation for his contribution to the company the board of one company gave him lifetime 'benefits' one of which was unlimited healthcare coverage. He was telling that story one day in a small meeting and I said something like 'gosh - wouldn't that be great'. So a week or so later one of the lawyers for the company walked into my office with a contract. It said that if I were to still be working for the company one year from that day my wife and I would be granted (via an annuity I guess) lifetime healthcare coverage. I worked for this guy a long time and we knew each other very well. I didn't make it the year - it just wasn't fun anymore. (He knew me really well). True story.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

You might look around in your area for a spanish-speaking church as a way to develop some new social contacts. Go and try to be invisible in the back and see if you like the vibe, if not, try another one. It's another way to get out of the house and be part of a crowd - which has its emotional benefits even if you don't talk to people. 

Would you enjoy teaching english as a volunteer if you had a Mexican teaching partner to do the work of preparing the lessons and all you had to do was show up and pronounce things? And maybe explain the difference between two similar words?


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

Ya know eastwind - you and I think too much alike. Actually not too far from here is a monastery ! It is on an incredible piece of land. My wife and I visited once years ago on a Sunday in the middle of services. We stayed outside but the place was _packed_. I think it might have some roots from Oregon. At some point I may have to seek out someone to actually talk some of these emotions out and that monastery is a possibility (probably slim). I believe they provide rooms for like 'retreats'. I'm not quite ready for that yet.

I think a lot of the language stuff is done online around here these days. 

I spent some time today looking at South Florida on Google Earth. I also had a look at the 11 page rental application for the place I have in mind should I rent back in Florida. The application is like applying for a job. Spent maybe an 1.5 hours with a really top-notch real estate agent today. She sold the house of one of my friends and two of her friends (in recent history). Uh-oh there's the dreaded 'friend' word. Tomorrow I visit the abagado and pick up my official will and a signed interim escritura. I think I may stop at Carl Jr's for lunch  Interestingly - most of the employees there speak English...


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## JBean (10 mo ago)

If you turn 65 while residing outside of the US and its territories, you don't have to take Medicare right away to avoid the penalty. Instead, you have three months to enroll once you return to the US before the price starts to rise. On the other hand, basic Medicare is pretty cheap. The 2022 price is $170.10 per month for part B.


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

Hi - I'm not sure you worded that quite right (or I am very mistaken). For example - I don't think I have been in the US since 2015. I turned 65 in 2019. I'm pretty sure I entered the penalty box while I sat in Mexico. 

I did have the woman who I spoke with on the phone turning the pages of the rule book trying to find me a way around the penalty - but the best she came up with was that I entered the penalty box in September 2019. 

Is that wrong ?


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## Bobbyb (Mar 9, 2014)

I would pull a Johny Paycheck and tell those so called Christians to take their insurance and s____ it


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