# Medicare-Retirement Acct



## chulor (Aug 19, 2013)

I have some questions for experienced US Expats:

If you live fulltime in Mexico and have no US residence/domicile, do you keep Medicare B, and if you do and need to come to the states to use it, what state do you go to?

What address do you give Social Security?

What state do you file US taxes in?

Retirement accts require a US address. What do you use?

What state do you vote in?

Do you give your MX address to your US bank?

Thank you


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

It is a good idea to keep Part B. We did, and we did have to move back to the USA. If you don't keep it, the penalty can get really expensive after just a few years.
We used a mail-drop in Laredo, TX, which has no state income tax.
Previously, we had used a mail-drop in FL and were registered to vote there. We continued to vote absentee, by mail, even though we were in Mexico with a TX mailing address. Perfectly normal & legal.
US bank had our Mexican address, but used our US mail-drop, as it serves many expats & military folks.
That said, we handled SS through the US consulate in Guadalajara, by phone, when we applied.
Our banking was all handled online, with only replacement credit cards to our mail-drop address, which had a local office in our town in Mexico for pick-up. Otherwise, we would have had to use UPS or FedEX, or DHL, etc.


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## chulor (Aug 19, 2013)

Is your Medicare a Supplement or Advantage? And what state do you pick Dr's from?


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## Stevenjb (Dec 10, 2017)

chulor said:


> Is your Medicare a Supplement or Advantage? And what state do you pick Dr's from?


Once you start traveling for an extended period of time, it is against the Advantage (Medicare Part C) or Supplement policy to retain that coverage. So you would revert to Original Medicare (Parts A, B and D). You would now continue paying the Part B premium and have to subscribe to a Part D (drug) plan (if your Advantage of Supplement plan had it)

If you drop Parts B and D, and you reinstate later there will be penalties per year, 10% for Part B and I am not sure the penalty for Part D.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

As explained above, we had plain old Medicare and my retirement plan with BCBS also required that I keep Part B. My wife had no such requirement, and did not buy Part B, so she now pays a penalty every month, as we are now back in the USA, and can now use Medicare Advantage. I also have VA covderage in the USA. 
Why did we move? My COPD required a lower elevation, and frequent hospitalizations were breaking our bank, as were the need to purchase some very expensive medications. We still prefer the Mexican private health care, but staying was not an option. In the USA, our co-pays are small and VA care is basically free, while my wife's Medicare Advantage keeps her expenses tolerable.....almost.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

chulor said:


> I have some questions for experienced US Expats:
> 
> If you live fulltime in Mexico and have no US residence/domicile, do you keep Medicare B, and if you do and need to come to the states to use it, what state do you go to?
> 
> ...


1. Dropped Part B over 14 years ago. Saved nearly $40,000 U.S. for two people. We pay out of pocket and carry Seguro Popular "just in case". The medical care has been excellent. I've had three procedures done at private hospitals over the years. I wouldn't even consider going back to the states for medical care. For one thing, finding a doctor for the occasion would be far too challenging while ill.

2. SS has our Mexican home address and sends its "are you alive" letter there once a year.

4. We have a U.S. bank that accepts foreign domiciled customers for checking and savings. Have another very old investment account that doesn't care. Both have our Mexican address. Our SS checks are deposited in a local Mexican bank.

5. We vote from California. They use our old address for the record but send our ballots to MX.

All this took some working out, but we were the ones who made the decision to move to MX and do not want to burden a relative or friend with dealing with our mail nor do we feel like extensive lying. For further information: check the website for U.S. Citizens abroad.


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## Stevenjb (Dec 10, 2017)

lagoloo said:


> Dropped Part B over 14 years ago. Saved nearly $40,000 U.S. for two people. We pay out of pocket and carry Seguro Popular "just in case". The medical care has been excellent. I've had three procedures done at private hospitals over the years. I wouldn't even consider going back to the states for medical care. For one thing, finding a doctor for the occasion would be far too challenging while ill.


Finding medical services using Original Medicare upon return to the States could be a challenge, unless one has a relationship with a doctor willing to take Original Medicare.


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## [email protected] (Nov 12, 2017)

. . . my understanding when I looked at all Medicare parts & options ( considering living part to full time in Mexico ) and bouncing off ideas with insurance broker, if you sign up, do not cancel thinking you will easily reinstate yourself later . . . the penalties "will harm you financially . . . " ( trying to lighten the mood here ) . . . 



Stevenjb said:


> Once you start traveling for an extended period of time, it is against the Advantage (Medicare Part C) or Supplement policy to retain that coverage. So you would revert to Original Medicare (Parts A, B and D). You would now continue paying the Part B premium and have to subscribe to a Part D (drug) plan (if your Advantage of Supplement plan had it)
> 
> If you drop Parts B and D, and you reinstate later there will be penalties per year, 10% for Part B and I am not sure the penalty for Part D.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Bear in mind that if you become a resident of Mexico, your Medicare will not cover any medical costs incurred there. If you plan to buy one of the policies that will fly you back to the states for treatment, they will not take you until you have been "stabilized" first...in Mexico. With some serious events such as a heart attack, your chances of survival are probably better if you stay put...in Mexico.

In my opinion, your best option if you are healthy is to buy a good private health insurance policy that will not cancel you at a certain age. For those who have serious pre-existing conditions and can't get private insurance, there is a government sponsored insurance available which has been expanding rapidly in the last years. No frills at all, but affordable and much better than nada. It's also good that paying out of pocket for most medical care is inexpensive enough that you can take care of most problems with the doctors of your choice. A general practitioner usually charges around 300 pesos for an office visit; a specialist around 600 to 800 pesos.


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## Stevenjb (Dec 10, 2017)

My understanding is that one is able to get the government health care options only if they have a Resident Visa. On the 180-day tourist visa, a private plan is the only option.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Stevenjb said:


> My understanding is that one is able to get the government health care options only if they have a Resident Visa. On the 180-day tourist visa, a private plan is the only option.


That's true, but the OP is planning to live in Mexico full-time, with the proper visa, I assume.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

The OP's post started with
"If you live fulltime in Mexico and have no US residence/domicile"

And yes, you must be either a residente temporal or permanente.


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