# Health insurance as a retiree expat



## Sojourner2 (8 mo ago)

Does anyone have experience using Tricare as your primary health insurance in Mexico? If you do, tell me how it's working for you. I'm thinking parts of Mexico might be a great place to be in my sunset years so long as I'm not in the midst of warring drug cartels. The Yucatan peninsula? Puerto Vallarta?


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## IHPMex (8 mo ago)

Sojourner2 said:


> Does anyone have experience using Tricare as your primary health insurance in Mexico? If you do, tell me how it's working for you. I'm thinking parts of Mexico might be a great place to be in my sunset years so long as I'm not in the midst of warring drug cartels. The Yucatan peninsula? Puerto Vallarta?


Tricare isn't Mexico insurance so you can't use it here. If you were to get ill and needed your insurance, I see on the Tristar website it says, you should get all medical care before you travel because your insurance won't be valid when you leave the country. Now if you have something special with them that isn't so obvious on their website, that's great. But still, let's say you have a heart attack and you need open-heart surgery. Hundreds of thousands of dollars! No hospital is going to take your insurance in Mexico. You will be required to pay your bill in full before they discharge you, then you will need to fight with the insurance company yourself for reimbursement. But just know, if you can't pay out of pocket for medical care, you will be refused in Mexico or you MIGHT get treated and they will hold you in the hospital until you can pay or call the police and have you arrested. Typically they want something upfront, in a serious medical emergency, they will want $10,000 DOLLARS secured on credit cards before treatment. The number of people who die in the hospital parking lots because they don't have money is endless in Mexico.

So, now that I have pooped all over your dream. Let me give you another option. The public healthcare system is available to foreigners who have a resident card in Mexico (not a tourist card). You can pay a very minimal amount every year to buy into the healthcare system. It's adequate in an emergency but you will get what you imagine from a social medicine structure. Not very clean, old equipment, long waits, sleeping in hallways because no rooms are available. You even need to take your own toilet paper, pillows, and sheets in many cases. Nurses are not checking in on you often, they recommend that you have family members at the hospital with you at all times to care for you, doing tasks that a nurse in the USA would manage. Your family members and friends will be your nurse.

The social system will require you take an extensive physical and if there is one little thing, or any preexisting condition of any kind, they won't accept you. So for most people ready to retire, that isn't really a good solution because few people are without preexisting conditions at the age of retirement.

I have lived in Mexico for about 15 years, I just turned 50. I am in good health, but just hitting the 50-year mark, I do think more about what will happen if I get a serious illness. There really aren't any great options in Mexico except to make sure you have a nice savings account to pay out of pocket. So far, I have always paid for my healthcare out of pocket, it's much cheaper than in the USA. But I am not wealthy, so the idea of something major happening to me is of concern, and even after 15 years of being here, I don't really have a good plan to ease my concern, because there aren't many options.

My mother moved to Mexico and lived here for three years. She was paying a ridiculous amount of money on medicare supplemental insurance, something like $400 a month. She is on a fixed income, so I told her to cancel her medicare because she can't use it in Mexico but not to look at that $400 a month as 'free money', she needed to save it every month for a medical emergency in Mexico. She didn't. After three years in Mexico she pissed away all her money each month, then she had an accident where she broke her arm. It was a cheap bill, like $50 USD for the x-ray and cast. But it was enough to make her remember she was living here, it wasn't a vacation, and what would she do if something worse happened. She ended up moving back to the USA so she could be protected by medicare because there wasn't another option for her in Mexico. Private insurance to quality care in Mexico for a person of retirement age is super expensive.

Hope that helps, although it's pretty depressing


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## IHPMex (8 mo ago)

Sojourner2 said:


> Does anyone have experience using Tricare as your primary health insurance in Mexico? If you do, tell me how it's working for you. I'm thinking parts of Mexico might be a great place to be in my sunset years so long as I'm not in the midst of warring drug cartels. The Yucatan peninsula? Puerto Vallarta?


Sorry, I didn't answer your location question hahaha

The Yucatan and Puerto Vallarta are actually both very similar. They are overrun by Americans, so no issues with language. The gentrification is obvious in both locations, very much designed for foreigners. Nothing wrong with that, if that's your thing. I have lived in Puerto Vallarta and Merida, so I know both locations well.

If you are asking about the Yucatan or Vallarta because you are a beach person and that is very important to you in your retirement years, then the beaches are the only thing that is different between those two locations.

Yucatan is superior when it comes to beaches. Clear blue water and white sands. Although the growing issue with seaweed in the summer months is a downer.

Puerto Vallarta is more of a small feel community, beaches are brown sand and the water isn't nearly as clear blue as you find along the Yucatan.

Both locations are ridiculously hot and humid in the summer.

If you are just naming Puerto Vallarta and the Yucatan because that's the 'go to' location for foreigners, and beaches aren't a huge part of your retirement plans, there are much nicer, non-beach, locations that are also cheaper (and not so hot). Vallarta and Yucatan are among the most expensive places to live, although still cheap compared to the USA.

Ask 100 people and you will get 100 different answers because it all depends on the person.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I know several people who self insurred and came down with very expensive chemo programs and they are broke now, Mexico being cheap or not. It is not the odd and end surgery you have to fear but the long expensive treatments... that will take car of anyone s savings. They have insurrance in the states but staying there is super expensive when you are living on retirement income and the back and forth add up as well.
I have private insurrance snce I retired . I was 53 when I retired so it was cheap enough .. now I am 76 and I pay 500 dollars a month with a 35 000 pesos deductible per illness. I wish I had signed up for IMSS but I did not so here I am.
The IMSS hospital are not all awful but you do have to wait for surgeries that are not emergencies and you do not always get great confort..It is in your interest to have someone who can stay with you at the hospital.. which means several people as there are 24h in a day.. Good luck on your choice. Everyone tink they are in great health intil they find out that with age you get nasty surprise, great health or not.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I am not a beach person so for me the wild Pacific with its rocky coast is way superior.. AT 76 I do not care to go in the water but I love watching a wild ocean in action, Everyone has different priorities.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

IHPMex said:


> There really aren't any great options in Mexico except to make sure you have a nice savings account to pay out of pocket.


What about the option of a Mexican private insurance plan? The kind any Mexican would get if they don’t depend on the social system and they can afford a private plan. There are plenty of companies offering those.


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## 255 (Sep 8, 2018)

@Sojourner2 -- I have not used Tricare (as my primary healthcare,) in Mexico, but I have used Tricare Overseas, both in South America and Europe, without issue (of course I was a bit younger, than I am now.) Tricare Overseas "reimburses" you for medical expenses -- I routinely submitted (actually my wife handles medical, in my family) billing receipts to Tricare and always got 100% reimbursed (probably due to reduced medical event costs to begin with.) we are now older and have Medicare and Tricare for Life (in the U.S.) My wife and I just secured Temporary Visas for Mexico and plan to use Tricare Overseas as our primary insurance and retain Medicare for more serious issues (of course necessitating a return to the U.S. for treatment.) https://www.tricare-overseas.com/ This is a common solution for military retirees overseas. Although, depending on your age, current health situation and wealth, it may be prudent for you to investigate Mexico health cover, either public or private and make Tricare your second payer (as it always is.)

Remember, as far as a "place to park" in Mexico. Mexico is the 13th largest country in the world with 6,000 miles of coastline and over 1,800 miles of beaches. We plan to explore over the next few years to determine a place to live. Cartels are not everywhere -- just like Malibu is not Detroit. My daughter spent her honeymoon in PV and thought the water and beaches were too polluted for her (although otherwise, she loved PV and had the hotel pool.) The Yucatan would probably a better choice for beaches. Cheers, 255


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## Takingiteasy (Aug 12, 2021)

There is also the option for those who maintain a usa address, could be po box or friends house, keep medicare in usa and save it for backup. Its much cheaper than private insurance, the drawback of course is that you have to go back to the states for treatment. Citali you said you are paying $500 usa per month, medicare is much less than that, around 170 I believe.

Medicare pays 80% you pay the rest, there are medicare advantage plans that will pay all of it or all but an even smaller portion of the bill. Advantage plans are either no added cost or a small monthly cost depending on benefits but the minimum plans will cover any major illness. So if you are paying a costly private insurance you might consider getting medicare as a backup keeping in mind the plane trip or drive over the border. Those near the border obviously could do it easier.

Maybe you can get tricare like you said 255, and it sound like you are doing what I just typed out, using medicare as a backup. If people can afford it, it eliminates the dying in the parking lot scenario we hear about. Pay cash for minor stuff, make border runs for anything major


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## AnneLM (Aug 16, 2016)

We didn't have Tricare when we lived in Mexico, but knew several people who did. Check with Tricare, and be sure to ask each question several different ways to make sure you are getting information specific to your needs. (Are you limited to specific providers, does it carry into retirement, do they require you to use Medicare as your primary insurer even outside the US, etc) Although it is a US based company, it does offer some international options. As others have noted, in almost all cases you need to pay up front and submit everything to the insurance company for reimbursement. We had to call our credit card companies to have our limits raised in order to cover unexpected surgeries. (Some providers will only take cash.) Be sure to check all facturas (invoices) carefully to be sure they include all the information required by your insurance company. We received excellent medical care in private hospitals in Mexico City and Guadalajara. But it varies considerably.
As for beaches, I'm with Citlali. The Pacific coast is more scenic, imo.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Takingiteasy said:


> There is also the option for those who maintain a usa address, could be po box or friends house, keep medicare in usa and save it for backup. Its much cheaper than private insurance, the drawback of course is that you have to go back to the states for treatment. Citali you said you are paying $500 usa per month, medicare is much less than that, around 170 I believe.
> 
> Medicare pays 80% you pay the rest, there are medicare advantage plans that will pay all of it or all but an even smaller portion of the bill. Advantage plans are either no added cost or a small monthly cost depending on benefits but the minimum plans will cover any major illness. So if you are paying a costly private insurance you might consider getting medicare as a backup keeping in mind the plane trip or drive over the border. Those near the border obviously could do it easier.
> 
> Maybe you can get tricare like you said 255, and it sound like you are doing what I just typed out, using medicare as a backup. If people can afford it, it eliminates the dying in the parking lot scenario we hear about. Pay cash for minor stuff, make border runs for anything major


I have opted out of medicare 222 years ago, I am not a USa citizen and have no address there so the USA are not an option.. What people forget about going back to the states fro free or almost free medicals is the cost of staying there if you have chemo for exemple.. You have the trip and the living expenses unless you are lucky enough to have family.. Also the flying back for emergency many times do not work. My husband had 3 very nasty falls and he was in no cshape to fly back and then where do you go.. and then you have to stay for appointment for follow up etc.. It cost you more than being treated in Mexico..

The private plans start out resonnable if you are in your 50 ´s but they go up and up..as you age.


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## Takingiteasy (Aug 12, 2021)

Citali, there is no plan that will suit everyone. You can't get medicare but most have their usa citizenship so that would be an option. I've had chemo, you go in, it takes a couple or three hours and you leave. I should think something like chemo or routine office visits could be done in mexico. For major surgery or major diseases, the best way probably would be treatment in the states. 

We have more advanced treatments, more cat scan machines, mri's, genetic testing and many other things. Some or most of that can be gotten in mx but will it be available and will the money be there for it? For things like major surgery you get your choice of hospitals, choice of doctors and specialists. My treatment a few years ago was somewhere around $350,000. My out of pocket was a few thousand. I paid $325 when I went in, got a bill for some more, then other costs so I might have spent $5k in co payments and I didn't even have the super delux plan that pays it all, just a good basic medicare supplement with blue cross.

I have no idea how good tricare is or if expats can get it. I would examine the policy very carefully. What you want to look for is of course will it cover everything and will the doctors and hospitals take it? It may have exclusions for pre-existing conditions, virtually all insurance does that. Medicare is the big exception. So if you have pre-existing, you will be paying a bundle or no insurance. In that case medicare looks even better. Maybe live near the border?

So is it worth it to those who can get medicare to pay around $2k a year in permiums for something you may not need but if you do it could mean the difference between life and death? Excellent treatment first quality costs a lot but it can make a difference in being able to walk afterward or needing a wheelchair or walker, medical errors kill a lot of people every year so you want the best.


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## 255 (Sep 8, 2018)

All -- Just to clarify a few points, reference Tricare. First Tricare is always the "last" payer. So if you have any other coverage, Tricare will act as a supplemental plan. Secondly, Tricare is the routine policy for military dependents, if no military medical facilities are available (there are also a couple of different "flavors" of Tricare.) Active duty military are not eligible for Tricare, until they retire, then Tricare becomes their primary coverage (unless they have a normal civilian policy, maybe from post-retirement employment, then it becomes a "supplemental" plan.) Thirdly, Tricare covers members world-wide (unlike Medicare that only covers members in the U.S.) Fourthly, once a retiree (or their depends) reach 65, regular Tricare goes away and they become eligible for Medicare. At this point, if a Medicare eligible member elects Medicare (currently $170.10 a month for the lowest income tranche,) then they become eligible for "Tricare for Life," which serves as a Medicare supplement, while living in the U.S. (again 2d payer.) Enrollment in Medicare is a condition for Tricare for Life eligibility -- so opting out of Medicare is not an option if moving overseas and wanting to retain Tricare (even though Medicare is worthless, overseas.)

I second @citlali's concern reference a bonified emergency (where medical evacuation to the States might not be possible or the cost of living costs if going to the U.S. I experienced this situation first-hand when I went to CA for radiation treatment for cancer --Tricare covered everything, but our meals/lodging expense totaled $30K that was not covered (maintaining two households can be expensive.) Fortunately I could borrow the money from our daughter and paid her back, once we got reimbursed from my private cancer policy. In the future, I'd plan to save a chunk of change for such emergencies! Cheers, 255


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## 255 (Sep 8, 2018)

@Takingiteasy -- Just a couple of additional Tricare points (your post posted while I was drafting mine.) First Tricare is available to eligible servicemen (retired) overseas (expats) through Tricare Overseas (the U.S. is divided up among a couple of different regions, so depending where you live determines which "contractor" you'll deal with.) Tricare Overseas is a totally separate region. The main difference between Tricare Overseas and the other Tricare regions is that Tricare Overseas only works on a reimbursement basis, whereas the U.S. Tricare regions can pay your medical providers directly. These contracts are rebid every few years, so there can be some "growing pains" once a new contractor takes over. Secondly, like Medicare, there are zero exemptions for "pre-existing" conditions, which most private medical insurance companies enforce. Both Medicare and Tricare are considered "entitlements" -- so they aren't insurance in the traditional sense (although everybody calls them insurance) and Tricare contractors are traditionally regular U.S. insurance companies that you'd recognize. Cheers, 255


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

citlali said:


> I am not a beach person so for me the wild Pacific with its rocky coast is way superior.. AT 76 I do not care to go in the water but I love watching a wild ocean in action, Everyone has different priorities.


Me too, Citlali. I love the ocean but not the beach.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

maesonna said:


> What about the option of a Mexican private insurance plan? The kind any Mexican would get if they don’t depend on the social system and they can afford a private plan. There are plenty of companies offering those.


I had one of those for a few years. Then when I hit my late 60s, they called me in for a check-up with one of their doctors. For some reason, I didn't "pass", and my policy was cancelled. In any event, as the years went by, the fee I had to pay them kept going up and up, so I would have cancelled the policy on my own in a couple more years anyway. I looked into other companies, but they were all too expensive for me.


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## Takingiteasy (Aug 12, 2021)

Ok I used to sell health insurance in the us, which does not make me an expert but I am familiar with the game and how insurance companies, hospitals, and doctors play it. If you do not have insurance you basically do not get treated or very substandard treatment. There are exceptions to the rule, if you come to an emergency room in usa they have to try to save your life. Treating a disease or condition does not fall under that exception. Yes, you may die if the condition isn't treated or have a very bad quality of life but since its not an emergency, they do not have to take you, in most cases. There are charities you can try. 

I agree there could be situations in which there is no time to make a border run and immediate treatment is needed. For that you need insurance or money. If you have $50k dollars set aside, or more, that should cover anything that happens in mx. An insurance policy that covers emergencies can take the place of that $50 to $100k you may need.

From what I learned in this thread, tricare is possibly too hard to get but there are other companies. People gamble all the time going bare, they often end up losing life savings or having to live with lack of proper treatment. For example, will your insurance cover prosthetics if you lose a limb? Will it cover out of plan doctors and hospitals or only certain ones? Ambulance, blood, airlift, these can cost thousands. Check to make sure your policy covers it all and not something like up to $100 for this, up to $500 for that which means you get stuck for a big bill

Will it cover physical therapy? Regaining the use of limbs or use of voice, and other functions usually requires expensive therapy. Can you pick and choose the highest rated doctor, or must you go with the one they pick or from a limited selection? 

As I've said before, do not worry about the small bills, the copay, the first however many dollars you wrack up. A $5000 deductible means first of all they take you, might want the 5k in advance but normally they know they will be getting huge bucks so they take you even if you don't have the deductible. It means you get full treatment, and that enormous bill is taken care of

By taking a big deductible, one that you can pay but is fairly large, you get a big discount on premiums. It could be 1/2 or even 1/4 the cost of a policy with no deductibles or copay or very tiny co pays.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

I had private insurance here for about 5 years, but after I hit 70 and the premiums went way up, I could no longer afford it. And I never used it- I am thankfully, despite my age, healthy with no medical conditions.

Now I try to sock away as close to what I would have had to pay for the insurance as I can afford, which at this point has added up to about $10,000. So I could pay for a lot of things that might happen to me, and the money is accruing interest in my bank account, not disappeared into the insurance company's coffers.

But if I did have a major medical issue, I'm resigned to the possibility that I might have to move back to Canada, where I would be covered for treatment.

I probably wouldn't pass the IMSS physical anyway, as although I am totally healthy, they require a lung x-ray, and I'm a smoker. 
( Although a friend of mine who is also a smoker and has survived breast and colon cancer, and whose oncologist was constantly on her case about smoking finally ordered a lung x-ray, and then had to admit to my friend that in fact, her lungs looked just fine, like those of a non-smoker)


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

I got a policy from Cigna when I moved here 5+ years ago, I'm now 61. It was a little over $4000 a year to start, now it's over $6000. It has a $5000 deductable, has never had any claims, includes 'medical evacuation insurance' and includes a rider that covers me when traveling in the US. (by default it covers traveling everywhere else, the rider only adds the US). 

I keep thinking I should change it, but every year I feel too exhausted to deal with it and they grab the money from my account for another year while I'm still "getting around" to dealing with it. 

When medicare kicks in I'll probably drop it and start paying medicare and maybe look for something that covers evacuation on top, I dunno. Cigna wasn't a cheap plan from the start, but I had worries about lesser-known companies refusing to pay when the time came. 

At first I was spending 4-8 weeks a year back in the US visiting, now that's almost zero, so that changes the calculus a little. I definitely want to opt-in to medicare because if I get in bad shape I want the option of moving back.


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## 255 (Sep 8, 2018)

@eastwind -- Your statement: "I definitely want to opt-in to Medicare because if I get in bad shape I want the option of moving back." If you're eligible, FYI, you can always sign up for Medicare late. There is a penalty for filing late (currently a 10% part B premium increase for every 12 months you're late.) It may make sense to enroll immediately, when you're eligible (you should at least sign-up for part A, since there is no payment.) If you do the numbers and do decide to sign-up for part B late, you'll pay the extra premiums for life. Cheers, 255


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## Sojourner2 (8 mo ago)

IHPMex said:


> Tricare isn't Mexico insurance so you can't use it here. . . .


Sort of surprised to hear all that. I thought I read a couple of years ago that Tricare would cover healthcare overseas, but maybe I need to try to find that again.

As far as the cost of buying good quality insurance for coverage in Mexico at my age (I'm 70 years old), I got quotes for monthly premiums ranging from $1436 to $1736. A little rich for my blood, and to me surprising considering the cost of healthcare in Mexico otherwise. In Spain, for example, you can get topnotch quality coverage for less than $200 a month. Not sure i really want to move to Spain, though I understand Americans can live there quite nicely as well.

The other reason those quotes surprise me is because of the affordability in Mexico in every other way. I base that on readings I've done on the Internet, of course. So why, if everything else there is more affordable (because, I suppose, of the exchange rate) is premium health insurance for Mexico priced like it would be if you bought it on the open market in and for the United States? Maybe they don't really want a bunch of us old folks hanging out there putting pressure on their system. I'm in good health and don't anticipate a major medical event anytime soon, but then I ain't Nostraddamus. So who know.


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## 255 (Sep 8, 2018)

@Sojourner2 -- As I stated before, Tricare is good worldwide -- including Mexico. The only real glitch is that overseas, it's a reimbursement system. In your case, you'll need to continue to pay Medicare premiums (a condition of Tricare for Life.) Cheers, 255


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## Sojourner2 (8 mo ago)

IHPMex said:


> Sorry, I didn't answer your location question hahaha
> 
> The Yucatan and Puerto Vallarta are actually both very similar. . . .


Actually, I mentioned both of those places because I'm in love with clear, blue water. My imagination is captivated by it. I live on the coast of NC and the water here ain't so clear. In my younger years I traveled to Cancun, Tulum, and Play del Carmen to dive and snorkel. I still would love to snorkel but maybe diving isn't so smart at my age. I have never been to the Pacific coast of Mexico. Because both Perto Vallarta and Cancun are so popular, I just assumed that the sandy beaches and clear blue waters were pretty much the same. Guess I was wrong. I've read Merida is a fine destination for the retired expat, but after learning what I just learned about insurance and healthcare in Mexico, maybe I need to step back and reconsider.


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## Sojourner2 (8 mo ago)

citlali said:


> I am not a beach person so for me the wild Pacific with its rocky coast is way superior.. AT 76 I do not care to go in the water but I love watching a wild ocean in action, Everyone has different priorities.


Truthfully, even at 70 I have not quite adjusted mentally to my chronological age. I continue to think I can do now what I once did effortlessly, only to confront the reality at the moment when there is no avoiding it. My only issue that meds don't keep under control is foot issue that can make it quite painful for me to walk. I usually just try to ignore the pain and keep on trucking. When it reaches a point that I can't ignore it, I sit down for a while.


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## Sojourner2 (8 mo ago)

255 said:


> @Takingiteasy -- Just a couple of additional Tricare points (your post posted while I was drafting mine.) . . .


Thank you for that clarification! I strongly suspect I can handle the pay-and-then-get-reimbursed scheme of things so long a the medical providers will charge me what they would charge a citizen. Maybe Mexico might still be a go.


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## Jreboll (Nov 23, 2013)

There’s a similar thread in another website in case you’re interested.





lakeside medical insurance


I just arrived from portland where I had United health as a medicare advantage provider which I dropped when I moved here since I thought I read on this chat that most medical providers would not accpect any uSA insurance except perhaps for an ER visit. I continue to have plain old medicare and a...



www.chapala.com


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

*Tricare For Life*
Tricare For Life is Medicare wraparound coverage for Tricare beneficiaries who have Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B, regardless of age or place of residence. Medicare does not provide coverage outside the United States or U.S. territories. Therefore, Tricare For Life is your primary payer for health care received in all other overseas locations. Tricare For Life generally provides the same coverage as Tricare Overseas Select and has the same deductible and cost-shares for beneficiaries who live or travel overseas.

For more information see our Tricare For Life page.

Sounds like it depends on what Tricare plan you have and even though Medicare does not cover overseas treatment, you need to have both Part A and B


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

I'm sure someone will have a problem with something I'm about to write - but here you go anyway.

Whoever it was on this thread that described life as an patient in an IMSS hospital (in my experiene) only scratched the surface. Yes you need to have a family member (or perhaps hire someone) to attend to you. In my case my wife slept on the floor by my bedside using a rolled up jacket as a pillow. If you have surgery - you need to have someone donate blood (of your type). I got lucky and they allowed me to self-donate. But that was a whole day affair which included a class covering the benefits of donating blood. There are no private rooms in an IMSS hospital. I think I had 3 others in mine - one of whom was delerious and pretty much screamed most of the time.

I (and my wife) never had to take a qualifying physical (that I recall). I've had high blood pressure for years and my wife was just getting over chemo/radiation treatment for breast cancer in the US when we moved to Mexico and signed up for IMSS. We were just honest. No problem getting IMSS coverage. Maybe they were being nice.

Perhaps coming from South Florida I am spoiled, but I can't remember a beach on the Pacific side that was nice to swim. You have to worry about the water quality and the water just isn't blue like the caribbean side - but to be honest I've never been north of PV - but I have gone all the way down (and through) Guatemala. I saw some really nasty videos this week on the news regarding the sargasso weeds on the other coast. 

We (now I) have had IMSS coverage our entire stay - but it is pretty much so I can throw my little book in the glove compartment in the case I get in an accident away from home. And IMSS in my age band (60-70) is getting a little pricey.

Someone mentioned a 50K reserve for medical emergencies if you self insure. Personal experience - better double that. Now where you are living might play into that. And of course - maybe people make personal decisions on some sort of limit they are willing to pay for a loved one's care (that would be a tough decision). For me - negotiating helped a lot. You CAN strike some reasonable 'deals' - including package deals where - the doctor/surgeon (of good standing in the hospital, say) can basically dictate what everyone else is going to charge you. In a sense you pay him/her and they pay the others. You can do that upfront if you are lucky.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

MangoTango said:


> I can't remember a beach on the Pacific side that was nice to swim.


There definitely are some, probably lots, but they might be in little bays where one wouldn't normally go or know about if someone just came on vacation. For instance, I live in Sayulita but never go in the water here on the main beach- there's a little town about a 20 minute drive north of here called Lo de Marcos where I like to go if I want to spend a day at the beach. The water isn't crystal clear like the Carribean, but it's usually calm enough to swim and hang out leisurely in the water. 


Not being a surfer myself, nor having much affinity for the ocean (I'm the opposite of Isla and Citlali- I like the beach, but not the ocean) I know next to nothing about that stuff, but I was talking to my recent Airbnb guest, a marine biologist and a surfer, and apparently, because of the difference in ocean currents and shorelines in the Pacific and Atlantic, almost all the best surf breaks worldwide are on the Pacific. The water is churnier and less clear on the Pacific, in general.


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## Sojourner2 (8 mo ago)

Jreboll said:


> There’s a similar thread in another website in case you’re interested.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks. Just checked it out.


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## Sojourner2 (8 mo ago)

MangoTango said:


> . . . We (now I) have had IMSS coverage our entire stay - but it is pretty much so I can throw my little book in the glove compartment in the case I get in an accident away from home. And IMSS in my age band (60-70) is getting a little pricey.
> 
> Someone mentioned a 50K reserve for medical emergencies if you self insure. Personal experience - better double that.


So this IMSS insurance you have. Does that give you the same level of coverage as a Mexican citizen who doesn't pay for insurance gets? The basic kind where you have to wait in long lines and, if hospitalized, be attended to by a family member? Because for someone who might move there without accompanying family members, that doesn't sound like such a good idea. Or is the IMSS the next tier above that? 

The thought that you might need to hold back $50k to $100k in anticipation of a major medical event is rather than a little distressing.


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## Sojourner2 (8 mo ago)

255, just as an aside and for your amusement, when you replied, I received an email saying "255 replied to a discussion you are following at  Health insurnace as a retiree expat." I panicked. I am completely new to this forum and thought I had received 255 responses to my original question. Then I started trying to mentally assess how long it would take to read all those responses and how many of them I would need to respond to. Then I signed back into the forum and was confused because I didn't see all those responses. I looked for them but just didn't see where they were. Took me awhile to figure out that 255 was your forum name. Yeah, I know. It was a newbie problem. But thanks for your responses by whatever name.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Sojourner2 said:


> So this IMSS insurance you have. Does that give you the same level of coverage as a Mexican citizen who doesn't pay for insurance gets? The basic kind where you have to wait in long lines and, if hospitalized, be attended to by a family member? Because for someone who might move there without accompanying family members, that doesn't sound like such a good idea. Or is the IMSS the next tier above that?
> 
> The thought that you might need to hold back $50k to $100k in anticipation of a major medical event is rather than a little distressing.


As far as I know, IMSS coverage is the same for all members, Mexican citizens or permanent residents.


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## AnneLM (Aug 16, 2016)

Many IMSS doctors are quite good, but the facilities are not. An anecdote: our maid went to the emergency room with acute pancreatitis. She was told she needed her gall bladder removed. She lay on a gurney in the hall, in pain, for TWO WEEKS. At one point she was transferred to a different hospital due to overcrowding from COVID. Finally she had her surgery and was told she could go back to work in a week. (Surgery was laparoscopic and she recovered quickly but still, one week to return to physical work?)


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

It is comon for the public hospitals extremely quickly. I picked up friends several times, the day after gallblader surgeries and other surgeries.
.. Insane in my opinion..


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Mexican citizen , the ones that did not pay went to Seguro Popular hospitals..Not sure what is going now that they supposedly merge but there was a differnce between IMSS and Seguro Popular.


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