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MEDICARE COVERAGE OUT OF COUNTRY AVAILABLE FOR EXPATS?


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Just this kind of fraud being used by LMG to bill for services illegally at a much higher rate than would be charged locally is one reason that Medicare and Part C will probably not ever be available outside the US.  Add in the AMA and Pharma lobbies and you can see why it will never be legally allowed.  Even if it was, it isn't cheap.  Part B is about 150.00/month per person and C could be 200.00/month per person.  For a couple that is 8,000 dollars a year plus any applicable deductibles.  And the the way it is now, the whole thing could unravel when the fraud is detected and payback is requested of those who have submitted claims (even unknowingly) and guess who has to pay it all back.  LMG will be gone.  Quacks like a duck...so beware.

Alan

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Or our situation My wife would refuse a public hospital mixed ward. She would refuse to sleep on a piece of corrugated cardboard on the floor as many Mexican families caring for their loved ones do. She has catastrophic insurance from Best Doctors, Boomers in Paradise group plan. I have INEGI which is at least one third of most private hospitals and private doctors/ specialists. For example a hip replacement, paying under $5,000 for the appliance, everything else free. Private would be roughly $14,000 all in.

Mexico is working very hard to improve its Universal Health care system with millions of members. AMLO, in a politically and economically clumsy move, knocked all the blocks down, but they are quickly rebuilding. Guadalajara and Tepic are the brightest stars in the Mexican Universal Health care world.

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We had Seguro Popular for many years until the fractured efforts by Amlo left us unsure what to do.  When it gets all worked out we'll sign up for the new program and use it only for things like Chillin describes.  I find paying "out of pocket" for things to be quite reasonable.  We even paid for an emergency heart stent because we didn't have time to deal with Seguro Popular and it was not expensive and was an amazingly good experience.  It cost less that what Parts B&C would cost yearly even if we could have returned to the states to get it done there.  We don't have B&C because they are useless here and we won't return to the US for care of any kind.  We are Mexican residents and decided from the start to work within those parameters.  

Alan

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44 minutes ago, barrbower said:

We are Mexican residents and decided from the start to work within those parameters.  

You got it Alan. We are all in the same leaky boat, working together to make things better. Especially for the young people just coming up. This population is booming. I try to help, but volunteering in Guadalajara is problematic. I am working on a few sculptures to put up for silent auction.

The system will come together in no time at all. At least to the level of Universal Health Care in Canada and the U.K, or Medicare in the U.S.A.

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Part C used to cost us about $ 170 each per month our new Advantage plan costs us nothing…in fact we both get a $50 rebate on our plan B .Even if we don’t use it in Mexico we are saving $5000 a year . The emergency coverage around the world was important for us as we travel often . This year we will have been back to the US four times so our residency is not an issue . I also called AARP / United Healthcare - my part C provider before changing policies they confirmed the Emergency coverage..any country …any time .

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8 hours ago, barrbower said:

Snip.....  Part B is about 150.00/month per person and C could be 200.00/month per person. 

Alan

Alan while you are surely correct on Part B... and it will continue to inch up unless the COLA keeps SS benefits from rising.... BUT;  One of the selling points to Part C (Medicare Advantage policies) is that monthly premiums are 'negligible'.... most often $0.  'Never" any higher than about $50. You may be thinking of a private Medigap Policy matched to a Original Medicare coverage which these days are easily $200 a month.

I've had  Medicare Advantage aka Part C policies for over 10 years and have never paid a monthly premium on any of them. Part B of course, but never a cent for the Advantage policy.

 

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5 hours ago, Ian Greenwood said:

Part C used to cost us about $ 170 each per month... our new Advantage plan costs us nothing…in fact we both get a $50 rebate on our Part B........... SNIP

Ian Greenwood I *think* that you had/used to have a MEDIGAP policy for Original Medicare. They certainly ran as much as $170/month.   

Part C is another name for a/your Advantage plan/policy.  And yes, some Advantage Policies not only cost $0 monthly but also rebate a portion of one's Medicare Part B payment.... it's called competition since ALL Advantage policies are written by private insurance corporations, not the government.

Other things that an Advantage policy often gives usually free that Original Medicare does not are gym memberships (keep you physically fit and maybe you won't get sick as often), limited dental and eye care care benefits, some amount of free OTC 'medical' products (aspirin/ibuprophen, eye drops, band aids, heat patches, Waterpik, etc)

But to be fair about the annual savings.... an Advantage policy has deductibles, office visit pays, co-pays, co-insurance etc etc whereas Original Medicare
WITH a Medigap policy generally has none of those since the Medigap policy is picking up all those costs (for a monthly premium). So if you never went to the doctor for the whole year you could save $5000 but most of us our age do make several trips a year for something! Hopefully not $5000 worth but maybe $1,000 (like me this year with a few doctor visits, 2 Lumbar nerve ablations, MRIs etc).

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21 minutes ago, RickS said:

Ian I *think* that you had/used to have a MEDIGAP policy for Original Medicare. They certainly ran as much as $170/month.   

Part C is another name for a/your Advantage plan/policy.  And yes, some Advantage Policies not only cost $0 monthly but also rebate a portion of one's Part B payment.... it's called competition since ALL Advantage policies are written by private insurance corporations, not the government.

This is all very confusing, but the main question still remains for most of us...does any of this pertain to us expats here being able to LEGALLY access Medicare...A, B or C???

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1 hour ago, gringohombre said:

This is all very confusing, but the main question still remains for most of us...does any of this pertain to us expats here being able to LEGALLY access Medicare...A, B or C???

It pertains because the answer is a resounding NO. 

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8 hours ago, gringohombre said:

This is all very confusing, but the main question still remains for most of us...does any of this pertain to us expats here being able to LEGALLY access Medicare...A, B or C???

You may return to US soil and legally access any of the benefits you are signed up and paying for. That's it, nada mas.

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Yes, I hope that someone can go and hear/understand just what is being pitched. And if it is Medicare Advantage make sure the "is it available to me IF I am a full-time Expat in Mexico" question gets asked...which it cannot be, and "if not fulltime, is it available for more than Emergency situations" followup question, which it also cannot be.

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35 minutes ago, RickS said:

Yes, I hope that someone can go and hear/understand just what is being pitched. And if it is Medicare Advantage make sure the "is it available to me IF I am a full-time Expat in Mexico" question gets asked...which it cannot be, and "if not fulltime, is it available for more than Emergency situations" followup question, which it also cannot be.

That is a very pointed, important and valid question about "reside dance" and will I think be a big question for Individuals to answer (true fully)..

But  for me I address these issues using Mexican logic and not "the American way" and to hell with the consequences. For me its pay back time. Big Time ..I have paid my dues and more and I deserve all I can claw back

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18 minutes ago, lakeside7 said:

snip...... For me its pay back time. Big Time ..I have paid my dues and more and I deserve all I can claw back

For those of us who have trouble reading between the lines, could you be more specific about what you are saying here?

 

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1 hour ago, Mostlylost said:

"But  for me I address these issues using Mexican logic"

So in your opinion .....Mexican logic is to lie and cheat? And to do criminal acts to receive benefits?

 Sorry but everyone in my Mexican family is 100% opposed to crimes to receive personal benefits. 

I respect you and your extended family options , which I may add are slightly different from ours. Mine having lived for the last 50/60 years under the Pan/PRI/PRD lying, cheating and stealing governments....

My Mexican family has learned if you can not beat them then join them. If you have not noticed there is a "distinct difference" between how the "peons" in the village live( and how most of the posters get their Mexican experience)  and think and how the "Middle class and upwards" think and operate.

You cannot and should not imply that all people or citizens of a country think, or behave the same. Perception also plays a big part in any situation. But it seems you and I have had different experiences of living in Mexico. I get the idea, my experience, for sure is that in Mexico there is "always" a faciliator to help through or round the maze, regardless for the directions or its legality.

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3 hours ago, RickS said:

For those of us who have trouble reading between the lines, could you be more specific about what you are saying here?

Translation is he feels the government agency running Medicare is playing favoritism and feeding the US medical industry with as far as Medicare is said to be a healthcare system it sure has a game of which side of the border you are on going on. So hee feels why not get the care however possible with Medicare still paying.

It would seem if a person has a verified preexisting condition using Medicare and while living in a foreign country the treatments or medications to mask the symptom is a less cost it would be appealing to allow Medicare use in a foreign land to save money. But, we are back to the favoritism feeding the US medical field. Kind of like lobbyist have something to do with it :)

Not that some government agencies are like coal stokers on the Titanic. Casey Jones might be more fitting. The coal stokers would be congress.

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In order to obtain part C coverage/ Advantage plan one has to have  Medicare part A and part b .As soon as you sign the contract for part C you are for all intents and purposes divorcing Medicare…Your new private insurance co. receives over $ 1000 a month from Medicare to help pay your bills and administer all coverage.Each plan has different copays , deductibles and contract rules not to mention costs .Medicare would rather not deal with all the ramifications of modern healthcare..so they basically sub contract the insurance companies ( who already have that system in place) to do the dirty work …the difference being of course that they are profit driven so it is buyer beware .

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  • 5 months later...

I have spoken with Jeff Goble a few times and met with his partner, Greg Hovey today (after listening to his presentation yesterday). I am not buying insurance thru he, or his partner. You can make your own decision.  We met at 12:05 pm at Black Coffee. At 12:14, he got up, said he needed to check out of his Air BnB. This was just after I told him I was not buying today as I was not a lawyer and wanted my attorney to review the policy. facing facts, I am in Mexico with little legal recourse of a business deal between Americans - Mexico doesn't care. And immediate departure is putting it mildly.  Here's what else I know:

1. He brought no presentation to the meeting at the American Legion, nor did he have business cards.

2. He claimed to be from Sonora, San Carlos - his agency is on LinkedIn - says Tuscon Az.

3. The website he touted "SafeTravelInmexico.org - well, I was on it last night - today, after the meeting, google did not recognize the website - I am very good at digital media, having been a global digital marketing consultant to Kellogg's for 5 years, amongst others for over 20 years. I know how to research via the web.

4. The policy he was trying to sell me today - I mean he started the meeting asking my birthdate and he was generating the policy on his phone without me even asking - well I was on his website yesterday - The policy on the site was from a company called "Worldwide" - I googled them today - no website appeared. (note: I use a US based VPN network - I can get anywhere on the web)

5. Yesterday, he mentioned to the crowd how you need to return to the US at least every six months for the coverage via Medicare Advantage to be valid here.  I was able to confirm there is such a medicare rule for Medicare Advantage providers, HOWEVER, that rule is for domestic travel in the US, not foreign travel.  The only information I have been able to gather says 60 days of emergency coverage, and this is travel from the US. 

6. Also, you MUST reside in the state the advantage plan is from.  Residing in Mexico, you run the risk of the company denying coverage.

7. I also wondered - how could Lakeside also have no deductable and no copay? Is it due to them charging US rates?  In Mexico, we have to pay the hospitals then turn in a claim - LMG pays for you then bills the insurance companies - Mmmmmmm - could they be paying Mexican medical rates and charging US rates?

8. I don't know, but for my money, I think all this is too good to be true, folks are hearing what they really hope to be true, and need to be true - but for me, it is buyer beware.

9. As others have mentioned - call your provider and seek the truth. I can afford getting health insurance, I can not afford having a major medical claim denied coverage.

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AjijicStoic -

you mentioned:The website he touted "SafeTravelInmexico.org - well, I was on it last night"

BUT that website  is not a registered/active domain - so maybe you spelled it differently last night?

If you are not familiar with whois , it is a data lookup tool gives you the ability to look up the current registration data for domain names - and in this case, the domain ""SafeTravelInmexico.org"  has not been registered - so there is nothing to access - ie This site can’t be reached safetravelinmexico.org’s server IP address could not be found.

 https://www.whois.com/whois/safetravelinmexico.org

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  • 7 months later...

Hello. Any new insight into this?

Both Mariana Lange from mexicorelocationguide.com and another lady Jackie Lange (strange - same last name as Mariana) from Panama relocation Tours (also similar business name) - had the Jeff Goble person on their youtube and he said the same things on both interviews. He said Medicare part c (Advantage) covers you for emergency/urgent care outside the US, but you have to pay first and get reimbursed months later.

Has anybody tested this theory?

I'm not yet on Medicare but went to several websites for Medicare Advantage plans, until I found one where I could put my zipcode and get an actual plan. I checked Humana plan, read the brochure, and nothing about travel outside US... I am not sure where to find this info in black and white.

Which is why I am asking if in your larger group of expats is there anyone who has used Medicare Advantage and it worked? Can you share details/insights?

Thank you! 

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