Healthcare question

[Stokke]

We've been checking into getting different health insurance here because I'm retiring and we won't be covered under the group insurance I got through work. It's outrageously expensive--the lowest we could find has a monthly premium of nearly $600 a month with a $5K ea. deductible, with a copay of 30% for office visits and prescriptions. Now, I know that the $5,000 deductible doesn't amount to what an anesthetist charges, or the surgery, so if something calamitous were to happen, having insurance is worthwhile. It just galls me that health insurance should cost so much when odds are that I probably won't have anything horrible happen to me whereby I'll need insurance, and I'll have burnt all that money lining the pockets of the insurance company. A $5K deductible would take years to pay as often as I go to the doctor.

One reason amongst many that Living in Belize appeals to me is the low cost of health care. I understand that it isn't up to U.S. standards, but from what I've read unless it is something complicated or requiring newer equipment it sounds acceptable to me. I don't have any major medical problems other than a bad back and elevated blood pressure which is controllable, and doesn't cost me much. Lately I've been having dental work done here to take advantage of my Teamsters plan before I retire at the end of this month. It won't cost me anything.

I wonder what other people who have moved to Belize have done as far as insurance. Have you maintained US insurance? Or cross your fingers that nothing serious will happen and canceled it? Monthly insurance payments as I've described would pay for rent or any other living expenses there in Belize. I'd be interested to hear what others feel about this or the care they may have had there.

I was hoping that a single payer, public option would become available here, but it looks like now the government and congress is just too controlled by big drug companies and the medical lobbyists for that to happen anytime soon.

[catdance62]

i know some people just keep an insurance policy with a high deductible for emergency situations in case they have to be flown back to the States etc. Some people just say screw it and hope for the best, keeping a savings account for treatment in Mexico or Guatemala where medical costs are lower anyway. Here in the States we have an HSA. We pay 436.00/month, 236.00 goes towards the premium, 200.00 goes into a tax-deductible health savings account, that accrues interest like and IRA. We cannot take money from the HSA for expenses other than medical without a penalty, like an IRA. After age 65, we can use the money for whatever we like. Now, the draw-back is, that the deductible is 11,500 (yes, you read that right). The idea is to have enough money in the HSA to cover the deductible (which we currently do). Fortunately for us, we are both healthy (knock on wood). I am 47 and Phil is turinng 43 soon. When we move to Belize full time, I do not know what we will chose to do, but that will be several years down the road, so who knows what the future holds.

[Zelda]

I have kept my Medicare Part A (major medical) in place for emergencyback-up,

and for the first four years here, also kept Part B.

recently, I dumped part B (doctor visits and stuff), as it's useless here, and was costing $100 a month, deducted from my Social Security check each month, ouch.

Part D (prescriptions)... well, I left before that started up...

some company signed me up anyway (geeze Louise, and sent bills to my daughter!) and it took a whole bunch of long-distance jumping through hoops to get THAT cancelled.

the dental and medical care here is reasonable, or even free... I use that, and so does my husband.

we have a good dentist at La Loma Luz, there's a free clinic in Benque, and there's San Ignacio hospital for emergencies.

anything high-tech, fugeddaboudit... I don't want it, and I don't need it.

I have serious medical problems, I have Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, and spent a decade doing their $1,000 a month chemo crap (BetaSeron, Avonex, Copaxone, etc.) and it never made me any better, plus, the SIDE EFFECTS made me a lot worse.

so, I struggle along here, and whaddaya know, I feel a LOT better than I ever did back in the US.

could be the air, the water, the peace and serenity, the healthy food, I dunno, but raising our own food has helped our health enormously.

I say, whatever works...

[Miss Kenni]

Stokke: First off, don't feel so bad about your ins costs. I pay almost US$1100K/month for myself and my husband, no kids, on a group insurance "high-deductible" plan (the deductible is US$3K) and, like Cat, maintain an HSA. But once you move to Belize, your US insurance [including Medicare] isn't going to do you any good for routine stuff, and you'll have to go back to the US to get any covered treatment. I'm also doubtful that you can withdraw from the HSA to pay for medical services rendered outside the US, but I don't know that for sure.

There are "expat" policies out there -- RFG offers one called Sagicor (sp?), I've heard both good and bad about it. Another is called something like Amedex (again sp?), available only to those who live outside the US for 6+ months/year. That one says it will transport you where you need to go, to get a necessary treatment (although I'm sure it would more likely be Merida or Guat City than anywhere in the US, if at all possible). And I'm sure there are more. I took a look around at these a while back, then shelved that project since it will be a few more years till I can move. If you look into those, I'd love a report back on what you find. Kenni

[Miss Kenni]

Not helpful but very funny: from the Daily Show

Not funny but perhaps helpful: Global Insurance

[Stokke]

Thank you for the responses The link to the Daily show was very funny and oh so true
The Global Insurance link is very intriguing and I will definitely check that out further. I have it bookmarked.
I will be very happy to be retiring at the end of this month, yet like most unfamiliar territory it has provided me with some apprehension as well.
We would be fools not to consider or balance as many positive and negatives a move to Belize would entail, and we have been doing so now for many years. So far the positives have outweighed the negatives. Fantasizing is different than actual planning, though. There are risks involved, but I've thought that a life without them isn't much of a life, so we're pretty excited about all this.

EDIT: Effective February 1, 2008 Sagicor Allnation Insurance Company has cancelled all international health insurance policies. However, Sagicor Allnation has reached agreement with Gulf Insurance PCC Limited and Global Benefits Group to provide new policies to all former Sagicor Allnation policyholders who wish to obtain such coverage beginning February 1, 2008. Additional links supplied had to do with travel insurance health coverage, not a regular policy or coverage.

[Miss Kenni]

Yikes, time does get away -- it doesn't seem nearly that long since the RFG was pushing me on Sagicor. Or possibly it's a different entity, Sagicor Capital Life? I'm not at all sure.

On just a quick look around, prompted by Stokke's post, I was pleased to see that there are a LOT more options now than when I looked just 4-5 years ago. Enough so that when my time comes, I'll probably bite the bullet and talk to an ins. agent (after doing my own research).

Stokke, best of luck with your search, whatever you decide, and I'll look forward to hearing your results. Kenni