Medicare in Mexico

[Ajijic]

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1931559,00.html

[Guest RiberasMitch]

http://www.time.com/...ation/article/0,8599,1931559,00.html

Incomplete link:)

[Ajijic]

www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1931559,00.html

thanks... sorry had to do it this way so need to copy and paste url otherwise this website screws it up when it abbreviates the url. It is worth reading.

[Francisco Gonzalez]

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1931559,00.html

[LaChula]

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1931559,00.html

I do not think Mexican health care costs would remain the same reasonable rates if the docs can jump onto the edicare wagon. Do you think they would still charge 200 pesos or so for an office visit when they could get the USgov't to pay $60-80 for a basic office visit? My gyn in Guad charges 600 pesos now, what do they charge in the US?

In any case, their cost of doing business would become much higher-computers and workers to do the paperwork Medicare requires, etc.

[ajijiccharlie]

If the intention is to provide Medicare benefits to all eligible Americans, regardless of residency, then the goal should be to extend Medicare coverage to the 140 countries where American citizens live.

[LaChula]

If the intention is to provide Medicare benefits to all eligible Americans, regardless of residency, then the goal should be to extend Medicare coverage to the 140 countries where American citizens live.

And let's not forget the thousands of Mexicans who have SS due to having worked and contributed for many years in the US.

[lauren]

I do not think Mexican health care costs would remain the same reasonable rates if the docs can jump onto the edicare wagon. Do you think they would still charge 200 pesos or so for an office visit when they could get the USgov't to pay $60-80 for a basic office visit? My gyn in Guad charges 600 pesos now, what do they charge in the US?

In any case, their cost of doing business would become much higher-computers and workers to do the paperwork Medicare requires, etc.

There are ex pats here who have good American insurance coverage in Mexico. These are the folks who worked for the government or other large institutions or companies and thus, they have the good fortune of being eligible for affordable insurance coverage now. What about the those who owned or worked in small businesses who fell through the cracks in being eligible for such coverage? The commercial insurance I can get here starts out high and goes up more than 10% a year (while my pension practically remains the same) so I know at some point I would have to drop it because of the lack of affordability down the road when I'm most apt to need it, so why even start? I owned a small business before retiring to Mexico. When my healthcare premium shot up to more than $900 U.S. a month, I had to let it go. And that was the cheapest ins. available to me more than ten years ago. And now I'm faced with the same problem here.

Somehow, some way American insurance policies are paying for retirees to receive major medical care here. If American insurance companies can pay for ex pat care in Mexico, is it really too much to ask that Medicare do the same? I realize that this is a very difficult situation and I don't pretend to have the answer, but somehow the word "INEQUITY" fairly screams out at me regarding this matter.

[ajijiccharlie]

There are ex pats here who have good American insurance coverage in Mexico. These are the folks who worked for the government or other large institutions or companies and thus, they have the good fortune of being eligible for affordable insurance coverage now. What about the those who owned or worked in small businesses who fell through the cracks in being eligible for such coverage? The commercial insurance I can get here starts out high and goes up more than 10% a year (while my pension practically remains the same) so I know at some point I would have to drop it because of the lack of affordability down the road when I'm most apt to need it, so why even start? I owned a small business before retiring to Mexico. When my healthcare premium shot up to more than $900 U.S. a month, I had to let it go. And that was the cheapest ins. available to me more than ten years ago. And now I'm faced with the same problem here.

Somehow, some way American insurance policies are paying for retirees to receive major medical care here. If American insurance companies can pay for ex pat care in Mexico, is it really too much to ask that Medicare do the same? I realize that this is a very difficult situation and I don't pretend to have the answer, but somehow the word "INEQUITY" fairly screams out at me regarding this matter.

We both worked for and retired from a large, Texas-based corporation. Here is what we would pay if we participated in the health plan available to us as a retired couple:

$18,458 a year for $1,000 deductible

$15,000 a year for $1,500 deductible

$19,009 a year for a PPO with $500 deductible

The plans that pay well for expats (or anyone) tend to be government and/or union-based plans. The retired teachers I know have very, very good and affordable health plans.

I am very happy that I have the option to live here in Mexico and have affordable health care, including affordable health insurance. IMSS is a great deal if you can't/won't buy private coverage.

The US simply cannot afford to extend Medicare to expats in more than 100 countries. Also, I am patriotically opposed to off-shoring any more jobs, which is what would happen if US government dollars were sent to Mexico to pay for medical services here. The US needs more jobs, not fewer.

[tobyjug]

Did anyone go to the Med Air Vac seminar on Wednesday?..assuming that you have Medicare coverage,the alternative process for consideration for a heart attack/stroke is to be med air evacuated to the USA after being stabilized..I am "told" that the air vac premium is $800usd