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geoffbob

Oct 2, 2013, 8:48 AM

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Cancel my Part B then what?

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I saw an archived post on the expat boards by one of the pros who says that Medicare Part B can be cancelled and replaced with a local Mexican medical plan of high quality. I have the Medicare B cancellation form all filled out but not signed. I am going to live in Mejico full time and cancelling Part B will give me more than MXN 16,000 per year to apply to a good plan locally in D.F. I want to make up my mind whether to keep B or mail off the cancellation notice and make it effective any day I'll stipulate before I leave Gringolandia. I know that this has been asked and addressed previously but am aware that things are nearly always in a dynamic state of change. Can anybody refer me to a good health insurance plan or current 411?

stevebrtx

Oct 2, 2013, 8:54 AM

Post #2 of 11 (389 views)

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Re: [geoffbob] Cancel my Part B then what?

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I tried several times to cancel mine about 5 years ago, never managed to get it done, forms, calls etc. and I finally gave up. The down side is that if you ever want to reapply there is a narrow window each year to rejoin and seems I remember being threatened with a 10% per year penalty (of course they didn't call it that) for each year I was out of the system.
http://www.chapalaweather.net

joaquinx

Oct 2, 2013, 9:41 AM

Post #3 of 11 (363 views)

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Re: [stevebrtx] Cancel my Part B then what?

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A part B calculator for those who sign up late. http://tinyurl.com/o36p5fa
_______
My desire to be well-informed is currently at odds with my desire to remain sane.

twelveoaks

Oct 3, 2013, 5:25 AM

Post #4 of 11 (283 views)

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Re: [geoffbob] Cancel my Part B then what?

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I just sent you a PM

Gringal

Oct 3, 2013, 8:48 AM

Post #5 of 11 (217 views)

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Re: [joaquinx] Cancel my Part B then what?

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Moved to Mexico over ten years ago and had no intention of returning to the U.S., so we saw no point in paying for health insurance we couldn't use. Called the SS number, filled out the form and sent a letter. It took three months to go into effect, which they advised that it would.
Since the average payment for Part B is over $200 for two, multiplying that by ten years results in an amount that pays for a lot of out of pocket medical expense. In addition, we signed up for IMSS for "just in case" disasters. Haven't used it so far.

There is a stiff penalty for those who return to the motherland and want Part B back. The puzzlement here is that the U.S. govt. has saved a bundle on seniors who haven't been there to actually use the system and must be way ahead in cost; yet they penalize them if they want to re-up after their absence. However, the government may not always be right, but they are always the government. lol.

stevebrtx

Oct 3, 2013, 9:43 AM

Post #6 of 11 (192 views)

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Re: [Gringal] Cancel my Part B then what?

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It's primarily "CONTROL". But then for those of us living out of country, we're a nice cash cow, we never use it - - -
http://www.chapalaweather.net

Gringal

Oct 3, 2013, 9:55 AM

Post #7 of 11 (189 views)

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Re: [stevebrtx] Cancel my Part B then what?

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I completely agree, but we do what we can to circumvent the various "control" issues. Danged if I'll pay for something I can't use, based on the fear of "just in case". Then there's the fiction being promulgated that medical care in the U.S. is somehow "better", which can quickly be checked out by looking on the net and seeing where it actually stands in comparison to other countries. Most costly, but definitely not Number One.
For people who don't have remaining "roots" in the U.S.: i.e. relatives whose addresses they can use in the U.S. and who would put them up in case of illness, the thought of going back there while suffering from a serious condition, finding a doc with a good hospital connection who also accepts new Medicare patients, and establishing oneself for the duration sounds like a nightmare........so Viva Mexico.

addtocart

Oct 3, 2013, 10:11 AM

Post #8 of 11 (182 views)

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Re: [Gringal] Cancel my Part B then what?

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Then there's the fiction being promulgated that medical care in the U.S. is somehow "better", which can quickly be checked out by looking on the net and seeing where it actually stands in comparison to other countries. Most costly, but definitely not Number One.

Made me think. Since you have looked it up and surely have a link to the list of medical care by country, just where is Mexico on that list? Just wondering.

Gringal

Oct 3, 2013, 11:49 AM

Post #9 of 11 (159 views)

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Re: [addtocart] Cancel my Part B then what?

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Feeling a little lazy today? Can't make your fingers do the walking?
There are many references if you do a search, but here is one which has particular reference to U.S. health care and its ratings:

www.urban.org/uploadedpdf/411947_ushealthcare_quality.pdf

Have at it!!

addtocart

Oct 3, 2013, 11:52 AM

Post #10 of 11 (156 views)

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Re: [Gringal] Cancel my Part B then what?

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Pretty much what I expected.

Gringal

Oct 3, 2013, 11:59 AM

Post #11 of 11 (149 views)

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Re: [addtocart] Cancel my Part B then what?

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Yes, and isn't that sad for a first world country to have the highest costs and not the best of the best care?

I'm sorry to have to say so, but my own and my husband's personal experiences with U.S. health care were, to say the very least, very disappointing. Unnecessary surgeries and more recommended, drugs of unproven value (later proven contra productive) and doctor visits where you sit in a cold room wearing a piece of paper and waiting half and hour after your appointment to be seen for five minutes by a doc looking at his watch and not really listening. This, as opposed to doctors who remember your name and treat you like a person instead of an organ. Viva Mexico again.

End of rant.