Job Discussion Forums

[mep3]

I hope I'm not the only person who thinks about this sort of thing -- I'm thinking of doing the expat teaching thing long-term and then retiring abroad. I've noticed that most expat health insurance policies terminate the option for coverage around age 70. What do people do for health insurance if they stay and retire in the country where they taught? Or even, people who just worked in the U.S. and retire abroad? What do they do when they get over that age? Obviously, if they have a heart attack in Mexico or Thailand, their Medicare won't do them much good. Thanks .... Mep

[MELEE]

I consider myself an imigrant. I've relocated to Mexico permenatly. I didn't plan it that way, but life happens, and I happened to be in Mexico when it happened to me.

I plan on doing what Mexicans do. I already have two daughters who will feel obliged to take care of me! I have IMSS and I am a home owner, my plan is to continue to buy property which will be rental property and available to sell in the future if I need to. I live in a city that is growing at 4 times the national average, so I think this is a viable plan. If I work long enough I will have an alright pension by Mexican standards in my AFORE as well, but I'm not putting all my eggs in that basket. Also in Mexico you can put your retired parents on your IMSS or ISSTE coverage, so I guess you could get yourself some Mexican kids.

[Belmont]

Can you buy medical insurance in Mexico? Just pay for it out of your pocket?

[MELEE]

In the larger cities the Star Medical Group has plans you can buy into as an individual. There used to be a teacher who posted here about it. Most private doctors are not set up to take anything other than cash, so it limites you to seeing one of the doctors who belongs to their group. If there was something like that available in my town, I'd probably sign my girls up for it. But I just pay out of pocket to get them to a doctor fast and avoid the seguro waiting room. The doctor we see only charges 100 pesos an appointment.

[Polly0607]

People who have their own businesses can buy into insurance plans, just like you buy car insurance. One of the companies who does this is GNP. There are others.

The problem is that the insurance is for major expenses like surgery. For everyday things and appointments, even with specialists, you will probably find it easier to pay out of pocket.

Even if you have insurance, some companies make you pay the hospital, then you put in your claim with them. You don�t get everything back, espcially if you don�t have the right paperwork. You can only go to certain hospitals too, which are usually the most expensive.

I was recently hospitalized and spent almost 40,000 pesos. I only got back 25,000 from insurance (which I�m told is pretty good).

The best situation would be to have access to a government system like seguro (isste, issemym or others) where you could get help if you needed long-term care like cancer or diabetes. Then you have the other private insurance if you choose to go to a high-priced hospital for something short-term.

I realize most people can't have the best of both worlds, but this would be ideal.

Your insurance rate with the private companies depends upon your age and the age of the members of your family. Obviously, older means more expensive.

[Ben Round de Bloc]

The university where I teach provides private medical coverage for all of its employees. It has its own medical clinic staffed by 4 or 5 doctors and its own pharmacy. The clinic doctors refer patients to specialists if needed and send them for analysis work, x-rays, CAT scans, therapy (including chemo treatments,) or whatever as part of our medical coverage. For anything requiring hospitalization, including operations, patients go to a private hospital, all expenses covered by our medical insurance as well. We also have dental coverage which includes dental surgery if needed.

If it were possible to buy into the university's medical insurance plan after I retire, I would, but it's not an option. For tenured teachers, the university's medical coverage continues as part of their retirement package.

[mep3]

Tim -- Do they also insure their part-timers? Do most uni.s there that offer health ins. also insure their part-timers? Also, are you planning to stay in Mexico after you retire, and if so, any thoughts about what you would do for medical insurance at that point? Thanks ..... Mike

[Ben Round de Bloc]

[mep3]

Thanks Tim

[cgage]

I'm an insurance slave. Even my sister who is a rich doctor is an insurance slave. Unlike Canada or Europe, the health insurance business in the US has been hijacked by white collar mafia sleeze. Forget about rum-running, gambling and prostitution - allowing access to healthcare through extortion level premiums and drug costs is a much better racket.
If things continue, only rich Americans will have health care and medicine (unless the new democrats create a miracle [I doubt that since the American way of life seems to be based on greed and survival of the fittest]). In case you didnt know, some people have sold their homes to pay for care. Others have just died for lack of ability to pay for it.
Without BlueCross, my medications would cost $700 every month.
So maybe Mexico may end up having something better in healthcare to offer even if its bad like I have heard from a few people. Holland seems to be the only country where people take care of each other. Comments about Mexican programs or how the Canadian universal works would be interesting to hear.

[business2300]

How does the Canadian Universal work?

[Guy Courchesne]