www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Hello BB57

What does one have to do to qualify to purchase the heath insurance you’re referring to?

Do I have to live in CR for certain amount of time?

Any info would be appreciated!
Thanks

PT


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If you let the devil ride, he's gonna want to drive

Thank you for the info


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Well, you can certainly live expensively in CR if you want to, but I was able to live in San Jose for about half of what it cost me in California, and about half of what it costs me to live in Honolulu now. $1500 - $2000 per month is no problem, although it would require a budget. If you've got $3000 per month or more, you can live like a prince in CR. Just my opinion.

What Boynton said is correct except for one thing!

Every time the cost of CAJA comes up I hear and see all kinds statements about the cost. It is NOT 10% of your stated income! Years ago it was the same as what a Tico would pay which is about $55 for a whole family. Because of so many Gringos coming here, trying to live on next to nothing (me!!), and not having insurance; and the CAJA hospitals being required to treat you whether you had CAJA or not,and many Gringos then skipping out on the bill, they change what we pay- now about double what Ticos pay!! We Gringos who have CAJA are therefore paying for medical treatment for the guys who do not have it!!! Not sure of exactly when, but I think it was about 10 years ago they changed the payment for gringos. There are now two different plans for "pensionados"! Rentista, inversionista, and vinvulo are all different, and pay different amounts. Rentistas and inversionistas pay more or less based on income.

The two different plans for pensionados are a joke. Yes, you will pay more for one than the other but they are exactly the same otherwise (rip off the gringo!!) When applying I was asked which I wanted. My attorney had fore warned me about the difference so I asked what was the cost of each and chose the lower price. I have not paid a penny for dr. visits, hospital emergency visits, meds. or anything else since getting the CAJA. And I had a major accident 3 days after getting the insurance!!! The lower cost plan is for me $101 (paid in colones so what I pay varies with the exchange rate) WHICH IS ABOUT .06% OF MY MONTHLY INCOME!!

By the way, while on the subject, he also used the phrase "stated income" which to me implies you can tell them any amount!! When I started the process for pensionado residency I had MANY guys telling me how to do it, what I needed, and what to do!! Almost all said to not tell them your actual income; to just tell them a little over the minimum ($1000) needed for pensionados because the insurance was based on income! Well guess what? Ticos are not quite as dumb as a lot of Gringos would have you believe!! One of the requirements for residency is a minimum of $1000 a month in non depleting income which YOU HAVE TO PROVE!!! In the case of SS from the states you have to have a notarized statement form SS!

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

Exaggeration, especially excessive facetious exaggeration, is often part of humor, so if you're applying that old technique to affirm the ever increasing costs here, even of staples, good for you, you made a funny, as they write the reaction here, jajajajaaa.

Now IF you REALLY believe that, please contact me, since I've semi-retired and located now in Costa Rica, I'm divesting myself of my vast array of real estate holdings and have an excellent bridge near Brooklyn I can offer you at a CRT discount...

I live downtown in Barrio Amon (no car needed) in a sweet furnished 2/2 very comfortably budgeting myself on apx 2k a month, my caja insurance included. Since I'm fortunate not to maintain bad habits like smoking, drinking and gambling, I can funnel all my excess monies into my favorite bad habits, Andrea, Maylin, Sofia, Ani, Camila, Helen, and on and on.

I have cousins who live in NYC, their expenses are astronomical, they inform me that you need a 100k or at least very high double digit k annual income there to live modestly.

Now since San Fran has turned from America's most beautiful city to a living hell, resembling many of the major cities in numerous 3rd world sh*t-holes, and thousands if not 10's of thousands live homeless on the streets, if you're referring to their lifestyle, you may be correct. If not, San Fran has some of the highest COL expenses in the nation, I'm happy to debate that with you.

Before moving here, residing in S Florida, I would say reasonably speaking, I would need an income of 4K a month to enjoy the lifestyle I now enjoy, and yes, since I'm lazy, I do most of my food shopping at Auto Mercado, but I buy meat at butcher shops and fresh vegetables and fruits at lesser priced places downtown.

There may be a legitimate argument if you move back to the USA and choose a small rural city somewhere in the south, it could be less expensive to live than CR if you ride buses and don't get a car, get medicare and a free med advantage plan and you're relatively healthy, eat cheaply, mostly bologna and hot dogs as your source of meat, don't use air conditioning and don't do anything, don't go anywhere, and wait patiently for the reaper to show up and either put you out of your misery or make your misery much much worse.

Other than that option, the USA is more expensive, even the high cost Escazu where I lived comfortably on about the same income years ago, just had a higher taxi expense where I rarely need one now.

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Don't try to understand 'em, just rope 'em down and brand 'em...

Given all the fluctuation in the exchange rate, what is currently the best place to exchange dollars into colones? I used to always take my dollars to the Del Rey and exchange them there but it sounds like that is not the move. Is it better to exchange in the USA, at a San Jose bank or is it better to just take the cash out of a San Jose ATM? I know I should RTFF, and I’ve been trying, but the signals appear mixed on what’s the best exchange approach at the moment.

The Delreymakes a profit off the exchange, it's been at 550 for a while over there.
The Sportsman was at 500 the last time I exchanged some there
The ATm's charge enormous fees, like $6 for every $400 withdrawn.
None of these are deal breakers, if you're exchange a little at a time.
The Colonial might offer a good rate, but I haven't used them in a while

The best if you want to change quite a bit, IMHO, is to go to a local bank, with your passport, and exchange your dollars for colones there. The banks vary in their exchange rates too.

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Having too much fun. 8)

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If you let the devil ride, he's gonna want to drive