www.CostaRicaTicas.com

No surprise to those living in CR or elsewhere (though US & Mexico have some type of Medicare arrangement going but I didn't dig deeper), but food for thought for older guys thinking of spending their golden years in CR and had not thought of medical.

If your condition did not require urgent care, you could deal with your issues using Medicare on one of your return to the US visits.

Otherwise, you will pay into the CR med system and be entitled to CR medical and hospital care.

If $$ was not an issue and I was going to live there, I'd maintain my BC/BS or other major, w/ a high deductible to keep my premium lowest, and for urgent care hook up with CIMA, fairly new hospital in SJ, very modern, owned by a gringo chain hospital corporation designed with gringo hospital comforts in mind (private rooms, etc) which accepts gringo health plans with some exceptions.

For tourists, if you have BC/BS or other major health coverage, you can also go to Hospital CIMA if you get hurt or need some type of urgent care, again with some exceptions. Best to get it all cleared with your carrier before you go.

For those Active/Retired military or Disabled Vets who travel to CR or live in CR.

Veteransincostarica.com

I am living in Costa Rica and my age is 65. I have bought a private insurance policy which is good in Central America. I use Biblica Hospital or can go to Cima. I also go to a private doctor. The co-pay is 20 percent. The price for a 65 year old man is about $1600 per year. All claims are paid quickly. You pay up front for the doctors visit and then get reimbursed. If I very ill I will fly to Florida and use my Medicare in Miami or Ft Lauderdale. My out of pocket expense for a colonoscopy was about $80.00.

Wow, good info. Can you share the name of your private insurance company? This sounds like the way to go rather then maintain my gringo health carrier. I'd like to see how CIMA handshakes with them re: what is/isn't covered. Thanks in advance.

Does anyone know if the Medicare Advantage Plans from Humana, Blues Cross/Blue Shield or Aetna are recognized at CIMA? I have Humana, and the literature says that it will cover international emergencies, but I've heard of other guys who were able to get their Medicare Advantage Plan to reimburse them at Medicare rates for emergencies, but I've not heard of anyone trying to use these plans for Colonoscopies, Annual Physicals, etc. Maybe if enough of us ask, we can persuade them to cover us as we wish to be covered.

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Slut Puppy in Training

Is low self esteem a prerequisite for being a good Ho or is it a result? ;-)

Your coverage under a private (non-gov't.) health insurance contract is governed by the FINE PRINT in the actual contract, not by any pretty language in a brochure, and not even by any representations of a worker in a call center made during a recorded phone call.

The word "emergency" is a weasel-word that causes a lot of trouble with health insurance. Medicare rates have a wide variation for a given condition, and depend on factors that you can't even imagine. CIMA may like one Medicare rate and not like the alternative Medicare rate.

The best that you can do is look into compatibility between your stateside insurance and a foreign "provider", like CIMA, and then hope for the best. But, you should expect that there are no guarantees of coverage for a particular service. Your coverage is controlled by greed. Private insurance companies will do anything they can to avoid writing a check.

Millions of people have been screaming for years to persuade insurance companies to provide the coverage that customers want at a fair price----or even at an exorbitant price. The screaming fell on deaf ears until the Feds. finally rammed new rules down the throats of the insurance companies.

I have never had a problem with my health insurance paying a bill. I have good coverage, and I am not a disgruntled customer. But I know enough to say that WE ALL should be TERRIFIED of our insurance companies.

I agree whole heartedly with you Rac. There is no business in the US as slimy as the Medical Insurance business. Even the US medical care business has become slimy. It's not just that everyone in the medical business are lying to each other, they are even lying to themselves. Most doctors have no way of even guessing whether or not he's making money. If he has cash in the bank, he typically can't tell if it's from collecting billings or borrowings from the bank.

The lies told by the not-for-profit hospitals are perhaps the most outrageous. If you've not taken the time to read the Time Magazine expose' on the hospital charges compared to Medicare reimbursement and major insurance carrier reimbursement, you certainly should. It will blow your mind and NOT ONE hospital has sought to refute the disclosures in the article. It's as if they really just don't care.

The lien law in Florida makes it even worse if you own any real estate. If you go into the hospital for any serious illness, the hospital's attorneys will file a lien against your properties often times before you even get out of the hospital.

Enough about this BS....back to chasing pu*sy. Stay Healthy My Friends.

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Slut Puppy in Training

Is low self esteem a prerequisite for being a good Ho or is it a result? ;-)

I hate to spill the beans boys but it is the government that has been causing all the problems.
First is the bullshit of government mandates. By law a doc or any other provider can't charge
a senior more than the governments set rate. Now this also holds true for medicaid. That leads to cost shifts
to the working stiffs who actual pay for health insurance. This I find as total screwing of America.
I have never gotten more than 5 min of a Docs time. But 5 min of time is still 5 min of time. Should not matter who or how old you are.

As to Insurance companies it has been a molding of the 50 state insurance commissioner. They all have their own little quirks. But rates and programs are all pre approved by the individual State insurance commissioners. By the way the total running of an Insurance company, as to reservers they are allowed to keep, the investments, time for claims investigation and rates.

No to the crap storm getting ready to hit us it is just that. In 8 separate speeches the current President stated he would gather all the parties involved in health care to an open on air meeting. (Yes and before the bull starts flying he is the President. Every time he farts there some one there from the press to say it was the dog that did it). He could have set the date an time and the news would be there. So would have been the leaders in the health care. But we got silence and this monster crap storm. This was all a major grab for money and power. Ask your self how many new IRS agent. Shortage of ammunition. (Government maybe buying to much.) The theft of Medicare funds to fund his program. All the new taxes. (No not just the rich but everyone to pay.) But yet only a $200 fine for not having insurance. (How much does it cost where you live for a monthly premium). Oh did I forget no tort reform.

Just as a point of reference I have been a licensed agent since 1979. Marketing director for a third Party Administrator. Written major US company and schools group benefit programs. There was opportunity for great change for the better. It died when the President fail to do what he promised in 8 separate speeches.
Then left it to the back room sharks lining their pockets.

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May the force be with you my CRT Jedi.

Don't let this degrade into a political debate.

I personally don't like the way things are going in America, but that is for another thread.

Thanks to all that can post insurance info that they know/use ... I am interested in looking at making CR a second home, and this topic is IMPORTANT TO ME.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

CIMA hospital in San Jose has an international insurance department.

It is almost certainly best to contact them first, and they can give you an accurate picture of how your insurance would work.

There are absolutely people in that department that do speak english, though i would imagine that not all of them would.

The phone number to the department is: +506-2208-1056 or +506-2208-1091. The email they have listed is seguros@hospitalcima.com