www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I always buy the travel medical insurance, $50,000 coverage and the medical evacuation insurance (if you need to get back for treatment) and the repatriation insurance (if your dead, they ship you home).

In Jan 2000, Stansfield Turner, retired Admiral and head of CIA under Carter, his wife and 16 others went down in a small plane on take off at Tobias Bolanos Airport (SJ) going to Caribe on vacation. Killed her and 3 others, he had to be med evac'd back to Houston. SJ's Hospital Mexico either couldn't handle it or he couldn't handle them. That plane was not removed from that Tico house where it crashed for a long time, saw it for a long time, tail up, when I'd fly Nature Air's predecessor to/from Quepos.

I buy the insurance from MedEX (phonetic) or a couple of others online, about $40 for 30 day vacation for all three coverages. Key is to keep the policy number and the 800# on your self and in places with people who can get it for you in case you are totally out of it, or dead. If you don't care about registering your presence in CR with the Embassy, you can do it on line and probably get that info into your file with them.

Med Evac costs a fortune: ambulance to the airport, private plane, pilots, a doc, a nurse, equipment, etc. Repatriation if you're dead, costs about $15-20k. I had to do that for a Polish Nat'l who worked for me five years ago, was $15,000 from O'Hare to Warsaw all in all, embalming, casket, a custom wood box around the casket, diplomatic seal on the box, transportation to O'Hare, and then air freight rate for all that size and weight.

I keep the Amex travel insurance in case I need to get flown back to the States. That costs me $109 per year for $100K coverage. I already have burial expenses taken care of.

Check out Dan.com. They seem to pay even if you are not diving, and they repatriate your remains, (not a good thought).

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" Omit no happy hour that may give furtherance to our expedition."

[quote="Icantstayaway"]Posted from AM Costa Rica as it will be difficult to find later:
Expat accident victim languished during Caja doctors strike
By Zack McDonald
of the A.M. Costa Rica staff

A quick trip to the AM/PM left Ed Hansen, a former policeman from Atlanta, stranded for days without necessary medical attention in Hospital Calderón Guardia while Caja Costarricense medical staff members were on strike.He was taken to Hospital Calderón Guardia where, unaware of the anesthesiologists strike, he stayed for five days with no treatment. [quote]

When the anesthesiologists struck it was reported that they would not ignore emergencies, only electives. This is the most outrageous, unconscionable medical care I have ever heard of in a civilized society. How can this happen without repurcussions?

Good suggestion (DAN is Divers Alert Network)

I have it and agree its a great option even if you are not a diver

Get well soon Pops!!

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“Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” And we are the guys that keep them in Eggs & Grits

One of the first things I did when I moved to Costa Rica was to go to the insurance department of Clinica Biblica and configure the payment schedule based on my US health insurance carrier in case of an emergency. You don’t want to go through what Pops had to go through if you are in a serious to critical state. Then keep a copy of the paper work because it is Costa Rica and everything will be screwed up, lost, forgotten or changed. You will need proof of what you did.

I cannot recall the name of the guy in charge of insurance at Biblica but he was an American born in CR and spoke English like an American. Don’t know if he is still there.

well i had some recent Pop's sightings, glad to see u /him on his feet again!

3+ weeks post surgically repaired fx pelvis et al? Pops, you are superman!

Question for anyone who knows Pops:

What are the chances that he will be up doing tours the end of January? If so I may be interested.

hj

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Keep your mouth closed and men will think you are stupid; Open it and remove all doubt!

anyone know if pops is buddies with ryan braun? this is unnatural.

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im way deep into nothing special
riding the crest of a wave breaking just west of hollywood

Pops, you should be back on the computer by now. How are you ?

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* These are the "Good Ole Days". Enjoy Them.

* RENT but, "Don't Buy a Home in Costa Rica" until you have lived here for THREE years.

After the asshole anesthesiologists settled their labor claim only after hundreds of people went untreated, their Supreme Court ruled the strike was unconstitutional. Shame on these docs who violated their oath, regardless of how bad their labor situation was--they took the job didn' they--press for a new contract without abandoning people who ae in pain; and shame on their court system that took over a month to issue an order. Yhey have the American equiv of Temporary Restraining Orders, and it should have issued. That strike resounded all over the medical journals internationally and not respectfully.