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Recently I've come across articles touting Mexico as a place where quality assisted living is both available and affordable. Does anyone here have firsthand experience with facilities south of the border?
So are you then assuming self funding health care costs due to low cost? It was my understanding that Medicare did not work overseas.
There are, of course, all the same issues and considerations of foreigners moving to an overseas location.
Many issues are avoided by children or other relatives supervising care and providing oversight right there. So if I lived there, it would seem reasonable to have Mom come for advanced care if necessary so long as she could overcome the language barrier.
So are you then assuming self funding health care costs due to low cost? It was my understanding that Medicare did not work overseas.
There are, of course, all the same issues and considerations of foreigners moving to an overseas location.
Many issues are avoided by children or other relatives supervising care and providing oversight right there. So if I lived there, it would seem reasonable to have Mom come for advanced care if necessary so long as she could overcome the language barrier.
Yes, for now Medicare does not pay for services outside the USA. IMO this is shortsighted and will eventually change because the program is going bankrupt and costs have to be controlled. The care model I was thinking about would have assisted living in Mexico and when needed, travel to the U.S. for hospital care. Obviously not an option if there is an emergency, but the cost of medical care in Mexico is 1/5 to 1/3 the price of similar care here and that makes it almost affordable.
We are 66/65 years old. Healthy. We have a Medigap that covers us on any trip outside the US, but just for the first 60 days of the trip. We keep a house in the US and fly back every 2 or 3 months for 7 to 10 days.
We have both seen doctors in Mexico and very pleased with results; our US doctors agree (we tell them of MX doctor visits, show them reports, tests, scans). We pay out of pocket here.
I don't see the US allowing Medicare to be used outside the US in our lifetime.
As a permanent resident of Mexico (green card holders) we are allowed to join either the free healthcare system or the low cost alternative. The low cost alternative system costs about $275 USD equivalent a year. Private insurance is also available.
Now exploring several options for LTC, one of which is to relocate offshore. This could be a natural outgrowth of a second stage retirement, where I start spending winters probably in Central America once my DD is out of college.
There will always be pluses and negatives. For me I do not speak Spanish, but then technology is at point where there will almost certainly be audio interactive devices. For now we keyboard. Single, I probably would not have another family member in the community although with a single sibling, close single cousin, some friends perhaps I might. Almost certainly it would be necessary to employ a community care director - that might become a cottage industry for ex-pats. Skype etc. could permit close monitoring by US-based family members.
There will be cultural challenges, but then I've always been comfortable and adapted well to third-world environments. A major benefit is spending those last years in a setting that's well integrated to the outdoors.
That there is not a well-developed LTC community in close-by locations to the US is due (in part) to non-coverage under Medicare. There are some care homes right across the Mexican border that allow for quick trips to US hospitals but there appear to be many drawbacks. (Medicare non-availability is not an issue for me since I have worldwide retiree health coverage.) Low-cost private insurance policies offered in some countries increase sharply in price for older retirees, sometimes forcing a return to the US when a serious health issue arises.
Hands-on care might well be better offshore but again there be off-setting drawbacks. For Mexico, one concern is that as a Catholic country there could be problems with implementing a US-style advanced medical directive.
We'll see ... right now we've just started checking out various countries in C. America though from research I have an idea where now makes the most sense - size of the American expat community ... cheap, easy return flights to the US ... close-by world-class medical care.
No perfect scenario, so the possible drawbacks aren't necessarily deal-breakers.
Recently I've come across articles touting Mexico as a place where quality assisted living is both available and affordable. Does anyone here have firsthand experience with facilities south of the border?
If you post this in the Retitement forum, there are several ex-pats over there, most sing the praises of retirement in Mexico. It’s much cheaper and they are building many new American style ALFs there. You can get a live in Aid for a pittance.
Yes, for now Medicare does not pay for services outside the USA. IMO this is shortsighted and will eventually change because the program is going bankrupt and costs have to be controlled. The care model I was thinking about would have assisted living in Mexico and when needed, travel to the U.S. for hospital care. Obviously not an option if there is an emergency, but the cost of medical care in Mexico is 1/5 to 1/3 the price of similar care here and that makes it almost affordable.
Medicare is NEVER going to fund out of country expenses.
HOW in the world is the government supposed to oversee care in another county.
Medicare is GOVERNED by US LAWS and definitions.
Medicare is GOVERNED by exerting STANDARDS OF CARE on facilities and licensing them.
Medicare is not just a check cut by the US taxpayer for their fellow citizens.
Yes, for now Medicare does not pay for services outside the USA. IMO this is shortsighted and will eventually change because the program is going bankrupt and costs have to be controlled. The care model I was thinking about would have assisted living in Mexico and when needed, travel to the U.S. for hospital care. Obviously not an option if there is an emergency, but the cost of medical care in Mexico is 1/5 to 1/3 the price of similar care here and that makes it almost affordable.
You're free to get all the care you want in Mexico. Why should the US government pay for it?
In today's political climate, I find it problematic that we want to export the care of the elderly to people we denigrate daily.
If you post this in the Retitement forum, there are several ex-pats over there, most sing the praises of retirement in Mexico. It’s much cheaper and they are building many new American style ALFs there. You can get a live in Aid for a pittance.
I find the bolded to be horrid.
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