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We have a young friend who rented a scooter in Thailand and was involved in a horrendous car accident. Not only did he spend 3 months in the hospital with a severe head injury, he was given top-notch care, and he never had to pay a thing. I have also found the cost so low in Europe it is astounding. I wish the United States of America would treat our citizens as well.
Single Payer systems where the government owns the patient's health success for life, prioritizes prevention and long term improvements. If you keep voting Republican in the US, you won't get that approach as they are funded by the Insurance and Pharma industry. You'll know they are corrupted by campaign funding when you hear them incorrectly stigmatize single payer goverment healthcare as "socialism", while they enjoy that care themselves. Stop dirty money, writing public policy via these Republicans. Watch your Social Security and the Medicare you have left as the top GOP have often claimed they will cut these "entitlements". Yet they have the nerve to lie about that in a state of the Union Speach interupting the President speaking....Heaven help the US.
I live in Europe. For most medical procedures the cost is trivial in the public system. Yet everyone I know has private (at for-profit hospitals) insurance because of the long waits. In general, the state of the art in Europe lags the US. For simple procedures it doesn’t matter. But in rapidly changing fields, if you want the best chance of success it’s better to be in the US. We hated the US medical system because it was too expensive and complicated. Our insurance premiums were sky-high because we were forced to subsidize other enrollees and pay for coverage we didn’t want but the government mandated we have; e.g., pregnancy.
@@commocean I think you lived in a country in Europe, not Europe unless you were always traveling around. There isn't a single EU health program so your statement applies to a particular country. At the end you contradict yourself because you say better to be in the US but then say it's too expensive. If the US was great you'd probably be living there. It can't be better and too expensive at the same time. It can be equally bad but in a different way. I have health care in the US that's good and it doesn't cost me much for full coverage, but I'm still retiring to the Philippines, but I can become a resident there, get their health plan which doesn't cost much, have 10 grand in the bank and I'm safe for almost any event. I went to the hospital there in Makati and it's a good hospital, was there for about 3 hours, had a bed, was visited by a nurse 2 times and a doctor two times, had 2 fluid bags pumped into me via an IV and I paid $95 USD for the event. They also gave me some medication, I forget what but it was for the stomach. In the US that's an EASY $1500 where I live and if I had to pay a copay it would have been more than the trip to the hospital in Makati.
It’s very good information. I have Humana and it works well. Be sure to use the insurance for emergencies only. Plus you never take residency out of the USA. You must also have a delivery address for your medications, only in the USA. At signup a phone number is required. I still have the same phone number to keep the plan.
This information is correct, I was overseas, my appendix burst, and was hospitalized for a week+. My husband saw this video, I followed up with my Medicare provider and it worked. I am so grateful to have found this video information, thank you.
Two important tips. I was admitted to an asian hospital late at night very ill. After 7 days, I was stabilized, but needed follow up care. I arranged admission to another hospital for surgical procedures, antibiotics, etc. I was there for 8 days and paid with a credit card. When called my bcbs advantage plan to ask about coverage, the very nice lady asked me two questions: 1.For the first admission, did you enter the hospital via the emergency or the front door? 2. Are you living or only vacationing in Asia? My answers: The emergency entrance and vacationing. I do maintain a US residence. I was covered and reimbursed (eventually) for everything, including the second hospital care @ 80%. But only because I answered those two key questions correctly.
Mike that is really helpful. I wish the insurers would be very straight forward and tell us more exact rules. I went in through the front door but I could see being brought in by ambulance is a super clear "emergency." But the second question is key. I wonder how they would reply if the answer was "I live in both places, just at different times, and remain a US resident." Smart answer by you regardless! Thanks so much for the info.
Thank you. When I returned home to USA, the pandemic was in full motion, so that affected the coordination of my submission. I will go in person to a local office in Atlanta to speak with a manager soon. Your info gives me renewed hope.
Mike, can I ask how do you maintain a US residence - we just moved out of US 7mo ago and still struggle with this... we still use the address of the home we sold when we left but it's not ideal (DL expires in 2 yrs and I don't know what we'll do after that)...
I also have the advantage plan with Humana and I as my understanding that it’s only good for the emergencies and only if you’re a resident of the United States for me I’ve never asked for, and I don’t plan to ask for a retirement visa in any country this way my home is where my heart is and that’s the United States of America. I maintain a residence address with my brother and I do have personal belongings there and stay there also. I do return every year to the United States for my annual medical. It should be noted that all my medication‘s prescriptions and everything are through Humana and then they just they simply ship everything every 90 days and to my home address in the United States. Another item that’s never been mentioned on the flogs is that Humana provides a quarterly allowance for over-the-counter drugs or medication‘s the list is very extensive and there’s many items that you can pick up and it’s all free and they ship it to your home residence.
Great job, great info. My reservation is when it comes to calling any insurance company for information. What agent A tells you if often contradicted by agent B. And the insured is always the loser in the end. I trust insurance company customer service as much as I trust a politician.
You sound like me. Yes, all true. That's why I showed the actual pages of a policy re worldwide coverage. That was out of 200+ pages, yikes, so there could be contra language in there somewhere. All we can do is our best, right?
I used the emergency services in the Philippines. Paid the bill and Kaiser Permanente refunded me when back in the USA. Excellent service. No quibble about paying it either.
@@garrylafferty100To be enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan you must be a permanent resident of the area where the plan is offered. That’s usually a few specific counties in one or two states. If you are a permanent resident of the Philippines then you aren’t a permanent resident of any counties in the U.S. where the MA plans are offered.
My wife and I have Medicare Advantage plan subsidized by my former employer as part of my retirement benefits. This insurance is administered by Aetna. We have used the insurance twice as tourists. 1) 2018 - my wife had a very painful ankle joint. I took her to Prince Court Medical Center in Kuala Lumpur. Bill was about $250. I submitted the bill to Aetna and I received a check for the full amount. 2) In 2019, I had severe pain in my right leg after a flights from USA to Bangkok. I went to Bumrungrad Hospital. Cost was about $400. I submitted the bill to Aetna and they promptly send mr a check for the full amount.
Excellent! Thanks so much for sharing. I love hearing stories that this little known option is known by people. We all just accept, "No Medicare outside the US." Best wishes and thanks again.
We also I have Medicare Advantage plan subsidized by my former employer uncle Sam as part of my retirement benefits. This insurance is administered by Aetna. We travel a lot to South America; I never submitted a claim to Aetna. Couple of time we had to go to emergency in Canada to hospital ER, our plan reimbursed most of the charges. Keep in mind that we're US citizens. It works only for emergency. It worked for us in Canada. I had to go to Dentist for some tooth ache issue (emergency) in Canada about 20 years ago, BlueCross paid for my claim. Finally I say that It works only for emergency nothing else.
@hanson: You had leg pain from sitting for a long time on air flights. It is common that you may have had blood clots that had yet to move. Lucky you. I hope you don't just sit on flights, but get up and walk the ailes.
@@really2345 wearing compression socks on long flights really helps too. They are a major pain to put on and a bit uncomfortable to wear for such a long time, but in my opinion the benefits outweigh the liabilities.
Thank you for acknowledging not all expats are full time like nearly all the other expat videos. This is very helpful for us who live between USA and Thailand (or others). Good job
Another great video on an extremely important subject! Thanks for taking the time and effort to research this complex subject and explaining it so well!
Agree, last year my friend on Medicare Advantage plan on Kaiser plan had a emergency admission while staying in Seoul, Korea for two nights. His hospital expense was fully reimbursed by Kaiser upon returning to California. K. Wooh, M.D.
Thank you. I never heard this info on any other site. I am not a fan of Advantage Plans, however if I plan to get most of my care overseas, it's disadvantages become less important. Well done.
You are 100% correct. Some negatives in the US, although I'm very happy with Kaiser, but as you say - it becomes moot if you are using it overseas with your own selected doctor / hospital. Thanks for the comment and hope to hear from you again.
Just a heads up for you these plans require you to have an emergency to use them overseas. I have Humana and it’s only good if it’s an emergency and you’re in the hospital. I think you must be admitted for maybe three days on Humana. I am 70 years old and I’ve had it from nearly when I turned 65. The Humana sales person came by the house for a presentation. Lots of Q &A.
January 2024, I'll start medicare. I chose The Plan G route vs. Advantage however, given your scenario you fared better with Kaiser Advantage. Domestically I find HMO's (Advantage Plans) wholly inadequate and would just rather pay for travel insurance. This choice is purely subjective with no right or wrong answer. Great topic!
Yes, some people detest HMOs and I fully understand. I'm out of the US so much that it does not affect me much and I've had great luck with Kaiser. But you chose will with Plan G I think, a good Supplement plan. Be well!
G supplements also give you international coverage on a reimbursement basis for 80% of the cost. I know mine does, but it has a $50,000 lifetime limit. Check you plan G coverage, you may be pleasantly surprised.
Kaiser has a very generous Advantage Plan. Very very small out of pockets. I had cataract surgery in both eyes before I came to Phuket. My total out of pocket for BOTH eyes, $200 USD.
@@johnurban7333 My understanding is that coverage under a Medicare supplement pan is limited to emergency only. Basically, those plans are not designed for the expat. They assume that you are out of the country for a short stay only. Medicare itself (Part A and B) does provide coverage for foreign medical on a case by case basis. My understanding is that such coverage is generally limited to emergency coverage where a foreign hospital is closer than a US hospital (i.e., mostly in a few isolated places along the border with Canada). Medicare Advantage plans, which are actually private insurance that replaces Medicare, can provide whatever coverage they want since they are a private replacement for real Medicare. Given that Advantage plans often deny coverage for people at US hospitals, I would not assume that you will be covered for any given procedure. You will definitely need a prior authorization with a Medicare Advantage plan with the possible exception of a real emergency (heart attack, etc.). Also every Medicare Advantage plan is different so if you have an advantage plan, check with your specific plan. If an Advantage plan finds out you are an expat and live outside the US they will almost certainly cancel your coverage.
We have Kaiser Medicare Advantage in Washington State and checked before getting it and was assured that our plan covered an “emergency” overseas. Glad to see it is true! When I asked about time out of the country, they said our plan did not specify a time that I could or could not be out of the country. I will now double check that. Thanks for the video.
@@RetiredGlobalLife I always thought we would never get any Medicare or any benefits if out of USA. But you made me realized I might be wrong. But Thailand's insurance plans are cheap for expats aren't they as I met a lot of american seniors in bars and other areas?
Just subscribed to your channel today. Although more than 12 years away from retirement, I am doing research on medical insurance coverage when I travel outside the US for prolonged period of time. Your video is very helpful, and I will definitely give Kaiser a call when I retire to make sure they still provide worldwide emergency coverage if my outside stay is < 6 months. I agree that it is not fair that medicare does not directly cover people oversea, as we have paid our tax entire life for this benefit, whether you live abroad or not. Perhaps one day a conscientious politician will advocate for American who want to retire outside the US for medicare coverage, which I doubt will happen.
I did a video just about starting a movement to get coverage outside the US and why it made sense. Check it out and join the movement! Glad to have you as a new viewer and hope to hear from you again. BTW, many companies offer this option, not just Kaiser, and even they may depend upon your USA region. So many variances on the issue.
Great info, I lived in Chiang Mai ( Ruamchok Mall area) for 18 months, I just turned 65, returned to the US and signed up for Kaiser Advantage. It’s good to know if I had an emergency once I go abroad next year it looks like emergencies may be reimbursed. Just discovered your channel and subbed 🙏
Thanks! How are you dealing with Kaiser's (likely) requirement of a US residency? Do you keep an address there? And return home every six months? It's too bad their policies are not more detailed on this issue for those of us overseas a lot.
@@RetiredGlobalLife I use my ex-wife’s address for my residence (domicile ), it’s required for many things, SSA, CC’s, IRS etc. This is my first time back in 1.5 years. IDK how they would know if you come back every 6 months or not. Not sure how I will proceed in the future, maybe come back once year to have physical , see family and take care of other business and personal commitments. Ssa
@@kbird529 the government knows when you are coming and going, so they could check if they wanted to. On the other hand, healthcare abroad is much cheaper for them, so they probably won't bother.
I travel frequently out of the country and have had to access medical care while traveling. In addition to Medicare, I typically purchase travel insurance at the time I purchase the ticket. This is a very inexpensive option and provides great additional coverage. The one time I had to access significant medical care, it was necessary to pay upon discharge, as you mentioned. However, reimbursement from Medicare and travel insurance was prompt and easy. Just a thought…
Travel insurance is certainly not a bad idea but many have no idea they have this option for international medical care. For people staying out of the country for 6 months or so, travel insurance is not too feasible financially.
Something similar happened to me in South America. I was on a 3-week vacation and ended up in the ER at the hospital in Quito, Ecuador. Fortunately, the bill was cheap. I too have Kaiser and all I did was submit the paperwork, bill, and proof of payment and they promptly paid me back. No questions asked. Like you, it was an ER visit, not routine or follow-up care. So always good to know when traveling.
Good info, thank you. I am so grateful I have Tricare International from my USA military service only costs $14 USD per month. Only drawback is I have to pay and then submit the claim online for re-imbursement. And hey Joy looks like a joy:):):)!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for sharing ! Is that something you arranged ahead of time ? I'm a veteran and with 100% disability and thinking of moving to Thailand permanently, soon. Also trying to figure out if I can just drop my Medicare altogether?
Fantastic presentation! I have Humana. Everything you said, was right-on. There are so many other benefits. Some examples: All my pharmacy items are shipped to my address. They do home delivery or mailbox service. U.S. postal will not hold for a long time period. 75usd for over the counter drugs, every 3 months. The OTC drugs can be ordered from the internet. Humana required a home address and phone number. My residence is in the USA, at my brothers house. By the way I got stuck in the USA during the China Covid-19 lockdown. I caught the virus and ended up in the hospital. Humana covered the whole hospital stay. Another important point, is every policy is different by location of your home residence. Take care!
Thanks for another interesting insurance video. When you are over 75, insurance is difficult to find or extremely expensive. Even Mr Prakan wouldn’t offer anything.
Thanks for the compliment. Several of the policies you can, in theory, sign up for til 80. Why did they say you could not? I may know someone at Pacific Prime who you could talk to if you are serious about needing medical coverage. I assume you are in Thailand? What city? Reply and let me know and I'll ask my contact there if there is anything he can do. I can't promise but I do my best for all my viewers.
@@RetiredGlobalLife Hi, thank you for your reply it’s much appreciated. I’m actually in the Uk but travelling to Thailand soon with a view to planning retirement there.
What a revelation. Thank you. I am an ex-expat and use to only return to the US for my medication (3 month supply ). After pandemic, I visit thailand only twice a year for 2 months only on a tourist visit plus extention
As I understand it, Advantage plans are curated by each state. Thus, the requirement to have a US residence and the varying selection of plans/prices offered for each state. Also, there is a "loophole" for Plan B as well. If you are enrolled and paying into a foreign nation insurance plan, equivalent to "B" you would be able to enroll later in the US for "B" without penalty. But that qualification is evaluated on a per case basis by the SSA. Some plans offered within the EU may fall into this exception but consult with the SSA first.
I retired from the US last year and am receiving Medicare. I'm planning to travel to Thailand for about 3 months and I'm glad I found this information really useful. Thank you !
I have a Humana Medicare Advantage plan (CMS H1036 151) here in Mississippi, USA. I have confirmed through their Summary of Benefits that they DO provide Worldwide Emergency Coverage. "Humana's Medicare plan will cover emergency inpatient, ambulance and doctor services necessary to prevent death or serious impairment of health." Thank you so much! All the best.
Great! Make sure you go to an actual emergency room, not a dr for the "emergency" or they will not categorize it as such. And find out how long you can be away from your US address.
Thanks for sharing. I am on the same Kaiser Senior Advantage program. But you know, now that you've spilled the beans and the secret, I hope Kaiser doesn't get wise to it, people DON'T ABUSE the system -- and that a good thing going will backfire in the future.
They'd be dumb not to. It costs them a fraction of the cost to pay for Thai medical costs. Hell, they should encourage you to get all your care in Thailand.
Thanks for the great information. We are planning to slow-travel SE Asia next year and have been worried about emergency and/or urgent medical care while out of the USA.
That's great info. Thanks! I'm a few years from the Medicare scene but here is my recent experience with insurance in Thailand. My wife and I traveled to Thailand, her home country, to get better recovery treatment after a major surgery. We went through Bumrungrad hospital. They were top notch and very helpful. But even though they said they took our insurance we still had to pay up front and claim through our insurer later. It all worked out OK as there was not much of a problem once the paperwork (the worst part!) got straightened out. Still seemed kind of weird that the hospital says, yeah we take insurance but pay us first anyway. lol.
bcbs and some fehb policies offer limited direct billing/payment arrangements but most carriers require that the patient pay first and then seek reimbursement for overseas care.
I used my Humana Advantage plan when traveling in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, when I was admitted to a hospital through the emergency room for I’ve antibiotics for cellulitis.
HI Lawrence, sorry to hear about the hospitalization but so glad to hear the Humana Advantage plan did just what I'm telling people about - international emergency care. Best wishes.
My wife (Thai/US citizen) and I are both on Medicare and Medicare Advantage through my former employer. We traveled to Thailand last year and I bought travel insurance for both of us. Five days before leaving Thailand, I broke my hand badly in Chiangmai Mai. I had it treated in a private hospital there - they did a good job and the bill was $450. I waited til I got home to file a claim with the Thai insurance company (MSIG Insurance) - they wanted full receipts, a copy of my thai bank book (I don’t have one), a copy of my boarding pass (threw it away when I got to the US) and everything had to be mailed to Thailand. They would not do anything by email. I asked them a few questions but they didn’t respond. I was ready to say “F” it but my wife suggested I contact our US insurance carrier. They promptly reimbursed me. I’ll still probably buy travel insurance next time we go to Thailand, but if I need to apply for reimbursement I’ll be sure to do it before I leave the country.
Here is a tip. Buy your travel insurance through Smartmouth.com or InsureMyTrip.com. When the insurance company screws you, you can go to one of the above and they will give hell to the insurance company, and the companies listen because they want these big brokers to sell their policies. Just a suggestion. I hope the hand is okay.
On my first trip to Thailand I had a heart attack and received excellent care in Sakon Nakhon. I had consulted with my insurance carrier, Blue Cross before leaving the USA and was informed that if I had an emergency while away from the USA I should be sure to go to an emergency room to be covered. Like you, I had to pay for services out of pocket and this wad required before I could check out. My family and the hospital staff had tried everything to contact Blue Cross as I had bean informed prior to travel, but it was impossible to get their help. I submitted all documentation and billing three times after returning home only to be ignored by Blue Cross, and still have not been compensated nearly 4 years later. I will retire shortly and plan to move to Thailand but keep Medicare. I will get Plan C as you explained so well.
Sorry about your experience. What type of plan did you have that they ignored your claim? And remember the Advantage plans may not stretch for those fully out of the country. Check your policy and with your insurer. It's a mystery what connection they require with your US state when you stay mainly out of the US.
@@RetiredGlobalLife health insurance is state-licensed & -regulated. routine u.s. health insurance policies are obviously domestically focused and might only cover urgent care rendered overseas for trips of a certain length, maximum is generally six months. there is an administrative appeal process, usually described in the policy documents or by the state insurance commission. medicare-related plans, tricare, fehb and champva are also federally-regulated.
Good info, new subscriber. I turn 65 later this year and divide my time between Bangkok and SoCal. I've been a KP member for years and was reimbursed for a small issue that I went to urgent care for at a private hospital here in BKK last year. Very easy, no issues. But also later this year I plan on going mostly full time in Thailand. I plan on keeping a CA mailing address and DL etc., just no official residence, at least initially. I will still be returning to the US for a month or two at a time, but if things go as planned, I will definitely be out of the US at least 9 or 10 months out of a year. I am 99% sure I will go with Kaiser advantage at least for the first year because there are so many moving parts at this stage for me that I don't think there is any one perfect answer to this issue. As an aside, both my parents were Kaiser advantage and we were mostly happy with the care (including hospice) they received (and are still receiving in mom's case).
Your life sounds like mine with the SoCal and KP connections. I do the same. I hope Kaiser never gets to strict on how long we can be out of the country. I guess the would not even look into it unless the foreign bill was huge.
respectfully, if you own no california home but retain a california d.l., voter registration, mail address, social security/medicare address, banking, will, personal items storage unit, etc., then you have constructed your “official residence” as california. separate the idea of home ownership from “official residence,” a term which really doesn’t exist in usa. you might consider changing all the above to a tax-free state and visit california as you please. think as does a long-term rv-er, yacht-er or a retiree who moves to another state to be closer to grandkids, etc. all these folks can still visit california as they please. remember the usa isn’t thailand, japan or korea with a national household registry that establishes one’s “official residence.” the federal government doesn’t care which particular address you use, but you must have one according to your own various choices in life. it is the individual states that care about your “official residence” but essentially for state tax purposes. california might still care, but only for the danger of attaching real property in california to extract state taxes. if you own nothing in california what is there is to attach? your new state without state income tax has no real interest in your choice. the one glitch may be how kaiser permanente and /or your former employer handles benefits for a covered retiree who relocates to say another state. the medicare advantage plan specifically from k.p. is tied to your california zip code and is still an hmo, isnt it, so overseas care is considered out of area… what does the plan policy actually state? some k.p. medicare advantage plans are offered in some other u.s. jurisdictions besides california. i am familiar with folks who set up their new “official residence” in south dakota, texas and florida, that includes physical and mail addresses. for a california expat nevada may be a convenient choice. it will take some research and legwork, but it can be done and lawfully so.
Thanks for you time putting this informative video together. Nice to have all this info in one place. I was aware of US plans covering emergency treatment overseas for tourists, but wasn't aware of what the limitations were. My concern is staying in CA longer than 186 days, which would make me a California resident. How are you working out this issue with your insurance coverage and your house in CA? Is it a concern to you? I am trying to avoid CA income tax by not making the CA residency limit.
Good topic! I imagine it’s often a great deal for insurers when an emergency happens outside the U.S. as costs for most medical services are typically much lower than costs encountered in the U.S.
No, I don't think there is any way the government in Thailand would accept it. Besides the US insurer would never sign the form required saying they provide the necessary coverage.
More info for retired military: When using TRICARE For Life in all overseas locations, whether you live overseas or are traveling overseas, TRICARE is the primary payer and you're responsible for paying TRICARE's annual deductible and cost shares. If you live overseas, you must have Part B to remain eligible for TRICARE even though Medicare doesn't provide coverage overseas.
Yup, but once you get past your $3,000 share cost (I think is the amount), 100% coverage. And it covers not just emergency situations, so much better than Medicare even under Advantage plans. Congrats for having it.
@@RetiredGlobalLife the tricare out of pocket thresholds only apply when medicare a&b is primary and tricare is secondary, i.e. in the u.s. otherwise tricare ends up reimbursing about 80% of the overseas cost 2-3 months after the patient files the claim. at least tricare imposes no dollar or time limit on overseas care, although getting care in the philippines requires multiple certification steps to prevent fraud. tricare customer service when overseas or during the claims process is slow and unfriendly. tricare will not attest by signed letter that it offers coverage for a policyholder so tricare is ineligible to meet the health insurance requirements for certain thai visas. tricare isn’t bad at all, but could be way better at no real extra cost to the policyholder or taxpayer.
Great info 👍🏼 and Thanks for informing everyone who is in our “golden years” My wife and I are both retired and live in Massachusetts and travel abroad frequently to visit our children and families who live all over the world in Europe, Asia and Canada. We are both on Medicare (A, B and the Advantage plan from our HMO, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, It is called HPHC-Enhance) plan offered by my former employer, (Harvard) for Medicare enrollees. This plan also covers and reimburses cost for worldwide emergency and urgent health care upon pay first and then get reimbursed on submission of hospital and health related costs receipts. BCBS of Massachusetts also has a similar plan Called BCBS-Advantage-Plus and last year we had that with 80% reimbursement and a $250 deductible cap. Upon my research and asking the employers benefit office I was told in verbal and in written materials (brochures and pamphlets) from BCBS-Mass and HPHC that the most important “procedural” thing is, as you pointed out… 1) It must be an Emergency AND you must go to an emergency room first. Then any and all hospital and healthcare costs will be covered. 2) keep all your receipts and records the hospital/doctor give you and submit these with your insurance claim. BCBS-Mass even has a list of hospitals in many countries that are on their list of approved hospitals for reimbursement coverage. Given the significantly low healthcare costs in many Asian and European countries it’s not a surprise that the healthcare insurance and many HMO’s companies have these “attractive” incentives to attract retires to their Part-D Advantage plans, though they don’t advertise or even mention it to the general 65 plus public.
At 78 years old I never found a health insurance plan that would cover me. Seems like over 75 is the cut off age for health insurance. So I stayed with my Advantage Plan just in case I do have an emergency (my insurer did tell me they would cover me). I was never told that I had to be someone who returned every six months, which is a good thing as I have to plans to return in the near future. Just as an aside I also found out neither my wife nor I could get a bank loan here in the PH due to my age. Also I hope everyone is calling or emailing their Congressional delegation to have the current bill in the House that will repeal having to pay income taxes on your Social Security income.
Great to hear from you Anthony? Yes, check with your carrier if there is a max lengthh to your out of US time. I'm curious, did you tell them you are basically living out of the US permanently and they did not care? Or did you just keep mum about that? I have no idea how insurers would react if told bluntly we now live outside the US but just keep the coverage going despite no longer really a US resident.
@@RetiredGlobalLife I was in the US at the time and didn’t know I would be a permanent resident in the Philippines so I never brought it up. Also, it seemed to be a source of confusion for the agent and his supervisor on the other end of the line since all they seemingly could do is read the one or two lines in the policy without really knowing anything. So I probably didn’t want to muddy the waters.
Yes, I know the feeling. When I called reps of the companies for this video, none had heard the question before. It's like it's in the policies but they don't know it.@@anthonykeller5120
It really sucks that I was in the healthcare field for 39 years and still know nothing about insurance. And yeah every person I talk to in the insurance industry told me slightly different things.
@@RetiredGlobalLife I will. BTW, I just found out that my Medicare supplement plan through Manhattan Life will cover me for emergencies abroad. I'll double check the information to confirm it. This might be because I got a plan F.
@@DanielFernandez-jv7jx Yes, did you see my video on Medicare Loopholes? I taoked aobut plans C and G mainly but there are several, although offers a higher cap and some stuff mentioned in the video. Maybe you've already seen it. Congrats on getting the good news. Make sure if you use it to go to a hospital emergency dept not just a dr, to show it is an "emergency" to be covered. Take care.
I'm in the same situation as you are, going back and forth between the US and Thailand and I have Kaiser! Actually I did ask them about this a few years ago and they did say 6 months, but since it was verbal, I wasn't counting on it. Actually I’m thinking about getting travel medical insurance as an added step, depending on how much it would cost. Thanks for posting this!
Yes, I think the Advantage plan should be extra, not solely relied on unless you are sure of your insurer. You could always ask the rep at KP to tell you the page(s) in their Evidence of Coverage it is addressed so you can find it and read it - or read the 200+ pages, 555.
This is very helpful. I now live on my sailboat in the Caribbean and plan to sail to Thailand. Going on a visit from I/23 - 2.22 and plan 1 week in Vietnam.
Big thanks, Jeff, and thanks for joining our fight for international Medicare. Please get the word out by sharing the video all over the place. So far, I've been disappointed about the interest, but all I can do is start the movement.
Thank for this info. I was in France and had flu and admitted to hospital. I spent three days and paid 1800.00. I paid the bill. Now I know that Blue Cross could have paid me back. But that was four years ago. .
I travel frequently to Idonesia (3-5 months at a time). 2 years ago checked with my Medicare Advantage provider - Aetna and they gave me advice that emergency care is covered but you must pay up front. This year I had a problem, kept my hospital and doctor bills and they did provide coverage. Again, this is a Medicare Advantage Plan and not just plain vanilla Medicare.
For my contribution: I had a stroke in Danang, VN. Hospital there wanted prepaid $2500usd before initial treatment, which we did. Five days of inpatient care, total bill was $4500. I have Medicare with BC/BS Federal plan, which will cover world wide and they paid almost the entire amount, reimbursed into my bank account in USA, I do have a permanent address there. My long term traveling suggestion with possible health issue is to carry cash, we do $5k pp, or CC with higher limit. Currently living in BKK. 😃
Great information, but the stickler is the need to pay upfront! Are there any travel policies, even one purchased in Thailand where the upfront fee is minimal for an emergency visit? My wingman during our two week visit in April was hit with a 9,000 baht bill to be treated for flu like symptoms. Just curious.
Most travel plans I see are pay and claim, but many companies say they have 24 hour numbers for hospitals to call them to verify coverage especially in big injuries. I would think the PPO type carriers, like Pacific Prime/Cross, a Thai company, would have the option of only paying what you owe if you go to one of their member providers.
Thank you for the information. I will plan my overseas trips now in a more educated manner. I had had an emergency in France. My husband paid for it. Medicare promised to pay back. They NEVER did. I was there for about three months.
Did you try to get it from Medicare, which would likely never happen as it is not covered, or via an Advantage or Supplemental plan where you'd claim via your carrier?
@@RetiredGlobalLife Good morning, Randy! I think we tried it through Medicare and through Travelers Insurance, as well. It happened before the pandemic. Now we signed up for the Advantage and the Supplemental plan, too. Then we thought: "It never would happen to us!" Now we are not so sure anymore!
That’s really helpful info, being 73, living in Thailand for years, interesting plans , those are all through the Medicare Advantage different plans? Do these plans refund your Medicare Part B premiums that’s deducted from your Social Security ?
Many Part C Advantage plans and some of the Supplement plans (under many Parts) offer some international emergency care, all different). Only a very few have the program you are speaking about for refunding some of your Part B.
Great video. really appreciate the info. Wife and I are moving to Chiang Mai next May/Jun. we r not at age for Medicare yet but will keep this in mind once we reach that point.
Welcome (in advance) to Chiang Mai! I hope you love it as I do and you get in a comfort zone there fast. I hope our other videos can help you a bit. Best wishes!
Great job on this, Randy! Sounds somewhat hopeful (big fan of hope) and an antidote to the Medicare not traveling rip-off (not so much a fan of Medicare that way). There are an awful lot of pretty nurses in Thailand... It's a tough life...
I wonder if you have to go back to the states or just submit bills within six months. I don’t think they would check my passport. I do maintain a U.S. address Thanks for the update
Hi Mark. I have no idea. This whole issue is quite nuanced. My concern is that insurance companies look for excuses to deny people, so pushing the envelope on issues like residency might backfire. But who knows? You could be right! I hope you are. Take care and let me know if you learn more from your experiences.
@RetiredGlobalLife agreed, especially we continue to pay tax for both federal & states (which i always accept as part of a citizen's responsibility) - beside the states is the only country with the craziest & most outrageous cost for healthcare; every1 else is much more reasonable & even "cheap" in comparison 🙄
Thanks for the info. I am about to enroll in Medicare. I am Thai and currently retired and living in Florida. I plan to live part time in Thailand. I will make sure that I have A, B, C and D coverage.
Thanks for sharing! Heard about this too! But only under Kaiser! Theres a Hospital in the Philippines whose sign says that they accept KAISER at St Lukes hospitals which is one of our Top Hospitals in the Philippines! Thank you very much appreciative!
I have blue cross/blue shield advantage. I’m 70 and plan on retiring to Thailand in 3 years. Until then, I plan on spending 2-3 months at a time at my house in Chiangmai. I leave for Chiangmai this coming Wednesday for a month. I go without any travel health insurance but this would be a great way to cover any unexpected health emergencies while in Chiangmai. I’ll call BCBS before I leave.
I'm glad the information may be helpful for you. That's the intent, let everyone know they may have this benefit then explore it with their insurers. Best wishes.
Thanks so much, Tom. I hope it is helpful to you and I hope you share it with someone who can be assisted by the info as everyone thinks, no coverage outside the US.
I have medicare and bs/bc as a supplement paid for by my former employer (i am retired). I live in mexico half the year and have had to use their excellent private hospital system as well as gone to a general md. Upon my return to the states i submitted my claims to bc/bs with all the necessary paperwork and were reimbursed 80% no questions asked.
This is awesome info. I'm going to be in the Philippines and I will investigate whether this applies to the Philippines as well. Oh and I subscribed even though I am currently not looking at Thailand as my expat destination.
Excellent video! I am 68 and changed my Advantage plan this year to get better foreign benefits. I chose United Healthcare as - like in your video - it had no maximum on international emeergency benefits. Other plasn would only pay things like "what Medicare would pay" or 80% of what Medicare would pay. VERY IMPORTANT to look at the fine print! Got any ideas on good plans after 70? I hear it can be tough to get affordable coverage.
Thank you very much. I was planning only to keep plan A aa I thiught I could not use any part of Medicare while living in Thailand. I will be using our daughters home in Virginia. Your video on health insurance was also great
Thank you, doubly so! I'm no expert but I think you have to pay for B regardless, unless your income is super low then there is an exception. Remember Medicare out of the US is only for emergencies, and there are limits, like you have to pre-pay then get reimbursed, etc. So check and make sure what it will cover. Best wishes.
@RetiredGlobalLife thank you for your videos. These are a great departure from the standard "farang click bait" videos showing where they shop and the endless ladybar topics. My wife mentioned that you must be an engineer as you know how to organize your topics in a bulletized format. Great stuff.
Oh, OK so for REAL Expats, meaning they live out of country and they don't make a flight back to the US a couple times a year which is very expensive this doesn't apply and in fact could actually be more expensive. For instance in the Philippines (there's only a handful of good medical systems there) I can be a resident and get Philhealth and pay much less than this. Doing this would require paying for part B every month and about $4000 for returning to the US 2 times a year. So REALLY bad idea for people in my situation. I know to have about $10,000 USD in the bank for emergencies. That won't cover everything but it will most anything. And to highlight how bad of a deal this could get, if I bank what it would cost me to fly to the US 2X/yr AND I start with that buffer of 10 grand in the bank, in 5 years I have $30,000 in the bank. That pretty much DOES cover anything but very long stays in the hospital. Either way a common expense for expats in drugs. Yeah I'm better off with a local plan if it helps at all with meds. What you're talking about is really only good for people who live in the US for part of the year and you would keep those programs anyway. Also, if you plan correctly you get money in the bank if you plan to live permanently outside the US and it's enough to cover an emergency hospital visit so you should know what medical care costs. If the country you live in allows resident status AND that leads to better costs for medical care through some program that's a better way to go. The other thing for expats is don't have a budget that takes you down to your last dime. Every month you should have a few hundred dollars left over. This way you can bank that and build up that buffer. That's a much better plan that dealing with the cost and hassle of flying to the US from Asia which I HATE doing but you know, I have to. If flying to the US means you don't have money left over at the end of the month to go into the bank for other things then it's not a good plan in my mind. Banking money every month is important when living overseas.
Good post and good advice. I didn't say my idea helped full time expats, but it is info that can help a lot of people who are overseas but not full time expats. I just posted a new Medicare video for expats yesterday. Check it out.
But I was hoping for an Oscar, haha. Big thanks, Peter. I love making videos that can really make a difference for people. Hope to hear from you again soon.
If you choose the Kaiser plan, do you have to have a state ID where the kaiser is located? Could you have a Idaho ID but receive kaiser treatment on a regular basis in California?
You'd have to ask Kaiser but in my experience you must have an actual physical US address to determine your rate etc as it can vary by area and not all areas are covered by each HMO. In an emergency I can go to any Kaiser. I don't know what would happen if I tried to set surgery or something outside my area.
Please click SHARE to tell friends who travel and should know this. And I did a new video about our fight for FULL Medicare globally. Join the fight! ruclips.net/video/2kfJXs1_pQI/видео.html And please subscribe www.youtube.com/@RetiredGlobalLife?sub_confirmation=1 and don't forget to ring the notification bell so you are informed of our new videos. Thanks for coming!
Espírito da tania
We have a young friend who rented a scooter in Thailand and was involved in a horrendous car accident. Not only did he spend 3 months in the hospital with a severe head injury, he was given top-notch care, and he never had to pay a thing. I have also found the cost so low in Europe it is astounding. I wish the United States of America would treat our citizens as well.
Healthcare in US is a for profit business, it’s hard to prioritize people’s health with such model.
Thanks for the post! Best wishes.
Single Payer systems where the government owns the patient's health success for life, prioritizes prevention and long term improvements. If you keep voting Republican in the US, you won't get that approach as they are funded by the Insurance and Pharma industry. You'll know they are corrupted by campaign funding when you hear them incorrectly stigmatize single payer goverment healthcare as "socialism", while they enjoy that care themselves. Stop dirty money, writing public policy via these Republicans. Watch your Social Security and the Medicare you have left as the top GOP have often claimed they will cut these "entitlements". Yet they have the nerve to lie about that in a state of the Union Speach interupting the President speaking....Heaven help the US.
I live in Europe. For most medical procedures the cost is trivial in the public system. Yet everyone I know has private (at for-profit hospitals) insurance because of the long waits. In general, the state of the art in Europe lags the US. For simple procedures it doesn’t matter. But in rapidly changing fields, if you want the best chance of success it’s better to be in the US.
We hated the US medical system because it was too expensive and complicated. Our insurance premiums were sky-high because we were forced to subsidize other enrollees and pay for coverage we didn’t want but the government mandated we have; e.g., pregnancy.
@@commocean I think you lived in a country in Europe, not Europe unless you were always traveling around. There isn't a single EU health program so your statement applies to a particular country.
At the end you contradict yourself because you say better to be in the US but then say it's too expensive. If the US was great you'd probably be living there. It can't be better and too expensive at the same time. It can be equally bad but in a different way.
I have health care in the US that's good and it doesn't cost me much for full coverage, but I'm still retiring to the Philippines, but I can become a resident there, get their health plan which doesn't cost much, have 10 grand in the bank and I'm safe for almost any event. I went to the hospital there in Makati and it's a good hospital, was there for about 3 hours, had a bed, was visited by a nurse 2 times and a doctor two times, had 2 fluid bags pumped into me via an IV and I paid $95 USD for the event. They also gave me some medication, I forget what but it was for the stomach. In the US that's an EASY $1500 where I live and if I had to pay a copay it would have been more than the trip to the hospital in Makati.
This is probably _THE_ most valuable USA-expat health care video I have seen all year!
Hey, you made my day! Thanks and best wishes. I just did another Medicare video yesterday. Check it out.
It’s very good information. I have Humana and it works well. Be sure to use the insurance for emergencies only. Plus you never take residency out of the USA. You must also have a delivery address for your medications, only in the USA. At signup a phone number is required. I still have the same phone number to keep the plan.
This information is correct, I was overseas, my appendix burst, and was hospitalized for a week+. My husband saw this video, I followed up with my Medicare provider and it worked.
I am so grateful to have found this video information, thank you.
Laura, I'm so glad it helped you with such a serious situation. RUclips at its best! You made my day.
Two important tips. I was admitted to an asian hospital late at night very ill. After 7 days, I was stabilized, but needed follow up care. I arranged admission to another hospital for surgical procedures, antibiotics, etc. I was there for 8 days and paid with a credit card.
When called my bcbs advantage plan to ask about coverage, the very nice lady asked me two questions:
1.For the first admission, did you enter the hospital via the emergency or the front door?
2. Are you living or only vacationing in Asia?
My answers: The emergency entrance and vacationing. I do maintain a US residence.
I was covered and reimbursed (eventually) for everything, including the second hospital care @ 80%. But only because I answered those two key questions correctly.
Mike that is really helpful. I wish the insurers would be very straight forward and tell us more exact rules. I went in through the front door but I could see being brought in by ambulance is a super clear "emergency." But the second question is key. I wonder how they would reply if the answer was "I live in both places, just at different times, and remain a US resident." Smart answer by you regardless! Thanks so much for the info.
Thank you.
When I returned home to USA, the pandemic was in full motion, so that affected the coordination of my submission. I will go in person to a local office in Atlanta to speak with a manager soon. Your info gives me renewed hope.
Mike, can I ask how do you maintain a US residence - we just moved out of US 7mo ago and still struggle with this... we still use the address of the home we sold when we left but it's not ideal (DL expires in 2 yrs and I don't know what we'll do after that)...
@@yestohappiness2721do you have any family or friends in US? That can be a mailing address
I also have the advantage plan with Humana and I as my understanding that it’s only good for the emergencies and only if you’re a resident of the United States for me I’ve never asked for, and I don’t plan to ask for a retirement visa in any country this way my home is where my heart is and that’s the United States of America. I maintain a residence address with my brother and I do have personal belongings there and stay there also. I do return every year to the United States for my annual medical. It should be noted that all my medication‘s prescriptions and everything are through Humana and then they just they simply ship everything every 90 days and to my home address in the United States. Another item that’s never been mentioned on the flogs is that Humana provides a quarterly allowance for over-the-counter drugs or medication‘s the list is very extensive and there’s many items that you can pick up and it’s all free and they ship it to your home residence.
Great job, great info. My reservation is when it comes to calling any insurance company for information. What agent A tells you if often contradicted by agent B. And the insured is always the loser in the end. I trust insurance company customer service as much as I trust a politician.
You sound like me. Yes, all true. That's why I showed the actual pages of a policy re worldwide coverage. That was out of 200+ pages, yikes, so there could be contra language in there somewhere. All we can do is our best, right?
Agree.@@RetiredGlobalLife
Medicare part B bluecross advantage said i was covered as a tourist on vacation but not as a permanent resident of Philippines
I used the emergency services in the Philippines. Paid the bill and Kaiser Permanente refunded me when back in the USA. Excellent service. No quibble about paying it either.
@@garrylafferty100To be enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan you must be a permanent resident of the area where the plan is offered. That’s usually a few specific counties in one or two states. If you are a permanent resident of the Philippines then you aren’t a permanent resident of any counties in the U.S. where the MA plans are offered.
My wife and I have Medicare Advantage plan subsidized by my former employer as part of my retirement benefits. This insurance is administered by Aetna. We have used the insurance twice as tourists.
1) 2018 - my wife had a very painful ankle joint. I took her to Prince Court Medical Center in Kuala Lumpur. Bill was about $250. I submitted the bill to Aetna and I received a check for the full amount.
2) In 2019, I had severe pain in my right leg after a flights from USA to Bangkok. I went to Bumrungrad Hospital. Cost was about $400. I submitted the bill to Aetna and they promptly send mr a check for the full amount.
Excellent! Thanks so much for sharing. I love hearing stories that this little known option is known by people. We all just accept, "No Medicare outside the US." Best wishes and thanks again.
We also I have Medicare Advantage plan subsidized by my former employer uncle Sam as part of my retirement benefits. This insurance is administered by Aetna. We travel a lot to South America; I never submitted a claim to Aetna. Couple of time we had to go to emergency in Canada to hospital ER, our plan reimbursed most of the charges. Keep in mind that we're US citizens. It works only for emergency. It worked for us in Canada. I had to go to Dentist for some tooth ache issue (emergency) in Canada about 20 years ago, BlueCross paid for my claim. Finally I say that It works only for emergency nothing else.
@hanson: You had leg pain from sitting for a long time on air flights. It is common that you may have had blood clots that had yet to move. Lucky you. I hope you don't just sit on flights, but get up and walk the ailes.
@@really2345 or wear compression socks. A must.
@@really2345 wearing compression socks on long flights really helps too. They are a major pain to put on and a bit uncomfortable to wear for such a long time, but in my opinion the benefits outweigh the liabilities.
This video is very useful. I work in Medicare and was not aware of this benefit. Thank you for sharing
My pleasure! Thanks for commenting.
Excellent and helpful information, thank you
Thanks, James. (:
Thank you for acknowledging not all expats are full time like nearly all the other expat videos. This is very helpful for us who live between USA and Thailand (or others). Good job
Nice to hear from you, Timothy, and thank you!
Thank you. I have Aetna advantage and just looked for foreign emergency care in benefits and I'm covered as you stated.
Great. I'm glad it was helpful. Share it with others so they can learn as well.
This is the most useful information I had on a you tube channel, thanks
So nice of you, Jose. Thanks.
Amazing information. Nobody on RUclips has brought this up before. This is HUGE news! Wow, thanks !
Glad it was helpful!
Another great video on an extremely important subject! Thanks for taking the time and effort to research this complex subject and explaining it so well!
You are not kidding! Medicare is sooooo complicated. Thanks for the nice comment! Always a pleasure to hear from you.
Agree, last year my friend on Medicare Advantage plan on Kaiser plan had a emergency admission while staying in Seoul, Korea for two nights. His hospital expense was fully reimbursed by Kaiser upon returning to California. K. Wooh, M.D.
Thanks Ken! Great to hear it is working for others.
Thank you. I never heard this info on any other site. I am not a fan of Advantage Plans, however if I plan to get most of my care overseas, it's disadvantages become less important. Well done.
You are 100% correct. Some negatives in the US, although I'm very happy with Kaiser, but as you say - it becomes moot if you are using it overseas with your own selected doctor / hospital. Thanks for the comment and hope to hear from you again.
Just a heads up for you these plans require you to have an emergency to use them overseas. I have Humana and it’s only good if it’s an emergency and you’re in the hospital. I think you must be admitted for maybe three days on Humana. I am 70 years old and I’ve had it from nearly when I turned 65. The Humana sales person came by the house for a presentation. Lots of Q &A.
January 2024, I'll start medicare. I chose The Plan G route vs. Advantage however, given your scenario you fared better with Kaiser Advantage. Domestically I find HMO's (Advantage Plans) wholly inadequate and would just rather pay for travel insurance. This choice is purely subjective with no right or wrong answer. Great topic!
Yes, some people detest HMOs and I fully understand. I'm out of the US so much that it does not affect me much and I've had great luck with Kaiser. But you chose will with Plan G I think, a good Supplement plan. Be well!
G supplements also give you international coverage on a reimbursement basis for 80% of the cost. I know mine does, but it has a $50,000 lifetime limit. Check you plan G coverage, you may be pleasantly surprised.
Kaiser has a very generous Advantage Plan. Very very small out of pockets. I had cataract surgery in both eyes before I came to Phuket. My total out of pocket for BOTH eyes, $200 USD.
@@todddunn945I was told by Medicare that they decide what they will cover when you’re overseas
@@johnurban7333 My understanding is that coverage under a Medicare supplement pan is limited to emergency only. Basically, those plans are not designed for the expat. They assume that you are out of the country for a short stay only. Medicare itself (Part A and B) does provide coverage for foreign medical on a case by case basis. My understanding is that such coverage is generally limited to emergency coverage where a foreign hospital is closer than a US hospital (i.e., mostly in a few isolated places along the border with Canada).
Medicare Advantage plans, which are actually private insurance that replaces Medicare, can provide whatever coverage they want since they are a private replacement for real Medicare. Given that Advantage plans often deny coverage for people at US hospitals, I would not assume that you will be covered for any given procedure. You will definitely need a prior authorization with a Medicare Advantage plan with the possible exception of a real emergency (heart attack, etc.). Also every Medicare Advantage plan is different so if you have an advantage plan, check with your specific plan. If an Advantage plan finds out you are an expat and live outside the US they will almost certainly cancel your coverage.
Was in the Philippines for 4 months and had no medical emergencies however was worried about what might happen. Really appreciate this information
Thanks, Paul. Did you find a place in the Philippines that you really liked?
TO qualify you need to enter thru the ER door
Very useful information for retired slow travelers! Thank you so much!
Thanks. Yes, slow travel is great.
We have Kaiser Medicare Advantage in Washington State and checked before getting it and was assured that our plan covered an “emergency” overseas.
Glad to see it is true! When I asked about time out of the country, they said our plan did not specify a time that I could or could not be out of the country. I will now double check that. Thanks for the video.
Yes, they don't give many details on this one issue important to us. I'd guess you will find it is 6 months for KP, but good to check. Best wishes.
@@RetiredGlobalLife I always thought we would never get any Medicare or any benefits if out of USA. But you made me realized I might be wrong. But Thailand's insurance plans are cheap for expats aren't they as I met a lot of american seniors in bars and other areas?
Another Kaiser Senior Advantage Plan member thanks you.
Let's start a club! Haha. Thanks and I hope the video proves helpful. Take care.
Just subscribed to your channel today. Although more than 12 years away from retirement, I am doing research on medical insurance coverage when I travel outside the US for prolonged period of time. Your video is very helpful, and I will definitely give Kaiser a call when I retire to make sure they still provide worldwide emergency coverage if my outside stay is < 6 months. I agree that it is not fair that medicare does not directly cover people oversea, as we have paid our tax entire life for this benefit, whether you live abroad or not. Perhaps one day a conscientious politician will advocate for American who want to retire outside the US for medicare coverage, which I doubt will happen.
I did a video just about starting a movement to get coverage outside the US and why it made sense. Check it out and join the movement! Glad to have you as a new viewer and hope to hear from you again. BTW, many companies offer this option, not just Kaiser, and even they may depend upon your USA region. So many variances on the issue.
You don't have to be 12 years away. Go for happiness first... many young expats working remotely!
Great info, I lived in Chiang Mai ( Ruamchok Mall area) for 18 months, I just turned 65, returned to the US and signed up for Kaiser Advantage. It’s good to know if I had an emergency once I go abroad next year it looks like emergencies may be reimbursed. Just discovered your channel and subbed 🙏
Thanks! How are you dealing with Kaiser's (likely) requirement of a US residency? Do you keep an address there? And return home every six months? It's too bad their policies are not more detailed on this issue for those of us overseas a lot.
@@RetiredGlobalLife I use my ex-wife’s address for my residence (domicile ), it’s required for many things, SSA, CC’s, IRS etc. This is my first time back in 1.5 years. IDK how they would know if you come back every 6 months or not. Not sure how I will proceed in the future, maybe come back once year to have physical , see family and take care of other business and personal commitments.
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@@kbird529 the government knows when you are coming and going, so they could check if they wanted to.
On the other hand, healthcare abroad is much cheaper for them, so they probably won't bother.
I travel frequently out of the country and have had to access medical care while traveling. In addition to Medicare, I typically purchase travel insurance at the time I purchase the ticket. This is a very inexpensive option and provides great additional coverage. The one time I had to access significant medical care, it was necessary to pay upon discharge, as you mentioned. However, reimbursement from Medicare and travel insurance was prompt and easy. Just a thought…
Travel insurance is certainly not a bad idea but many have no idea they have this option for international medical care. For people staying out of the country for 6 months or so, travel insurance is not too feasible financially.
You re genuinely loving and helping people. Subscribed!❤
Wow! Comment straight to my heart! Thanks.
Something similar happened to me in South America. I was on a 3-week vacation and ended up in the ER at the hospital in Quito, Ecuador. Fortunately, the bill was cheap. I too have Kaiser and all I did was submit the paperwork, bill, and proof of payment and they promptly paid me back. No questions asked. Like you, it was an ER visit, not routine or follow-up care. So always good to know when traveling.
Great to hear. Thanks!
Very helpful and informative! Liked; shared & Subcribed.
Big thanks, Melody! See you here again soon.
Good info, thank you. I am so grateful I have Tricare International from my USA military service only costs $14 USD per month. Only drawback is I have to pay and then submit the claim online for re-imbursement. And hey Joy looks like a joy:):):)!!!!!!!!!!
She is and thanks! Check out our new video on the fight to get Medicare globally.
Thanks for sharing ! Is that something you arranged ahead of time ? I'm a veteran and with 100% disability and thinking of moving to Thailand permanently, soon.
Also trying to figure out if I can just drop my Medicare altogether?
Fantastic presentation! I have Humana. Everything you said, was right-on. There are so many other benefits. Some examples: All my pharmacy items are shipped to my address. They do home delivery or mailbox service. U.S. postal will not hold for a long time period. 75usd for over the counter drugs, every 3 months. The OTC drugs can be ordered from the internet. Humana required a home address and phone number. My residence is in the USA, at my brothers house. By the way I got stuck in the USA during the China Covid-19 lockdown. I caught the virus and ended up in the hospital. Humana covered the whole hospital stay. Another important point, is every policy is different by location of your home residence. Take care!
Great reply, Michael. Thanks. Check out me newest Medicare video for full Medicare benefits abroad. Let's fight for it.
Geat informtion. Another very professional and well researched video.
Thanks, Barry for all your compliments! Hope to hear from you again soon.
Thanks for another interesting insurance video. When you are over 75, insurance is difficult to find or extremely expensive. Even Mr Prakan wouldn’t offer anything.
Thanks for the compliment. Several of the policies you can, in theory, sign up for til 80. Why did they say you could not? I may know someone at Pacific Prime who you could talk to if you are serious about needing medical coverage. I assume you are in Thailand? What city? Reply and let me know and I'll ask my contact there if there is anything he can do. I can't promise but I do my best for all my viewers.
@@RetiredGlobalLife Hi, thank you for your reply it’s much appreciated. I’m actually in the Uk but travelling to Thailand soon with a view to planning retirement there.
What a revelation. Thank you. I am an ex-expat and use to only return to the US for my medication (3 month supply ). After pandemic, I visit thailand only twice a year for 2 months only on a tourist visit plus extention
Thanks, Clinton, for commenting. I'm glad it will help you.
As I understand it, Advantage plans are curated by each state. Thus, the requirement to have a US residence and the varying selection of plans/prices offered for each state. Also, there is a "loophole" for Plan B as well. If you are enrolled and paying into a foreign nation insurance plan, equivalent to "B" you would be able to enroll later in the US for "B" without penalty. But that qualification is evaluated on a per case basis by the SSA. Some plans offered within the EU may fall into this exception but consult with the SSA first.
Yes, there is the "credible insurance" option and what not... lots of details! Thanks for commenting and take care.
I retired from the US last year and am receiving Medicare. I'm planning to travel to Thailand for about 3 months and I'm glad I found this information really useful. Thank you !
I hope the info is helpful and have a great trip.
Wow.. I've got to do some research on this. As Americans, we're really getting hosed after paying so much $$ into Medicare. Thanks
Yes, not very fair IMO. But at least we can get this little-known benefit.
I have a Humana Medicare Advantage plan (CMS H1036 151) here in Mississippi, USA.
I have confirmed through their Summary of Benefits that they DO provide Worldwide Emergency Coverage.
"Humana's Medicare plan will cover emergency inpatient, ambulance and doctor services necessary to prevent death or serious impairment of health."
Thank you so much! All the best.
Great! Make sure you go to an actual emergency room, not a dr for the "emergency" or they will not categorize it as such. And find out how long you can be away from your US address.
@@RetiredGlobalLife I will thanks again.
Thanks for sharing. I am on the same Kaiser Senior Advantage program. But you know, now that you've spilled the beans and the secret, I hope Kaiser doesn't get wise to it, people DON'T ABUSE the system -- and that a good thing going will backfire in the future.
Most Advantage C plans offer it so it's not a secret, just not advertised it seems.
They'd be dumb not to. It costs them a fraction of the cost to pay for Thai medical costs. Hell, they should encourage you to get all your care in Thailand.
Thanks! Help me get the work out. Or nothing will happen.
This is exactly why I do Kaiser. I have homes overseas, and a US home. so I’m not a tourist, not a full time expat.
Lots of us in that boat. A pretty nice life, huh?
@@RetiredGlobalLife trying not to take anything for granted, lol. you're right. for a specific subset of us medicare advantage is the better choice.
good info. I am a dual citizen of us and eu and know nothing about it. This gave me some insight Thank yoyu
Thanks, Vincent. Hopefully you get a better deal in the EU.
This is news to me, as I worked for a Medicare Advantage plan as a Nurse Care Manager (I'm underaged for retirement). Maraming Salamat po. Subscribed.
Thanks for commenting. Well, check it out and get back to me. (:
Well done video, beautiful place you have in San Diego 😀
Very nice of you. Thanks for both compliments!
@@RetiredGlobalLife many blessings to you and 😊 Joy.
Thanks for the great information. We are planning to slow-travel SE Asia next year and have been worried about emergency and/or urgent medical care while out of the USA.
Slow travel! The way to go!
That's great info. Thanks! I'm a few years from the Medicare scene but here is my recent experience with insurance in Thailand. My wife and I traveled to Thailand, her home country, to get better recovery treatment after a major surgery. We went through Bumrungrad hospital. They were top notch and very helpful. But even though they said they took our insurance we still had to pay up front and claim through our insurer later. It all worked out OK as there was not much of a problem once the paperwork (the worst part!) got straightened out. Still seemed kind of weird that the hospital says, yeah we take insurance but pay us first anyway. lol.
Glad it worked out! Yes, it is often pay and claim overseas.
bcbs and some fehb policies offer limited direct billing/payment arrangements but most carriers require that the patient pay first and then seek reimbursement for overseas care.
I used my Humana Advantage plan when traveling in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, when I was admitted to a hospital through the emergency room for I’ve antibiotics for cellulitis.
HI Lawrence, sorry to hear about the hospitalization but so glad to hear the Humana Advantage plan did just what I'm telling people about - international emergency care. Best wishes.
My wife (Thai/US citizen) and I are both on Medicare and Medicare Advantage through my former employer. We traveled to Thailand last year and I bought travel insurance for both of us. Five days before leaving Thailand, I broke my hand badly in Chiangmai Mai. I had it treated in a private hospital there - they did a good job and the bill was $450. I waited til I got home to file a claim with the Thai insurance company (MSIG Insurance) - they wanted full receipts, a copy of my thai bank book (I don’t have one), a copy of my boarding pass (threw it away when I got to the US) and everything had to be mailed to Thailand. They would not do anything by email. I asked them a few questions but they didn’t respond. I was ready to say “F” it but my wife suggested I contact our US insurance carrier. They promptly reimbursed me. I’ll still probably buy travel insurance next time we go to Thailand, but if I need to apply for reimbursement I’ll be sure to do it before I leave the country.
Here is a tip. Buy your travel insurance through Smartmouth.com or InsureMyTrip.com. When the insurance company screws you, you can go to one of the above and they will give hell to the insurance company, and the companies listen because they want these big brokers to sell their policies. Just a suggestion. I hope the hand is okay.
Why didn’t the private hospital bill your Thai Travel Insurance directly instead of paying out of pocket at time of service?
On my first trip to Thailand I had a heart attack and received excellent care in Sakon Nakhon. I had consulted with my insurance carrier, Blue Cross before leaving the USA and was informed that if I had an emergency while away from the USA I should be sure to go to an emergency room to be covered. Like you, I had to pay for services out of pocket and this wad required before I could check out. My family and the hospital staff had tried everything to contact Blue Cross as I had bean informed prior to travel, but it was impossible to get their help. I submitted all documentation and billing three times after returning home only to be ignored by Blue Cross, and still have not been compensated nearly 4 years later. I will retire shortly and plan to move to Thailand but keep Medicare. I will get Plan C as you explained so well.
Sorry about your experience. What type of plan did you have that they ignored your claim? And remember the Advantage plans may not stretch for those fully out of the country. Check your policy and with your insurer. It's a mystery what connection they require with your US state when you stay mainly out of the US.
What is plan C? He mentioned Medicare Advantage thru Kaiser!
@@RetiredGlobalLife health insurance is state-licensed & -regulated. routine u.s. health insurance policies are obviously domestically focused and might only cover urgent care rendered overseas for trips of a certain length, maximum is generally six months. there is an administrative appeal process, usually described in the policy documents or by the state insurance commission. medicare-related plans, tricare, fehb and champva are also federally-regulated.
Good info, new subscriber. I turn 65 later this year and divide my time between Bangkok and SoCal. I've been a KP member for years and was reimbursed for a small issue that I went to urgent care for at a private hospital here in BKK last year. Very easy, no issues. But also later this year I plan on going mostly full time in Thailand. I plan on keeping a CA mailing address and DL etc., just no official residence, at least initially. I will still be returning to the US for a month or two at a time, but if things go as planned, I will definitely be out of the US at least 9 or 10 months out of a year. I am 99% sure I will go with Kaiser advantage at least for the first year because there are so many moving parts at this stage for me that I don't think there is any one perfect answer to this issue. As an aside, both my parents were Kaiser advantage and we were mostly happy with the care (including hospice) they received (and are still receiving in mom's case).
Your life sounds like mine with the SoCal and KP connections. I do the same. I hope Kaiser never gets to strict on how long we can be out of the country. I guess the would not even look into it unless the foreign bill was huge.
respectfully, if you own no california home but retain a california d.l., voter registration, mail address, social security/medicare address, banking, will, personal items storage unit, etc., then you have constructed your “official residence” as california. separate the idea of home ownership from “official residence,” a term which really doesn’t exist in usa. you might consider changing all the above to a tax-free state and visit california as you please. think as does a long-term rv-er, yacht-er or a retiree who moves to another state to be closer to grandkids, etc. all these folks can still visit california as they please. remember the usa isn’t thailand, japan or korea with a national household registry that establishes one’s “official residence.” the federal government doesn’t care which particular address you use, but you must have one according to your own various choices in life. it is the individual states that care about your “official residence” but essentially for state tax purposes. california might still care, but only for the danger of attaching real property in california to extract state taxes. if you own nothing in california what is there is to attach? your new state without state income tax has no real interest in your choice. the one glitch may be how kaiser permanente and /or your former employer handles benefits for a covered retiree who relocates to say another state. the medicare advantage plan specifically from k.p. is tied to your california zip code and is still an hmo, isnt it, so overseas care is considered out of area… what does the plan policy actually state? some k.p. medicare advantage plans are offered in some other u.s. jurisdictions besides california. i am familiar with folks who set up their new “official residence” in south dakota, texas and florida, that includes physical and mail addresses. for a california expat nevada may be a convenient choice. it will take some research and legwork, but it can be done and lawfully so.
Thanks for you time putting this informative video together. Nice to have all this info in one place. I was aware of US plans covering emergency treatment overseas for tourists, but wasn't aware of what the limitations were. My concern is staying in CA longer than 186 days, which would make me a California resident. How are you working out this issue with your insurance coverage and your house in CA? Is it a concern to you? I am trying to avoid CA income tax by not making the CA residency limit.
Good topic! I imagine it’s often a great deal for insurers when an emergency happens outside the U.S. as costs for most medical services are typically much lower than costs encountered in the U.S.
One way to look at it. (:
Excellent point.
Hi Randy, does the Advantage Medical plan for emergency claims only satisfy the Thai LTV application? Thank you and your great videos.
No, I don't think there is any way the government in Thailand would accept it. Besides the US insurer would never sign the form required saying they provide the necessary coverage.
More info for retired military: When using TRICARE For Life in all overseas locations, whether you live overseas or are traveling overseas, TRICARE is the primary payer and you're responsible for paying TRICARE's annual deductible and cost shares. If you live overseas, you must have Part B to remain eligible for TRICARE even though Medicare doesn't provide coverage overseas.
Yup, but once you get past your $3,000 share cost (I think is the amount), 100% coverage. And it covers not just emergency situations, so much better than Medicare even under Advantage plans. Congrats for having it.
@@RetiredGlobalLife the tricare out of pocket thresholds only apply when medicare a&b is primary and tricare is secondary, i.e. in the u.s. otherwise tricare ends up reimbursing about 80% of the overseas cost 2-3 months after the patient files the claim. at least tricare imposes no dollar or time limit on overseas care, although getting care in the philippines requires multiple certification steps to prevent fraud. tricare customer service when overseas or during the claims process is slow and unfriendly. tricare will not attest by signed letter that it offers coverage for a policyholder so tricare is ineligible to meet the health insurance requirements for certain thai visas. tricare isn’t bad at all, but could be way better at no real extra cost to the policyholder or taxpayer.
Do you know if that's the same if you're 100% VA disability? Thanks for sharing !
Great info 👍🏼 and Thanks for informing everyone who is in our “golden years” My wife and I are both retired and live in Massachusetts and travel abroad frequently to visit our children and families who live all over the world in Europe, Asia and Canada. We are both on Medicare (A, B and the Advantage plan from our HMO, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, It is called HPHC-Enhance) plan offered by my former employer, (Harvard) for Medicare enrollees. This plan also covers and reimburses cost for worldwide emergency and urgent health care upon pay first and then get reimbursed on submission of hospital and health related costs receipts.
BCBS of Massachusetts also has a similar plan Called BCBS-Advantage-Plus and last year we had that with 80% reimbursement and a $250 deductible cap.
Upon my research and asking the employers benefit office I was told in verbal and in written materials (brochures and pamphlets) from BCBS-Mass and HPHC that the most important “procedural” thing is, as you pointed out…
1) It must be an Emergency AND you must go to an emergency room first. Then any and all hospital and healthcare costs will be covered.
2) keep all your receipts and records the hospital/doctor give you and submit these with your insurance claim.
BCBS-Mass even has a list of hospitals in many countries that are on their list of approved hospitals for reimbursement coverage.
Given the significantly low healthcare costs in many Asian and European countries it’s not a surprise that the healthcare insurance and many HMO’s companies have these “attractive” incentives to attract retires to their Part-D Advantage plans, though they don’t advertise or even mention it to the general 65 plus public.
Great and thorough comment. Thanks!
At 78 years old I never found a health insurance plan that would cover me. Seems like over 75 is the cut off age for health insurance. So I stayed with my Advantage Plan just in case I do have an emergency (my insurer did tell me they would cover me). I was never told that I had to be someone who returned every six months, which is a good thing as I have to plans to return in the near future.
Just as an aside I also found out neither my wife nor I could get a bank loan here in the PH due to my age. Also I hope everyone is calling or emailing their Congressional delegation to have the current bill in the House that will repeal having to pay income taxes on your Social Security income.
Great to hear from you Anthony? Yes, check with your carrier if there is a max lengthh to your out of US time. I'm curious, did you tell them you are basically living out of the US permanently and they did not care? Or did you just keep mum about that? I have no idea how insurers would react if told bluntly we now live outside the US but just keep the coverage going despite no longer really a US resident.
@@RetiredGlobalLife I was in the US at the time and didn’t know I would be a permanent resident in the Philippines so I never brought it up. Also, it seemed to be a source of confusion for the agent and his supervisor on the other end of the line since all they seemingly could do is read the one or two lines in the policy without really knowing anything. So I probably didn’t want to muddy the waters.
Yes, I know the feeling. When I called reps of the companies for this video, none had heard the question before. It's like it's in the policies but they don't know it.@@anthonykeller5120
It really sucks that I was in the healthcare field for 39 years and still know nothing about insurance. And yeah every person I talk to in the insurance industry told me slightly different things.
Thank you sir! This is absolutely crucial information!
Glad it was helpful!. Please join the effort and share the video all over the place, your Facebook, etc. We have to get the word out.
@@RetiredGlobalLife I will. BTW, I just found out that my Medicare supplement plan through Manhattan Life will cover me for emergencies abroad. I'll double check the information to confirm it. This might be because I got a plan F.
@@DanielFernandez-jv7jx Yes, did you see my video on Medicare Loopholes? I taoked aobut plans C and G mainly but there are several, although offers a higher cap and some stuff mentioned in the video. Maybe you've already seen it. Congrats on getting the good news. Make sure if you use it to go to a hospital emergency dept not just a dr, to show it is an "emergency" to be covered. Take care.
I'm in the same situation as you are, going back and forth between the US and Thailand and I have Kaiser! Actually I did ask them about this a few years ago and they did say 6 months, but since it was verbal, I wasn't counting on it. Actually I’m thinking about getting travel medical insurance as an added step, depending on how much it would cost. Thanks for posting this!
Yes, I think the Advantage plan should be extra, not solely relied on unless you are sure of your insurer. You could always ask the rep at KP to tell you the page(s) in their Evidence of Coverage it is addressed so you can find it and read it - or read the 200+ pages, 555.
Great video thank you so much, I have the same kaiser plan as you and I didn't know that it would cover me abroad. I'm so happy for your info.
Thanks, Richard. Happy travels!
Great to know. To date, I have never had to use my Kaiser Advantage on vacation out of the US, but I really appreciate this information!
My pleasure, Sharon. I hope it is one more piece of insurance to protect you overseas. Best wishes!
Good and timely info! We're currently in the change period for Medicare plans and I have a suspicion that this video will save me some money in 2024.
I hope so and glad it gave you some new information to investigate. Take care Mr. Bit Shot! (:
Very interesting .. thanks l you for the info.
My pleasure, Anna. I hope it will be helpful to you.
Valuable information to have Randy.....Good job.....
Ollie, born of camel but with wisdom of man and the courage and strength of Spartacus... thank you!
Thank You for the useful information. I am new to Medicare.
I'm glad it was helpful.
This is very helpful. I now live on my sailboat in the Caribbean and plan to sail to Thailand. Going on a visit from I/23 - 2.22 and plan 1 week in Vietnam.
Wow, MItch, rub it in... life on a sailboat in the Caribbean! Good for you.
Thanks for great informations , all the best ,
My pleasure and thanks for the nice comment.
You’ve (and Joy) helped straighten a lot of this out for me. Y’all earned a sub and I’ll get all Your video’s. Thank You!
Big thanks, Jeff, and thanks for joining our fight for international Medicare. Please get the word out by sharing the video all over the place. So far, I've been disappointed about the interest, but all I can do is start the movement.
Thank for this info. I was in France and had flu and admitted to hospital. I spent three days and paid 1800.00. I paid the bill. Now I know that Blue Cross could have paid me back. But that was four years ago. .
Hmm, who knows if there is a statute of limitations of sorts on it. But at least you know for next time.
I travel frequently to Idonesia (3-5 months at a time). 2 years ago checked with my Medicare Advantage provider - Aetna and they gave me advice that emergency care is covered but you must pay up front. This year I had a problem, kept my hospital and doctor bills and they did provide coverage. Again, this is a Medicare Advantage Plan and not just plain vanilla Medicare.
Yes, you know the trick! A way to get around Medicare's "no coverage outside USA" talk.
For my contribution: I had a stroke in Danang, VN. Hospital there wanted prepaid $2500usd before initial treatment, which we did. Five days of inpatient care, total bill was $4500. I have Medicare with BC/BS Federal plan, which will cover world wide and they paid almost the entire amount, reimbursed into my bank account in USA, I do have a permanent address there. My long term traveling suggestion with possible health issue is to carry cash, we do $5k pp, or CC with higher limit. Currently living in BKK. 😃
Great comment, Michael. Thanks for the detail and advice. Best wishes.
I too live in Thailand. In case of emergency, I preregistered a cc with Bumrungrad Hospital.
Great information, but the stickler is the need to pay upfront! Are there any travel policies, even one purchased in Thailand where the upfront fee is minimal for an emergency visit? My wingman during our two week visit in April was hit with a 9,000 baht bill to be treated for flu like symptoms. Just curious.
Most travel plans I see are pay and claim, but many companies say they have 24 hour numbers for hospitals to call them to verify coverage especially in big injuries. I would think the PPO type carriers, like Pacific Prime/Cross, a Thai company, would have the option of only paying what you owe if you go to one of their member providers.
Thank you for the information. I will plan my overseas trips now in a more educated manner. I had had an emergency in France. My husband paid for it. Medicare promised to pay back. They NEVER did. I was there for about three months.
Did you try to get it from Medicare, which would likely never happen as it is not covered, or via an Advantage or Supplemental plan where you'd claim via your carrier?
@@RetiredGlobalLife
Good morning, Randy! I think we tried it through Medicare and through Travelers Insurance, as well. It happened before the pandemic. Now we signed up for the Advantage and the Supplemental plan, too. Then we thought: "It never would happen to us!" Now we are not so sure anymore!
Tony from Chyaiphum...
Thanx for the link... found it.
Great!
Thank you very much for sharing your good information .
Thanks so much!. Check out the Medicare video I posted yesterday for global coverage.
Thanks very much for let me know about medicare for oversea. May God blessed you and your girl friend as well.
What a nice thing to say to us, thanks! And best wishes to you.
Thank you for great info for future retirees.
My pleasure!
That’s really helpful info, being 73, living in Thailand for years, interesting plans , those are all through the Medicare Advantage different plans?
Do these plans refund your Medicare Part B premiums that’s deducted from your Social Security ?
Many Part C Advantage plans and some of the Supplement plans (under many Parts) offer some international emergency care, all different). Only a very few have the program you are speaking about for refunding some of your Part B.
Great video. really appreciate the info. Wife and I are moving to Chiang Mai next May/Jun. we r not at age for Medicare yet but will keep this in mind once we reach that point.
Welcome (in advance) to Chiang Mai! I hope you love it as I do and you get in a comfort zone there fast. I hope our other videos can help you a bit. Best wishes!
Great job on this, Randy! Sounds somewhat hopeful (big fan of hope) and an antidote to the Medicare not traveling rip-off (not so much a fan of Medicare that way).
There are an awful lot of pretty nurses in Thailand... It's a tough life...
Haha, yes. I visited Bangkok Hospital in Chiang Mai and it was like a models convention. Glad the video was helpful.
I wonder if you have to go back to the states or just submit bills within six months. I don’t think they would check my passport. I do maintain a U.S. address
Thanks for the update
Hi Mark. I have no idea. This whole issue is quite nuanced. My concern is that insurance companies look for excuses to deny people, so pushing the envelope on issues like residency might backfire. But who knows? You could be right! I hope you are. Take care and let me know if you learn more from your experiences.
interested & following. thank you for sharing, i'm in the exact situation and will be making my selection within the next couple of weeks.
Thanks. Please check out my newest video about uniting to demand Medicare globally and why we should have it.
@RetiredGlobalLife agreed, especially we continue to pay tax for both federal & states (which i always accept as part of a citizen's responsibility) - beside the states is the only country with the craziest & most outrageous cost for healthcare; every1 else is much more reasonable & even "cheap" in comparison 🙄
Thanks for the info. I am about to enroll in Medicare. I am Thai and currently retired and living in Florida. I plan to live part time in Thailand. I will make sure that I have A, B, C and D coverage.
Thanks! Yes, check out the Advantage and Medigap plans if you want any possible international emergency coverage.
Thank you for your best INFO. This is very important for us, we also have Kaiser Permanente too.
So glad it is helpful! Best wishes.
Love this. Thank you❤❤❤
Very kind of you, thanks.
Thanks for sharing! Heard about this too! But only under Kaiser! Theres a Hospital in the Philippines whose sign says that they accept KAISER at St Lukes hospitals which is one of our Top Hospitals in the Philippines! Thank you very much appreciative!
Hmm, interesting. If you ever get the "accept Kaiser" details I'd love to hear them.
WOW! Thank you for this info. I plan to retire in Thailand and this information is very helpful.
I'm glad it could help and see you in Thailand!
I have blue cross/blue shield advantage. I’m 70 and plan on retiring to Thailand in 3 years. Until then, I plan on spending 2-3 months at a time at my house in Chiangmai. I leave for Chiangmai this coming Wednesday for a month. I go without any travel health insurance but this would be a great way to cover any unexpected health emergencies while in Chiangmai. I’ll call BCBS before I leave.
I'm glad the information may be helpful for you. That's the intent, let everyone know they may have this benefit then explore it with their insurers. Best wishes.
Excellent! I am in the same situation as you as partial expats as well.
I am glad it helped. Check out the Medicare video I did last week. Join the fight!
Really interesting info, thanks.
Thanks so much, Tom. I hope it is helpful to you and I hope you share it with someone who can be assisted by the info as everyone thinks, no coverage outside the US.
Great info and many thanks to you. On my first trip to Thailand I had an e
Thanks for the compliment! Best wishes.
I have medicare and bs/bc as a supplement paid for by my former employer (i am retired). I live in mexico half the year and have had to use their excellent private hospital system as well as gone to a general md. Upon my return to the states i submitted my claims to bc/bs with all the necessary paperwork and were reimbursed 80% no questions asked.
Great to hear it is working as it should!
Thank you for sharing this information. I have Kaiser Advantage as well. Continue your good 👍🙌
Big thanks, Gregory!
This is awesome info. I'm going to be in the Philippines and I will investigate whether this applies to the Philippines as well. Oh and I subscribed even though I am currently not looking at Thailand as my expat destination.
Thanks, Joe. Check out my newest Medicare video and join our fight for international Medicare.
@@RetiredGlobalLife you mean this one?
ruclips.net/video/2kfJXs1_pQI/видео.html
Excellent video! I am 68 and changed my Advantage plan this year to get better foreign benefits. I chose United Healthcare as - like in your video - it had no maximum on international emeergency benefits. Other plasn would only pay things like "what Medicare would pay" or 80% of what Medicare would pay. VERY IMPORTANT to look at the fine print!
Got any ideas on good plans after 70? I hear it can be tough to get affordable coverage.
75 is the real cut off it seems. A good agent is really important. Please check out my new video on uniting to get FULL Medicare abroad.
Thank you very much. I was planning only to keep plan A aa I thiught I could not use any part of Medicare while living in Thailand. I will be using our daughters home in Virginia. Your video on health insurance was also great
Thank you, doubly so! I'm no expert but I think you have to pay for B regardless, unless your income is super low then there is an exception. Remember Medicare out of the US is only for emergencies, and there are limits, like you have to pre-pay then get reimbursed, etc. So check and make sure what it will cover. Best wishes.
@RetiredGlobalLife thank you for your videos. These are a great departure from the standard "farang click bait" videos showing where they shop and the endless ladybar topics. My wife mentioned that you must be an engineer as you know how to organize your topics in a bulletized format. Great stuff.
Haha, close. I'm an attorney. Thank your wife for the compliment.@@chinesecrested9528
Thank You for information
Hey, my pleasure. I hope it is helpful to you.
Oh, OK so for REAL Expats, meaning they live out of country and they don't make a flight back to the US a couple times a year which is very expensive this doesn't apply and in fact could actually be more expensive.
For instance in the Philippines (there's only a handful of good medical systems there) I can be a resident and get Philhealth and pay much less than this. Doing this would require paying for part B every month and about $4000 for returning to the US 2 times a year.
So REALLY bad idea for people in my situation. I know to have about $10,000 USD in the bank for emergencies. That won't cover everything but it will most anything. And to highlight how bad of a deal this could get, if I bank what it would cost me to fly to the US 2X/yr AND I start with that buffer of 10 grand in the bank, in 5 years I have $30,000 in the bank. That pretty much DOES cover anything but very long stays in the hospital.
Either way a common expense for expats in drugs. Yeah I'm better off with a local plan if it helps at all with meds.
What you're talking about is really only good for people who live in the US for part of the year and you would keep those programs anyway.
Also, if you plan correctly you get money in the bank if you plan to live permanently outside the US and it's enough to cover an emergency hospital visit so you should know what medical care costs. If the country you live in allows resident status AND that leads to better costs for medical care through some program that's a better way to go.
The other thing for expats is don't have a budget that takes you down to your last dime. Every month you should have a few hundred dollars left over. This way you can bank that and build up that buffer. That's a much better plan that dealing with the cost and hassle of flying to the US from Asia which I HATE doing but you know, I have to. If flying to the US means you don't have money left over at the end of the month to go into the bank for other things then it's not a good plan in my mind. Banking money every month is important when living overseas.
Good post and good advice. I didn't say my idea helped full time expats, but it is info that can help a lot of people who are overseas but not full time expats. I just posted a new Medicare video for expats yesterday. Check it out.
Great video! 😊
Very nice of you, Chris. Thanks!
Thank you, very good and unexpected news. I’m leaving for Thailand Dec 1st and just paid a company $261 for coverage. I won’t next time
Thanks again.
Glad it might help you. Travel insurance does cover a lot more things though, so still a good idea.
RUclips video of the year, thank you!
But I was hoping for an Oscar, haha. Big thanks, Peter. I love making videos that can really make a difference for people. Hope to hear from you again soon.
If you choose the Kaiser plan, do you have to have a state ID where the kaiser is located? Could you have a Idaho ID but receive kaiser treatment on a regular basis in California?
You'd have to ask Kaiser but in my experience you must have an actual physical US address to determine your rate etc as it can vary by area and not all areas are covered by each HMO. In an emergency I can go to any Kaiser. I don't know what would happen if I tried to set surgery or something outside my area.
Great info. and I just really love Kaiser permanente
Thanks, Antonio! Appreciate it.