GinBoy2

I'd give it a 50:50 chance Been through three of them and this looks pretty much the same

The thing to remember about Thai insurance, is it's a true insurance system. The policy will increase exponentially every year because of your age, because the older you get the likelihood of you you needed insurance increases. Thats why Medicare in the US exists, it eliminates that exponential increase and caps it it regardless of how old you are So then you back to the thorny question. Do I continue to pay ever escalating insurance policies in Thailand, if you can even find anyone to insure you, or throw the dice and hope for the best Very few of us actually get through end of life without having some serious medical intervention

My point about having an Advantage plan, is generally they have emergency overseas coverage, which Part B doesn't, to get you fixed up enough to get home. As for Doctors not accepting Medicare, thats a nonsense. Most Dr accept Medicare patients, it's easy guaranteed money for them

Totally agree with this. The green card option is the objective one, tick the boxes and your wife will get a green card guaranteed The B1/B2 is subjective and you cross your fingers and hope for the best But if you don't really want to live in the US for the majority of the time, go down the green card option it's a limited time option. They will let it slide for a few years then the green card will be revoked

He kinda makes some valid points, and I think he probably validates why keeping an Advantage policy in the US probably makes sense. Stuff happens and in an emergency most Advantage policies will pay to at least fix you up enough to get you back home and utilize that Medicare Part B Interesting thing that he talks about Philippine Hospitals holding you hostage. I think any of us that have been in a Thai Hospital recognize the being walked to the ATM to get the cash before you can be discharged!. I have never been to in Thai Hospital, but my wife has for emergency surgery. Before she was discharged I was literally frogmarched to the hospital ATM and then to the cashier before she could be released

It is interesting, but the proposed legislation is simply defined at Philippines

So maybe Medicare should learn from Tricare where it appears there is no problems paying for vets healthcare overseas! Never have quite understood what the difference is, both government funded (subsidized) healthcare under a different name

That was actually a pretty informative video. I think it looks like Advantage overseas is pretty doable, and for your initial post JT, I think he pretty succinctly laid out why you shouldn't cancel Part B!

Like all insurance it's a crap shoot, you don't need it until you need it! The problem with health insurance is that dirty rotten truth is that the older we get the risk sorta rises exponentially every year that you are going to need that insurance. Roll the dice and hope for the best might be option, but I'm a little too cautious to go down the 'GoFundme' route. If you have Part B, keep it, it's the backstop if the sh***it hits the fan

Go to Medicare.gov, enter your zipcode and it will give you the options in your State. I'm not a dumb guy but the options are a little bewildering. I think I opted the best for me. Not sick, fairly healthy but I wanted something pretty seamless covers everything and in addition covers me in Thailand

Well California property taxes are all special due to Prop13 back in the day My ex wife, who I still love death, pays less tax on her three bed house than I do on my 2 bed condo's

True and the policies vary massively by State I was bombarded with mail and phone calls trying to pitch products. I ended up actually talking to folks who had the 'products' Who knew getting old should be this hard

I just tried to check it out and as far as I can see expats repatriating have no special exemption from the standard enrollment period, so get sick and want to come home for treatment, that's a problem. On another note, I have part C, an Advantage policy, costs me an extra $64 a month but fills in the gaps and gives me drug, dental and vision. But the interesting thing is it also gives me emergency coverage overseas for $500K, rather handy when I'm in Thailand

Doesn't bother me at all If folks want to hand over money good for them. But still seems crazy to me why anyone would hand over cash for someone dying. We all all die and you and your family accept that and make plans for it. In this case the ex wife of 24 years is even more ridiculous. Buy yourself a plane ticket if you care that much

Yeah I struggle with this whole Gofundme concept. Maybe some horrific incident happens I can see it. But people die, we all die, If the family want to go see the cremation all well and good but why should strangers chip in? Literally minutes before I read this i was on the Medicare website (US Healthcare for us old 'uns) looking at my payments. Maybe I should cancel that and just do a gofundme every time I go to the Doctors? Maybe it's a Brit thing which I don't understand, but personal responsibly needs to kick in at some point

Actually 'Spanish' flu originated in Kansas! The Spanish got an unfair rap for that The only reason it's called Spanish flu was that during WW1 Spain being neutral had an uncensored press and were reporting the epidemic, whereas other countries wartime press censorship suppressed the news

My recommendation without a doubt, Air Fryer We had a halogen years ago, but the air fryer is way better

The other thing that comes into my equation. I just aged into Medicare so I don't worry about healthcare, When we lived in Thailand full time insurance was already crazy expensive. Now I'm not sure that I could even get insurance at at any price Unlike many of you I do worry about health insurance and couldn't deal with the risk of 'self insure' which is a nonsense concept. That will bankrupt you in a couple of weeks if you get seriously ill. My Medicare Advantage covers me for our annual trip to Thailand so I'm good with that

Ok @frantick one last food thing before we revert to money. The Thai ladies here love Storming Crab at Rushmore Crossing, and I do too. Their fresh oysters are amazing. Of course my wife is tasked with providing the Thai chutney and chili sauce!

I like that, I'm gonna work on my job title before the next disaster. But for today focused on the fact I got a damn FAA audit today. I'm kinda feeling I'd prefer that parachuting into enemy territory thing!

Not sure if someone put a slide rule in my hands today I could actually remember what to do with it. The Texas Instruments Scientific Calculator transformed my college life back in the day. From the day I owned one never looked at a slide rule again

Now I feel a little sad Never held a gun, no secret agent, no crypto genius. Just a regular retired old crusty, albeit working as an airline grunt in my latter days I just gotta get an alter ego to compete! I have no stories of parachuting in to enemy territory to heroically rescue fallen comrades. Best I can do is get someones lost bag to them! So sad lol

Awful to say, but 'hopefully' he's just hooked up with some Thai 'honey', obviously isn't going to share that with the girlfriend or his parents back hone!

So this is another slightly off topic, but may be humorous, sad or just downright dark. I've been IM's with @frantick before his move to Rapid, I wan't him come work for me at the airport. I was telling him a couple of days ago the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally(google it) generally ends up with us shipping out a few dead bodies. Literally within 10 hours of my message to him, sure as shi++++t I'm shipping out the first one in the morning on the first flight to Minneapolis Middle aged men, motorcycles, alcohol, no crash hats, and general mayhem is never a good combo for life expectancy

I think we have strayed from @frantick money question!