Poll: For U.S. social security recipients who reside in Thailand, do you use a U.S. or Thai address?

[Jingthing]

NOTE: Please do not vote in this poll unless you are definitely a resident in Thailand and have an active Social Security claim.

 

A simple question.

 

This is directed at people that are unambiguously living in Thailand. Not snowbirds. 

I'm not going to define it by number of days per year in the U.S. vs. Thailand. 

Just use common sense -- you probably know if you live here or not!

 

Americans living abroad with a social security claim are required to have their foreign address on file with social security.

 

Of course, many Americans living abroad just keep their U.S. address on file. It might be a house they own, friend, or relative, etc. 

 

Those with a foreign address on file must file Form 7162 ("proof of life") annually. 

 

Failing to do so results in benefits suspension.

 

Those with a U.S. address on file are not sent Form 7162 so they are seen as U.S. residents and don't risk benefits cut off for not filing that form.

 

Of course as it is required for Americans living abroad with a SS claim to inform SS of their foreign address, by not complying there could be a risk of problems if SS discovers you have been doing that.

 

So I am curious about what percentage of Americans residing in Thailand (unambiguously) with a SS claim are using a Thai vs. a U.S. address.

 

IF you have been using a U.S. address, what is the amount of S.S. mail sent to that address, if any?

 

Has any required a response?

 

Have you ever suffered consequences (such as benefits suspension) if SS discovers that you have been using a US address when you shouldn't be doing so?

Edited March 7, 2023 by Jingthing

[KhunLA]

Use Thai address & account for SS, and have DD

Use USA address & account (brokerage) for pension as required.

 

Only correspondence w/SS is 7162 & 1099 via mail (TH PO Box)

Brokerage all online. Pension 1099 to USA address, which I never see or need to ????

Edited March 8, 2023 by KhunLA

[frantick]

US address, only receive yearly 1099.

[Jingthing]

Hmmm.

I was hoping for a more robust response in terms of people voting.

Considering it's obvious that lots of Americans on social security are members here. 

It just takes a few seconds to vote and run. 

[nigelforbes]

There might be an anecdotal clue by looking at what Brits do, do they use UK or Thai addresses when dealing with government? Overwhelming they use UK addresses, your poll seems to point towards Americans doing similar.

[KhunLA]

3 hours ago, nigelforbes said:

There might be an anecdotal clue by looking at what Brits do, do they use UK or Thai addresses when dealing with government? Overwhelming they use UK addresses, your poll seems to point towards Americans doing similar.

Yank's Soc Sec isn't frozen if living overseas, so address is irrelevant for us.

[KhunLA]

5 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Hmmm.

I was hoping for a more robust response in terms of people voting.

Considering it's obvious that lots of Americans on social security are members here. 

It just takes a few seconds to vote and run. 

Apparently not so many, which actually doesn't surprise me.

 

No fear of consequence on an anonymous poll.

[Yellowtail]

I use my Thai address for SS but get the deposits to my US account. 

 

US address for US accounts and whatnot 

 

I get a few pieces of mail a year I guess, more now with Mediscare 

 

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by Yellowtail
PS

[Jingthing]

10 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Yank's Soc Sec isn't frozen if living overseas, so address is irrelevant for us.

Not irrelevant. 

Using a US address means the proof of life letter is not required.

Also I recently learned Medicare Advantage can be used abroad if you use a US address  

That's a big deal

Your address must be the same for SS and Medicare.

[Jingthing]

10 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

I use my Thai address for SS but get the deposits to my US account. 

 

US address for US accounts and whatnot 

 

I get a few pieces of mail a year I guess, more now with Mediscare 

 

 

Yes depositing to a US account doesn’t change anything as far as the SS address record showing you live abroad..

[KhunLA]

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Not irrelevant. 

Using a US address means the proof of life letter is not required.

Also I recently learned Medicare Advantage can be used abroad if you use a US address  

That's a big deal

Your address must be the same for SS and Medicare.

Really, thanks for that.  May have to change it back.   Wonder if they/Medicare, cares if US address with TH bank deposit of SS benefit.

Edited March 9, 2023 by KhunLA

[Yellowtail]

So if I lie about my address I might be able to cheat and get Mediscare to cover me in Thailand? 

 

Can anyone verify this? 

 

[EVENKEEL]

3 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Really, thanks for that.  May have to change it back.   Wonder if they/Medicare, cares if US address with TH bank deposit of SS benefit.

They (SS) don't care if you have US address and Thai bank for deposit.

[KhunLA]

1 minute ago, Yellowtail said:

So if I lie about my address I might be able to cheat and get Mediscare to cover me in Thailand? 

 

Can anyone verify this? 

 

Technically, if they wanted to, could check you PP, and see if you reside in TH contiguously for 180+ days.  I think that is the benchmark for resident, though stand to be corrected.

 

I'm curious if the DD to TH bank would nullify US residence with Medicare.

[Jingthing]

15 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

So if I lie about my address I might be able to cheat and get Mediscare to cover me in Thailand? 

 

Can anyone verify this? 

 

I verify this.

Advantage not regular Medicare. 

Advantage is private insurance. See my topic about it.

However you can only use parts of the benefits and you must select from a very limited set of Advantages insurers. You must not tell the insurer that you live abroad either. 

 

Watch the entire video here.

 

 

 

 

However using a US address and direct depositing to Thailand would basically be  telling them you're lying.

Of course Americans using the income method for retirement here do direct deposit to Thailand.

Edited March 9, 2023 by Jingthing

[KhunLA]

Just now, EVENKEEL said:

They (SS) don't care if you have US address and Thai bank for deposit.

But does Medicare care, as that would be the only advantage to changing back to US address.   IF, Medicare Advantage isn't silly price vs my next med oops ????

 

And if Medicare Advantage is deducted from my SS DD, that will affect my monthly retirement qualification for visa.

[Jingthing]

To use Advantage you must enroll in Part B. About 170 a month. That funds Advantage. Advantage will cost the full Part B cost or less depending on plan and your US zip code.

[Yellowtail]

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

To use Advantage you must enroll in Part B. About 170 a month. That funds Advantage. Advantage will cost the full Part B cost or less depending on plan and your US zip code.

So is anyone actually using it successfully?

[Jingthing]

To emphasize 

Your address record with social security and Medicare are linked.

They must be the same.

So they will both be a US address OR both be a foreign address.

[Jingthing]

Just now, Yellowtail said:

So is anyone actually using it successfully?

Hundreds of people in Mexico and Panama.  See the link provided above and watch the entire long video.

[Yellowtail]

Just now, Jingthing said:

Hundreds of people in Mexico and Panama.  See the link provided above and watch the entire long video.

I meant here. 

[KhunLA]

20 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

 IF, Medicare Advantage isn't silly price vs my next med oops ????

 

And if Medicare Advantage is deducted from my SS DD, that will affect my monthly retirement qualification for visa.

Scratch that idea ... have to be on Med. A&B (drug plan) to qualify for 'Advantage', so ~$200 a month for coverage, and they may require up to $8300 in copayment annually if and when using.

https://www.ncoa.org/article/what-are-the-costs-of-medicare-advantage-part-c

Unless something major, I can't get that sick here at a govt hospital.  If major med oops, as I found out, I'm 1.5 hrs away from a trauma center, so I'm toast anyway, or veggie if salvageable .... ????  No thanks .... DNR

 

I'll keep paying less than 2 months premium, for my full med check ups here, to catch anything early & treatable vs 12 premiums, with the usual, "may or may not cover" all your expenses insurance company.

 

@Jingthing Thanks for the info anyway ????

Edited March 9, 2023 by KhunLA

[Jingthing]

Just now, Yellowtail said:

I meant here. 

Not that I'm aware of.

The Advantage plans that work cover international travel except North Korea and Ukraine.

[KhunLA]

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Not that I'm aware of.

The Advantage plans that work cover international travel except North Korea and Ukraine.

& Cuba ????

[Jingthing]

Again using Advantage abroad only gets you limited use such as accidents, heart attacks, air evacuation etc. To use it fully you would need to travel to your US zip code service area.

[Sheryl]

4 hours ago, nigelforbes said:

There might be an anecdotal clue by looking at what Brits do, do they use UK or Thai addresses when dealing with government? Overwhelming they use UK addresses, your poll seems to point towards Americans doing similar.

On the contrary poll results show majority of Americans use their Thai addresses.

 

There may be different implications in doing this for Brits and Americans as, to my understanding, living abroad can affect a Brit's eligibility under the NHS.  Which is surely a big inducement to not give a foreign address.

 

Whereas Americans remain fully eligible for Medicare regardless of where they live. (Can't use Medicare to pay for care abroad, but can still use it on trips back home - as I do every year).

 

I believe there are also implications for cost of living increases to old age pensions for Brits if living abroad? Again, not the case for US citizens, out social security is same regardless of where in the world we live. And we can now get direct deporit of our SS into a Thai bank.

 

 

 

[Sheryl]

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Again using Advantage abroad only gets you limited use such as accidents, heart attacks, air evacuation etc. To use it fully you would need to travel to your US zip code service area.

And, most importantly, you must be resident in the coverage area of the plan (not just in the US but the specific state or group of states the plan covers) for at least 6 months of the year. If you are not and this gets discovered could disqualify you. But may account for the small numbers who prefer to use US address.

 

 

[Sheryl]

4 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

Considering your frequent criticism of expats using US address, saying it is fraud. I'm not surprised few want to share.

 

 

Hardly relevant when the poll is anonymous.

 

It has only been up a day, applies only to Americans, and traffic in this sub forum is not all  that heavy.

[Yellowtail]

10 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Whereas Americans remain fully eligible for Medicare regardless of where they live. (Can't use Medicare to pay for care abroad, but can still use it on trips back home - as I do every year).

Hello Sheryl, I started Medicare last year, how would I go about using it in the US in the event I had to? 

 

Do I have to be signed up somewhere or can I just walk it? 

[JustThisOnePostOnly]

7 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

when the poll is anonymous

I'd like to believe that.

 

In any case, and as a general comment, I desperately wanted to use my U.S. address, simply because that's the one I use for IRS stuff already, and because I will likely be changing residences in the future and then have to go through all of this all over again.  The fear there is should you slip through a crack in the process it is tantamount to potentially losing your benefit.

 

That said, I also had reservations about dealing with Manila.  But those turned out to be unfounded.  My application process went about as smoothly as could be hoped for.

 

One final comment: they will send mail to your Thai address that contains your SSN.  So if you have identity vulnerabilities, it's something to factor into your decision I think.