Travel Insurance with evacuation to use USA medicare

[liberty9133]

I am now 69 and have medicare and medicare advantage. I think I can use my medicare for catastrophic illnesses. If i get a good travel policy with evacuation to a hospital of my choice (this is an available option). ,I think i am covered for most situations if I move to Thailand. I have emergency cover under my mediare advantage policy. I am wondering if anyone else thought of this or has some experience with it.

I really could not afford to buy regular health insurance.

[DogNo1]

I too have Medicare A&B but not advantage and no health insurance in THAILAND (too expensive at my age.) I hadn't thought about buying a medical evacuation policy. Wouldn't that be very expensive? Incidentally, does it make sense to pay for a Medicare advantage plan if you're going to be living in Thailand?

[liberty9133]

You can get Medicare Advantage at no cost

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[DogNo1]

Liberty9133: Who is the provider of your advantage plan? Does it include part D? I suppose that only the plans that cost monthly premiums include part D, right? Without a plan that provides drugs, I will be out-of-pocket about $1000 per month or more. Now, I stock up on drugs in Japan for 30% of their cost under my Japanese National Health Insurance coverage when I return to Tokyo during the warm months there. Once I move to Bangkok permanently in 2016, I guess I'll have to pay the full cost here.

[mrjon]

I am in the same boat as you with the medicare and medicare advantage plus I lose my VA coverage (my primary) except anything related to a military disability, that comes out of pocket but is reimbursed. No matter what country one calls home it seems that in the matter of health care especially when one gets a bit older (and in need of more care) they get it shoved right up the you know what! I would love to line up all those responsible for health care policies and arrange for some "Deliverence" (bent over the downed tree) justice!

Had to rant a bit on this one, the cost of health insurance in this world sucks!

[1Ping1]

Liberty9133,

Great Questions in your Post, and much needed info for a lot of us to sort out.

I have emergency cover under my mediare advantage policy

I am curious about this. I had thought that the best of the add on medicare supplemental policies only covered emergency's for the first two months that you are out of the country. Meaning traveling, not living in Thailand as many of us are? Please someone correct me if I am wrong.

Also, for clarity for me, (yeah, always a problem), are you stating that you are buying a "add on" policy specifically designed to get you back to the US, (the emergency evac policy) so that then medicare can kick back in when transported back to the states. If so, and it is doable I also would be curious if others are doing the same.

I have medicare, then medicare RX, and pay for medicare United Health Care Supplemental plan F, one of the more expensive options. Yeah, I pay it up each year even though I live here as I look at it as a true "insurance" as long as I can make it to the states to use it. "But", as far as I know, as noted prior, plan F while it covers emergencies and evacuations, it only does so for the first 60 days that I am out of country. Meaning to get any real benefit out of it, I must first make it back to the US for treatment once this 60 day window has passed.

Would love to hear that I am wrong, or that you have figured out a way around this. I do pay 90k baht a year for "inpatient" care only here in Thailand, (Again, true "insurance" only and never had to use it) anything other than being hospitalized, I pay, like many others, out of pocket.

Would love to hear from others on how they are managing their medical insurance needs, and again, if yours is true evac insurance covered by this "advantage" plan.......

[Langsuan Man]

I don't see how you can get Advantage for free since it is a plan administered by private insurers in the US. Maybe if you qualify via your state or are a really low wage earner

The only thing that is free is part A and that is not really free if you think about how much you contributed to it while you were working

These types of problems should have been addressed when you made the decision to retire in a foreign country. At some point you should have done a cost analysis to determine if what you saved in living expenses in a foreign country equaled or exceeded what you are going to have to spend for health care, since only a fool will feel that their health is going to get better as they age

As far as "travel" insurance with a medical evacuation clause I am sure that those policies are only for a limited time, as if for a real traveler, not an expat retiring to Thailand

[DogNo1]

Sawadeka: I can afford to pay for my own healthcare when I move here permanently but I am searching for a way to defray the expense. I'm interested in your 90 K inpatient care insurance. I don't suppose that it covers long-term care too, does it? I am without any long-term care insurance in case I get senile or have a disabling illness. I do have a long-term care /home care policy in Japan but the care that you get there isn't very good. I'll be interested to hear whether anyone has cracked the health care/ long-term care conundrum for us older folks here in Thailand.

[liberty9133]

A bit of research would do all well. Here is what I have found. Ihave a Medicare Advantage policy at NO COST what so ever. It does have copays for various things like 275 for hospital per day for first 5 days and 30 copay for specialists. Also drugs are covered under Medicare Advantage. There are various copay schemes available. Go to Medicare.gov and find out what is avalable at your "permanent residence" state, county. If you want Medicare Advantage, you have to select a plan which INCLUDES prescriptions. Only Medicare Advantage does this.

YEs, if you tell them, you have only two months of cover.IF.

THere are various medical evacuation schemes. There are various resources for this. I do NOT have a good handle on this end of the equation. Thus the topic.

The covers are different also from company to company.

All these are one year travel policies which I have researched. All have some kind of evacuation The one choice that is absolutely necessary is evacuation to a hospital of YOUR choice. Some have medical coverage as well. Those plans are actually cheaper than health plans since they only get you from a to b. Catastrophic illnesses need to be covered under Medicare. This is all for the moment. Things look to be changing for the worse in the years to come.

[Mrjlh]

Here's just one...there are several including medical coverage.

http://medjetassist.com/

[1Ping1]

A bit of research would do all well.

Liberty,

as I noted prior, I think a great topic, and lots of info to share and learn by. "My Research" though does not match up with yours. As I noted, I have plan "F" in addition to part A and part B. And as noted, plan F supplemental plan does have the two month window for emergency evac. None of the others do "that I am aware of". Esp not the "Advantage Plan" that is a bare bones combo of plan A and B contracted out to private providers by medicare. Medicare simply pays the premium to another company and you no longer are dealing with medicare.

The "Advantage Plan" that includes prescription drugs is in fact free and does in fact include prescription drugs. What it it also is is a flat rate bare bones replacement through a private insurer of both the plan A and plan B medicare plans. Medicare simply pays them, then you get to fight with them instead of medicare to get what is truly "bare bones medical' and drug coverage. It is one of the cheapest options available as it includes prescription drugs and medical in one plan that do remember though, "replace part A and part B of medicares coverage".

I see no reason that this should be called the "Advantage Plan" (one hell of a marketing ploy on their part but I am sure medicare loves it as it gets them off the hook) as it is very limited, and does not cover near as much as other add on plans do. But, for some, it may be the best option.

The link below discusses the plan itself straight from the medicare site.

http://www.medicare.gov/sign-up-change-plans/medicare-health-plans/medicare-advantage-plans/medicare-advantage-plans.html

Dog#1,

Sawadeka: I can afford to pay for my own healthcare when I move here permanently but I am searching for a way to defray the expense. I'm interested in your 90 K inpatient care insurance. I don't suppose that it covers long-term care too, does it? I am without any long-term care insurance in case I get senile or have a disabling illness. I do have a long-term care /home care policy in Japan but the care that you get there isn't very good. I'll be interested to hear whether anyone has cracked the health care/ long-term care conundrum for us older folks here in Thailand.

I am struggling to attach the policy. The policy does provide "only" inpatient care. I have never had to use it, and that is fine by me, as noted, it is only good for if you end up in the hospital but then it does kick in for long term care. It also though still has caps, as with most but fairly high. AA Insurance Brokers, (hope that is ok to state on here) is who I was guided to. They are in most major cities. They offer half a dozen different plans based on needs and of course cost.

Your last sentence by the way says it all for me also. I think this is a great topic. One we do not like do discuss but one that we sure as hell need to. As you noted, "Cracking the healthcare/long term conundrum for us older folks here in Thailand. Well Said!!

This is from my policy through AA insurance.

ACS ASIA - EXPATRIATE HEALTH INSURANCE
THE COVERS F1b and F1c
Healthcare coverage
Level of coverage Module 1c and 1b Module 2c and 2b
Hospitalization (with prior consent)
Maximum limit per beneficiary
per year
Two options:
Module 1c - 500 000 USD
Module 1b - 1 000 000 USD
Two options:
Module 2c - 500 000 USD
Module 2b - 1 000 000 USD

As I noted, please remember, I have never had to use it. Hard to rank a horse that you have never taken out of the stable. All I know is that it is from a reputable company, and they provide international coverage for expat's around the world. In a pinch, as I noted, I maintain my Plan's A, B and supplemental plan F back in the states as emergency backup.

Would love to hear what others are doing as it is great to get this info out in the open to ponder what is best for us all.

[DogNo1]

Sawadeka: Thanks for the info. I'll checkout the policy.

[DogNo1]

Sawadeka: Thanks for the info. I'll checkout the policy.

[Langsuan Man]

I am still waiting for the OP to explain how he is able to get his Medicare Advantage Pla for free as he states in post # 3 and 9

I suspect that he did not get it free but a former employer provided it a part of his retirement package

[liberty9133]

If you check my further replies you will find that you go to medicare.gov . It is free to every recipient in every state . There are Medicare Advantage plans which caused a few bucks a month

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