What’s my best strategy for health insurance for retiring in Mexico?
Yvon Marier - Travel Info Mexico
When retiring in Mexico, what we recommend is to have Mexican insurance and to keep your insurance in Canada or in the US as well. Travel Med EVAC covers your transfer from one hospital to another and if you have to spend 1-3 days in the hospital in Mexico before going back to the US or Canada, your healthcare insurance in the US or Canada will not cover your hospital fees, but your Mexican insurance will.
In addition, it’s good to have Mexican...
When retiring in Mexico, what we recommend is to have Mexican insurance and to keep your insurance in Canada or in the US as well. Travel Med EVAC covers your transfer from one hospital to another and if you have to spend 1-3 days in the hospital in Mexico before going back to the US or Canada, your healthcare insurance in the US or Canada will not cover your hospital fees, but your Mexican insurance will.
In addition, it’s good to have Mexican healthcare insurance for when you have minor injuries such as breaking your arm and other procedures that are not big enough to require medical evacuation, because you do get healthcare coverage for these.
Another thing to keep in mind is if you have healthcare insurance, you have to renew your membership every year. A lot of times, as they get older, people cannot afford to keep their medical insurance anymore. With Med EVAC YVON, as long as you renew your membership, you remain a member. Med EVAC YVON is not going to cut you off because you turn 75 or even 95. As long as you pay your membership, you’ll be okay.
As an example, I was talking to a couple the other day who stayed in Mexico for six to seven months and spent almost CA $6,000 (US $4,500) on hospital bills. They said that if they had bought a Travel MED EVAC membership for $300 and put $5,000 in the bank, they would still have had enough money to cover a day or two in the hospital and then fly back home.
Healthcare in Mexico is inexpensive enough to pay out of pocket without Mexican insurance. If you can afford to have both Mexican insurance and insurance in the US or Canada, I would recommend it. If you cannot afford to have both, I would recommend that you go with Travel MED EVAC.
Here at Travel MED EVAC, we had a couple of sad cases this year. For example, a lady asked me the other day if she could get Travel Med EVAC. I told her it’s not a problem. After talking to her for a while, she said, “I just spent five days in the hospital, and I need to go back to the US.” She bought airline tickets from Mazatlán to Mexico City, and then from Mexico City to the US. She passed away in Mexico City a few weeks ago before she could get back to her healthcare providers in the US.
(Child receiving care with Travel MED EVAC Insurance, Mazatlan, Mexico, pictured.)
There are over 450 surf spots in Portugal. We have over 300 kilometers (about 185 miles) of coastline. We have been a recognized country for surfing for many years. In 2011, Ericeira, which is 60 kilometers (37 miles) away from Cascais (near Lisbon), was elected second as World Surfing Reserve and the first in Europe.
I’ve surfed at Ericeira many times. Surfers use a lot of slang in their terminologies. But for the first timers, I can...
There are over 450 surf spots in Portugal. We have over 300 kilometers (about 185 miles) of coastline. We have been a recognized country for surfing for many years. In 2011, Ericeira, which is 60 kilometers (37 miles) away from Cascais (near Lisbon), was elected second as World Surfing Reserve and the first in Europe.
I’ve surfed at Ericeira many times. Surfers use a lot of slang in their terminologies. But for the first timers, I can tell you, you have all sized waves—you have lefts, you have rights, you have sandbanks, you have rockbanks. Each of these makes the waves different. People at any level of expertise will find waves in Portugal.
The ASP, (the professional tour of surfing, now the WSL-- World Surfing League) has one of their events in Portugal in October in which they get well known attendees like Kelly Slater, 11-time world surfing champion.
In Cascais, where I am, near Lisbon, we don’t get waves for two months out of the year, but there are always places like Ericeira and further north Aveiro or Porto, which are more exposed to the Atlantic Ocean and where we get mid-sized waves. The best time to surf in Portugal is from September to May; the whole winter and spring there are waves in Portugal all over the place.
What do I need to know about living overseas and retiring abroad?
Anne Gordon de Barrigón - Whale Watching Panama/Emberá Village Tours
The most important thing you need to know about living overseas and retiring overseas is to keep an open mind and be respectful to the new culture you are moving into. Always remember you are the newcomer and as such, it is up to you to adapt to how things are done in your new chosen country. Do not expect the locals to speak English and change the way they have always done things to fit your expectations. It can be a bit frustrating at first, and there is always a...
The most important thing you need to know about living overseas and retiring overseas is to keep an open mind and be respectful to the new culture you are moving into. Always remember you are the newcomer and as such, it is up to you to adapt to how things are done in your new chosen country. Do not expect the locals to speak English and change the way they have always done things to fit your expectations. It can be a bit frustrating at first, and there is always a learning curve, but keep an open mind and always be respectful to the local people and culture and it will get you where you want to go, eventually. It is also very important to make a very serious attempt at learning the local language and customs. Even if it is very difficult for you to learn a new language, it will make your life in a new country so much easier if you pick up the local lingo. You will find the locals will be very appreciative if you try to speak the local language, even if you are not doing well, they will help you if you at least try.
Have fun with it and be adventurous and respectful and you will have an amazing experience.
(Anne Gordeon's whale watching (and petting) tours in Panama, pictured.)
How good are the medical centers, hospitals and health clinics in Panama, and how close are they?
Shai Gold - International-Triage Medical Networks
Medical treatment in Panama is good. However one should keep the following in mind:
1. Rural hospitals and clinics in Panama have very limited capabilities.
2. The capital region around Panama City has an abundance of specialists and excellent facilities. At the same time, NOT all hospitals and doctors are "created equally". Some are excellent, some are average and some hospitals are to be avoided....
Medical treatment in Panama is good. However one should keep the following in mind:
1. Rural hospitals and clinics in Panama have very limited capabilities.
2. The capital region around Panama City has an abundance of specialists and excellent facilities. At the same time, NOT all hospitals and doctors are "created equally". Some are excellent, some are average and some hospitals are to be avoided. For example, our network includes some 200 of the top doctors and the following hospitals: Punta Pacifica, Centro Medico Paitilla, Hospital-Clinica San Fernando, Cuatro Altos Hospital in Colon; and my favorite for critical care cases: Santo Tomas Hospital.
3. Cancer care in Panama is VERY GOOD and quite affordable in the private sector. Most Panamanian cancer patients get advanced cancer treatment at the National Oncology Institute.
4. It is important to note that many doctors in Panama City who are in private practice work the morning shift at public hospitals. This ensures that professional skills are attained and maintained through volume practice in the public sector.
5. While 911 service has made big advances in recent years, if you live in Panama-City, I recommend having a subscription to a private ambulance service. SEMM is the largest company. For US $10 per month one gets priority ambulance service, at no additional charge, PLUS added value services such as home doc visit and administration of IV and injectable medications. Our network is very pleased with SEMM.
6. As an example of the quality of care in Panama, our provider network in Panama has demonstrated CONSISTENTLY good outcomes, on-par with the best hospitals in Miami. This includes complex cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, cancer treatment, orthopedic surgery, urologic surgery, medical intensive care and burn critical care. Newly available treatment capabilities include stem cell therapy; PET scan, non-invasive radio-surgery, 256 slice CT.
How much is it to build a house in Placencia, Belize?
David Keener - Vision Properties Belize
While the labor used to build a house is cheaper in Placencia than in the US it is certainly not as efficient and the cost of certain materials like appliances, lighting and plumbing fixtures are significantly higher than in the US. All homes we build are 100% concrete construction, which significantly reduces maintenance, and are designed to withstand a large hurricane, which significantly reduces the cost of insurance. However, the initial cost for a high quality...
While the labor used to build a house is cheaper in Placencia than in the US it is certainly not as efficient and the cost of certain materials like appliances, lighting and plumbing fixtures are significantly higher than in the US. All homes we build are 100% concrete construction, which significantly reduces maintenance, and are designed to withstand a large hurricane, which significantly reduces the cost of insurance. However, the initial cost for a high quality concrete structure is significantly more than a simple wooden home but is designed to last and all that we build.
Access to quality building materials at reasonable prices is also a major issue that can drive up the cost of a custom home. We have addressed this problem by having our own warehouse in Texas where we consolidate the materials that are not practical or possible to buy locally and ship full container loads of materials in monthly for our projects.
(Great room in the Villa Lazy Gecko, Placencia, Belize, pictured.)
For me, personally, yes, Nicaragua is safe. Nicaragua is ranked as one of the safest countries in Central America.
I've hopped on Nicaraguan buses, I've zigzagged across the country, and I've taken taxis in Nicaragua, alone, and I've never had a problem. There is petty crime all over the world, so I always try to use my common sense when I travel anywhere, be it in Nicaragua or even my in my home country. So far, I've had more problems in Canada. My parents had...
For me, personally, yes, Nicaragua is safe. Nicaragua is ranked as one of the safest countries in Central America.
I've hopped on Nicaraguan buses, I've zigzagged across the country, and I've taken taxis in Nicaragua, alone, and I've never had a problem. There is petty crime all over the world, so I always try to use my common sense when I travel anywhere, be it in Nicaragua or even my in my home country. So far, I've had more problems in Canada. My parents had their house broken into and my car was broken into in Canada. I've never had those problems in Nicaragua.
I'm a female and often travel by myself. I've never gone out at night, alone, anywhere in the world, but I have been out at nighttime in the streets of Nicaragua, and I've never had a problem.
When people ask me if Nicaragua is safe I say, "Yes." You just have to remember that when you’re in a foreign country, you have to be smart and safe.
I hear you are Belize bound. Maybe I can help. No, packing plates wasn’t what I had in mind. Sorry. Be of good cheer, though, that your porcelain will remain safely out of my CLUMSY hands.
Now then, let’s consider some handy things you may want to toss in that last box before you tape the top. First, have you included a goodly number of chains among your household items? You look at me wildly. Take it easy, now. I am not...
Editor’s note: We had the privilege in early March, 2017 to talk with Michael Eager. The Eager family is a bit of an institution in the Ajijic area, where Michael’s brother Mark owns a real estate sales company and Michael runs the business that started it all in the 1970s, formerly the Posada, and now the Nueva Posada. In this interview, Michael tells us the unlikely set of events that started it all when Ajijic was just a small, out of the way village and well...
I just want to bring up some information that very few visiting Panamá are aware of.
If you are a visitor, for the first 30 days, you are 100% covered with medical services, totally free of charge. This is a courtesy service provided by the Tourism Department.
This free coverage includes home (hotel) visits, hospital, or whatever you need to get better, and doctors speak English.
When retiring in Mexico, what we recommend is to have Mexican insurance and to keep your insurance in Canada or in the US as well. Travel Med EVAC covers your transfer from one hospital to another and if you have to spend 1-3 days in the hospital in Mexico before going back to the US or Canada, your healthcare insurance in the US or Canada will not cover your hospital fees, but your Mexican insurance will. 
There are over 450 surf spots in Portugal. We have over 300 kilometers (about 185 miles) of coastline. We have been a recognized country for surfing for many years. In 2011, Ericeira, which is 60 kilometers (37 miles) away from Cascais (near Lisbon), was elected second as World Surfing Reserve and the first in Europe. 
The most important thing you need to know about living overseas and retiring overseas is to keep an open mind and be respectful to the new culture you are moving into. Always remember you are the newcomer and as such, it is up to you to adapt to how things are done in your new chosen country. Do not expect the locals to speak English and change the way they have always done things to fit your expectations. It can be a bit frustrating at first, and there is always a...
While the labor used to build a house is cheaper in Placencia than in the US it is certainly not as efficient and the cost of certain materials like appliances, lighting and plumbing fixtures are significantly higher than in the US. All homes we build are 100% concrete construction, which significantly reduces maintenance, and are designed to withstand a large hurricane, which significantly reduces the cost of insurance. However, the initial cost for a high quality...
I hear you are Belize bound. Maybe I can help. No, packing plates wasn’t what I had in mind. Sorry. Be of good cheer, though, that your porcelain will remain safely out of my CLUMSY hands.
Editor’s note: We had the privilege in early March, 2017 to talk with Michael Eager. The Eager family is a bit of an institution in the Ajijic area, where Michael’s brother Mark owns a real estate sales company and Michael runs the business that started it all in the 1970s, formerly the Posada, and now the Nueva Posada. In this interview, Michael tells us the unlikely set of events that started it all when Ajijic was just a small, out of the way village and well...
