Any reasonable alternatives to relying on traditional health insurance?

[ArgentinaVet]

Reply to myself....went there....no no...nothing

I heard that Hospital Italiano is willing to cover senior citizens; I have no experience with this but Hospital Italiano does overall have a solid reputation. This is a link to their 60+ "plan mayor"

mas hospi

compartiste lo que queres

www.hospitalitaliano.org.ar

 

[Caribbean Cool]

I heard that Hospital Italiano is willing to cover senior citizens; I have no experience with this but Hospital Italiano does overall have a solid reputation. This is a link to their 60+ "plan mayor"

mas hospi

compartiste lo que queres

www.hospitalitaliano.org.ar

I was there today...I am 80....they refered me to the 'special number'....and assured me it would not be less than 12000 a month.

 

[ArgentinaVet]

I was there today...I am 80....they refered me to the 'special number'....and assured me it would not be less than 12000 a month.

Did you mean to write it would not be less than 1.200.000 pesos per month ?

 

[Caribbean Cool]

Did you mean to write it would not be less than 1.200.000 pesos per month ?

yes....

 

[Caribbean Cool]

Is there an equivalent to high deductible catastrophic health insurance here?
I'm a temporary resident and don't have insurance, and these stories made me realize the full risk. I can't pay for private health insurance, but perhaps there is a lower monthly cost plan that would allow entry to private hospitals in emergency situations, and afterwards you foot a large bill?
Now that I've typed that.... I highly doubt it.

Actually, there is catastrophic insurance. Not just a rumor.....I have it https://bankersfidelity.com/
You need to read the policy under a microscope. And use an address in a state where it can be sold. I use the cancer policy and the stroke/heart policy. The truth is....insurance is a dirty word all around the world and being over 65 will close many door, thus residency in my countries that used to be expat friendly are more and more limited. Soon we all be living in Mexico, close to the border and running off to Kaiser or other such place. Even with my medicare penalties under $400 feels like a bargain to get back into the system.

 

[Cambalache]

Hola a todos,

Tenía pensado preguntarles qué opinan del sistema médico público de aquí. Actualmente pago Swiss Medical para mi familia (esposa y dos hijos pequeños) aquí en Neuquén. Algunos amigos y familiares me han dicho que tengo un seguro privado "al pedo", ya que el sistema público de Neuquén es "superior" al de Buenos Aires. Por ejemplo, nuestra empleada doméstica tiene un hijo que recibe radioterapia cerebral gratis. Mi vecina acaba de dar a luz a su nieta gratis. Servicios que no podría imaginar que fueran gratuitos, ni siquiera con seguro, en Estados Unidos.

Hi! I just saw this and have a lot to contribute. I went from being a healthy person to having a pre-existing condition, and I've received medical care through all systems (private, through prepaga, and public).

First, I suggest you try the service at a public hospital and see what the care is like in Neuquén. Sometimes, there are places in the interior of the country where public care is better than in the capital. But generally, we're talking about non-complex health problems. For any complex problem, we often say "Dios está en todos lados pero atiende en Buenos Aires" It's common for complex health problems to require a trip to CABA.

Second: In a true medical emergency requiring hospitalization, the doctors who treat you in public hospitals are sometimes equal to or even better than those in private hospitals. However, hospitalization conditions can be terrible, depending on the location (public and sometimes private, if they aren't the best clinics in the country). And I mean, really terrible. To the point of affecting your physical condition and recovery.

Third: Keep in mind that if you purchased private insurance as a monotributista, this government changed everything with DNU 70/23, and now there are very few health insurance companies that accept monotributistas (and they aren't the best). Therefore, if you cancel your plan and want to return later, it may be difficult to find a good one that will accept you again.

In short, I advise you to keep it if you can really afford private insurance and plan to stay in Argentina long-term (especially in this context with this government).

 

[RichardAlem]

Obtaining quality health insurance here as an older person is a challenge. As a disabled vet with many injuries, I received a quote from OSDE in FEB23 of approx. $11,900 USD/month. And, that was negotiated by a friend who has a friend at OSDE. My previous price, from walking into an OSDE office on Santa Fe with my foreign accent, was even worse. The lady said that by law they must give me a quote and so she/they did just to get rid of me.

I still pay for Medicare Plan B in the US and I also pay my monthly Medicare Plan G supplemental. Because if I cancelled the Plan G, I would likely be denied upon trying to renew it. So, the plan is to stay here as long as possible and take care of myself as best I can. When my body fails, as it will, then the decision will be to return to Florida and utilize the VA + Plan G private providers. Until then, each additional day is a gift.

U.S. veterans with service-connected conditions should consider enrolling in the VA Foreign Medical Program to defray out-of-pocket costs and maintain connection. Reimbursement takes about six months.

Foreign Medical Program (FMP) | Veterans Affairs

If you’re a Veteran who gets medical care outside the U.S. for a service-connected condition, we may cover the cost of your care. Read this page to find out how the Foreign Medical Program (FMP) works.

www.va.gov

 

[Frinkiac8]

Obtaining quality health insurance here as an older person is a challenge. As a disabled vet with many injuries, I received a quote from OSDE in FEB23 of approx. $11,900 USD/month. And, that was negotiated by a friend who has a friend at OSDE. My previous price, from walking into an OSDE office on Santa Fe with my foreign accent, was even worse. The lady said that by law they must give me a quote and so she/they did just to get rid of me.

I still pay for Medicare Plan B in the US and I also pay my monthly Medicare Plan G supplemental. Because if I cancelled the Plan G, I would likely be denied upon trying to renew it. So, the plan is to stay here as long as possible and take care of myself as best I can. When my body fails, as it will, then the decision will be to return to Florida and utilize the VA + Plan G private providers. Until then, each additional day is a gift.

U.S. veterans with service-connected conditions should consider enrolling in the VA Foreign Medical Program to defray out-of-pocket costs and maintain connection. Reimbursement takes about six months.

Foreign Medical Program (FMP) | Veterans Affairs

If you’re a Veteran who gets medical care outside the U.S. for a service-connected condition, we may cover the cost of your care. Read this page to find out how the Foreign Medical Program (FMP) works.

www.va.gov

Have you used FMP in Argentina? If so, how is it? My understanding is it only covers service-connected conditions.
Do you have dependents, and if so are they on CHAMPVA? I am curious to hear any experiences from VA dependents with getting coverage/reimbursement for care overseas.