Health Insurance for Old Gringos

[clooz]

My regular doc here told me last week that Hospital Italiano insurance has the advantage (over Medicus and others) that they are better organized at providing Rx's for long-term conditions. The example we were talking about was that they provide generic lipitor for 3 months instead of the usual max 1 month supply. So if you are on any maintenance prescriptions, I would do a price comparison for those meds at Hospital Italiano vs others and take this into account. Getting a new prescription and then running down to the Farmacia every few weeks is a continuous hassle here.

 

[nikad]

That's great information. Do you know the rates?

In November 2010 I was paying about $450 pesos per month for the TOP Medicus plan. Today it's $665 pesos per month (with the expat discount). There's no deductible for any medical services but I pay 50% of the cost of prescriptions.

I honestly do not know the rates, but it is typically cheaper than Medicus.

 

[rihornos]

I agree you can get Hospital italiano until 75 and is a very good hospital
Reina

 

[steveinbsas]

I really would be interested in knowing the cost of the "top" plan with Hospital Italiano.

As I previously posted, I pay $665 per month for Medicus' top plan (with the expat group discount). I am in the south of Prov. Bs. As. I have many doctors,clinics, and hospitals to choose from, and yes, I have to renew prescriptions after 30 days, but that's no big deal since it is so easy to see my doctor. Omint and OSDE are here but their top plans are much more expensive.

If I stil lived in CF I could pay even less with Medicus, but I would be limited to using their clinics...and they don't have one here.

 

[Edmund Pickett]

Thanks to SteveinBsAs. I went to UserCP and there is a section on private messages, but there is no "enable" button. However today I got a private message from BAExpats welcoming me to the site, so apparently my private messaging is enabled.
I too have lived in Mexico as well as Argentina. I found that in Mexico people wouldn't call me a gringo to my face, because the word is pejorative, but here in Argentina it seems that they call all white-skinned people who speak English gringos and there no hard feeling intended. I know a number of bilingual Argentines of British ancestry who call themselves gringos. I have never heard or read the word yanki or yanqui here. I suspect you would find it in nationalstic political jargon, as in "yanqui go home." I too don't care what they call me except for "norteamericano." Canadians, Mexicans and Guatemalans are all norteamericanos. Estadounidense is better than norteamericano.

 

[Utopos]

SteveinBsAs, could you please PM me the info for the expat health care plan? Or anyone who has received the information from him. It would be GREATLY appreciated. I have no health care and need it.

Gracias!

 

[steveinbsas]

Utopos, I sent you a PM.

Don't forget you can go to a public hospital and will not be charged, but a private plan will offer better care.

 

[TomAtAlki]

Instead of using the PM wouldn't it make sense to just give this important information to everyone?

 

[steveinbsas]

It will be deleted by the moderator...and the thread will be closed.

It's happened before.

 

[John.St]

Thanks to SteveinBsAs. I went to UserCP and there is a section on private messages, but there is no "enable" button.

Look under "Edit Options" http://baexpats.org/profile.php?do=editoptions