Health insurance for elderly Americans

S

SKY

Gold
Apr 11, 2004
13,506
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judypdr said:
You do not need an address in the US to sign up for Social Security. You do need to provide a physical address in the DR for your initial confirmation notice and a mailing address to receive your annual form to prove your are still alive. I use my friend's P.O. Box in Puerto Plata. But my original confirmation was actually delivered to my physical address in Costambar by the Dominican Postal Service. A Postal Service worker came on motorcycle and actually handed it to me! I almost fainted. Yes, 65 is the age for Medicare. Just go to the website to review your options. I did not sign up for part b because I will not go back to the U.S. for any healthcare. I'll just receive my treatments here. I am happy with my doctors and my healthcare coverage here and the pharmacy is good at obtaining my medications for a blood cancer (incurable but treatable) and Parkinson's.
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Are you aware that every year you need to fill out forms when you live out of the US? If you don't comply you could be terminated. Check with SS on this because rules change all the time. But I know this was in force some years ago because I checked myself.
 
J

judypdr

Active member
Jul 23, 2011
558
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Yes, every year they send a form and I sign it and send it back. It's not a problem....Being out of the US also exempts me from having to have insurance under ACA (Obamacare) so I have not penalty.
 
Juan Bosch

Juan Bosch

Active member
Dec 8, 2015
443
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judypdr said:
Yes, every year they send a form and I sign it and send it back. It's not a problem....Being out of the US also exempts me from having to have insurance under ACA (Obamacare) so I have not penalty.
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No problem for me either. SS sent me the form of residency via email. I filled it out, took a picture then sent back via email with the attachment. Very convenient.
 
Juan Bosch

Juan Bosch

Active member
Dec 8, 2015
443
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judypdr said:
You do not need an address in the US to sign up for Social Security. You do need to provide a physical address in the DR for your initial confirmation notice and a mailing address to receive your annual form to prove your are still alive. I use my friend's P.O. Box in Puerto Plata. But my original confirmation was actually delivered to my physical address in Costambar by the Dominican Postal Service. A Postal Service worker came on motorcycle and actually handed it to me! I almost fainted. Yes, 65 is the age for Medicare. Just go to the website to review your options. I did not sign up for part b because I will not go back to the U.S. for any healthcare. I'll just receive my treatments here. I am happy with my doctors and my healthcare coverage here and the pharmacy is good at obtaining my medications for a blood cancer (incurable but treatable) and Parkinson's.
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Good to see that you have put some faith in the health system here. Thanks for pointing out that it is possible to make it work here and no need to be traveling back and forth. What health plan do you use here?
 
D

Derfish

Gold
Jan 7, 2016
4,441
2
0
SKY said:
Are you aware that every year you need to fill out forms when you live out of the US? If you don't comply you could be terminated. Check with SS on this because rules change all the time. But I know this was in force some years ago because I checked myself.
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The Terminator comes and terminates you? Damn that is the first I ever heard of that!
 
J

judypdr

Active member
Jul 23, 2011
558
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Costambar
I have a group plan with ARS Palic. It's not fantastic. It's easy to reach the maximum for special tests and blood work but it pays all of the my hospital bill when I go in for a transfusion. Blood is extra and I have to pay for that. And it only costs me about $25 a month, which I pay twice a year. Overall, I'm very satisfied with my health care. I'm just glad I figured it out while I was only 61... :)
 
C

cavok

Silver
Jun 16, 2014
9,634
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Cabarete
SKY said:
Are you aware that every year you need to fill out forms when you live out of the US? If you don't comply you could be terminated. Check with SS on this because rules change all the time. But I know this was in force some years ago because I checked myself.
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Which forms? I've been out of the US for 11 years and have never filed any. Neither S.S. nor Medicare has sent anything to my US mailing address(?).
 
S

SKY

Gold
Apr 11, 2004
13,506
3,637
113
cavok said:
Which forms? I've been out of the US for 11 years and have never filed any. Neither S.S. nor Medicare has sent anything to my US mailing address(?).
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This is only for people that register with SS with an address out of the US.
 
D

Derfish

Gold
Jan 7, 2016
4,441
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SKY said:
This is only for people that register with SS with an address out of the US.
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Once upon a time the ambassador to the DR held a public meeting in Puerto Plata kind of a meet and greet thing. I asked when they had an open question time about registering that I was outside the USA the ambassador passed the question to a Social Security person and she said that no there is no such requirement as far as she knew.
Der Fish
 
W

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
5,970
113
SKY said:
From what I read the cuts are for Medicaid, not Medicare.
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True that Medicaid may be entirely gutted, but from the article:

Also like the House measure, the Senate bill would repeal taxes imposed on high-income people by the Affordable Care Act, including a payroll tax increase that helps finance Medicare.


If the funding goes down, so may go the benefits.
 
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