Healthcare Misunderstandings

[Bonnie]

While standing in an interminable line at Romero yesterday, I heard two newcomers ahead of me discussing their new lives in Boquete. After moving through several topics about which they knew very little but thought they knew a lot, they started on healthcare. One said that she and her husband couldn't afford health insurance. The other said she and her husband couldn't either so she was glad they had Medicare, and she made it clear in subsequent statements that she anticipated using Medicare here in Panama. (I would bet that they can't afford to return to their home countries either when they discover that hospitals, even Regional, want money from expats and that Medicare is worthless here.)

What kind of research do these people do before moving abroad? And what kind of financial planning?

[Ken and Becky]

Looks and sounds like none.

[Marcelyn]

21 minutes ago, Bonnie said:

While standing in an interminable line at Romero yesterday, I heard two newcomers ahead of me discussing their new lives in Boquete. After moving through several topics about which they knew very little but thought they knew a lot, they started on healthcare. One said that she and her husband couldn't afford health insurance. The other said she and her husband couldn't either so she was glad they had Medicare, and she made it clear in subsequent statements that she anticipated using Medicare here in Panama. (I would bet that they can't afford to return to their home countries either when they discover that hospitals, even Regional, want money from expats and that Medicare is worthless here.)

What kind of research do these people do before moving abroad? And what kind of financial planning?

We were attending a business meeting in Boquete recently when a father with five children announced (actually kind of a boasting tone) that he didn't have health insurance and wasn't going to get any because he didn't plan on anyone getting sick. I believe this man is a "newcomer" to our area; I wonder about this attitude and feel sorry for those five kids.

What happens when a child breaks a leg or has a bicycle accident, etc.? The family has no insurance, no "return home money", and the hospital wants payment before treatment.

It is beginning to sound like this is a trend that is growing more popular. No research and no financial planning involved before moving here is my guess.

[Brundageba]

Well..it's self deception.  To rationalize that you can "get by" anywhere on the planet without healthcare planning is blindness.   If families bring their children to raise here then they have to believe that it's better here somehow....hum.   To earn income here and as well, home educate five children is a job I'm afraid would be way too much for me to even consider.  It baffles me.  I guess we will see how it all pans out for these folks.  In the years we've been here, so many times when overwhelming situations occur to foreigners here without much of a plan, others step in to help.  There's lots of us here...and I guess lots of "help potential".

[JudyS]

Those people must belong to that religious sect that is telling all its people to move here.  They don't need health insurance, because God will take care of them.  Whatever.  I think a lot of them contribute comments on ning, based on the level of naivety and ignorance that is showing up there.  Sometimes it's painful not to be able to give them the straight story, but I get over it pretty quickly.

[Brundageba]

Yes I pick up on the naivety and it's such a shame because I do believe many folks who have recently settled here have been mislead...or bottom line need help.  Ning used to provide that.  I remember back in the day so many of us came, and we ragged on International Living for over-hyping.  That said, International Living never touted Boquete as a premier spot to support a young family, educate them, and provide for good health care. .  I know there are those that do make a good living on a computer....it's a whole new global day and age.  When we were young there were no computers...there were time clocks .  We put in our hard 8 hours of work, paid our dues, saved our money , sent the kids to college...then retired.   We retired knowing we did the best for the kids and as well planned for our own retirement future decades ago..  For many of us that retirement planning started when we were in our 20s or 30's...about the age of these young parents who are dropping anchor here with their children.    

[Marcelyn]

On December 24, 2015 at 1:15 PM, Bonnie said:

While standing in an interminable line at Romero yesterday, I heard two newcomers ahead of me discussing their new lives in Boquete. After moving through several topics about which they knew very little but thought they knew a lot, they started on healthcare. One said that she and her husband couldn't afford health insurance. The other said she and her husband couldn't either so she was glad they had Medicare, and she made it clear in subsequent statements that she anticipated using Medicare here in Panama. (I would bet that they can't afford to return to their home countries either when they discover that hospitals, even Regional, want money from expats and that Medicare is worthless here.)

What kind of research do these people do before moving abroad? And what kind of financial planning?

We recently received another request for money to pay medical costs from an expat. This is becoming a too frequent occurrence -- sad and disappointing.