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Using Retired Military or Federal Insurance in Medellin

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HarryLL76
  3/8/2019 12:25 EST

Are there any retired military or federal folks using their worldwide insurance coverage in Medellin? If so, at which medical facilities? Thanks

WhoaNellie
  3/8/2019 13:04 EST

If you're talking about TRICARE it seems to be available in Colombia, but only in Bogotá and Cartagena de Indias:

https://tricare.mil/Plans/HealthPlans/TPRO/LAC

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HarryLL76
  3/8/2019 13:30 EST

Yes, I was talking about TriCare and also insurance used by federal retirees.

NilesS
  3/8/2019 14:27 EST

I am planning on using BC/BS in Colombia in case of major health problem.. There is a website provided that lists doctors and hospitals that have prearranged relationships with the company. You can also, supposedly, apply for reimbursement after paying upfront.

papercut
  3/9/2019 03:53 EST

Harry,

Although we have yet to contact a contracting provider, we have checked for and saved the information on contracted healthcare providers before traveling in Europe, Panama and Ecuador.

If you are a tricare 4 life enrolee, try this link (Tricare for Life Oversees) for more information. The secondary site (link provided) allows you to see which active providers accept tricare insurance/patients in each country outside of the United States of America. Lists include provider contact information:

https://tricare.mil/Plans/HealthPlans/TFL/TFL_O

Info from this webpage:

Overseas Contractor

International SOS is the TRICARE Overseas Program contractor and will provide the assistance you need for claims, finding a provider, authorization and much more.

Register online for access to secure functions on the TRICARE Overseas Program website, including:

Eligibility query
Other health insurance
Click to close
Health insurance you have in addition to TRICARE, such as Medicare or an employer-sponsored health insurance. TRICARE supplements don’t qualify as "other health insurance." status/update
Claim status
Deductible/Out-of-pocket expense
Contact Customer Service
Explanation of Benefits

Thank you for your service (and patience of your spouse, if applicable), and enjoy your adventures!

papercut

papercut
  3/9/2019 04:07 EST

Or, try provider search at this link:

http://www.tricare-overseas.com/

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HarryLL76
  3/9/2019 10:18 EST

Thank you

HarryLL76
  3/9/2019 10:20 EST

Thank you for your assistance and the great info.

Scott1
  3/10/2019 11:43 EST

New veteran medical benefits group office in Sabaneta.

http://mebvecs.000webhostapp.com/

tmnyc
  3/10/2019 15:34 EST

Veterans seeking representation or VSO's should only rely on information found in the Office of General Counsel (OGC) Search for Accredited Attorneys, Claims Agents, or certified Veterans Service Organizations (VSO) Representatives.

https://www.va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation/index.asp

Cocoquitlam
  3/11/2019 12:10 EST

During a visit to Colombia last October, my wife had a medical issue arise and she had to see a few doctors and have an outpatient medical procedure. I have Blue Cross Federal Employee Program. Since it was a minor emergency, she just went to see the doctors recommended by her family and we didn't seek out providers that took Blue Cross. The total bill was only about $450, but we decided to submit to Blue Cross for reimbursement anyway. For us, it was an experiment to see how useful this coverage might be in retirement while living in Colombia or other parts of the world. we submitted the receipts in November and finally got a reimbursement check last week. We were reimbursed $185 of the cost. This may seem small, but i think the main reason is due to deducting the cost of co-pays for doctor visits and the hospital visit. I still need to look at the final summary a little closer though. A couple of interesting things we learned is that receipts and visit summaries did not need to be translated first. Also, there are two steps to the process. First, one department reviews the paperwork to assess whether the treatment is covered. Then, another department determines the amount of the coverage. Overall, it took a long time for reimbursement - about 4 months. Although the amount reimbursed was less than 50%, our out of pocket expense (around $250) was probably about the same as it would have been in the U.S. And of course, the total bill was a fraction of what it would have been in the U.S., so Blue Cross should be happy this happened in Colombia instead of the U.S. In the future, we'll definitely try to use providers that take Blue Cross to hopefully limit costs even further and avoid having to wait for reimbursement, but its nice to know this option is available in an emergency.

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HarryLL76
  3/11/2019 13:15 EST

Thank you for that very useful information. I have the same insurance. If you are over 65 years of age, BCBS should reimburse 100 percent. As you said, you may have been charged some co-pays along the way. I am glad that things worked out for your wife. I just recently spoke to the Overseas Office. BCBS just brought on a new contractor. Since our type of insurance is a bit different than most it may take a while for the new contractor it to get up to speed.

hokeydays
  9/22/2020 14:59 EST

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone knows of any forums for retired federal employees who plan or are already expats?

I am interested in communicating about planning, location, benefits, and taxes.

My focus right now is to eventually retire to Portugal, Spain, or Croatia, and I am flexible on location. I think one big factor is whether there will be a big difference between what the countries tax on my federal FERS pension, social security, and TSP/IRA withdrawals. As I understand it, countries have tax treaties between USA, but I want to know for sure what the tax will be.

Thanks!

panamajames
  9/22/2020 15:47 EST

There is no tax on your pensions or any funds that come from outside of Panama. There is no tax on your bank accounts or credit union accounts. You picked the right county.

panamajames
  9/22/2020 16:44 EST

The idea is to move your assets to Panama and get residency, and spend 6 months in Colombia and you can visit Panama once every 2 years to check in and reset your Visa

canpandave
  9/22/2020 16:59 EST

I think there is a better way, create a Foundation in Panama, put your assets in the Foundation, as the founder, you control the foundation but you don't 'own' it, if you were to become a tax resident the assets of the foundation do not represent the founders assets. The founder is free to invest in the best interests of the foundation and plus, there is no need to 'probate' when the founder passes, the founder prepares a private document in which the division of the foundation is stated by the founder.

ponymalta2
  9/22/2020 17:13 EST

canpandave

Many Colombians use a similar strategy even just to own assets in Colombia but out of their name, often by teh foundation owning a Panama company which owns a Colombian company which ten owns the asset.

For Americans the only drawback is the additional reporting requirements to the IRS if one strictly wishes to follow the rules.

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