Medicare Part B - Should I stay or should I go?

mberigan Serial expat

Member since 21 January 2020

mberiganSerial expat05 December 2024 15:02:09

376

Was: https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=868093

So Medicare Part B folks are going to face an increase starting soon and I'm here to question the value of paying for something I may never use. An insurance agent tried to get me on board with providing an address in the USA and signing up for a national PPO that would give me a payback BUT I really don't believe in using an address that isn't really my address.

And, in fact, I seldom go to the USA and would probably do fine with a travel insurance policy for the periods of my visits like I do when traveling to other nations (than the USA) and continents. US$185/month is R$1105/month currently - which would almost cover my monthly Unimed bill.

Can we revisit the topic and can I hear from those that have SS and Medicare Part A but have dropped Part B??

Thx

mberigan

PS - "Should I Stay or Should I Go," The Clash, 1981

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Pablo888 Serial expat

Member since 12 May 2023

Pablo888Serial expat06 December 2024 09:04:24

867

@mberigan, here is another thread dealing with paying the penalty if you did not register at the right time....

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 31#5995117

In the end, to pay or not to pay depends mainly on whether you want the flexibility to go back to the US to reside.

If you have family in the US who may need you to be around, then it is a distinct possibility.

If you don¹t have family in the US or decide that any family should go to you instead of the other way around, I think that it is ok to just not pay...

The family of my wife has been paying a similar monthly payment ever since she left her country of birth after high school and way before getting married - and as she is approaching retirement, she needs to decide whether she will keep paying. We will probably keep paying if she decides to stay in multiple countries during retirement....

Trying to delay having to stay in one place... Or may be liking travel too much...

I face the same predicament as you....

abthree Brazil Expert

Member since 28 December 2017

abthreeBrazil Expert06 December 2024 13:36:11

6364

12/06/24 @Pablo888. Thanks for the reference to that other thread -- I wasn't subscribed there, so I missed the callout the first time.

To summarize my response there, I've never considered canceling, because I don't want to face the lifelong penalty that comes with re-enrolling if necessary. But I've always been notoriously overinsured according to family and friends, so I don't press anyone to do what I do with respect to insurance.

Besides, I treat the net amount of my benefit as my real benefit, and consider the gross amount to be a fantasy number. That was always my approach to the taxes withheld (still is) and I extended it to the Part B premium. It's just a mind trick, and doesn't even qualify as a Vulcan mind trick, but you never miss money that you don't believe you ever really had.

Pablo888 Serial expat

Member since 12 May 2023

Pablo888Serial expat06 December 2024 13:53:48

867

@abthree, good advice. I am definitely trending your way.

@mberigan, I think that @abthree advice on so many previous threads is quite compelling to keep.

Re: address that isn't the real address, I think that having a postal box in the US and putting that as your US address would allay that concern... There was another thread on how to setup that PO Box - easy peasy...

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