insurance - can a 65 yr old get medical insurance? What cost?

toniop New member

8POSTS

10 years ago

Good Morning
I have heard stories about older folks having to return to the US and give up their residency in Ecuador because they could not afford to pay for health care in Ecuador. Does anyone know if someone who is older than 65 can get medical insurance and what it might cost in Cuenca.
Antonio
Thanks

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toniop New member

8POSTS

10 years ago

Thanks very much for your response,i am planning to visit this Winter to get a feel for Ecuador and its culture but I was concerned about the insurance and what it might cost since I am above seventy. I don't want to be a burden to the country I just want to be covered and I am willing to pay my way.
Thanks again
Antonio

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Brian Sivell New member

5POSTS

10 years ago

What does the IESS system at $72.00 cover?

cccmedia Ecuador/Colombia Expert

10285POSTS

10 years ago

rsymington wrote:
IESS (Ecuador's Social Security System). $72.00 per month, additional $10.00 for spouse. These are last years numbers, you would have to check the current price, but it should be very close to the above. Even private insurance Ecuador should be cheaper that anything available in the US.

symo

Symo is correct, as usual.

Some differences between IESS coverage and private insurance:

1. IESS does not have age limits or requirements for pre-coverage medical testing for seniors.

2. IESS does not charge deductibles at this time.

3. There are currently no pre-existing coverage exclusions with IESS.

4. Longer waits and lack of choice in doctors are reported with IESS.

In response to the other poster's question, virtually all medical conditions, dental and medicines when available are covered under IESS.

cccmedia in Quito

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cccmedia Ecuador/Colombia Expert

10285POSTS

10 years ago

New arrivals to Ecuador should not expect to receive IESS medical care right away. It could easily take 6 to 8 months....

1. Up to three months to obtain permanent visa and national ID.

2. Three monthly payments into the IESS system before being allowed to schedule a routine doctor's appointment.

3. Weeks or longer of waiting time to get in and see a doctor .. possibly followed by more weeks of waiting time after a referral to see a specialist.

cccmedia in Quito

Brian Sivell New member

5POSTS

10 years ago

Thank you for the response. It certainly helps. I have Ecuadorian friends that have additional insurance and the price is not cheap at $500 a month with limitations and deductibles.

mskalsky Member

2POSTS

10 years ago

I am 64 and I pay 106 per month and it's working for me. After 65 its almost impossible to get insurance.

cccmedia Ecuador/Colombia Expert

10285POSTS

10 years ago

After 65, Expats can still sign up for IESS government health care, recently $73 for an individual, slightly more for a couple.

Who is your plan with, mskalsky in Cuenca?

cccmedia

mskalsky Member

2POSTS

10 years ago

#10

My wife and I have Saludsa insurance. The cost for us both is 175.00 100 for me as I am almost 64. I think they will not insure you over 65, so do it fast if you want a private insurance. If you have heart problems they will probably not insure you. They will make you have medical exams and test at your cost, but that's not much money here.

cccmedia Ecuador/Colombia Expert

10285POSTS

10 years ago

#11

I had Salud insurance for a while upon moving to Quito, then changed over to IESS government health care after the government relaxed the rules for Expats in early 2014.

Salud was charging me more, $240 a month for an under-65 individual, including dental, probably due to pre-existing condition(s).

Like most Expats in EC, I have my own private doctor .. and would use the IESS coverage only for expensive/emergency care.

Salud was worthless for obtaining medicina for pre-existing need(s). The only benefit I got was coverage, with $10 co-pay, for doctor checkups. I went to a specialist who normally charged $50. I paid just the ten.

By avoiding IESS doctors, I can schedule my preferred doctor at a time convenient to me .. and thus have continuity of care. Some doctors have private practice but also see some IESS patients.

The IESS is a cumbersome program with delays commonly reported in scheduling doctors and specialists. Quality of care seems to vary from city to city, with positive reports coming in from Cuenca in particular. Guayaquil had a major scandal last year at the biggest IESS hospital there, Maldonado. Quito reports are yet to come into this forum.

cccmedia

Lonecowboy Active member

84POSTS

10 years ago

#12

Good 'stuff' CC.
Lonecowboy

jon wolaver Member

14POSTS

4 years ago

#13

i am 80 years old, in excellent health; no pre-existing conditions. I understand that health insurance in ecuador (equivalent to Medicare with supplement) is either not available or prohibitively expensive. There for I am unable to retire in ecuador. Am i correct in this assertion?

lebowski888 Serial expat

318POSTS

4 years ago

#14

You simply need to shop for insurance options and health care

There's the public health option of IESS which is about $80 per month.

There's private insurance available from around a dozen private companies. You can choose the coverage and deductible that fits your budget. There are brokers who can help you choose among the many companies and various plans. One example broker many expats have used is blue box assessors.

Many people choose to insure only against catastrophe and pay out of pocket for the rest.

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cccmedia Ecuador/Colombia Expert

10285POSTS

4 years ago

#15

How valuable is private health insurance sold by Ecuadorian companies?

IESS coverage, which is public not private, is being upgraded and its verified corruption is being cleaned up under the supervision of the nation's Vice President, who was a top hospital administrator in the private sector for years.

I dropped my private insurance as soon as my IESS coverage took effect six years ago.

IESS provides me with discounts on lab tests, which are typically conducted one block away from my condo, at Hospital Santa Bárbara. The results of lab tests can be emailed to an Expat and his/her doctor upon request.

There are several problems with paying for private insurance...

1. It's more expensive.

2. There are usually exclusions for pre-existing conditions, at least for the first six months to a year, if not longer.

3. The insurers typically have a cut-off age enabling them to drop coverage on patients at any time after they reach 65 or 70 or whatever age their policies indicate.

4. If you file a claim and it's denied, who ya gonna call? An attorney? The Pichincha provincial medical commission? The 'fiscalía'?

cccmedia in Quito

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