Everyting You Need to Know About Medicare Abroad

Time and again, I get asked the questions, “Can I take my U.S. Medicare coverage with me when I move overseas?” It´s a simple question, but the answer is a little more complex. In effect, the answer is: Yes! But to figure out how, we need to look at things in a bit more detail.

What is Medicare?

Medicare is the U.S. federal health insurence program for people age 65 and over. It also extends to certain younger people with discabilities and those with ESRD.

How does Medicare work?

Medicare is divided into parts A,B,C and D. Part A and B make up Original Medicare and are usually received automatically at age 65. Together, they are designed to cover 80% of Medicare-approved services.

PART A: Covers Hospital stays, care in a skilled nursing facility , and home health-care , under certain circumstances.

PART B: Covers Medical Services received from a doctor and supplies that are medically necessary to treat your health condition. These can include outpatient care, preventive services, diagnostic services, ambulance services, and durable medical equipment.

PART C: Medical Advantage Plans, are a type of Medicare health plan offered by private insurance companies that contact with Medicare. Medicare advantage Plans provide all of part a, part b and in many cases part d benefits most advantage Plans include worldwide emergency care services.

PART D: Covers prescription drug coverage. It must be purchased separately as a stand-alon Part D policy, or in a MP-PD, Medicare Advantage Plan.

Medicare Supplements Plans, also called Medi-gap plans, are also offered by private insurance companies that contact with Medicare. They cover certain healthcare cost not covered by Original Medicare, such as deductibles, copayments, and the 20% (after deductible) co-insurance that Medicare alone does not cover. Some Supplement Plans offer worldwide coverage for urgently needed services and some of them do not. Read the Evidence of Coverage carefull. In addition to worldeide urgenly needed services, Plan G and F provide world traveler coverage for Medicare-approved services.

Now, onto the questions I hear regularly.

What if I plan to be a part-time retiree, living four to six months abroad each year, and then returning to the State for the year–what should I do about Medicare?

In this scenario, it would be advisable to maintain your Medicare A,B, and either an Advantage Plan or a Supplement Plan (Medi-Gap). For an Advantage Plan, you are required to maintain Parts A and B active, and to reside in the covarage area for a minimum of six mounth per year, Most Advantage Plans have low or zero premiums , and they include worldwine emergency medical covarage. For a Supplement Plan you are required maintain Plan A and B, and to reside in the state that issues the Plan. Plans F and  G include worldwine emergency care, as well  as foreign travel coverage for Medicare-approved services. When receiving medical care during foreign travel , you most pay $250 deductible, 20% of all services costs, and all amounts over $50,000 lifetime maximum for world foreign travel coverage. You must pay for services upfront and submit proof of payment to your carrier for reimbursement.

I plan to live full-time overseas— but I suppose there’s always the chance I’ll return to the U.S. when I’m older, if my circumstances change. Is it  worth my while to maintain any portion of Medicare, on the off chance that I’ll need it? What are the pluses and minuses of doing so?

There are two basic requirements to maintain Medicare Parts A and B. The recipient must maintain his or her citizenship or legal status in the U.S. and he/she must stay current with the Part B premiums. There is currently no residence requirement for Original Medicare (Part A and B).

In most cases, Part A has no monthly premium and it is expensive to re-purchase later. Therefore, there is seldom any reason to drop your Part A covarage. Part B has an increasing monthly premium: for 2018, it has an average cost per month of $134 However, there are several reasons that make it worthwhile to keep Part B. These include being able to take up coverage the day you return to the U.S. or its territories, avoiding any monetary or timing penalties upon reapplication, and the freedom to apply for either an Advantage or Supplement Plan as soon as your return to the U.S

Example 1. Janice Smith loses her husband while living in Thailand. She decides to return to the  the U.S. and live out her day close to her children and grandchildren, Because she has kept both Part A and B, she will have first-day coverage when she returns to the U.S. with no penalties or premium increases for being absent from the U.S. she can immediatly apply on june 30, she will be covered on july 1. If she is over 65 and three months old she will have to undergo medical underwriting (based on the health criteria of the issuing company) in order to quality for a supplement Plan, but not for an Advantage plan.

Example 2. While living in Thailand, Janice and her husband decide to discontinue their Part B coverage. A few years later, Janice loses her husband while living in Thailand. If she returns from Thailand after March 31, she must wait until January of the following year to being Part B coverage. Whenever she return to the U.S. she will pay a penalty when she reap-plies for Part B coverage. If she applies for a supplement, she wil have to queality for coverage based on the health criteria of issuing company.

Always weigh your options before dropping Part B coverage when beginning your expat life.

I plan to be a “roving retiree” and spend a few years traveling in retirement before retuning to the U.S. At that point. I figure I may spend part of the year away and  part of the year Stateside. What should I do about Medicare? Is it worth paying for it even while I´m traveling?

Balancing the cost of maintaining Medicare coverage while living and travelling outside the U.S. depends on individual circumstances, In the end, the decision is personal to each of us. However, certain principles apply to most situations.

If the “roving retiree maintains residence in the U.S. he/she could maintain Parts A and B, and keep the Supplement Plan in force.

The advantages of doing that are:

  • Having access to worldwine emergency and traveler coverage while out to the States, via the F or G  supplements Plan.
  • If an emergency return to the U.S. is needed, being fully covered immediatly upon re-entry.
  • Not having to undergo health underwriting for a supplement Plan upon return to the U.S.

The disavantage are:

  • Having to continue to pay Plan B and Supplement premiums.
  • Maintaining legal residence in the U.S. while traveling abroad.

If the retiree discontinues Part B, the supplement in terminated. The retiree would then face the same time delays and monetary penalties to renew coverage that we saw in the Example 2 scenerio of Janice Smith living in Thailand.

Wherever you maintain residence or not, if you drop Part B, your face the same time delays and penalties when you reapply for coverage.

Do I have to keep as address in the U.S. to Medicare coverage? For instance, if I am resident in Costa Rica, and I’ve arranged my finances so that I no longer have a state income tax liability (beacause I left the U.S. from Florida, which doesn’t have state income tax)… do I still need to maintain some sort of Florida address in order to maintain my Medicare coverage?

This question concerns eligibility and residence.

Eligibility for Medicare Part A and B depends on your legal status in the United States, not on residence. If you meet the requeirements for Part A and B, you are not required to maintain residence in the U.S.

Eligibility fot both Medicare supplement Insurance and Medicare Advantage Plans  requires that you maintain both Part A and B of Medicare and legally reside within the coverage area, And remember: You can only maintain Part B if you continue to pay your Part B premium if you continue to pay your Part B premium.

For Advantage Plans, you must maintain residence for a period of six months per calendar year within your policy’s coverage area. Coverage are for Advantage Plans in most commonly based on the country you live in. Medicare Supplement Plans required that you reside in the issuing state. Usually, residence is defined as the llocation where the costumer files his tax return. Both policies required a Physical address in the coverage area and will not accept P.O. Boxes.

An examples: I was talking with an expat recently who informed me that he and his wif have take out residence in Baja California, he then state that they have no more liability for state tax. However, he keeps a Medicare Supplement Plan for future use in case he needs it.

This idea is a sticky one because of residence requirements. It could possibly place one at odds with Medicare fraud, waste, and abuse (Federal), as well as state tax evasion.

Although government agencies have been lax in coordinating statistics in the past Medicare fraud is a Hot-button issue, and it is expected to be increasingly enforced in the future.

Fraud, waste, and abuse is a major concern of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and it’s a required course each year for agent renewals. Every year we see the requirements for reporting– and the penalties for nonreporting– becoming more burdensome. Once reportes, most cases are aggressively investigated

 

 

3 questions you should ask yourself before putting your house for sale

Are you considering putting your home for sale? Before you do, consider these three questions:

1. Is this the best time?

In Real Estate market we currently have 3 offices (Real Estate Agency in Baja) established at different points: RE/MAX Baja Realty in Rosarito Beach or Tijuana or RE/MAX Gold Coast in Ensenada, where you can contact our qualified Agents and Professionally certified to show you market conditions and. above all, to analyze current Real Estate trends. Our Real Estate Adviser can confirm if it is a good time to sell or not, as well as determine the most convenient price. Evaluating you Property either in Ensenada, Tijuana and Rosarito Beach Baja

2. Is the price correct?

Set the right price and understand why it was calculated that way is critical for higher profits for your property. A professional counselor can compare your property with others in the area and assess the characteristics in order to determine the best price for your home is sold in the shortest time possible at the best price.

3. Have you thought of a moving express?

You can not imagine how quickly you can sell your house, so structure a plan in case that happens. Before you sell your house, try looking at what place you want to live, or considered a temporary place, usually if you have a plan of this kind, anxiety sell your house is reduced.

Selling is one of the most important processes, approach to a real estate advisor who can offer you experienced superb service and facilitate all procedures.

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Con Trump como presidente, más estadounidenses se mudan a México

Por Uniradio Informa

los mensaje del presidente Donald Trump hacía los mexicanos, ha sido factor para que muchos estadounidenses prefieran vivir mejor en México que en su propio país.

Danielle Williams, estadunidenses radicada en México dijo al respecto “tengo un punto pues de opinión un poquito diferente, yo creo, y el wall (muro) a mí me parece buena idea, para que se queden los norteamericanos allá”.

A media hora de San Diego, California, se localiza Playas de Rosarito, una de las ciudades predilectas por los estadounidenses para vivir, Vickie tiene ya 25 años radicando en un suburbio al Sur de esta ciudad mexicana.

“México es mi nuevo país, personas muy, muy simpáticas, mucho ‘respect’ para americanas, etcétera, tengo seguridad en mi vida, pues ellos te ayudan todo el tiempo, es más relax y me gusta todo”, dijo.

Ha sido el mal manejo sobre la economía que ha tenido Donald Trump, la causa por la que ellos estén migrando del norte al sur, refiere Danielle.

“En California es muy, muy caro como sabes, para tener así un departamento cerca del mar, entonces me vine a Rosarito Beach Baja, que es lo más cerca de la frontera. creo que realmente son por razones económicas nada más, lo de Trump si hace mucho ruido, hace muchas pláticas”, externó.

En palacio municipal de Playas de Rosarito opera una oficina para facilitarles cualquier trámite que requieran los residentes extranjeros en esta ciudad, explicó Alexander Magnum, coordinador de Relaciones Internacionales de Playas de Rosarito.

“San Miguel de allende antes era número uno, pero yo estuve hace ahí como dos, tres meses y me informaron que ya Rosarito Beach Baja pasó mucho a ellos, ahorita contamos dentro de 15 hasta 18 mil extranjeros que viven en Playas de Rosarito”, agregó.

En los últimos dos años se ha vuelto una constante la regularización de estadounidenses en territorio mexicano.

“El número es constante, mes tras tras mes recibimos un número importante y ellos están viviendo legalmente en México”, sostuvo.

Desde que el presidente Donald Trump asumió el poder, la comunidad estadunidense en territorio mexicano ha crecido lentamente, aquí en Baja California se habla que son alrededor de 100 mil habitantes.

 

 

 

SAT emite un criterio de ‘primera llamada’ para empezar a cobrar a Airbnb

La autoridad fiscal incluyó en la Resolución Miscelánea Fiscal un criterio que establece que los anfitriones de alojamientos residenciales con fines turísticos tendrán que pagar ISR e IVA.

El Servicio de Administración Tributaria (SAT) avanza en su plan para cobrar impuestos a las plataformas digitales de alojamiento como Airbnb y HomeAway.

En la modificación al Anexo 3 de la Resolución Miscelánea Fiscal (RMF) para 2019, la autoridad adicionó un criterio que establece que los ingresos obtenidos por servicios de hospedaje a través de plataformas tecnológicas están obligados al pago del Impuesto Sobre la Renta (ISR) y el Impuesto al Valor Agregado (IVA).

Lo anterior implica que los anfitriones de alojamientos residenciales con fines turísticos como Airbnb y HomeAway tendrán que pagar ISR e IVA, pues no hacerlo será considerado por el SAT como una “práctica fiscal indebida”.

En el caso del ISR, el SAT argumenta que el servicio que ofrecen los anfitriones es de hospedaje, es decir, una actividad empresarial.

En el caso del IVA, el fisco indica que deberán pagar el impuesto los contribuyentes que a través de una plataforma tecnológica otorguen hospedaje, ya que se debe tributar por otorgar un servicio, como es el arrendamiento de un bien.

Gustavo Leal, director ejecutivo de la consultora Fiscalia.com, señaló que el criterio está dirigido a los anfitriones que ofrecen en una plataforma su casa, departamento o una habitación, por la cual reciben ingresos, sin embargo, consideró que es confuso porque el SAT clasifica a todos los anfitriones como actividad empresarial cuando solo rentan un espacio.

“El problema del criterio es que dice que los ingresos por rentar un espacio son régimen de actividad empresarial debido a la actividad de hospedaje, lo que omite el SAT es que no todos los contratos de Airbnb son de hospedaje (con servicios como un hotel) muchos pueden ser de mero arrendamiento y en ese sentido se puede tributar en el régimen de arrendamiento que tiene la ventaja de gozar de una deducción ciega de 35 por ciento”, explicó.

El criterio que emitió el SAT por ahora no es vinculativo, es decir, se trata de una opinión de la autoridad que no está sujeta a obligación, pero es una “primera llamada”.

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“Élites Aseguran Que México Se Convertirá En La Principal Potencia”

Reconocido internacionalmente por sus acertados escenarios políticos y económicos, el analista Erick Guerrero Rosas se dio a la tarea de opinar sobre el papel que va a jugar México en la economía global. Su conferencia magistral formó parte del programa para el primer día de la 4ta. Expo Foro Logística y Transporte para la Competitividad de la Baja “BC Logistic 2018” y sirvió para inspirar un grado importante de confianza y esperanza en la audiencia, argumentando que existe una gran posibilidad de que México se convierta en una potencia mundial para la siguiente década.

“Las buenas decisiones no tienen nada que ver con dónde está parada la economía de hoy en día, sino más bien en dónde probablemente se encontrará mañana” dijo Guerrero Rosas, al presentarle a la audiencia su postura sobre el futuro de México y de Baja California. El analista le transmitió a su audiencia que la combinación de una cultura empresarial y los cimientos de una economía abierta llevarán a la nación latinoamericana a alcanzar el grado de potencia mundial y líder en logística.

“Lo que realmente finca las bases de la prosperidad es la libertad económica”

“Las economías abiertas al comercio son las que alcanzan los mejores estándares de desarrollo”, indicó Guerrero Rosas “el índice de Libertad Económica demuestra que los países con mayor nivel de libertad económica tienen un desempeño sustancialmente superior al resto en cuestión de crecimiento económico, ingresos per cápita, atención médica, educación, protección al medio ambiente, reducción de la pobreza y bienestar general. En contraparte, conforme una economía va levantando barreras proteccionistas, su índice de prosperidad y poder adquisitivo van mermando”.

A pesar de la turbulencia financiera que podría extenderse hasta 2020, México está sembrando las semillas que le permitirán alcanzar elevadas tasas de crecimiento en el futuro. México se va a convertir en la ‘joya’ de América Latina y el estado de Baja California será un protagonista muy importante en este proceso”.

Erick Guerrero Rosas
Analista económico y financiero

El analista económico compartió que durante su campaña, el presidente electo, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, sembró muchas dudas e incertidumbre entre los inversionistas nacionales; “no obstante, hasta el día de hoy, ha mandado una señal contundente: no va a haber un cambio radical en el modelo económico”, aseguró Guerrero Rosas.

Asimismo, compartió con la audiencia el pronóstico positivo en el que México figura como la economía más globalizada del planeta. “Dentro de unos 20 años, cuando nuestros acuerdos y tratados de libre comercio estén rindiendo fruto tendremos la economía más libre y abierta del mundo. La libertad económica de México será más avanzada que la de países altamente desarrollados como EE.UU., Canadá y Gran Bretaña”, y en esto Donald Trump habrá colaborado, compartió, al acelerar la necesidad de México de conectarse con otros mercados, de diversificarse y reducir su dependencia.

Guerrero Rosas también afirmó que a pesar de las tácticas tóxicas del presidente estadounidense en cuanto a las negociaciones del TLCAN, los Estados Unidos no van a abandonar el acuerdo, dado que hay demasiados intereses de por medio. “Una vez negociado y ratificado el nuevo TLCAN, fluirá una cantidad histórica de inversiones en petróleo, combustibles, gas natural, electricidad, petroquímica básica y energías alternativas”, indicó el analista.

A pesar de toda la incertidumbre y negatividad, opinó, México se ha convertido en un imán para la inversión productiva, al grado de que las élites económicas internacionales argumentan que México se convertirá en una potencia mundial la próxima década.

En materia de infraestructura, el analista mencionó cómo el corredor económico del norte y la idea de conectar el puerto de Mazatlán con la frontera a través de un moderno sistema de vías férreas podrán revolucionar el desarrollo económico en el país. El proceso tardará en dar frutos, pero tanto el sur como el norte verán un cambio positivo gracias a las obras de infraestructura.

Citando al analista George Friedman, Guerrero Rosas compartió con la audiencia la siguiente reflexión: “Quién controle el Atlántico y el Pacífico, controlará el comercio mundial… México será la principal potencia económica de América Latina y constituirá un desafío para el dominio de Estados Unidos en América”.

Para finalizar, compartió que a pesar de la turbulencia financiera que podría extenderse hasta 2020, México está sembrando las semillas que le permitirán alcanzar elevadas tasas de crecimiento en el futuro. “México se va a convertir en la ‘joya’ de América Latina y el estado de Baja California será un protagonista muy importante en este proceso”, concluyó.

Invest in Bank Owned in Baja

Want to buy a foreclosed property?

BY

Real Estate Broker/Owner with Remax Baja Realty

Want to buy a foreclosed property?
To find these properties please call or email Us, or check our MLS listings on this page : www.bajaInvestment.com

Get valuable tips to help you make informed decisions.

The sharp downturn in the economy opened the foreclosure floodgates. And the tide is now turning, finally!

REMAX Baja Realty has been trusted with many key REO foreclosed homes in the northern Baja area by the leading banks!

Now is an excellent time for home buyers, second home buyers and investors… because the bank-foreclosed home market is perfect for investing in real estate in Baja California.. The economy is now turning around, so getting title to a Baja foreclosure property now will likely have increased value in the future here in Rosarito Beach, Ensenada and Tijuana, Baja California!

Purchasing real estate in Mexico

Baja California real estate in Rosarito Beach and Ensenada is located only a short distance from downtown San Diego, california, and only 120 miles from Los Angeles.

At Rosarito Beach Real Estate, we have the staff to assist you in every type of real estate purchase. Whether you’re interested in purchasing investment property in Baja or finding the perfect vacation or retirement home, we have the best properties you’re likely to find.

As a long-term REMAX franchise associate, we are among the leaders in education regarding the local real estate market. We have the experience to answer all your questions about your Baja California real estate purchase, whether this is your first real estate transaction or you’re experienced in real estate. If you’re considering foreign ownership of property in Mexico, you need the experience Rosarito Beach Real Estate.

There are very specific rules and regulations regarding the purchase of property by a foreigner in Mexico. To help make your investment go smoothly, we have a professional staff with the expertise to assist you in parsing Mexican real estate law. Our reputation for top-notch customer service and our recognition as a Re/Max associate lets you rest assured that you’re working the best team the Baja California real estate market has to offer!

Let us take the work out of finding your next investment home. We have all the information you need on our casaslink.com website. Contact us in Mexico at 661-100-2076, or toll-free from the United States at 1-866-LUV-BAJA (588-2252). You may also reach us at 1-619-270-5446, and if you prefer, you can email us at rosaritobeach@topproducer.com. We look forward to working with you!

Invest in Bank owned properties in Baja

Want to buy a foreclosed property?
To find these properties please call or email Us,
or check our MLS listings on this page:

www.bajaInvestment.com & www.RemaxBaja.com

weareremax

Get valuable tips to help you make informed decisions.

The sharp downturn in the economy opened the foreclosure floodgates. And the tide is now turning, finally!

REMAX Baja Realty has been trusted with many key REO foreclosed homes in the northern Baja area by the leading banks!

Now is an excellent time for home buyers, second home buyers and investors… because the bank-foreclosed home market is perfect for investing in real estate in Baja California.. The economy is now turning around, so getting title to a Baja foreclosure property now will likely have increased value in the future here in Rosarito Beach, Ensenada and Tijuana, Baja California!

Get more information… click here!

Call or email at Remax Baja Realty right now!

info@bajainvestment.com
Toll Free: 1 866 588 2252
US 
619-270-5446
Mex 664-100 2076

Aumento de turismo en Rosarito Baja California

Excelente derrama económica y aumento en la visita de turistas se presentó el pasado fin de semana por el “Veteran’s Day” (Día de los Veteranos) de Estados Unidos, informó Gustavo Torres, Delegado de la Secretaria de Turismo de Baja california en Playas de Rosarito.

De acuerdo las políticas y programas del estado, dirigidas por el Gobernador Kiko Vega, y el secretario de Turismo del Estado, Oscar Escobedo, se ha empujado bastante a la promoción turística, así como incorporar a Baja california a varios programas federales!

Se comentó que desde el viernes inició el flujo de turistas que venían a desarrollar distintas actividades, por lo que incrementaron las ventas aproximadamente en un 25 por ciento el viernes, 40 por ciento el sábado y aproximadamente un 25 por ciento el domingo, con un promedio total  de poco arriba del 30% por ciento durante los tres días en cuanto al aumento de la derrama económica!

En cuanto al aumento en la ocupación hotelera del municipio, contamos con el 65% de ocupación viernes y sábado y con un 51%, contando los tres días, de viernes a domingo…. de tal forma, el aumento, con respecto al fin de semana de la semana pasada, ha sido de un 42% en los tres días, y un 35% sobre los tres días, respecto al fin de semana festivo del 2015

El famoso Día de Gracias, celebrado en EUA, es la semana festiva que sigue en unos cuantos días, y esperamos ver un aumento similar en nuestro municipio, así como los días festivos del 15 de diciembre al 8 de enero aproximadamente.

Gustavo Torres

Affordable Rosarito oceanfront condos from $72,900

Affordable RosaRosarito Beach Bajarito Oceanfront condominiums for only $72,900 Dlls.
Amazing oceanfront condos for this price! BANK OWNED!

Located only 30 minutes south of the San Diego border, at Rosarito Beach.

Precious sandy beaches, close to the US, plenty of amenities, restaurants, bars, shops, and much more,.

Take advantage of this Rosarito Beach real estate opportunity.. the BANK has authorized selling beach front condos in Baja for only $72,900 US

Where else could you find this affordability? here in Rosarito Beach, Baja.. just minutes from the US.

Now, with the doubling of the border crossing gate, you can go back and forth to the US, at an average wait time at the border, of only 25 minutes!

Don’t wait too long! Don’t miss the opportunity to invest and have your second home at Rosarito Beach, Baja!