Thread: Health certificate for retirement

Hi! Hope someone can clear this up for me.

My husband and I are planning to retire in Panama. We meet all the requirements except perhaps the health issue.

He has had 2 kidney transplants, and, 4 years later, is very healthy.

Would he be denied a "good health" document because of the transplants?

Hi. I am trying to figure that one out too. We are in the same boat. I had cancer surgery four years agao but am cancer free. My wife will have no problems, but I don't know about me? I am trying to find out exactly what they are looking for when they do this health examination also? If you find out anything please let me know also. Thanks, Bill

My attorney was Jorge Sanchez .I'm going to finalize my Pensionado this fall an I found his prices in line an he was honest .I think he can help you out or advise you .
Tell him I recommended you .
His tel. # in Panama 507-264-3483
264-2966
264-2763
I'm glad your husband is doing well
Mike Maniaci

Hi!
This is the first that I have heard of a health certificate required!! I know when we got our pensionado you had to do a physical and give blood. They were only looking for HIV. If you have HIV you are denied a pensionado visa. I know of several people that come down here for cancer treatments because of the costs compared to the U.S. I also had cancer in 1999 before we moved down here and I wasn't asked any questions about my health!!

I recently had major cancer surgery down here and it was an interesting experience which I just posted on this forum last week. The medical care was exceptional, let alone the cost of my surgery, 10 days in the hospital, etc. The cost for everything was $400 for my 10 days in the hospital!

I would contact Mayra Ruzzi on questions and costs about the pensionado. We used her in 2003 and I have sent a lot of people there and no one has every said a negative word about her or her fees. She can be reached via email at 1crisma@gmail.com .

Mary
www.whypanama.com

Mary,
Which company do you deal with for your health insurance?
How much should I expect to pay? I'm 45 ,with no medical problems.

I bought a really informative Ebook about expat health insurance from this site recently:

Live and Invest Overseas Bookstore | Live and Invest Overseas

"Top Health Insurance Options For the Retiree Abroad" by Rebecca Tyre

I can't seem to find it on the site, but if this has piqued your curiousity, perhaps you could email the company and ask.

Seems to me the book was only $25 US and worth every penny as it lays out everything nicely.

Hi!
I don't have health insurance. I am 51 years old. My husband has medicare from the states--so if something serious would happen to him we would more then likely go back to the Chicago area.

I am now looking into insurance, I have been told because of my age it would be around $50-75/month depending on all of the deductibles.

Most hospitals down here have their own insurance for that hospital and doctors you can purchase.

Mary
www.whypanama.com

I have difficulty believing that you can have a major surgery and 10 day hospital stay for just $400.
Am I missing something?

Hi!
That is correct. I was at a the cancer hospital which is also the social security hospital. The doctors in PANAMA are required to donate so much time at the social security hospitals. I saw 4 cancer specialists and they are the ones that did my surgery that was 4-1/2 hours long. The breakdown of my hospital bill was:
Hospital stay (10 days); $ 20.00
Surgery: $300.00
Donated blood testing: $100.00

I have the receipt to prove it--I know it is unbelievable, but those were the fees. They even provided me a week's worth of medicine free when I left the hospital.

I asked if we could have had the surgery at Punta Pacifica or San Fernando or even Santa Fe hospitals and I was told they would have transfered me to the cancer hospital anyway.

Mary

If that's the case ,then why would anybody spend more than a thousand dollars per year to buy insurance.
And one more thing ,did you qualify because you had the permenant residency papers?

Hi!

We qualified because we are permanent residents and have had our pensionado for 6-1/2 years now.

I have no idea what other surgeries will be because this hospital is basically for CANCER. If there is anything else we will have to go to a different hospital and pay their fees via private doctors. We did have a friend that has had a hip replaced with the titanium stuff and that ran him around $2000.

Matt has Medicare and we will go back to the states more then likely if there is anything serious that needs to be taken care of. He did have a cataract removed down here at San Fernando Hospital in Panama City and that cost us $1800 without any type of insurance.

Mary

So Mary do you's like it in Panama an what area do you live in ?Do you live there year round ? If you don't mind me asking. As I mentioned above we"re going to finalize our Pensionado this fall .
Mike

Hi!
We live on the road to El Valle. We are about 1/3 of the way off the PanAmerican Highway towards El Valle--actually we are between Copecito and Las Margaritas.

We love PANAMA, my husband hasn't been back to the states since August 2006.

We have a gorgeous view from Tobago, Pearl Islands, Punta Chame to Pedasi and everything inbetween. We watch the cruise and container ships heading toward or from the canal. We can see Altos del Maria out our side and back windows.

Mary
www.whypanama.com