There Is No “Care” In Medicare
Jun 2nd, 2006 by Don Ray
By Don Ray Williams
June 2, 2006
I worked hard, my whole life, and was inclined,
That when my time had come to retire, I could retire with peace of mind.
I didn’t want to be a burden on my kids,
So when retirement called, here’s what I did.
I set out and made a budget and I listed,
All my income and expenses. The results portrayed a fight, one double fisted.
Analysis showed my biggest expense, which gave me no delight,
Was that health insurance and healthcare, had literally gone out of sight.
Knowing this, I had to find where I could live,
Have a good life, and yet, not pay more than I had to give.
I came up with Panama,
I went down to visit and I liked all that I saw.
I moved and I still like my choice,
But being here, I see a problem that I’d like to voice.
All of my life, I worked hard, paid my taxes and did what’s right.
Now in my autumn years I see, I have a newly found plight and fright.
I have learned and it just doesn’t seem fair,
While I still have to pay the US taxes, I can’t use Medicare.
Now if it weren’t for the US, there wouldn’t be a Panama Canal,
And if Reagan hadn’t asked Khrushchev, there’d still be a Berlin wall.
There might a swastika on the Eiffel tower,
And one on England’s Big Ben, if the US hadn’t come through in its finest hour.
In these places, where so much US blood we did give,
Why should we loose what we’ve earned, just because that’s where we choose to live?
Like I said, to me it’s just not fair,
For those of us in our autumn years, to find there’s no “Care” in Medicare.
Don, You have pointed to something that I did not realize or hadn’t thought about. I like you spend a great deal of my income on health care (which by the way I seldom use but not because of great health but of the mistrust of the greedy medical profession). Do you get your Social Security or should I say will you when you get old enough? Medicare is a part of that program, I think. Strange.
Your prose is great. Hope your weekend is going well. I have gotten to the point that I am unsure of holidays and weekends except that I don’t play golf on the weekends.
Check you later. Good article on Maloy Jones and his 35 year retirement on the retirement web site. Brought back some memories which get harder each year.
Dick
I took SS. Was afraid it might be gone before I could use it if I didn’t. I have had better luck with the healthcare here in Panama than in the US. I get a real fealing that the doctor cares more about me than my money here. I never felt that way in the states.
I will have to look at the article on Maloy.
Hi Don:
I should retire in 2009 with Panama Social Security (Caja de Seguro Social) at age 62. I only hope there will be enough money to pay me then. Social security regimes are having a bad history in Latin America.
As always, enjoyed your poem. Direct to the point.
Regards,
Omar.-
I think all countries’ SS are having problems. It is not only Latin America. Good luck for 2009.
Not only won’t we get Medicare if we retire there, we still get taxes taken out of our reirement checks. Sure doesn’t seam fair, but thats the government.
If they would change the Medicare poilicy to pay where ever you lived, it would be more fair.
Are Pensionados eligible for Panama Health Coverage? If so, what is the monthly cost?
That depends on what you mean. If your question is can a pensionado get health care insurance in Panama, then the answer is yes. The cost would be based on age, preexisting conditions and would be more difficult to get after the age of 60.
If your question is can a pensionado qualify for Panama Social Security health care benefits, the answer is a qualified “yes”, but you have to pay money into the Social Security system and I don’t know how much that is. I think I am right on this part.
A private insurance plan is better in my opinion.
Hi Don,
Just found this site and it is great…thanks for your efforts!
We hope to live at least part of the year in Panama once I retire from teaching in 6 years (that is if we can eliminate some of the crushing student loan debt we have incurred sending our 3 kids to college…another area where the vaunted U.S. system is heavily scewed towards the wealthy). You mentioned private insurance plans for expats…any suggestions or experience with specific companies or plans?
Thanks again for a great site!
John Kenealy
The companies I am familiar with would be companies based in Latin America. Sounds like you have some time to go before you will need insurance outside the US.
If you are going to move here though, try to choose your company prior to the age of 60. Then it starts becoming much harder to get insurance.
Thanks for dropping in and leaving a comment.
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