Prescriptive drug availability in Columbia

You can find a list of medicamentos  available legally in Colombia here, in PDF form:

https://www.invima.gov.co/sites/default … 202021.pdf

You will have to translate for yourself, the names of your medications into Spanish to be able to search for them in the document.  Fortunately many of the names are similar and sometimes exactly the same, such as Enalapril.  For those that are not exactly the same you can try the strategy of searching for the first few letters, for instance, for Amlodipine search for Amlod (Amlodipino).

Do you have a good command of Spanish, spoken, read, and written?  To move to Colombia without Spanish would certainly be an adventure but one that could have bad consequences if you cannot communicate effectively with the natives...it's not at all like Canada.

Is there a way to order the list alphabetically or search the list? I was looking for medications; but they are listed in numerical order by their "expedient" number and there is 401 pages of medications. I tried to manipulate them to no avail.

You can search the list by using ctrl-f  (mnemonic "f" for "find") and then typing in your search string.

@careylinde  CareyL  note that, for most kinds of visas to live in Colombia, a key requirement is having a health insurance policy that covers risks in Colombia.  Be sure to thoroughly research that question, as related both to actual expenses and legal requirements.

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to reply. Monday, I am going to see the local Colombian Counsel General here in Vancouver, where I expect to be presented with all the information..

i am still trying to determine the local availability of a handful of pharmaceutical drugs. I am prescribed.

do you have any recommendations from personal experience of  health insurance providers  in Columbia?

Take care

Carey

Based on my experience (I am 75 and disabled), these health insurance matters involve two classes. There are various arrangements that apply to Colombian citizens and legal residents.  Those could become available after a person has legally lived here for some time, but not in advance of getting a visa.  For most visa categories, it's necessary to show that the applicant has insurance covering costs in Colombia.  A couple of international (non-US) carries to consider are CIGNA and AXA.  For carriers like that, the combination of pre-existing conditions and advanced age can be a problem.  There is also "travel insurance", particularly from a company called AssistCard.  That may end up being the only available option for visa purposes.

Very good to know. 

i am 82 and about to replace a hip before I move.

I have full socialized coverage here in British Columbia, which lets me go out of province for six months before it becomes an issue.

I shall start to look around.

Thanks again 

Carey

thanks again

Carey

@jstrainI havent found one yet that covers people 82 years old with pre existing conditions

Most end at 70..

I am sure the exist but would be.extremely expensiive..probably several hundreds US a month for the ops case

And for actuall use, most of these Visa based emergency policues are useless. Dont even thiink of collecting

And you would have to.purchase everytime you renew.

Even if the op were to.miraculously get a visa, he beetter have a big source of funds to pay out of pocket in case something happens.

On the positive side, paying out of pocket In Colombia is less than 20% of the US

@jstrain

You cannot be on EPS now for Pensiionada visas

After the new resolution 5477 of 2022 was implemented

From the cancilleria website

"Está visa no le permitirá a su titular afiliarse al Sistema de Seguridad Social colombiano, salvo lo dispuesto en acuerdos bilaterales o multilaterales en la materia."

https://www.cancilleria.gov.co/v/pensio … a%C3%B1os.

THIS has alslo been stated to me indepeendently by 3 different lawyers, so it is quite clear.

You may be able to get an EPS agent  who is ignorant of the law to give you EPS, but you  sure coulldnt use it for a  visa renewal.

You would have to go back  to the old extremelly expensive  emergency medical insurance.

And who knows how long  the EPS would be viable, eventually the EPS agent would clue in.

Besides that, the EPS system is in terrible shape? Being starved and natioonalized by Petro. Hes already halfway there.Who knows what the future holds.

As far as Medicina Prepagada; if you havent joined before 70 there is no Medicina Prepagada thst will accept you , period, pre exsting conditions or not.

Besides that , after 11 years of hearing different opinións,.it was finally  confirmed and documented to me by a lawyer that you have to be on EPS to be on Medicina Prepagada.

I am 68 years old in Excellent  health and going through this mess myself.

And dont even dream about Sisben.FIrst all  its terrible and only allowed for the poorest of Colombian citizens.

So bottom.line ithis is Colombia , not Canada, where they let everyones grand parents in for votes, they do not want old  sick people living on their Social system..

Thats why they brought the new resolution.in in 2022.

So hopefully the op has a milllion dollar plus house in Van he can.sell, because he will need the money for the expensive uselless emdrgency health care package and to.pay for any medical issues out of pocket.

@jstrainhe can apply with the AssistCard

Ac-35 or Ac-60.

I cant remember the age limits.There might not be one fir both of these

But one agent told me they are not acceptable because dont have enough coverage.

She got this from Langon, who say the same.

I am asking them.to confirm tommorow, because I gave not seen this written anywhere in resolution 5477

The issue is the AC - 150 is only good to 69 years.

The agent told me in.her opinión the only opption for.people over 70 is Bolívar Seguros, which is really costly

@careylinde

Another issue you may haveis source of your pension income.

You have to have at less 3 salarios mínimos and it has to come from a corporate or government defined benefit plan.

With the Canadian dillar being weak and the peso.strong better have $2000 in  pension.income and apply fast it gets worse  every year

Wow -  this, as they say, is more info than i want to hear.  thank you all 

Carey

@careylinde by foll soclalized you.mean crappy BC government health care theres no way that will be acceptanle to the cancilleria

They wont even accept your healthcare card in Colombia and the Cancilleria has very specific requirements.

It has to include all emergency medical coverag inside Colombia for a minimum of a year, plus repatriation to Canada in case of grave illness or death.

It has to be good for the period of the Visa, one year minimum is recommended by visa agents and  I have heard $100, 000 minimum coverage; but I dont know where this comes from,and whether it is " per event" or global

I dont even know how you make medical claims with.Canadian Government Health Insurance. I did ot once with Blue Cross travel insurabce for a biopsy in Colombia, only a few hundred bucks, AHC paid hardly nothing and it created a bunch of problems to.me down the liine.

Basically, you travel overseas and get sick you are on your own

Canadian  government health care wont help you. Heck, it hardly funcions inside Canada.

It definitely would not be acceptable for the Cancilleria for a visa

@careylinde

For your visa application, you might try the

ATM Colombia PREMEDD policy.

It has no age limit, other than 82 years for Covid coverage and does not cover pre existing conditions at all.

It costs about $400 a year  for the basic plan that goves you $350 K global coverage  but less than $100,000 for individual events.

This is considerably less than the Assist Card pllans, most of which you wouldnt qualify for due to age.

Below is my response from the ATM Colombia agent.

RESPUESTA: El plan cubre hasta los 79 años todo lo que esta en la cobertura incluyendo covid, y hasta 84 años cubre todo menos covid, en ninguna edad se cubren preexistencias o enfermedades cronicas (adjunto condicionado)

I recieved this recomendation from a fellow who used it sucsessfully to get a Rentista visa.

This may be good enough for the bureaucratic purposes of the Cancilkeria for the visa, but I sure wouldnt use it as my main health plan in Colombia.

This plan and the Assist Card AC plans are all BS, getting them.to.payout would be like pulling  teeth from a hen.

Best option is for you to ensure you have sufficient cash in Canada to pay out of pocket for any incidents in Colombia, or to ship you back to Canada, dead or slive ( but comatose).

Or else pay a serious reputable travel insuranxe provider ( like blue cross) big bucks to handle these situations. Better to have them based in Canada so you can go to your MP; MLA,better business bureau, ombudsmen or Sue their azzz if they dont perform.

Believe me, I have been through this all before..with just minor issues.

Iwouldnt consider a Assist Card or ATM Colombia serious..Just fly by night operations.

Also I havent check lately, but I think a pensionada visa requires a medical certificate proroving physical and mental  health.

If your certificate said you had diabetes or other conditions, they would disqualify you, unless you could find an insurer who would v.cover pre existing conditions.

Solution to that is go to Colombia and find a doctor who will give you a cerificate or letter sayonf you are in good health, for a litle " gratuity" ( hint..hint..nudge..nudge)

@OsageArcher Thanks! Tried it and it works!

Thanks so much.  Good to know 

Carey