Preventive care in Colombia

Sure gyms, places to walk, hike all.over the place and good medical facilites.

Fairly good variety of foods in the majoer super markets. You can eat healthy if you want

I currently have no health plan here in Colombia. Private coverage is too expensive. General services are not expensive to pay out of pocket. I have medicare, but that does not work here.If I marry a Colombian citizen, can I get coverage here? My age is 76

I currently have no health plan here in Colombia. Private coverage is too expensive. General services are not expensive to pay out of pocket. I have medicare, but that does not work here.If I marry a Colombian citizen, can I get coverage here? My age is 76 - @crabpc19481

Can you afford about $1,600 for health insurance? That's what I pay for SURA full-coverage (minus drugs) insurance...

NO, not even close to my budget.

I currently have no health plan here in Colombia. Private coverage is too expensive. General services are not expensive to pay out of pocket. I have medicare, but that does not work here.If I marry a Colombian citizen, can I get coverage here? My age is 76 - @crabpc19481
Can you afford about $1,600 for health insurance? That's what I pay for SURA full-coverage (minus drugs) insurance... - @ChineduOpara

@georgesbigg

that is for a year correct

@crabpc19481

To be clear, I meant $1,600 per YEAR 😅

(I wrote that other comment in a hurry and forgot to add the unit of time, pardon me)

@crabpc19481

Cancillería is cracking diwn on sham marraiges

Maybe you are being facetious

@ChineduOpara

You are aware SURA, if you.are talking private, non EPS, like Medicina Prepagada  wont even cover some one over 70?

And at 69 the cost is about $400 USD a mónth.

I got a quotation from an agent, but I declined as I have already been on Coomeva Medicina Prepagada for 12 years, it is about 25% cheaper, though not quite as good and a lot of copagos.

Come to think of it, the quote was from a lady you recommended, Angela some one.

@nico peligro

Wow, that much per month, huh? I guess I'll have to figure out my healthcare situation when I get older... all these rising costs, man... looks like I cannot afford to retire early.

@ChineduOpara

I dont know how old you are, and how early is early for you,  but I retired comfortably at 56

But than I worked my azz off al over the world as an oil patch engineer for 30 plus years , never had  kids and only one divorce earlier on before my big earning years  that just " partialy" wiped me out.

@nico peligro BTW..I regret NOthing..

Had a great life and still enjoying it.

@ChineduOpara

I dont know if it goes up that high if you are alresdy vested.Thats for new applications only.

Coomeva wouldnt even take me as a newbie now, but being vested 12 years, I am paying 1.1 millón a month.If I paid yesrly I could reduce 10 or 15%

In retrospect  I would have saved a lot of money all these years if I would have paid out of pocket, because of my good heslth

@nico peligro

Yeah we all know how to save money "in retrospect" 😁 I learned the hard way that, despite top-notch healthy habits and lifestyle, accidents and random infections can still happen. So that's why I have insurance.. to hedge against those things. It's a necessary (and expensive) expense, unfortunately.

I will be turning 50 on November 19th. So I will be 15 whole-ass years from retirement 😭 A lot can change in 15 years... both in the USA and Colombia.

Living alone with no partner, no love, no family, and no community... not gonna lie, I am kinda scared of the future. Especially if things REALLY go south and I can't afford an in-home care nurse person even in Colombia. I have to be ready to "make a quick and relatively painless exit" but Colombia doesn't let just anyone own guns...

@ChineduOpara

Wow ..pretty dramatic and negative.

Sorry you  are in such " dire" straights

I am 68 and life is great  despite my knees wearing out

Keep on fighting..to the end..

@nico peligro

I know it sounds dark... I just happen to be a "realist" I suppose, and I try to plan ahead across at least 3 paths, and one of them will always be "knowing when to give up and call it a day" (even though I am in no rush to get to that option). Anyway, I am glad you (and many other middle-aged men) are doing far better than me... SOMEbody has to continue the species, LOL 😅

@ChineduOpara

No kids so when I am gone..its end of the line for me

It is what it is..No regrets.

@ChineduOpara
No kids so when I am gone..its end of the line for me
It is what it is..No regrets. - @nico peligro

I need to learn to shed my regrets as well.

@nico peligro

For seniors, Sura offers Plan Complementario 60+ which in theory gives you access without referral to orthopedics, internal medicine, urology, cardiology and dermatology.  That said, getting appointments in Rionegro is virtually impossible. It also supposedly provides private rooms in the hospital, but what to do if hospital is full?   I spent a couple of nights on a waiting room floor with my sister waiting for admission.

As far as providers, Sura EPS assigns a Medico de Familia which changes every few months, so forget continuity of care.  My impression is they are usually underpaid young new grads who move on quickly if they can.

They do have fairly well organized programs to manage diabetes and blood pressure.  Once again, it is a merry go round of care providers.

Going into our 4th year in Colombia we will be looking for a private Internal Medicine doc to fill the roll of primary care provider, interfacing with the EPS Medico de Familia du jour as necessary for medications, testing, hospitalizations, etc. 

Our  budget allows us to continue paying for Medicare Part B and a high deductible ($2,800) supplemental plan.  A 3 hour flight to Florida gives us access to US primary care providers, specialists with manageable waiting lists and modern techniques.  2024  was The Year of Reconstruction for me, with Medicare paying for minimally invasive spine surgery and a hip replacement.  Neither of those was available in Colombia. 

@ Adriana Gutierrez - I've been here (10+ years Medellin) and your comment regards EPS Sura is spot on. I'm mid sixties and with EPS Sura and have no health issues, no drugs, no diabetes/high blood pressure/etc. because I take am very active/my whole life and care for myself with healthy food, exercise, no alcohol, good rest and almost zero stress yet I can't imagine the frustration of a Colombian who needs some continuity with their family doctor............they change like you so aptly state every few months, all your visits are stored in the data base and your just a number, literally your C.C. or in an expat case your ID number is your C.E. and nothing more/nothing less.

"As far as providers, Sura EPS assigns a Medico de Familia which changes every few months, so forget continuity of care.  My impression is they are usually underpaid young new grads who move on quickly if they can."