U.S. SSA and Veterans Benefits in Vietnam Update

@Tom Celica hello, your message is a little confused. Are trying to send money from your bank abroad to your Sacombank? If it's that, you should ask Sacombank if your account is opened to receive money from any other source that is not your salary from your job in Vietnam.

I'm an expat working here and my bank is VCB, and I cannot receive transfers even from my wife (who is vietnamese)

Let me jump in...Did you fil out this specific formand mail to Manila?:   Form SSA-1199-OP80 (01-2020)  Also, instead of contacting Manila or Guam...how about the USA number?  001-800-772-1213...I had to wait 22 minutes the last time I was contacting them after 2015 hrs Vietnam time.

As I stated the other day...I'd rather be speaking to the 'horses.....'.  Hope that helps.

@Tom Celica

If I may jump in...Are you holding a TRC or Exemption Visa and have positive address and phone number here in Vietnam?  Did you fill out the proper form:   Form SSA-1199-OP80 (01-2020), you have a choice to mail to either Manila or to Baltimore, Maryland. You can get this form online.  Also, Why contact Manila or Guam...?  The USA office is open from 8 AM or 8pm Vietnam time.  Call:  001-800-772-1213.  The last time I called it took 22 minutes to get an answer...I called 5 minutes after 8...but received my answer.

If direct deposit, the funds should be in the exchange rate at that day...Best of luck.

@Tom Celica hello, your message is a little confused. Are trying to send money from your bank abroad to your Sacombank? If it's that, you should ask Sacombank if your account is opened to receive money from any other source that is not your salary from your job in Vietnam.
I'm an expat working here and my bank is VCB, and I cannot receive transfers even from my wife (who is vietnamese)
-@ajairon

This is a thread about receiving US Government Direct Deposit benefit payments into a Vietnam bank.

His questions are about that.

I live here (TRC) and bank at Agribank.

My wife and I transfer money back-and-forth to each other all the time.

Maybe Sacombank isn't the best place for expats to do business?

There is a systemic danger in having your SSA sent to a Foreign Bank, this flags your account as you living overseas.  SSA will send out a letter yearly for you to verify your residence, if you don't receive this letter in a timely manner, and send it back to SSA, they will suspend your payments.  This is to protect SSA from unreported American deaths overseas, and people continuing to receive the payments after death............was a big issue in Europe and (especially) the Philippines.   That said, I am sure there are people that are receiving payments successfully.  I am not sure about Veterans Disability payments, if they can be sent to a foreign bank or not, I am keeping my US bank for convenience, where I receive Gov Annuity, SSA, and VA payments and just doing periodic xfers for anything I need above my pre-set limits.

THIGV wrote:Travelfar wrote:I hope that anyone counting of using Medicare anywhere other than IN the USA understands it is ONLY usable in the USA.

This is absolutely correct.  However if you signed up for Medicare B before moving overseas, you are stuck with the payments.  Once you start the only way to stop the payments is to die.  If you are overseas when you reach Medicare age, you can delay signing up for the add-ons until and if you return to the US. There is 10% added to the premiums for each year you delay so it's up to you to calculate what to do.

I took early Social Security at age 62, fully cognizant of the differences between that and waiting for full retirement age.

However, I was ignorant and thus surprised when the Medicare Part B deductions started at age 65.

I called the Social Security Administration from Vietnam (Toll free via Skype) to see if anything could be done.

The representative told me that since I am rated 100% by the Veterans Administration and I receive full Healthcare benefits there, I could opt out of part B, so I did.

I'm also covered by the VA's Foreign Medical Program for the treatment of service-connected issues, but not unrelated emergency care, so I paid for my E.R. visits in Vietnam out of pocket.

I think the highest bill I paid for any of my few visits was about ₫2,500,000 VNĐ

It's correct that if I ever decide I want to opt back into part B, I will be paying that 10% premium penalty.
-@OceanBeach92107

Yes you will pay.

THIGV wrote:Travelfar wrote:I hope that anyone counting of using Medicare anywhere other than IN the USA understands it is ONLY usable in the USA.

This is absolutely correct. However if you signed up for Medicare B before moving overseas, you are stuck with the payments. Once you start the only way to stop the payments is to die. If you are overseas when you reach Medicare age, you can delay signing up for the add-ons until and if you return to the US. There is 10% added to the premiums for each year you delay so it's up to you to calculate what to do.

I took early Social Security at age 62, fully cognizant of the differences between that and waiting for full retirement age.

However, I was ignorant and thus surprised when the Medicare Part B deductions started at age 65.

I called the Social Security Administration from Vietnam (Toll free via Skype) to see if anything could be done.

The representative told me that since I am rated 100% by the Veterans Administration and I receive full Healthcare benefits there, I could opt out of part B, so I did.

I'm also covered by the VA's Foreign Medical Program for the treatment of service-connected issues, but not unrelated emergency care, so I paid for my E.R. visits in Vietnam out of pocket.

I think the highest bill I paid for any of my few visits was about ₫2,500,000 VNĐ

It's correct that if I ever decide I want to opt back into part B, I will be paying that 10% premium penalty.
-@OceanBeach92107
Yes you will pay.
-@pogiwayne

Actually, no "I" won't, because I'll never ever want to, because outside the USA, part B would be worthless to me, and the moment I ever reenter the USA & other covered areas, I am 100% covered by the VA again.

There is a systemic danger in having your SSA sent to a Foreign Bank, this flags your account as you living overseas. SSA will send out a letter yearly for you to verify your residence, if you don't receive this letter in a timely manner, and send it back to SSA, they will suspend your payments. This is to protect SSA from unreported American deaths overseas, and people continuing to receive the payments after death............was a big issue in Europe and (especially) the Philippines.  That said, I am sure there are people that are receiving payments successfully. I am not sure about Veterans Disability payments, if they can be sent to a foreign bank or not, I am keeping my US bank for convenience, where I receive Gov Annuity, SSA, and VA payments and just doing periodic xfers for anything I need above my pre-set limits.
-@tunnelrat69

It seems to me, the big benefit to receiving the direct deposits here in a Vietnamese bank (as I understand it) is there is ZERO fee (including apparently, a requirement that the approved foreign bank MUST agree to accept the deposit without charging ANY fees) and the funds are exchanged from dollars into Việt Nam đồng mid-transit, at the prevailing daily rate without any type of exchange fee.

I think I'm using the wrong terms here but this was fully covered much earlier in this thread by Rick.

if a person doesn't want to have anything to do with maintaining any US address or pay any fees for keeping a mail forwarding service open, then from a dollar and cents point of view it may be the very cheapest option.

You are definitely right about the application process alerting social security to the fact that you are no longer in the United States.

THIGV wrote:Travelfar wrote:I hope that anyone counting of using Medicare anywhere other than IN the USA understands it is ONLY usable in the USA.

This is absolutely correct. However if you signed up for Medicare B before moving overseas, you are stuck with the payments. Once you start the only way to stop the payments is to die. If you are overseas when you reach Medicare age, you can delay signing up for the add-ons until and if you return to the US. There is 10% added to the premiums for each year you delay so it's up to you to calculate what to do.

I took early Social Security at age 62, fully cognizant of the differences between that and waiting for full retirement age.

However, I was ignorant and thus surprised when the Medicare Part B deductions started at age 65.

I called the Social Security Administration from Vietnam (Toll free via Skype) to see if anything could be done.

The representative told me that since I am rated 100% by the Veterans Administration and I receive full Healthcare benefits there, I could opt out of part B, so I did.

I'm also covered by the VA's Foreign Medical Program for the treatment of service-connected issues, but not unrelated emergency care, so I paid for my E.R. visits in Vietnam out of pocket.

I think the highest bill I paid for any of my few visits was about ₫2,500,000 VNĐ

It's correct that if I ever decide I want to opt back into part B, I will be paying that 10% premium penalty.
-@OceanBeach92107
Yes you will pay.
-@pogiwayne

Actually, no "I" won't, because I'll never ever want to, because outside the USA, part B would be worthless to me, and the moment I ever reenter the USA & other covered areas, I am 100% covered by the VA again.
-@OceanBeach92107

Well all, I still have Medicare, after traveling home I have an appointment at Kaiser, whom is my provider. So, as a traveler, my coverage works. However in an emergency, ...not. Unless if I am out of USA, travel back there, as a traveler.

I believe  I am correct.

MAc

THIGV wrote:Travelfar wrote:I hope that anyone counting of using Medicare anywhere other than IN the USA understands it is ONLY usable in the USA.

This is absolutely correct. However if you signed up for Medicare B before moving overseas, you are stuck with the payments. Once you start the only way to stop the payments is to die. If you are overseas when you reach Medicare age, you can delay signing up for the add-ons until and if you return to the US. There is 10% added to the premiums for each year you delay so it's up to you to calculate what to do.

I took early Social Security at age 62, fully cognizant of the differences between that and waiting for full retirement age.

However, I was ignorant and thus surprised when the Medicare Part B deductions started at age 65.

I called the Social Security Administration from Vietnam (Toll free via Skype) to see if anything could be done.

The representative told me that since I am rated 100% by the Veterans Administration and I receive full Healthcare benefits there, I could opt out of part B, so I did.

I'm also covered by the VA's Foreign Medical Program for the treatment of service-connected issues, but not unrelated emergency care, so I paid for my E.R. visits in Vietnam out of pocket.

I think the highest bill I paid for any of my few visits was about ₫2,500,000 VNĐ

It's correct that if I ever decide I want to opt back into part B, I will be paying that 10% premium penalty.
-@OceanBeach92107
Yes you will pay.
-@pogiwayne

Actually, no "I" won't, because I'll never ever want to, because outside the USA, part B would be worthless to me, and the moment I ever reenter the USA & other covered areas, I am 100% covered by the VA again.
-@OceanBeach92107


Well all, I still have Medicare, after traveling home I have an appointment at Kaiser, whom is my provider. So, as a traveler, my coverage works. However in an emergency, ...not. Unless if I am out of USA, travel back there, as a traveler.
I believe I am correct.
MAc
-@Mac68

You still have it because you are still paying for it.

Sure any citizen can I leave the country as many times & for however long they like, and the moment they reenter the United States they are covered by Medicare, as long as they continue to have Part B payments deducted from their Social Security benefit.

THIGV wrote:Travelfar wrote:I hope that anyone counting of using Medicare anywhere other than IN the USA understands it is ONLY usable in the USA.

This is absolutely correct. However if you signed up for Medicare B before moving overseas, you are stuck with the payments. Once you start the only way to stop the payments is to die. If you are overseas when you reach Medicare age, you can delay signing up for the add-ons until and if you return to the US. There is 10% added to the premiums for each year you delay so it's up to you to calculate what to do.

I took early Social Security at age 62, fully cognizant of the differences between that and waiting for full retirement age.

However, I was ignorant and thus surprised when the Medicare Part B deductions started at age 65.

I called the Social Security Administration from Vietnam (Toll free via Skype) to see if anything could be done.

The representative told me that since I am rated 100% by the Veterans Administration and I receive full Healthcare benefits there, I could opt out of part B, so I did.

I'm also covered by the VA's Foreign Medical Program for the treatment of service-connected issues, but not unrelated emergency care, so I paid for my E.R. visits in Vietnam out of pocket.

I think the highest bill I paid for any of my few visits was about ₫2,500,000 VNĐ

It's correct that if I ever decide I want to opt back into part B, I will be paying that 10% premium penalty.
-@OceanBeach92107
Yes you will pay.
-@pogiwayne

Actually, no "I" won't, because I'll never ever want to, because outside the USA, part B would be worthless to me, and the moment I ever reenter the USA & other covered areas, I am 100% covered by the VA again.
-@OceanBeach92107


Well all, I still have Medicare, after traveling home I have an appointment at Kaiser, whom is my provider. So, as a traveler, my coverage works. However in an emergency, ...not. Unless if I am out of USA, travel back there, as a traveler.
I believe I am correct.
MAc
-@Mac68

You still have it because you are still paying for it.

Sure any citizen can I leave the country as many times & for however long they like, and the moment they reenter the United States they are covered by Medicare, as long as they continue to have Part B payments deducted from their Social Security benefit.
-@OceanBeach92107

Yea, OB, thanks for the post. As we live here in VN now not quite sure what else to do. But seems appropriate to keep it as we go back to USA, have an address there, and visit w family. Go to appointments, etc.

MAc.

THIGV wrote:Travelfar wrote:I hope that anyone counting of using Medicare anywhere other than IN the USA understands it is ONLY usable in the USA.

This is absolutely correct. However if you signed up for Medicare B before moving overseas, you are stuck with the payments. Once you start the only way to stop the payments is to die. If you are overseas when you reach Medicare age, you can delay signing up for the add-ons until and if you return to the US. There is 10% added to the premiums for each year you delay so it's up to you to calculate what to do.

I took early Social Security at age 62, fully cognizant of the differences between that and waiting for full retirement age.

However, I was ignorant and thus surprised when the Medicare Part B deductions started at age 65.

I called the Social Security Administration from Vietnam (Toll free via Skype) to see if anything could be done.

The representative told me that since I am rated 100% by the Veterans Administration and I receive full Healthcare benefits there, I could opt out of part B, so I did.

I'm also covered by the VA's Foreign Medical Program for the treatment of service-connected issues, but not unrelated emergency care, so I paid for my E.R. visits in Vietnam out of pocket.

I think the highest bill I paid for any of my few visits was about ₫2,500,000 VNĐ

It's correct that if I ever decide I want to opt back into part B, I will be paying that 10% premium penalty.
-@OceanBeach92107
Yes you will pay.
-@pogiwayne

Actually, no "I" won't, because I'll never ever want to, because outside the USA, part B would be worthless to me, and the moment I ever reenter the USA & other covered areas, I am 100% covered by the VA again.
-@OceanBeach92107


Well all, I still have Medicare, after traveling home I have an appointment at Kaiser, whom is my provider. So, as a traveler, my coverage works. However in an emergency, ...not. Unless if I am out of USA, travel back there, as a traveler.
I believe I am correct.
MAc
-@Mac68

You still have it because you are still paying for it.

Sure any citizen can I leave the country as many times & for however long they like, and the moment they reenter the United States they are covered by Medicare, as long as they continue to have Part B payments deducted from their Social Security benefit.
-@OceanBeach92107

Yea, OB, thanks for the post. As we live here in VN now not quite sure what else to do. But seems appropriate to keep it as we go back to USA, have an address there, and visit w family. Go to appointments, etc.
MAc.
-@Mac68

ALSOOOOOOOOOOOOO, one other burning question: 'IS there any way to call the USA from VN without burning money on a phone card. My brother-in law who is American Vietnamese, a refugee from VN, said we could use Google chat? Anyone know of this for using toll free USA numbers. Thanks.

MAc

THIGV wrote:Travelfar wrote:I hope that anyone counting of using Medicare anywhere other than IN the USA understands it is ONLY usable in the USA.

This is absolutely correct. However if you signed up for Medicare B before moving overseas, you are stuck with the payments. Once you start the only way to stop the payments is to die. If you are overseas when you reach Medicare age, you can delay signing up for the add-ons until and if you return to the US. There is 10% added to the premiums for each year you delay so it's up to you to calculate what to do.

I took early Social Security at age 62, fully cognizant of the differences between that and waiting for full retirement age.

However, I was ignorant and thus surprised when the Medicare Part B deductions started at age 65.

I called the Social Security Administration from Vietnam (Toll free via Skype) to see if anything could be done.

The representative told me that since I am rated 100% by the Veterans Administration and I receive full Healthcare benefits there, I could opt out of part B, so I did.

I'm also covered by the VA's Foreign Medical Program for the treatment of service-connected issues, but not unrelated emergency care, so I paid for my E.R. visits in Vietnam out of pocket.

I think the highest bill I paid for any of my few visits was about ₫2,500,000 VNĐ

It's correct that if I ever decide I want to opt back into part B, I will be paying that 10% premium penalty.
-@OceanBeach92107
Yes you will pay.
-@pogiwayne

Actually, no "I" won't, because I'll never ever want to, because outside the USA, part B would be worthless to me, and the moment I ever reenter the USA & other covered areas, I am 100% covered by the VA again.
-@OceanBeach92107


Well all, I still have Medicare, after traveling home I have an appointment at Kaiser, whom is my provider. So, as a traveler, my coverage works. However in an emergency, ...not. Unless if I am out of USA, travel back there, as a traveler.
I believe I am correct.
MAc
-@Mac68

You still have it because you are still paying for it.

Sure any citizen can I leave the country as many times & for however long they like, and the moment they reenter the United States they are covered by Medicare, as long as they continue to have Part B payments deducted from their Social Security benefit.
-@OceanBeach92107

Yea, OB, thanks for the post. As we live here in VN now not quite sure what else to do. But seems appropriate to keep it as we go back to USA, have an address there, and visit w family. Go to appointments, etc.
MAc.
-@Mac68


ALSOOOOOOOOOOOOO, one other burning question: 'IS there any way to call the USA from VN without burning money on a phone card. My brother-in law who is American Vietnamese, a refugee from VN, said we could use Google chat? Anyone know of this for using toll free USA numbers. Thanks.
MAc
-@Mac68

Just about every messaging app: Google Talk, Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, the iPhone app and SKYPE, but in all of those cases, both people need to have the app.

if you are making a phone call to a Luddite you'll probably have to pay for it.

SKYPE used to be my go-to for that and it didn't seem to be terribly expensive.

Also, I still have my T-Mobile number from America and I can do free Wi-Fi calling with *one additional app* on my phone, using my number and all of the contacts in my phone (anyone needs to know the name of the app you will have to send me a private message).

if I don't use the additional app it's 20 cents per minute.

Keeping this at least partially on topic, calls using SKYPE to toll free numbers in the United States are generally free, such as calling the Social Security Administration or the Veterans Administration or my Banks.

(Clarifying due to a discussion in another thread):

The US SSA doesn't stop your benefit payments because you move to a foreign country.

The SSA stops your benefit payments (with a 60 day advance warning) if they have reason to believe you have moved (reside) outside of the United States & territories but have not updated your address.

If you report your change of address properly, your direct deposit payments can continue uninterrupted AS LONG AS YOUR U.S. bank DOESN'T CLOSE YOUR ACCOUNT.

SSA specifically allows direct deposits to US financial institutions when the citizen beneficiary is living abroad (there are separate rules for non-citizen beneficiaries):

If you live outside the United States you can choose to receive your Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (RSDI) benefits electronically. To receive benefits electronically, you must live in a country where we can send benefits. Special rules apply if you are in a country where we cannot send payments.  If you live outside the United States, in a country where we can send payments, you can use direct deposit to a:

• U.S. financial institution; or

• Financial institution in any country that has an international direct deposit agreement.

https://faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-02537

SSA doesn't instruct your bank to close your account, but many U.S. banks will close your account when they have reason to suspect you are no longer residing in the U.S.

In order for you to keep your payments being direct deposited to your U.S. financial institution while you reside in Vietnam, your bank must approve of your U.S. residence status.

So it doesn't appear to be fraud if your bank accepts the U.S. residence address you have on file with them.

@tunnelrat69

while on this SSA thread, can anyone comment on medical benefits part A&B the question is do you continue paying for med. part B even though you live off shore or can you opt out of paying for part B.

@brianAFSER73

You can keep paying but you will only receive care in the USA.

It would be much cheaper to not pay and take an insurance where you are.

while on this SSA thread, can anyone comment on medical benefits part A&B the question is do you continue paying for med. part B even though you live off shore or can you opt out of paying for part B.
    -@brianAFSER73

please try to stay on topic and do a quick search before posting to see if your subject has already been addressed recently. Even though the search tool on this site is not very good, a simple search for "Medicare" provides this link as the #1 result:

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1012633