Hotel Boutique de Sucre is located in the heart of Quito's El Centro, the historic area which like in Cuenca is recognized by UNESCO as an historical preservation area. The hotel was very clean and well kept. It has the furnishings identified with a traditional Ecuadorian hotel. As I began to explore it, the hotel was bigger than I first imagined. The lobby was attractive, and had overhanging balconies encircling it. Throughout the hotel and in the rooms were rich, heavy, beautifully carved doors and closet cabinetry. The hotel had many large paintings on display throughout its foyers and guestrooms, which were also available for purchase. The guestroom draperies were of a traditional style with the multi-layered cornices (panels) at the top of the draperies. The floor in my room appeared to be a wood similar to parquet. I had a very comfortable double bed, with the usual amenities of phone, T.V., hairdryer, WIFI, and a luggage rack. The bathroom was beautiful with very nice ceramic tile that looked like an Italian marble design which went up about a third of all the walls. There is no bathtub; but a large shower, glass-enclosed, which is spacious enough to have a party of three or four, if anyone is so inclined. The tub and sink appear to be relatively new. Included in the price of the room was a buffet breakfast, which included having your eggs prepared as you like them. The hotel is also protected with a gate over its initial entrance. One had to ring for the gate to open. The rooms are sound proof, and the hotel itself was extraordinarily quiet during the day. I thought only three or four people were staying there. However between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., I was amazed at how many people were entering from their evening activities. Since my WIFI connection could not be made from my room, I had to sit in the lobby area to make connectivity.
Hanging out in the hotel lobby was also a great way to make connectivity with people as well. I met a lady from Hawaii whose brother is a doctor and has his own health center and blog. The two of us ate Chinese for dinner. There was a young doctor from the states, who was quite knowledgeable of about many things, and he and his family have done a great deal of traveling. He was doing some kind of emergency work in various hospitals. I also met a fellow from North Carolina, who can you guess, is thinking of retiring to Ecuador. Terry Fenny will be arriving in Cuenca this Sunday for about four days. Maybe, you will meet him if you are at the Gringo Night this upcoming Tuesday at the Italian restaurant. Terry lived in Quito fifty years ago, but so far not one thing looks familiar to him. Terry will be staying at the Santa Monica Hotel in Cuenca, since I knew nothing about it; I was no help to him there.
The best feature for me about Hotel Boutique was the location of the breakfast buffet. The room was on the top floor and had a beautiful view of a nearby church steeple and clock tower. From another vista one had a close up view of the large statue of the Blessed Virgin with wings, which was the first time I had ever seen Mary represented with wings like an angel. Her statue is on a high hill top and hovers over the city of Quito as its protector.
What where the negatives about the hotel? Well, like anything, it’s a question of what your budget can afford and what you are accustomed to in the way of amenities. The price was approximately $55.00 a night. First, don’t expect to be greeted by a doorman ready to help you with your baggage. The hotel clerk did help me with my luggage to my room once I managed to get everything to the check-in counter. There were no elevators in the hotel, but there were three floors. On my departure, I called for a “bell-hop” to assist me with my luggage. A young man who appeared to be a teenager responded. I had seen him doing plaster work and other odd jobs in the hotel. I had the feeling he was “volunteered” to bring my bags down. I had to give him a good tip. Each of the two big bags of luggage weighed about as much as he did. He smiled and looked very proud of himself that he had accomplished his task. Whether the tip will be enough to cover his hernia surgery is another question.
The lighting in the rooms and the bathrooms could be brighter. The sink had no vanity, but there were racks above the toilet where toiletries could be placed. Besides the fact that my WIFI would not connect, there was no desk or table in the guest rooms. There was a nice arm chair, but that was it. Finally with all the spacious closet space, which included a safe for personal possessions, there were no hangers in the closet. Certainly the lack of hangers is a minor expense that could readily be remedied.
When I arrived in Quito I was exhausted. I was to meet with Gabriela Espinosa at 11:00 a.m., but she was delayed at immigration, so I was asked to come back in an hour. I walked around for twenty minutes, and then I stopped at an upper floor open terrace restaurant about a block from Gabriela’s office. The restaurant was owned by a Spaniard from Seville, who has lived in Quito for eight years. I ordered a hamburger. I was not expecting much considering what beef generally tastes like in Ecuador. Was I ever surprised. It was exceptionally good, and put most hamburgers back home to shame. Being the lunch hour, the restaurant was attracting a large number of high school students. They were loud, but in a friendly, conversational kind of way. No hijinks. Just kids enjoying their time together.
When I met with Gabriela, she told me everything was in order. There was no need for any other action at this time, and that I was to return in a month and receive my sedula and legal residency. I would be able to complete everything in one day, and I could fly in and out of Quito all on the same day. Gabriela also informed me that after three years of accomplished legal residency, I could apply for dual citizenship and become a citizen of Ecuador as well—no other requirements.
I went to bed at 11:00 p.m. that evening and slept until 1:00 p.m. the next day. I was only interrupted at noon when the house keeping lady knocked on the door and awakened me. I shouted, “Haste Luego a 2:00 p.m.” She said something in Spanish I did not understand, so I put the pillow over my head and tried to go back to sleep. Five minutes later, the telephone rang. The desk clerk said, “Mr. Mola, would you like housekeeping to prepare your room in an hour?” I repeated very graciously, “Please have her prepare my room at 2:00 p.m.”, and I had no problem falling back to sleep for another hour.
I spent my last day in Quito with an older gentleman who stopped me on the street and offered to be my guide. He was a devout Catholic, so I not only saw three architecturally exquisite churches, but came to know the history of every saint of every statue in each of the churches. I enjoyed his sharing his knowledge, but was disappointed that I did not get to see the basilica, whose spired-steeples to the heavens are so impressive from the outside. A little less time on the saints may have given us time to visit the basilica. There were many beautiful paintings in the churches. One church had the sanctuary walls draped opposite each other with magnificent paintings that I was surprised to learn were not done on canvas, but on burlap.
My guide only reminded me a dozen times why did I not bring my camera. The last thing in the world I wanted to do was take photos, not to mention my camera is new and has yet to be taken out of the box. I have not had the time, and I have no inclination at the moment to tackle another piece of electronic equipment. The same is also true for the Kindle sitting in its unopened box in my luggage. The young doctor let me play with his Kindle, but he didn’t know how to use a lot of the features I asked him about. He said, who has time to learn how to use all these gadgets. My response, Amen!
My guide said that Quito’s El Centro is about ten miles long and three miles wide. It is quite impressive. Some blocks are even closed off to traffic, and serve as pedestrian-type open malls that were in vogue in the states back in the 70’s. Only cabs and limos to hotels or delivery trucks are allowed to enter these areas. I don’t know if all the buses are electric in Quito, but the ones I saw in El Centro were. Coming from Chicago and the U.S.A.’s industrial heartland, it is difficult for me to empathize with expats who complain about Cuenca’s bus fumes. However, there is no doubt that such action toward electrical lines would further enhance Cuenca’s already fresh air.
There are many new buildings done in the Spanish Renaissance style being built in El Centro. My guide claimed that a couple of the buildings he showed me were new hotels that cost three to four million dollars to build, and would cost $400-$500 per night. How accurate that is, I have no way of knowing. On the other hand, so much of El Centro dates back to the 1500’s. There were roads that looked like the skeletal remains of the original brick roads. I did not see any cars use these roads, until the next day when my taxi driver went down the block of one of them. How these guys preserve these small taxis with the way they abuse them is astounding. He took this ancient road fast; and no axle broken, no bent rims, no ripped tires, no body knocked off its frame—go figure.
My perception is that more of the buildings in Quito's El Centro are better kept or freshly painted than in Cuenca. There is no doubt that while Cuenca has some very nice churches, Quito's are difficult to beat when it comes to size and design. However, when my guide took me to what was Quito's central square, there was nothing in Quito's El Centro that could compete with Parke Calderon in Cuenca--a magnificent gem. Overall, Cuenca is much cleaner. Less trash is spewed around, and while Quito has more attractive sidewalks that coincide with the architecture and time period, Cuenca's walks are not covered in lots of discarded gum.
What I did not like about Quito is that everywhere I went people were trying to rip me off and overcharge me, except for the fellow from Seville who operated the restaurant. The hotel staff was also very accommodating. It cost me eight bucks to take the taxi from the airport to the hotel, and then the next driver wanted twelve bucks upon my return trip to the airport. He finally settled for ten. Last summer I paid $5.00. I could go on and on about the overcharges and other shifty business practices, but I’m glad to be back in Cuenca, where Cuenca's good people make me want to be better as well. My trip from the airport to Cuadra Dos was ONLY TWO DOLLARS. I’M A CUECANO NOW. VIVA CUENCA!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Back to Cuenca
I am almost out of battery power. Long story, but I won't be able to write a post tonight. I just wanted to let everyone know that I will be arriving in Cuenca tomorrow, Wednesday, March 16th. I hope to meet many of you at Zoe's Friday evening. I slept for fourteen hours last night. Oh what a difference a night can make. Hasta Luego. Jim
Monday, March 14, 2011
Quito or Bust
Hi, Everybody!
No, I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth, at least not yet. Nor have I fallen off my surf board. I’ve still riding the crest of the wave. No wipe outs yet, despite the literal and metaphorical tsunami warnings, but I will be plenty exhausted once I surf on in to shore and arrive in Quito this evening. I am writing this email to you, while on my flight from Houston to Quito, so I can’t be sure when I will have Internet access to post it. I get into Quito at 9:00 p.m. I anticipate in Quito a two hour ordeal of getting luggage and passing through customs like when I went through customs at the Guayaquil Airport last July, so it may be almost midnight when I get settled into a hotel room. (However, much to my surprise, unlike entering Guayaquil, I received my baggage and completed customs in less than half an hour.)
The past month has, as you expats all well know from your own experiences when you moved to Cuenca, been extremely nuts. The past week began Monday with the Salvation Army picking up everything I had not sold or stored. It's nice to be free of all that stuff. I am a firm believer in what you own owns you. I feel like I’ve been on an eating marathon all week as I’ve put away two Italian meals, and dinners at two Indian restaurants, and one Middle Eastern restaurant; as food so often becomes the way to celebrate occasions like “going away” parties. I said goodbye to various friends and relatives just about each night of the week. I’m ready to slow down the dining dramatically in Quito. I know all the good eating will pick up again in Cuenca.
I enjoyed my weekend with my son, Marc and his friends, in the Baltimore area. I had spent a number of days going through family photo albums earlier, and finally came to the realization that there was no way I could take all of these albums with me. Thanks to Lenny, I decided to have all the photos scanned by a professional company. It took quite a while for me to put all the photos in some kind of chronological order; matching clothes and Christmas packages, etc. to determine which photos were from the same time-frame and identical events. The company, which was out of Arizona, did a beautiful job with cropping, clarity, detail, and color. I could not be more pleased. They took the photos in the order I sent them, and put them into a video slide show with music. The family enjoyed them, and my son, Marc, was very appreciative of viewing and receiving his copy. Marc thought it would have made a perfect Christmas gift from me. However, I never know when I will see either of my sons again, so it seemed to me like a good time to present him with the video. Young people today no longer keep physical photo albums, and now after I watched these photos on big screen television and experienced what digitalization can do, why would anyone? It was a great viewing experience, and makes all the sense in the world to process photos this way.
Viewing the photos with my son which covered from my marriage in 1980 and watching as my kids grew up was the only time I gave in to emotion. Until then I had been way too busy to even consider what I was leaving behind, which included not only friends and family; but also those events of our lives that could never be relived again except vicariously though the snapshots of isolated memories that meld how we come to perceive our pasts.
I have been blessed with good friends and a great family. I was fortunate to be blessed with wonderful parents, and two fine brothers who were a real help to me as I prepared my move. Needless to say, my sons have never given me a reason not to be proud of them. The three of us have been through so many incredible changes over the last three years, with a great deal more of change on the horizon.
My trip had been uneventful, except for the fact that I stupidly parted with my bathroom scale before I packed. One bag was seventeen pounds overweight. While the other bag was seven pounds overweight. I dumped quite a few things before I was going to pay the overcharges, and I am still bringing too much. I have to admit six weeks ago, I couldn’t wait to get to Cuenca, find an unfurnished apartment, and get settled. Now, after just getting rid of everything, I’m in no hurry to start shopping for household goods again. Right now, I just want rest and vacation. Maybe, I’ll feel differently in a week or two. Now, I just want to take my time, and get back into what retirement is suppose to be all about—a slower pace of life, and I won’t sign a lease until I find exactly what I’m looking for. I sure am glad I have Bob and Roxanne’s condo to return to—no household shopping there, and nice and relaxing diggs. I can't wait!
Mary, thanks for the safe travel post. Gil and Deborah, I'll have a better idea how long I’ll be in Quito after I speak with Gabriela tomorrow. I am not staying at the Radisson, but am staying at Hotel Boutique, which I will have more to share with all of you later. It’s a small hotel in the historical section of Quito. If I stay long enough, and get beyond the point of just wanting to crash (not literally in the plane), but just pull a twenty-four hour sleep, I may look up Marco at the Radisson. Otherwise, I am looking forward to getting to Cuenca and seeing everyone. As soon as I know, I’ll post what day this week I’ll be arriving in Cuenca. I’m sorry, Barry, I haven’t had time to read your emails in the past week. Sorry, Clarke, I was going to surprise you with a jar of JIFFY SMOOTH PEANUT BUTTER, but that was one of first items to get tossed at O’Hare as I attempted to get my luggage weight down. I suppose some homeless guy hanging out at O’Hare, or the custodial staff member, who emptied my plastic bag of discarded items came into a virtual gold mine of stuff. I read someone is sending you a case of peanut butter anyway, so I guess my one jar won’t make a difference to your delight.
Hasta luego, It's 1:00 a.m.,Lunes. I’m going to bed. Jim
No, I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth, at least not yet. Nor have I fallen off my surf board. I’ve still riding the crest of the wave. No wipe outs yet, despite the literal and metaphorical tsunami warnings, but I will be plenty exhausted once I surf on in to shore and arrive in Quito this evening. I am writing this email to you, while on my flight from Houston to Quito, so I can’t be sure when I will have Internet access to post it. I get into Quito at 9:00 p.m. I anticipate in Quito a two hour ordeal of getting luggage and passing through customs like when I went through customs at the Guayaquil Airport last July, so it may be almost midnight when I get settled into a hotel room. (However, much to my surprise, unlike entering Guayaquil, I received my baggage and completed customs in less than half an hour.)
The past month has, as you expats all well know from your own experiences when you moved to Cuenca, been extremely nuts. The past week began Monday with the Salvation Army picking up everything I had not sold or stored. It's nice to be free of all that stuff. I am a firm believer in what you own owns you. I feel like I’ve been on an eating marathon all week as I’ve put away two Italian meals, and dinners at two Indian restaurants, and one Middle Eastern restaurant; as food so often becomes the way to celebrate occasions like “going away” parties. I said goodbye to various friends and relatives just about each night of the week. I’m ready to slow down the dining dramatically in Quito. I know all the good eating will pick up again in Cuenca.
I enjoyed my weekend with my son, Marc and his friends, in the Baltimore area. I had spent a number of days going through family photo albums earlier, and finally came to the realization that there was no way I could take all of these albums with me. Thanks to Lenny, I decided to have all the photos scanned by a professional company. It took quite a while for me to put all the photos in some kind of chronological order; matching clothes and Christmas packages, etc. to determine which photos were from the same time-frame and identical events. The company, which was out of Arizona, did a beautiful job with cropping, clarity, detail, and color. I could not be more pleased. They took the photos in the order I sent them, and put them into a video slide show with music. The family enjoyed them, and my son, Marc, was very appreciative of viewing and receiving his copy. Marc thought it would have made a perfect Christmas gift from me. However, I never know when I will see either of my sons again, so it seemed to me like a good time to present him with the video. Young people today no longer keep physical photo albums, and now after I watched these photos on big screen television and experienced what digitalization can do, why would anyone? It was a great viewing experience, and makes all the sense in the world to process photos this way.
Viewing the photos with my son which covered from my marriage in 1980 and watching as my kids grew up was the only time I gave in to emotion. Until then I had been way too busy to even consider what I was leaving behind, which included not only friends and family; but also those events of our lives that could never be relived again except vicariously though the snapshots of isolated memories that meld how we come to perceive our pasts.
I have been blessed with good friends and a great family. I was fortunate to be blessed with wonderful parents, and two fine brothers who were a real help to me as I prepared my move. Needless to say, my sons have never given me a reason not to be proud of them. The three of us have been through so many incredible changes over the last three years, with a great deal more of change on the horizon.
My trip had been uneventful, except for the fact that I stupidly parted with my bathroom scale before I packed. One bag was seventeen pounds overweight. While the other bag was seven pounds overweight. I dumped quite a few things before I was going to pay the overcharges, and I am still bringing too much. I have to admit six weeks ago, I couldn’t wait to get to Cuenca, find an unfurnished apartment, and get settled. Now, after just getting rid of everything, I’m in no hurry to start shopping for household goods again. Right now, I just want rest and vacation. Maybe, I’ll feel differently in a week or two. Now, I just want to take my time, and get back into what retirement is suppose to be all about—a slower pace of life, and I won’t sign a lease until I find exactly what I’m looking for. I sure am glad I have Bob and Roxanne’s condo to return to—no household shopping there, and nice and relaxing diggs. I can't wait!
Mary, thanks for the safe travel post. Gil and Deborah, I'll have a better idea how long I’ll be in Quito after I speak with Gabriela tomorrow. I am not staying at the Radisson, but am staying at Hotel Boutique, which I will have more to share with all of you later. It’s a small hotel in the historical section of Quito. If I stay long enough, and get beyond the point of just wanting to crash (not literally in the plane), but just pull a twenty-four hour sleep, I may look up Marco at the Radisson. Otherwise, I am looking forward to getting to Cuenca and seeing everyone. As soon as I know, I’ll post what day this week I’ll be arriving in Cuenca. I’m sorry, Barry, I haven’t had time to read your emails in the past week. Sorry, Clarke, I was going to surprise you with a jar of JIFFY SMOOTH PEANUT BUTTER, but that was one of first items to get tossed at O’Hare as I attempted to get my luggage weight down. I suppose some homeless guy hanging out at O’Hare, or the custodial staff member, who emptied my plastic bag of discarded items came into a virtual gold mine of stuff. I read someone is sending you a case of peanut butter anyway, so I guess my one jar won’t make a difference to your delight.
Hasta luego, It's 1:00 a.m.,Lunes. I’m going to bed. Jim
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Surfing the Wave
Time is at a premium for me, but as friends reminded me this morning, I can leave a post without writing the great American novel. So, yes, as my return to Cuenca rapidly approaches, I feel very much like a surfer who is riding the big wave. I'm still riding that wave, and just trying not to get knocked off my board and submerged under the wave of time as it reaches a crescendo and cascades over me.
My furniture is moving fast. In fact, faster than I expected. I may be living my final two weeks with little more in my apartment than me, my lap-top, and two pieces of luggage. It was a Buddhist monk who said "The mind is full when the room is empty." I guess I may find out what that means.
I was going to bring three pieces of large luggage. However, United wants an additional $200 for the third bag. Forget that, the third luggage piece is going back to the store. I just hope Connie Pondo knows what she is talking about, when she wrote in a recent post that expats need to bring less clothes with them, except for personal styles of underwear. I'm trusting you on that, Connie. (As for the underwear, well, I don't use products from Federick's of Hollywood, or Victoria's Secret; therefore, Ecuadorian underwear may work out fine.)
I am really looking forward to staying at Bob and Roxanne's Cuenca condo again when I return, until I find an unfurnished apartment in the city which must have a balcony. I can not imagine living in Cuenca without a balcony. The image that keeps me going through this hectic period is having breakfast out on Bob and Roxanne's balcony at lunch-time, and watching the panoramic sky show unfold throughout the day.
I will be leaving from O'Hare Airport on Friday, March 11th, and visit with my elder son, Marc, in Maryland before arriving in Quito on Sunday evening, March 13th. On Monday, I have an appointment with attorney Gabriela Espinosa. Currently, I have no idea how long I'll be in Quito to take care of all my immigration paperwork. I do expect to arrive in Cuenca somewhere between that Wednesday and Friday. I am looking forward to seeing all you pioneers again--those of you who were the trailblazers and now are the settled residents of one to three years; to meet folks I feel like I know from their blogs, but who moved to Cuenca after I left in August last year; and, of course, to meet the newbies, who will be arriving for their first introductions to Cuenca. Hasta Luego!
My furniture is moving fast. In fact, faster than I expected. I may be living my final two weeks with little more in my apartment than me, my lap-top, and two pieces of luggage. It was a Buddhist monk who said "The mind is full when the room is empty." I guess I may find out what that means.
I was going to bring three pieces of large luggage. However, United wants an additional $200 for the third bag. Forget that, the third luggage piece is going back to the store. I just hope Connie Pondo knows what she is talking about, when she wrote in a recent post that expats need to bring less clothes with them, except for personal styles of underwear. I'm trusting you on that, Connie. (As for the underwear, well, I don't use products from Federick's of Hollywood, or Victoria's Secret; therefore, Ecuadorian underwear may work out fine.)
I am really looking forward to staying at Bob and Roxanne's Cuenca condo again when I return, until I find an unfurnished apartment in the city which must have a balcony. I can not imagine living in Cuenca without a balcony. The image that keeps me going through this hectic period is having breakfast out on Bob and Roxanne's balcony at lunch-time, and watching the panoramic sky show unfold throughout the day.
I will be leaving from O'Hare Airport on Friday, March 11th, and visit with my elder son, Marc, in Maryland before arriving in Quito on Sunday evening, March 13th. On Monday, I have an appointment with attorney Gabriela Espinosa. Currently, I have no idea how long I'll be in Quito to take care of all my immigration paperwork. I do expect to arrive in Cuenca somewhere between that Wednesday and Friday. I am looking forward to seeing all you pioneers again--those of you who were the trailblazers and now are the settled residents of one to three years; to meet folks I feel like I know from their blogs, but who moved to Cuenca after I left in August last year; and, of course, to meet the newbies, who will be arriving for their first introductions to Cuenca. Hasta Luego!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Health Insurance Answers
I raised the question of health insurance in my last post. I have had quite a number of emails and a post from Americans who are either in transition to moving to Ecuador, planning a move to Ecuador, or are investigating a possible move to Ecuador and expressed to me their concern about health insurance. Now, I will share with you what I learned:
First, there was absolutely no response from expats to my post for advice on health insurance, so I will share with you what I learned through my own exploration. The lack of response from expats may have been due to the following reasons: To reiterate from my previous post, I spoke to at least a dozen expat couples and singles while I was in Cuenca last summer about health insurance. I do not recall one of them saying that they carried health insurance. The rationale given was that health care is of a high quality in Cuenca and so inexpensive compared to the states that there is no real need for health care insurance.
My concern for carrying health insurance is primarily to cover for catastrophic casualties, which even can become expensive in the Ecuadorian system. Imagine the cost from a serious accident or from a debilitating stroke, plus the cost involved with rehabilitation as well. The costs soon outweigh the $9,000.00 to $12,000.00 cost of Cobra for single and family plans that are saved by a pay-as-you-go for incurred expenses. No doubt much can be saved from year to year, if one is willing to take the risk. My biggest concern, since I am not eligible yet for Medicare, is being sure that I am covered while I am visiting in the United States.
Each of us have to decide how much risk with which we are willing to live, and whether our retirement income determines whether or not we can also afford to carry a health insurance policy. People living with minimal pensions and social security may have little choice but to pay-as-you-go, and if faced with a major medical catastrophe, may choose to simply file for bankruptcy. For people who have additional assets at risk, if hit with major medicals expenses, they may have greater concern for protecting their assets.
Keep in mind also that even those who qualify for Medicare and are paying into the system, will not be covered outside the United States, unless they are volunteers. You would probably have to delve into the small print to discover what constitutes volunteers. I would assume a volunteer would be someone like a Peace Corp volunteer, not someone like me who is voluntarily relocating to Cuenca. (Sorry, no smiley faces available.) However, Medicare will cover those eligible while they are traveling and visiting in the United States. I mention this because I had one email where the spouse thought he was covered by Medicare once they relocate to Ecuador, and only his younger wife would need health care coverage.
I also mentioned in my previous post that I had read that Ecuadorian health insurance companies may not be reliable in paying on big claims. I had hoped possibly some expats who have Ecuadorian policies might offer their insights on such policies. However, it may be that they have not invested in Ecuadorian insurance policies. Also all the expats I have met or have a nodding acquaintance with from reading their blogs have also been in Cuenca three years or less. I assume the expat community in Cuenca is a relatively new phenomenon, and may still be feeling their way around about insurance. Or if they have international or Ecuadorian policies have not had time to use them to verify their effectiveness and integrity.
Now, to get to what I have learned. I explored two international insurance companies, Bupa and Health Care International Global. Both are large international insurance companies that have been in existence for thirty or more years, and both deal with tens of millions of insured clients world-wide. Both companies are located in Great Britain. Bupa is the older company. Health Care International Global is not publicly-traded, which they claim leads to their profits being reinvested into the company.
Below you will find a comparison of a single policy between the two companies. If I go with either, I will choose Health Care International Global. It provides better coverage at less cost with a much lower deductible. My cost quote is based upon my age and a single cover policy. The company allowed for only a $2,000.00 deduction, and I chose for premium quote purposes a 10% co-pay. Both policies provide me with coverage when I am visiting in the United States. The premium with Health Care International can be canceled in writing fourteen days before it goes into effect. After that, it can’t be canceled or modified until the end of its first year.
Bupa offers more deduction choices without a co-pay, and is about $300.00 cheaper than Health Care International, but that is at a deduction rate of $8,500.00. Also Bupa appears to be more physician and hospital restricted. Health Care will cover any physician, hospital, or clinic that is licensed or accredited by the country in which you are residing or traveling at the time of medical attention. Bupa also disappointed me, because it failed to call me in a follow-up when I responded to an email, and also when I set up a time for appointment on their web page. (Keep in mine, that Great Britain is five hours ahead of us.) Also, when I found the page that was to list the providers in Ecuador, the page was blank except for the Bupa name and company logo. (The International site also directs you to Bupa, Latin America web page, but that site did not provide me with a medical providers list either.) I tried on three different occasions over two days, and always got the same result--no hospitals, clinics, or physicians listed.
Once I am eligible for Medicare, I can drop the international coverage. I can then procure catastrophic coverage for $900.00 to $1,200.00 that covers me regionally or just while I am in Ecuador. There are also short-term inexpensive traveling insurances, which requires greater investigation.
Procuring health insurance is a very personal decision; both companies offer other more expansive plans as well. I cannot sign up for Health Care International until thirty days before I want the policy to go into effect, so I have a little more than two weeks to make a final decision. There are many companies out there dealing with international insurance. Ultimately, each of us will have to do our own research, based upon our needs. I do hope, however, that today’s post provides a starting point for exploration and comparison. If you think you have found better insurance coverage for the dollar in the next two weeks; I’d appreciate it, if you would share with me whatever you have learned.
Health Care International Global
Your quotation for Individual Private Medical Insurance
Thank you for enquiring about cover under the Emergency + Worldwide Including USA, incorporating a claim deductible of US $2,000 with a 10% Co-Payment starting 14 March, 2011. We can confirm that the following premiums will apply for you and your family based on 1 adult aged between 61-65 years:
Plan Type Emergency + Worldwide Including USA Annual Premium US $2,582.51
Claim Deductible US $2,000 Semi Annual Premium N/A
Co-Payment 10% Quarterly Premium N/A
Dental Cover 1 members Monthly Premium N/A
PA Additional Cover US $50,000, 1 members at US $85 each
* The premium may differ slightly, depending on the exchange rates applicable at the time or if you are paying in a different currency to the plan's currency.
HealthCare International Medical Insurance Plans offer some of the most innovative and user friendly plan benefits currently available. By working closely with our underwriters, we have been able to include many benefits as standard that are often excluded by other international programs.
• In-Patient Hospital Treatment Accommodation
• Life-saving Organ Transplants
• Hospital Cash Benefit
• Daycare Surgery Treatment
• Road Ambulance Transportation
• Dread Chronic Diseases
• Emergency Medical Evacuation Medical Repatriation
• Repatriation of Mortal Remains
• Personal Accident Cover
Accidents do happen, so it's important to insure yourself and your family against any eventuality and with our Personal Accident programme, we will provide a cash payment which is yours to use in any way you like. You are automatically covered for US $25,000 as part of the benefits to all the medical plans (benefit not available for those under 18 years of age) with a maximum limit of up to US $125,000 per person.
With the consequences of being ill, particularly in unfamiliar surroundings, often proving to be a distressing experience, each of our plan's have been purposely designed to provide against not only for the financial worries you may often have to face but to meet those experiences associated with specialist treatments often excluded by other international plans.
http://www.healthcareinternational.com/home-international-insurance.php
Bupa Critical Care
Bupa Critical Care is specifically designed to cover major illnesses and injuries, with access to thousands of quality doctors.
Key Benefits
Bupa Critical Care only covers the following illnesses and medical needs (subject to the coverage limits detailed below):
Neurological illnesses, including cerebral vascular accidents $150,000
Cardiac surgery and angioplasty $150,000
Cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and reconstructive surgery $200,000
Severe trauma (polytrauma) including rehabilitation $150,000
Chronic renal insufficiency (dialysis) $100,000
Severe burns, including reconstructive surgery $300,000
Severe infectious disorders (septicemia) $150,000
Organ Transplant (per insured, per lifetime):
Transplant procedures (per diagnosis, per lifetime) $300,000
Heart $300,000
Heart/Lung $300,000
Lung $250,000
Pancreas $250,000
Pancreas/Kidney $300,000
Kidney $200,000
Liver $200,000
Bone marrow $250,000
Air ambulance (per insured, per year) $25,000
Plans & Premiums for cover starting on 14-Mar-2011
Product name James
Worldwide Medical Insurance
(USD 8,500.00 Deductible) USD 2,231.01
Worldwide Medical Plus
(USD 170.00 Deductible) No Cover
Worldwide Medicines and Equipment
(USD 80.00 Deductible) No Cover
Worldwide Wellbeing
(USD 0.00 Deductible) No Cover
Worldwide Evacuation
(USD 0.00 Deductible) USD 289.00
Annual Total USD 2,520.01
Annual Grand Total : USD 2,520.01
Bupa Plans & Premiums for cover starting on 14-Mar-2011
Product name James
Worldwide Medical Insurance
(USD 8,500.00 Deductible) USD 2,231.01
Worldwide Medical Plus
(USD 170.00 Deductible) No Cover
Worldwide Medicines and Equipment
(USD 80.00 Deductible) No Cover
Worldwide Wellbeing
(USD 0.00 Deductible) No Cover
Worldwide Evacuation
(USD 0.00 Deductible) USD 289.00
Annual Total USD 2,520.01
Annual Grand Total : USD 2,520.01
http://www.bupa-intl.com/
First, there was absolutely no response from expats to my post for advice on health insurance, so I will share with you what I learned through my own exploration. The lack of response from expats may have been due to the following reasons: To reiterate from my previous post, I spoke to at least a dozen expat couples and singles while I was in Cuenca last summer about health insurance. I do not recall one of them saying that they carried health insurance. The rationale given was that health care is of a high quality in Cuenca and so inexpensive compared to the states that there is no real need for health care insurance.
My concern for carrying health insurance is primarily to cover for catastrophic casualties, which even can become expensive in the Ecuadorian system. Imagine the cost from a serious accident or from a debilitating stroke, plus the cost involved with rehabilitation as well. The costs soon outweigh the $9,000.00 to $12,000.00 cost of Cobra for single and family plans that are saved by a pay-as-you-go for incurred expenses. No doubt much can be saved from year to year, if one is willing to take the risk. My biggest concern, since I am not eligible yet for Medicare, is being sure that I am covered while I am visiting in the United States.
Each of us have to decide how much risk with which we are willing to live, and whether our retirement income determines whether or not we can also afford to carry a health insurance policy. People living with minimal pensions and social security may have little choice but to pay-as-you-go, and if faced with a major medical catastrophe, may choose to simply file for bankruptcy. For people who have additional assets at risk, if hit with major medicals expenses, they may have greater concern for protecting their assets.
Keep in mind also that even those who qualify for Medicare and are paying into the system, will not be covered outside the United States, unless they are volunteers. You would probably have to delve into the small print to discover what constitutes volunteers. I would assume a volunteer would be someone like a Peace Corp volunteer, not someone like me who is voluntarily relocating to Cuenca. (Sorry, no smiley faces available.) However, Medicare will cover those eligible while they are traveling and visiting in the United States. I mention this because I had one email where the spouse thought he was covered by Medicare once they relocate to Ecuador, and only his younger wife would need health care coverage.
I also mentioned in my previous post that I had read that Ecuadorian health insurance companies may not be reliable in paying on big claims. I had hoped possibly some expats who have Ecuadorian policies might offer their insights on such policies. However, it may be that they have not invested in Ecuadorian insurance policies. Also all the expats I have met or have a nodding acquaintance with from reading their blogs have also been in Cuenca three years or less. I assume the expat community in Cuenca is a relatively new phenomenon, and may still be feeling their way around about insurance. Or if they have international or Ecuadorian policies have not had time to use them to verify their effectiveness and integrity.
Now, to get to what I have learned. I explored two international insurance companies, Bupa and Health Care International Global. Both are large international insurance companies that have been in existence for thirty or more years, and both deal with tens of millions of insured clients world-wide. Both companies are located in Great Britain. Bupa is the older company. Health Care International Global is not publicly-traded, which they claim leads to their profits being reinvested into the company.
Below you will find a comparison of a single policy between the two companies. If I go with either, I will choose Health Care International Global. It provides better coverage at less cost with a much lower deductible. My cost quote is based upon my age and a single cover policy. The company allowed for only a $2,000.00 deduction, and I chose for premium quote purposes a 10% co-pay. Both policies provide me with coverage when I am visiting in the United States. The premium with Health Care International can be canceled in writing fourteen days before it goes into effect. After that, it can’t be canceled or modified until the end of its first year.
Bupa offers more deduction choices without a co-pay, and is about $300.00 cheaper than Health Care International, but that is at a deduction rate of $8,500.00. Also Bupa appears to be more physician and hospital restricted. Health Care will cover any physician, hospital, or clinic that is licensed or accredited by the country in which you are residing or traveling at the time of medical attention. Bupa also disappointed me, because it failed to call me in a follow-up when I responded to an email, and also when I set up a time for appointment on their web page. (Keep in mine, that Great Britain is five hours ahead of us.) Also, when I found the page that was to list the providers in Ecuador, the page was blank except for the Bupa name and company logo. (The International site also directs you to Bupa, Latin America web page, but that site did not provide me with a medical providers list either.) I tried on three different occasions over two days, and always got the same result--no hospitals, clinics, or physicians listed.
Once I am eligible for Medicare, I can drop the international coverage. I can then procure catastrophic coverage for $900.00 to $1,200.00 that covers me regionally or just while I am in Ecuador. There are also short-term inexpensive traveling insurances, which requires greater investigation.
Procuring health insurance is a very personal decision; both companies offer other more expansive plans as well. I cannot sign up for Health Care International until thirty days before I want the policy to go into effect, so I have a little more than two weeks to make a final decision. There are many companies out there dealing with international insurance. Ultimately, each of us will have to do our own research, based upon our needs. I do hope, however, that today’s post provides a starting point for exploration and comparison. If you think you have found better insurance coverage for the dollar in the next two weeks; I’d appreciate it, if you would share with me whatever you have learned.
Health Care International Global
Your quotation for Individual Private Medical Insurance
Thank you for enquiring about cover under the Emergency + Worldwide Including USA, incorporating a claim deductible of US $2,000 with a 10% Co-Payment starting 14 March, 2011. We can confirm that the following premiums will apply for you and your family based on 1 adult aged between 61-65 years:
Plan Type Emergency + Worldwide Including USA Annual Premium US $2,582.51
Claim Deductible US $2,000 Semi Annual Premium N/A
Co-Payment 10% Quarterly Premium N/A
Dental Cover 1 members Monthly Premium N/A
PA Additional Cover US $50,000, 1 members at US $85 each
* The premium may differ slightly, depending on the exchange rates applicable at the time or if you are paying in a different currency to the plan's currency.
HealthCare International Medical Insurance Plans offer some of the most innovative and user friendly plan benefits currently available. By working closely with our underwriters, we have been able to include many benefits as standard that are often excluded by other international programs.
• In-Patient Hospital Treatment Accommodation
• Life-saving Organ Transplants
• Hospital Cash Benefit
• Daycare Surgery Treatment
• Road Ambulance Transportation
• Dread Chronic Diseases
• Emergency Medical Evacuation Medical Repatriation
• Repatriation of Mortal Remains
• Personal Accident Cover
Accidents do happen, so it's important to insure yourself and your family against any eventuality and with our Personal Accident programme, we will provide a cash payment which is yours to use in any way you like. You are automatically covered for US $25,000 as part of the benefits to all the medical plans (benefit not available for those under 18 years of age) with a maximum limit of up to US $125,000 per person.
With the consequences of being ill, particularly in unfamiliar surroundings, often proving to be a distressing experience, each of our plan's have been purposely designed to provide against not only for the financial worries you may often have to face but to meet those experiences associated with specialist treatments often excluded by other international plans.
http://www.healthcareinternational.com/home-international-insurance.php
Bupa Critical Care
Bupa Critical Care is specifically designed to cover major illnesses and injuries, with access to thousands of quality doctors.
Key Benefits
Bupa Critical Care only covers the following illnesses and medical needs (subject to the coverage limits detailed below):
Neurological illnesses, including cerebral vascular accidents $150,000
Cardiac surgery and angioplasty $150,000
Cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and reconstructive surgery $200,000
Severe trauma (polytrauma) including rehabilitation $150,000
Chronic renal insufficiency (dialysis) $100,000
Severe burns, including reconstructive surgery $300,000
Severe infectious disorders (septicemia) $150,000
Organ Transplant (per insured, per lifetime):
Transplant procedures (per diagnosis, per lifetime) $300,000
Heart $300,000
Heart/Lung $300,000
Lung $250,000
Pancreas $250,000
Pancreas/Kidney $300,000
Kidney $200,000
Liver $200,000
Bone marrow $250,000
Air ambulance (per insured, per year) $25,000
Plans & Premiums for cover starting on 14-Mar-2011
Product name James
Worldwide Medical Insurance
(USD 8,500.00 Deductible) USD 2,231.01
Worldwide Medical Plus
(USD 170.00 Deductible) No Cover
Worldwide Medicines and Equipment
(USD 80.00 Deductible) No Cover
Worldwide Wellbeing
(USD 0.00 Deductible) No Cover
Worldwide Evacuation
(USD 0.00 Deductible) USD 289.00
Annual Total USD 2,520.01
Annual Grand Total : USD 2,520.01
Bupa Plans & Premiums for cover starting on 14-Mar-2011
Product name James
Worldwide Medical Insurance
(USD 8,500.00 Deductible) USD 2,231.01
Worldwide Medical Plus
(USD 170.00 Deductible) No Cover
Worldwide Medicines and Equipment
(USD 80.00 Deductible) No Cover
Worldwide Wellbeing
(USD 0.00 Deductible) No Cover
Worldwide Evacuation
(USD 0.00 Deductible) USD 289.00
Annual Total USD 2,520.01
Annual Grand Total : USD 2,520.01
http://www.bupa-intl.com/
Friday, January 21, 2011
Questions About Health Insurance???
When I was in Cuenca many expats that I spoke to did not carry any health insurance. The reasoning was that medical care costs are so low in Ecuador compared with the United States, that expats chose to pay out of their pockets for any expenses. Out-of-pocket expenses were viewed as more desirable than spending $9,000.00 to $12,000.00 annually for single or family plans in the U.S.A. I know from my conversations with expats in Cuenca that there have been surgeries which have cost $4,000.00 to $5,000.00--a fraction of what the expense would have been in the the United States. Yet, what if someone has a really serious accident or is diagnosed with cancer, where either incident might involve long-term care or rehabilitation? I would think that a $100,000 claim in the United States, for example, could still run $20,000.00 to $30,000.00 in Ecuador--not exactly a small piece of change.
Therefore, I am seeking a policy with a high deductible which not only covers me while in Ecuador, but also when I visit the United States until I am eligible for medicare. It is my understanding that when I am eligible for Medicare, that Medicare will not cover expenses outside the United States, unless one is a volunteer(however that is defined)in another country. However, Medicare would cover me while I am visiting in the states.
Connie Pombo recently had a post where she procured health insurance through Humana, but she mainly spoke of the insurance in its use for prescription drugs. Otherwise little detail was provided. Connie, if you are reading this, I would appreciate more information as your health insurance relates to hospitalization, out-patient, pre-existing conditions, etc. I attempted to email you, but then your email disappeared on me, and I couldn't find it again on wherever I initially saw it. When I tried to contact you by Facebook, your name would snap off every time I typed it into the message form. (Sorry Connie, I truly believe that somewhere out there among the constellations is a negative vibe between me and technology.) I also googled Humana in Ecuador, (which was the company mentioned by Connie). Currently I am waiting for some price estimates from some international insurance companies. I will share what I learn as I procure this information.
For those of you who are expats, I find the question of health insurance is rarely addressed in the blogs. I have received post comments and emails seeking information over this topic, so I know there is a great deal of interest out there over health insurance coverage in Ecuador. If anyone has a policy with a company you believe is trustworthy, we sure would appreciate some feedback either on your blog posts or via email to me. I have read accounts that Ecuadorian health insurance companies often will not pay on large claims. I have no idea how accurate that claim is. However, it is one reason of concern why I am looking at international insurance companies.
Therefore, I am seeking a policy with a high deductible which not only covers me while in Ecuador, but also when I visit the United States until I am eligible for medicare. It is my understanding that when I am eligible for Medicare, that Medicare will not cover expenses outside the United States, unless one is a volunteer(however that is defined)in another country. However, Medicare would cover me while I am visiting in the states.
Connie Pombo recently had a post where she procured health insurance through Humana, but she mainly spoke of the insurance in its use for prescription drugs. Otherwise little detail was provided. Connie, if you are reading this, I would appreciate more information as your health insurance relates to hospitalization, out-patient, pre-existing conditions, etc. I attempted to email you, but then your email disappeared on me, and I couldn't find it again on wherever I initially saw it. When I tried to contact you by Facebook, your name would snap off every time I typed it into the message form. (Sorry Connie, I truly believe that somewhere out there among the constellations is a negative vibe between me and technology.) I also googled Humana in Ecuador, (which was the company mentioned by Connie). Currently I am waiting for some price estimates from some international insurance companies. I will share what I learn as I procure this information.
For those of you who are expats, I find the question of health insurance is rarely addressed in the blogs. I have received post comments and emails seeking information over this topic, so I know there is a great deal of interest out there over health insurance coverage in Ecuador. If anyone has a policy with a company you believe is trustworthy, we sure would appreciate some feedback either on your blog posts or via email to me. I have read accounts that Ecuadorian health insurance companies often will not pay on large claims. I have no idea how accurate that claim is. However, it is one reason of concern why I am looking at international insurance companies.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Looking To The Future
Last Friday was my last day of teaching as the semester and my current career have come to a close. It was a good week. I appreciated the cake, cards, and congratulations from both students and colleagues. It was nice to end my career with a fine group of students. I wish my seniors well in their future endeavors. The fact that I taught many of them as freshman made the goodbyes more poignant. A number of them have matured over the four years, and its not often a teacher has the chance to witness his students' social and academic growth so directly. I hope in the process of my interaction with them, I instilled within my students a sense of curiosity beyond their own experiences, and a desire to travel and see the world. One thing is for sure, they all know where Ecuador and Cuenca is on a map. In fact, my retirement to Ecuador became quite a topic of conversation among staff and students, a number of teachers told me they had their students look up Ecuador and Cuenca in their map atlases. Not bad, considering I don't recall myself ever hearing of Cuenca until a year ago last Christmas season.
Meanwhile, I am now focused on the future. I have taken action to get all my paper work in order for my legal residency in Ecuador. I am working with Gabriela Espinosa, the attorney in Quito, who has come highly recommended by many expats. Although personnel in the Ecuadorian consulate in Washington tell me that visas are not yet being processed, I am told that the delay should not affect my time-table for returning to Ecuador. I tentatively intend to arrive in Quito on Monday, March 14th. I will spend a few days in Quito to finalize my residency requirements, and then arrive in Cuenca later in the week.
Well, on one hand, I am overwhelmingly excited about returning to Cuenca; on the other hand, I hope I have sufficient time to get everything accomplished. I am finding that the little things which don't show up in concrete form, like unloading my personal belongings, are very time consuming. Seeking out health insurance, dealing with the governmental offices, determining what will and will not be downloaded from my P.C. to my laptop, how to handle my finances and investments, notifying all the proper sources of address changes and cancellation of services, or scanning thousands of slides; these are only scratching the surface of things that need to be done, but don't process like an accomplishment the way an eventual empty apartment does.
For those of you who comment on problems and delays with Ecuadorian government and business bureaucracy, the Ecuadorians may have learned it from the United States. I was delayed for two weeks getting my social security information to the Ecuadorian Consulate, because of misinformation that was given to me twice from social security representatives, as I needed to procure my monthly income statement for authorization by the Ecuadorian consulate personnel. I have a friend who is 65, but is still working and has never applied for Medicare. Yet Medicare has been trying to collect hundreds of dollars in back payments for insurance for which my friend has never applied or used. It has been months of back and forth phone calls and letters between my friend and Medicare. The problem still has not been fully resolved. Medicare personnel tell him one thing and then do another. One would think with our government's advanced computer operations that such delays would be less likely than in a country like Ecuador where the computer operations are less sophisticated. At any rate, bureaucratic snafus and delays just seem to be a part of everyday modern life no matter where one lives.
I look forward to reconnecting with old friends and acquaintances, and making new friends and acquaintances as well. I read that you are having beautiful weather in Cuenca, I hope it will still be as nice in March. If anybody has any advice for me in my move, I am open to any suggestions.
Meanwhile, I am now focused on the future. I have taken action to get all my paper work in order for my legal residency in Ecuador. I am working with Gabriela Espinosa, the attorney in Quito, who has come highly recommended by many expats. Although personnel in the Ecuadorian consulate in Washington tell me that visas are not yet being processed, I am told that the delay should not affect my time-table for returning to Ecuador. I tentatively intend to arrive in Quito on Monday, March 14th. I will spend a few days in Quito to finalize my residency requirements, and then arrive in Cuenca later in the week.
Well, on one hand, I am overwhelmingly excited about returning to Cuenca; on the other hand, I hope I have sufficient time to get everything accomplished. I am finding that the little things which don't show up in concrete form, like unloading my personal belongings, are very time consuming. Seeking out health insurance, dealing with the governmental offices, determining what will and will not be downloaded from my P.C. to my laptop, how to handle my finances and investments, notifying all the proper sources of address changes and cancellation of services, or scanning thousands of slides; these are only scratching the surface of things that need to be done, but don't process like an accomplishment the way an eventual empty apartment does.
For those of you who comment on problems and delays with Ecuadorian government and business bureaucracy, the Ecuadorians may have learned it from the United States. I was delayed for two weeks getting my social security information to the Ecuadorian Consulate, because of misinformation that was given to me twice from social security representatives, as I needed to procure my monthly income statement for authorization by the Ecuadorian consulate personnel. I have a friend who is 65, but is still working and has never applied for Medicare. Yet Medicare has been trying to collect hundreds of dollars in back payments for insurance for which my friend has never applied or used. It has been months of back and forth phone calls and letters between my friend and Medicare. The problem still has not been fully resolved. Medicare personnel tell him one thing and then do another. One would think with our government's advanced computer operations that such delays would be less likely than in a country like Ecuador where the computer operations are less sophisticated. At any rate, bureaucratic snafus and delays just seem to be a part of everyday modern life no matter where one lives.
I look forward to reconnecting with old friends and acquaintances, and making new friends and acquaintances as well. I read that you are having beautiful weather in Cuenca, I hope it will still be as nice in March. If anybody has any advice for me in my move, I am open to any suggestions.
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