Medicare Part B Is Useless Outside The USA

I just sent a letter (1 sheet) to the Social Security office in St. Louis, MO. Almost $30. Yes, 30 DOLLARS. And I thought our postal service was expensive.

My Medicare Part B insurance costs about $97. That doesn't seem like too much unless you live outside the United States. In that case, it's money down the drain because you can't use the insurance. So, I decided to disenroll. That is my decision, but may not be a good one for you.

Consider that there is a narrow enrollment window each year for Medicare Part B, so if you are out of the country for only a short time, disenrollment may not be the right choice.

Trying to disenroll from Medicare Part B Social Security Disability is a little more difficult and expensive when you don't live in the USA. There is a special form for disenrollment (CMS-1763). The form is not available as a download on the internet, but Social Security will mail you the form. Should you decide to live outside the USA, plan early about what you will do for medical insurance. An application to disenroll from Medicare Part B does not become effective until the second month after the application, form CMS-1763, or a letter requesting disenrollment is received in the office that manages this program. Here is a old link that has some relevent information about how and where to get disenrollment information. http://www.agingkansas.org/Choices/faq/faq_medicare.htm

So, once you decide to disenroll from Medicare Part B. Plan on paying at least one month for insurance that you don't use. Isn't government great. Paying for something that is useless can only be justified by dishonest businesses and governments. Hmmmm.

Cali, Colombia - My First Month Here

Colombia is more often portrayed as a country of drug lords, cocaine supplier to the world and violence. The average Colombian must surely be mystified why this world view is so widely accepted as the norm for everyday life in Colombia.

I recently came to Cali, Colombia from the United States. I have a goal in my years of retirement to travel around Colombia, photograph her many beautiful places, interview everyday Colombians (the man/woman on the street) and post these interviews and photos on my blog "The Other Colombia". I also hope to re-publish some of my writings, and contributions of others, in the English language magazine named "Colombia Reports".

My journey started on September 11^th, 2008. For almost a month, I lived in a very small furnished apartment in Barrio San Antonio in Cali. Presently, in an effort for total immersion in the culture, I have taken a room with a family. This family consists of grandparents, a woman with three children, a grand niece and a friendly dog of unknown parentage. It is quite an experience as I try to learn Spanish, teach my adopted family English and just generally adapt to a total change in lifestyle.

Part of my Colombianization (is this a new word?) is adjusting to the food. Most things are fairly recognizable; some aren't. Some things are quite delicious and some others less so. I was recently introduced to the Colombian version of the tamale. It is quite different from the American (Tex-Mex) version. Truthfully, I don't care much for either one.

I must focus on getting a permanent visa to remain in Colombia past my 60 day tourist visa limit. This will keep me from being as active on my blog as I would like for a month or so. Fear not, I working on it behind the scenes.

Stay tuned if you want to see how Colombia looks to a gringo and thanks for reading. I'll do my best to keep this interesting and useful.

Kevin Urbina