Episode Summary
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller dives into the critical topic of healthcare for expats in Latin America, especially for those over 50. He emphasizes that younger expats may not prioritize healthcare due to a sense of invincibility, but as they age, the need for a solid health care plan becomes critical. Johnny also mentions his extensive research into stem cell treatments in Latin America, including a specific clinic in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, which he recommends due to its high-tech facilities and affordability. He acknowledges the lack of regulation in Latin America but emphasizes the quality of some clinics. Johnny addresses concerns about safety in Mexico, noting that while he doesn't recommend Mexico as a primary destination, it is suitable for specific treatments. He highlights the availability of English-speaking clinics with comprehensive information.
Johnny then discusses the safety and quality of stem cell clinics in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, emphasizing that the area is upscale and safe for tourists. He references a YouTube video showing American patients arriving at the clinic and notes that while some areas of Mexico are unsafe, the tourist spots are relatively stable and safe for short-term stays. He shares a personal story about his family's upcoming trip to the clinic, including his mother's recent heart valve replacement and his brothers' health issues. Johnny then shifts to discussing the state of national health care systems in Latin America, highlighting that even the best systems are still far from private health care standards and often suffer from long wait times and poor infrastructure.
Johnny critiques government-run services, particularly national health care systems, stating that they are slow, frustrating, and lack proper service. He argues that even the so-called top national health care systems in Canada and the UK are deteriorating and not as effective as they appear. He warns that implementing socialized medicine in the United States would be disastrous due to the influence of big pharma and insurance companies. He concludes by suggesting that people should listen to real stories from those on the ground rather than relying on articles or hearsay.
Johnny discusses the flaws of socialized healthcare systems, particularly the UK's NHS, by highlighting how quality of life calculations can lead to the denial of life-saving treatments for elderly patients. He uses his father's experience with the NHS as a personal example of the system's failures. He criticizes the system's bureaucratic inefficiencies and the impact of mass immigration on the NHS, arguing that it has become an international service. He reflects on his own experiences living in the UK and the country's poor health outcomes despite having national healthcare. Mueller concludes by warning about the need for personal preparedness (prepper mindset) as a response to societal collapse, referencing historical examples of those who prepared for disasters and those who did not.
Finally, Johnny discusses the importance of having a close family member in Latin America for emergency situations, contrasting it with the United States where people often live alone and face risks like exposure to cold. He also addresses a listener named Less who is considering retiring early and taking Social Security benefits, highlighting the financial and practical benefits of retiring in Latin America rather than the U.S. due to inflation, economic instability, and the value of Social Security benefits.
Topics
Health care for expats in Latin America, Stem cell treatments, Safety in Mexico, Recommendations for clinics in Puerto Vallarta, Regulation and quality of medical services in Latin America, Safety of stem cell clinics in Puerto Vallarta, Personal experience with family health issues and travel plans, State of national health care systems in Latin America, Government inefficiency, National health care systems, Socialized medicine, Criticism of bureaucracy
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:54 Why Health Care is a Priority for Expats Over 50 00:01:17 Stem Cell Treatments in Latin America 00:02:37 Recommendations for Stem Cell Clinics in Mexico 00:05:18 Safety Concerns in Mexico and Alternative Destinations 00:05:34 Safety and Upscale Nature of Puerto Vallarta 00:08:14 State of National Health Care Systems in Latin America 00:11:19 Government Services and Bureaucracy 00:11:49 Criticism of Health Care Systems in Costa Rica and Other Countries 00:12:34 Theoretical vs. Practical Implementation of National Health Care 00:17:09 The Mathematical Equation of Healthcare Rationing 00:17:32 The Truth of Socialized Healthcare 00:18:21 The Personal Impact of NHS Failures 00:19:35 The Consequences of Open Immigration Policies 00:20:20 The Fatal Flaw of Government-Controlled Healthcare 00:21:26 The Need for a Real Plan B 00:22:48 Emergency Family Support in Latin America 00:23:24 Contrast Between U.S. and Latin America Living Conditions 00:24:17 Less's Social Security Benefit and Retirement Plan 00:26:43 Financial Benefits of Retiring in Latin America
Transcript
Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.
[00:00] All right, you know, I talk a lot about health care here in Latin America Why because it's on the top of the list for expats with a plan B I mean look most people who are smart and astute enough to know they got to get the hell out of dodge sooner or later Are most often over the age of 50 sure there are plenty of astute young gringos in their 20s and 30s and 40s Who want to get the hell out of dodge, but they just don't have the means yet Or they haven't got their act together and are working on it They're not the ones thinking much about their health because you know when you're in your 20s and 30s, you're invincible, right? but it's the gringos and expats over 50 they know they have to have a good health care plan and Some great health care providers because once you hit 50 it's downhill from there. Sure. You can slow down the process I've done that just being here in Latin America does wonders for your eating habits and therefore your longevity
[00:48] But in the end, you know as Jimmy Morrison said no one here gets out alive and he checked out at 27 So that's why I spent a lot of time talking about health care doctors and clinics here in Latin America I even wrote that 100 plus page report You could call it a book health care in Latin America for gringos and expat which you can get and here's a plug by going To www dot the expat files that come clicking on Johnny's health care report in fact, it's new and revised as of just a couple of days ago and Includes all the latest and greatest on stem cell treatments here in Latin America In fact, I've spent an inordinate amount of time checking those places out simply because some of the members of my own family Have slowly but surely destroyed their own health with the all-american diet along with the couch potato exercise plan and all the stress and anxiety
[01:35] You get from being on the first world treadmill I'm sure a lot of you listeners have family members that are ticking time bombs, too So I have spent a lot of time researching umbilical otherwise known as mesenchymal stem cell therapies doctors and clinics here in Latin America and again If you want the information on stem cell clinics that I've come up with Send me an email the expat files at gmail.com. I'll ship it off to you Speaking of emails since I started talking about stem cells stem cell clinics and doctors Well in the last few months tons of listeners have requested that information packet and they send me emails like this one From Tim he says Johnny regarding stem cell clinics you've mentioned on your show I know there are some in Mexico that you recommend and I think I heard this past fall that you were going to go to
[02:24] One yourself on the west of Mexico and Puerto Vallarta. I'm curious with all that stuff You've been saying about safety in Mexico right now. Would you still recommend going to one of these clinics? Thanks for everything Johnny signed Tim Alright Tim good question. First of all, I'd like to say I only recommend one stem cell clinic in Mexico Not a bunch of them Though I'm sure there are many more good ones who has the time to check them all Every Latin American country has many of them and the problem is how to find a good one because down here in Latin America There's very little regulation. There is no FDA Which in the end is a very good thing because that's how alternative medicine clinics ended up south of the border So as far as my investigation, I've only had time to check out and recommend a few different clinics
[03:10] After all when you find something good you stick with it and one of them's in Puerto Vallarta Mexico And man is it high tech and first rate in fact, if you go on their website They've put together some very excellent YouTube videos that actually walk you through the lab and the procedure and the equipment they've got So you can see it's all new first rate very high tech and super hygienic And it's also the least expensive of the clinics that I've checked out Because you know the cost of getting the treatments all over the place anywhere from five to twenty five thousand bucks By the way, if you're new to the stem cell thing, there's just massive amounts of information out on the internet Just like any treatment. There's pros and cons. So you wonder how can you sort it all out? I've done that but not out of the goodness of my heart I did it because a couple of my close family members are falling apart. Of course
[03:59] They've got no one to blame but themselves, but that's the American way, right? I'm all for people having the right to do anything they want to their bodies or put anything in Their cake hole so that they want as long as they don't make me pay when they end up needing medical treatment And that's one thing I really hate in discussions about national health care with the do-gooders always saying healthcare is a human right next thing They'll be saying Internet is a human right gas jeans and Nike shoes are a human right and a trip to Disney World's a human Right and Netflix is a human right and you know, it would be a different story of people were Conscientious and took care of their health and ate a proper diet, but they don't so why should I pay for the consequences of their bad choices same thing with rapists and child molesters I say chemically castrate them that should be a prerequisite for becoming a priest
[04:45] So go ahead call me heartless. Call me cruel. Call me a dickhead Hmm. Just imagine if I was king for a day Mmm, I'd probably get poisoned by lunchtime, but I digress as usual. Where were we? Oh, yeah stem cell clinics I know for sure the one I recommend in Puerto Vallarta and in Panama have websites in English and man They're excellent. They're very complete youtubes and all But back to Tim's question about Puerto Vallarta He's saying is it's safe to go there considering all that's been happening in Mexico over the past couple years Well, Tim if you've been listening to my show lady as far as Mexico I don't recommend it as your plan B destination, but I also say all the time They've got great cheap vacation package deals to places like Tulum
[05:31] Can't coon Playa del Carmen even Puerto Vallarta Which is a beachfront vacation town and the area of the city the clinics in is very nice and upscale In fact, they've got a YouTube video with some footage that shows some American patients landing at the airport Getting picked up in a taxi and they interview this couple on their way to the clinic from the airport You can see it's nice modern open. It's a tourist area an area with no ghettos No gangs at least none apparent no cabrones with neck tattoos Of course, that's not true a couple of neighborhoods away, but you'll find throughout Mexico with all the foreign tourist spots They're all sort of little upscale islands of stability at least for the time being and if you stay in those areas You're generally safe and the bad boys and girls the gangs and such are not living or hanging in those neighborhoods
[06:19] But right outside the tourist spots all bets are off But just flying in to a resort or vacation area for a short time or for a couple of days necessary for the stem cell treatments There really should be no problem as long as you stay in the designated areas Just don't go wandering off the beaten path and you know as far as Mexico goes In fact all big cities throughout the world including in the US You don't just decide to walk your dog at 11 at night Unless number one you live in a gated guarded community and number two you're walking your Rottweiler So anyway, Tim fear not about going to that particular stem cell clinic in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Oh and Tim mentioned the fact that I personally that's me Johnny. I'm taking my own family members to that particular clinic
[07:06] Here's the story on that It was on my agenda way back in August then my mother fell down and broke her arm in three place She's in her late 80s. So she's doing physical therapy and all that Had to postpone the trip. She recovered from that and Rescheduled for early December and then right before we were gonna go. She had a little fainting episode The doctors in Chicago checked her out found out she had a damaged heart valve was leaky So they replaced it just a few weeks ago So now she's recovering from that coming along fine as of now we're waiting for the all clear Since they gave her a temporary pacemaker. They're watching her a bit. So when we're over that hump I'm going down with her and my two brothers One of them who's loaded with heart stents and he's in his late 40s and the other almost 60
[07:53] Overweight arthritis high blood pressure terrible diet on eight or ten prescription medicines, you know the drill now He's looking at a joint replacement or two with a number of his sports injuries coming back to haunt him So the next stop before they do any surgery the stem cell clinic. Don't worry I'll keep you posted and give you the play-by-play on that All right now staying on the health care issue You longtime listeners have heard me say that every single Latin American country has a so-called national health care system and Most all of them are pathetic disasters though. I still get listeners asking me What about Colombia's national health care system or what about Ecuador's or Costa Rica? The truth is those three countries and probably Chile to have the best national health care systems
[08:41] But that's not saying much their second even third rate compared to any private health care plan You're still looking at long lines and impossible waiting times Scheduling an appointment with a doctor could take weeks even months Unless of course, it's an absolute emergency and speaking of emergency rooms at national health care hospitals Well, here's a test walk into a national health care emergency room and take a whiff and you'll know in a second You don't want to be there Oh, but they're good at trauma and broken bones and such because the emergency rooms in public national health care hospitals are filled to the brim balls to the wall with accident victims the most common emergency room patients being victims of Motorcycle crashes why because they drive like maniacs often three and four on a bike
[09:26] They run red lights regularly and weave through traffic drive on sidewalks and go the wrong way down one way streets Yep, it's an exercise in Darwinism. So then why do they always end up in public national health emergency rooms? Because ninety nine point nine percent of people who drive motorcycles don't have health or vehicle insurance In fact more than half of Latino motorcyclists don't even have a valid driver's license and it's all about the money You know, so if they don't even have the money to go take a driver's test, they're never gonna buy private health care insurance It's just not a priority. So then when you talk about national health care hospitals What are they good for? Well, emergency room trauma victims. That's about it Turns out national health care doctors are really great at trauma
[10:11] So then what do you see when you walk into those emergency rooms? That is if you can get over the smell Well, you see patients who are victims of motorcycle accidents chicken bus accidents farm accidents accidents in the workplace gunshot and knife wounds Basically a lot of people who are really hurting standing around hugging the walls because the seats are all filled and they'll be cracked windows dirty walls and floors water stains from leaky ceilings burnt out and flickering fluorescent tubes about to die and Bathrooms with no TP towels or even running water Those are the usual suspects then you've got the so-called higher-end national health care systems in namely Costa Rica Ecuador Argentina Colombia and Chile so then if they're at the top of the heap, what are they like? Well, they're pretty bad
[10:56] But become just barely acceptable when a new president or administration comes in They always promise to inject money into and spiff up the national health care system Which none of them are their family members would ever dream of utilizing themselves So then every couple years there's a big injection of money and things are spiffed up a coat of paint Changed light bulbs new equipment, but it's still you know Operated by government, which is the kiss of death think about the bureaucracy in government There's always more clerical people than doctors and nurses Think of the government offices up by you think of the clerical workers and the mind-numbing useless work They perform they really have no interest in giving you the service you deserve They just want to get their paycheck and get out of there. So bottom line, however bad sluggish and frustrating
[11:46] Government services are up in the states. It's worse than that down here That's why it always irritates me when I read bugs and articles from places like AARP and International Living They say retire cheaply in Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador and get on their national health care system Yeah, right. That's the teaser I'm sorry to have to tell you this but even the so-called top-of-the-line national health care programs Like in Canada and England UK they're bankrupt and have deteriorated to such a state that almost everyone except people who don't get sick Complain about them. So you've got people in really good health who don't use their services much They're the ones that don't complain. But once you're stuck in the gears of the system, man, look out now You've heard me say many times that national health care just like socialism
[12:34] It's a very good idea that works in theory on paper in principle But because of human nature and the fact that we're all different it never works in practice it just doesn't not to mention everything the government touches turns to And I don't have to tell you how frustrating it is talking to people who say that National health care is the way to go a human right though Sure I'm a hundred percent in agreement that the way private Insurances run in the states with corrupt big pharma in bed with the insurance companies Controlling prices and lobbyists in that cesspool, Washington, DC the whole things beyond out of control That said it's an absolute certainty if and when socialized medicine is implemented in the United States It'll truly be more disastrous than what we have right now
[13:21] Big pharma and the insurance industry will still have their hooks deep into the system You think they're gonna give up all those billions in profits? The new laws will certainly be written in their favor by their lobbyists Congressman will get their payoffs as usual Meanwhile JQ public will have to get ready to take it up the keister again cuz it's coming Oh and for those of you who still believe that the Canadian or British national health care system is the gold standard Well today I've got a little surprise for you Sure, you have to read everything and then develop your own opinion But don't just read articles listen to people who've got boots on the ground Listen to the real stories out there not just hearsay and that's why today I'm gonna make a little departure from what I usually do on this show as
[14:10] You know, I almost never interview anyone. In fact, I think I've only done that once in 920 shows you might remember maybe five or six years ago. I interviewed a tax guy an Expat tax expert sure. He had a lot of good information and things to save but his presentation. It was so dry It was like sandpaper after that. I said to myself no more interviews on this show But today i'm gonna break that rule just slightly. I'm not actually doing an interview I'm just gonna play for you a part of a very recent interview From one Katie Hopkins a British broadcaster and columnist Who prides herself on going to places others won't go to report the truth from the road? She's a real boots on the ground lady She's slept on skid road dodged hand grenades in no-go zones
[14:56] She's followed illegal european migrants from libya to callee in france She's watched him game the uk social safety net and welfare system And being a british citizen with her family in the uk, she has occasion to use the national health care system The following is what she has to say about it and what she has to say about Americans who think a national health care system based on the british or canadian model Is the solution so listen up and pay attention, you know, these british accents aren't so easy to follow here goes Yeah, I mean god watching americans be sold this myth of socialized health care You know watching bernie and camala and all the rest of them stand there and basically
[15:42] You know open their wallets and just kind of throw cash at people look at 20 an hour minimum wear a jaw Socialized health care free health care for all free this you know, it's It's bonkers, but also you want to say I tell you what come with me. Kamala Come on bernie. Come sit with me and I tell you what we'll do tomorrow morning at 8 30 because 8 30 is where my doctor Surgery opens and I know that and the reason I know that is because if I have a sick kid in the night At 8 20. I need to be holding my phone Ready to start dialing to try and get in the wait line To try and get a receptionist to pick up who will be rude to me and want to know what's wrong And try to beg for an appointment to be told there's none for three weeks
[16:28] You know, I have ways of obviously getting around that I can have private health or I can lobby You know if you're just a regular mom with you know a job to get to and not much income and it struggle You're not getting a doctor's appointment. No way for your kid No way Then we've just had so so the exchange point for socialized healthcare is rationing So our old people here are told no, you can't have a new hip So if you're now over 75 in the uk, you cannot have a new hip. It's not worth it If you've got cataracts, you can't have your eyes fixed anymore because it's not worth it. You're not a priority If there's there's cancer fixing there's drugs that will make you live longer if you have cancer You're not allowed them because there's a there's an actual mathematical equation
[17:15] For the quality of life years remaining quality And if your quality of life years remaining costs more than 50k a year You can't have that drug So these are the things I could tell them in a without political persuasion just in a rational way These are just the truths of a socialized healthcare system is acute rationing that is without humanity Assessed by the quality of life years you've got left doesn't matter if you've got a two-year-old You don't get that drug. So that's the nhs now do the other people that work in it amazing. Yeah Do our ambulances occasionally scoot people off the road save their lives and are those doctors and nurses? I'm, you know, brilliant people completely
[18:02] But are they overwhelmed to the point where they are suicidal? Yeah, and will our leftists acknowledge that mass immigration has made our national health service an International health service where taxpayers like my dad? Who's 72 years old he's paid into the system all his life And he took a fall the other day He was told it was three months wait to be seen by a doctor and when he saw the doctor They said well, you're old you have to expect these sorts of things and he's still not walking properly now He's never ever used the national health service all his life And now he's told well, you're old you have to expect this stuff and he doesn't get treatment So I guess that's just the sort of human mum Granddad story of what the truth is and so that's why when I see bernie and the others pretending I just wish
[18:51] You know, you just wish you could bring them home with you for a few days and show them something else Hmm. All right. Me johnny again, you know many years ago before I lived in latin america I moved to the uk and you know, I used to say to myself man. These guys have worse diets than americans Bangers and mash and mushy peas in the morning bankers have these really fat sausages that look white You've got so much fat in them and the brits, you know, aren't big on exercise either and I used to say to myself Man, here's a society with national health care whose older people are just in terrible shape I wonder how that's going to play out as the years go by Well now we know And even back in 1988 89 and 90 when I was there They had an open door immigration policy for all their colonies like india pekstan
[19:40] The caribbean and african colonies where they made a deal with these countries when they gained their independence That their people would always be able to visit the uk without a visa and man has that policy come home to roost In fact, I read somewhere just recently that only around 35 percent of londoners Were native born uk citizens and of course, you probably know the mayor of london is a muslim And if you're wondering how that happened, it's because of the population distribution Well to quote from an old 1960s hit you got your troubles. I've got mine So then as for national health care, it's a good idea with a fatal flaw That being the government runs it and we know it's an absolute fact everything they touch runs exponentially over budget
[20:27] Becomes a bureaucratic nightmare a cancer that just keeps growing and eventually turns to In fact in my entire life the only people i've ever heard say good things about government I'm talking about in today's world not my parents world are people who work for government Then you've got guys like burnt bernie who's never held a real job in his life Except in government telling you and me who've actually got our hands dirty getting down to business in the working world Telling us how to live what's good for us and whatever we've got going for us now can be done better by government And that's why me and so many others who've been around the world visited many other countries Seeing what it's like elsewhere and realized the us is no longer exceptional, but rapidly self-destructing
[21:13] We know it's past the point of no return It's not coming back and the only alternative to going down with the ship is to get the hell out of dodge while you still can So i'll ask that most important question again How's your plan be coming? It's your insurance policy, you know And when the feces really does hit the ventilator what you're gonna do without a plan b dial 911 like 10 million others Or maybe you think because you're a prepper Maybe are you can hunker down in the basement for a couple of months and wait it out Good luck with that It's always been my idea that becoming a prepper is kind of a practice run for having a real plan b But you'll see in the next few years. It won't be enough In fact, it'll make you a target for all those neighbors of yours who are not preppers
[22:01] But you knew that already you saw in the movie or the twilight's own episode You boomers out there will remember that one the guy that built the fallout shelter in his backyard Remember that one and all his neighbors thought he was nuts They laughed at him then the air raid sirens went off and the nuclear scare came and guess Who tried to beat the door in on that fallout shelter? You know even way back when I think it was like 1962 good old rod surling was way ahead of his time Too bad the guy smoked five packs of cigarettes a day and went out the hard way the real hard way Oh and by the way down here in latin america They don't even have a name or a phrase for the word prepper because you know Naturally, it seems like all latin americans have a plan b and they don't even know it Because you see every latino and I mean every latino has a first cousin uncle grandma brother
[22:48] Some close family member that's got a little finger a farm So if there's any kind of national disaster at all earthquake tsunami hurricane blood insurrection Well, you just hop on a chicken bus and head to uncle tulio's house Yes, come hell or high water. The chicken buses will be running So you spend a couple weeks at the farm or however long is necessary play hide and seek with the driveway chickens The question is how many of you up there in gringo landia? Have that kind of close relative out in the boonies that'll take you in I bet not one in 20 Maybe 50 gringos has that kind of connection And even if you do the question as to whether they take you in or not another thing And remember here in latin america, no one dies of exposure Why because it's mostly temperate climate no ice and snow Meanwhile up in the states and parts north like new york and chicago detroit, etc
[23:35] every year there are reports of dozens of people who die in their apartments because somehow the heating wasn't working or they didn't pay their It's mostly old forgotten retired people too who don't have any close relatives to speak of sad but true But that doesn't happen here in latin america not just because there's no snow and ice It's because families are much tighter and old people don't live alone. They live with their families Up in the states. That's a rarity. All right, speaking of getting old and retiring. We've got this email comes from less He says hi johnny I'm a little bit excited after hearing your advice on not wanting to wait until your full retirement kicks in I checked the social security website for my own case and the payoff has gone up slightly It's now around 2000 bucks a month if I retire on my birthday in just one month
[24:22] Based on what you're saying johnny I think that 2000 a month is not bad for living in the alti plano region of guadamal or elsewhere South of south of the border though. Obviously, it would be double if I wait till i'm 70 But who wants to wait till there's 70 to retire are the people crunching those numbers effing nuts In the end johnny, I might be coming to your seminar sooner rather than later I definitely will be coming because i'm ready to get the hell off the treadmill So thanks and keep the great info coming signed less. All right. Thanks for that less You know what he's referring to everyone is the fact that I always recommend to take your social security when you hit 62 Of course, if you let a few more years roll by your payout increases But in the end if you crunch the numbers if you don't start taking your dough at 62
[25:11] It'll take a couple of years of collecting to make up the difference And you're still not considering the uncertainties of the future and inflation and you know We're heading into some bleak times that could wipe out the dollar Plus if you wait to 70 before you take your payout and retire Well, you may not be retiring because many people don't actually retire. They just move on something else, but they still collect So what if let's say your health is pretty good at 62 and when you reach 70 you're all screwed up Because you know after you hit 60 things start falling apart all that much faster What's the point of having a couple more hundred bucks in your pocket every month when your health's not good enough to enjoy it? Hopefully that won't happen. But hey, you never know Besides let's say you're 62 right now and you decide to wait till 70 because you get a bigger payout That's eight years from now and man
[25:57] It's going to be a completely different world even two or three years from now and it ain't gonna get better and the dollar It's almost certain to be a piece of toilet paper by then However, I really do believe even though the u.s Government is bankrupt and they say social security is bankrupt too that you'll get that payout They'll just print more money like they always do Of course since the u.s government is following the zimbabwe school of economics I wouldn't count on having any meaningful savings in dollars So that's why my advice is take the money right away as soon as you qualify And of course the only way a social security check is going to allow you to live a real first world life Is if you get the hell out of dodge and come to latin america or another third world country Where you've got tremendous purchasing power still and yes less if you move to the alti planno
[26:43] 2000 bucks a month will allow you to live an absolute first world middle class style life without skimping on anything Whereas two grand a month in cleveland or chicago We'll put you squarely in the ghetto or a white trash neighborhood in a high crime district Is that your idea of getting old and checking out?