#970 – The Expat Files: Health Care in Latin America and Beyond

Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.

[00:00] South of the border down Mexico way That's where I fell in love when the stars above came out to play and now I wonder Hello there all you ex-pat wannabes. I'm Johnny Mueller and you're listening to the expat files living in Latin America The show that tells you just what it's like to live work play and or retire down here in Latin America It's a mix of the good the bad the ugly and the great and it's all right here. So let's get started You know a lot of would-be expats that is expat going to be some wannabes They often get sucked into the idea that if they come down to any particular Latin American country They could just easily sign up for benefits in the national health care system and any little or large medical problem that comes along

[00:49] They'll be well taken care of in other words. They've heard quite erroneously Coroniously that national health care systems in Latin America are pretty good. Well, they're good if you're never sick. I Remember hearing that over and over again from gringles and expats living in Costa Rica and in Ecuador the two Latin American National health care systems you hear so much about because Ecuador and Costa Rica are the top Latin American countries with the most gringo Expats per capita. Yep I have spoken to many gringles and expats who went to those particular countries Mostly because they heard so many good things about their national health care systems Which are virtually free for locals and almost free for gringos with residency Hell they couldn't believe it. They were getting full medical coverage for something like 20 bucks a month

[01:34] Then as long as you were in the system and had your little health care identity card You could go down to any public clinic or hospital and get treated such a deal, huh? But then again, nothing's for nothing though. Some things you have to learn the hard way Yeah, you know when I first got down here, I fell for that too. And I thought hey, I have Costa Rican residency I'm covered on their national health system. Why should I buy private insurance when I got this great national health care insurance? Then I thought hmm. I wonder why private insurance companies exist at all bottom line I bought the AARP and international living propaganda That is until one of the guys in my band in Costa Rica German guy Fell down on his bike and twisted his ankle and we went down to the National Health Care Hospital and the line

[02:20] Was about a half block long and 50 people deep and then a little guy walked up to us and said in very broken But understandable English gringo amigo. It's about a three or four hour wait Not good, but I can help By the way, beware of Latinos. You don't know that first address you as amigo Same thing up in Portland and Cleveland if someone you don't know says hey friend, come here Well chances are he ain't your friend at all. He wants something So anyway, the little guy who started out on the wrong foot by addressing me as amigo He said you don't want to wait three or four hours. I can help He said I think it was for five thousand colonis something like ten bucks He could get us to the front of the line

[03:06] Which was antithetical to us a real no-no in the states to take cuts up in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Seattle You could definitely get your ass whooped for that. So we looked around at that long line Turned to him and said no, that's okay. I don't think the people in this line would appreciate that Then he said no, no amigo. This is my job. Turns out he was a professional line stander a placeholder Of course, we paid the dough because my German friend was in pain and his ankle was twice the size of the other one Yep That's the national health care system as it applies to gringos and expats because the locals they can't afford ten bucks to get to The front of the line and if they could they wouldn't rely on a national health care They'd have a private health care plan where you get 80 to 100 percent full coverage First world style with almost no long lines are standing and waiting around

[03:55] But really doesn't it make you wonder at least a little bit why there are so many private insurance plans in Latin American countries Obviously, it's because the national health care plans that every country has Completely sucked though you longtime listeners may have heard me say many times on this show There are times when Latin American national health care systems are very good But never are they consistent which is a big problem because you don't know when you're gonna get sick Meaning you never know if the national health care plans on the upswing and everything's working pretty good or the downswing Where it appears you've gone back in time to the 18th century though strangely enough you can usually plot it out on a graph It looks like a sine wave with the peak or the most efficient and best treatment occurring right before national election time

[04:46] Isn't that funny? Suddenly right before election time money maintenance and equipment get injected into the system And everybody's happy oh and the party empowers publicity machines running over time singing the praises about it, too Then predictably after the elections and all the hubbub as died down Suddenly you start seeing all kinds of reports in the press and in the media that the national health care system is dead broke again And they've got no gloves syringes or disposables in fact I once snapped a very good picture of a doctor's lounge in the national health care hospital in Guatemala City It shocked the hell out of me. I saw a big sign on the bulletin board right in the lounge by the coffee machine It said and believe me. I had to read it twice to let it sink in attention doctors Please bring your own gloves and disposables. We're fresh out so bring your own

[05:35] Hey, if you think that's hyperbole send me an email the expert files at gmail.com, and I'll send you that photo It's in Spanish of course, but you'll get the idea and if you think it's just the national health care hospitals in Guatemala That really sucked. You'd be dead wrong I hear from doctors all over Latin America that tell me they would never submit themselves or their families to the ordeal Of going to a national health care hospital they go with private hospitals all the way Isn't it funny that all Latin American doctors have private health care insurance at least everyone? I've ever spoken to and I've spoken to dozens and dozens of them that should say it all now about Latin American doctors You know there's some very very good ones trained absolutely first-world style a lot of them went out of the country to get their specialties, too

[06:21] So then there's a legit question you might ask what are they doing? Practicing medicine in national health care hospitals well There's generally three reasons for that number one some Latin countries in their medical boards Insists as part of a doctor's medical training that he does his residency to national health care hospital So you see most all Latin American doctors will spend at least a year at one of the national health care Hospitals after they graduate the second is you'll find a lot of Latin doctors with a heart We'll spend a morning afternoon or day a week at a national health care hospital just because poor people need to be served For example my favorite Guatemalan dentist dr. Alex who's actually a u.s. Trained oral surgeon now He doesn't like to talk about it He donates one day a week to the national health care hospital doing free surgeries on mostly poor and indigenous people who have really bad

[07:12] Dental and facial problems like cleft palate So you'll find a lot of good Latin American doctors donating their time at one of the national health hospitals just because they have a heart Reason number three you'll find some very good doctors at national health care clinics is that they may not be so busy at their own Private offices this is true for many young doctors fresh out of school And you know they'll freely admit. How crappy those hospitals are though somehow First-world rags like aarp and international living Continuously run articles and blogs saying hey come on down to Latin America if you have health problems and your health care costs The states are way too high not to worry You can get in on the national health care system in so-and-so country in Latin America and completely eliminate those crushing First-world medical costs from your budget now. I'm not saying that never happens problem is national health care

[08:03] Systems ride with the political tide. It's boom and bust and always a flip of the coin whether you're gonna Have a good or bad experience is that how you want to deal with you or your family's health care? Are you a good coin flipper? How's your luck by the way when you flip a coin in Latin America? They don't say heads or tails They say Cara Oh Escudo that means face or shield so what's that mean well turns out years ago when coins were really gold or silver Real money with intrinsic value not like the junk you have in your pockets today Back then the majority of them had a big swollen Hydrosophallic head of a genocidal dictator on one side that was heads and on the reverse a shield You know like a shield a knight would carry into battle thus you have face or shield

[08:49] Cara which is face or? Escudo shield now of course nothing taxes a national health care system like an epidemic or pandemic Whether real imaginary or just plain exaggerated Hopefully you'll never have to find that out for yourself And you never will if you've got private insurance if you really want to know what's happening at the national health care level during this pandemic Well, you're gonna find out because I have an eye-opening article for you coming out of Mexico news daily And I'll paraphrase this as usual to cut out the boring and redundant parts the title of the article Mexican National Hospital staff reports for Covid patients died due to power outage Alright, so with all the Covid virus news you might not think that's such a big thing anything could happen right listen to this it says

[09:38] emergency generator failed to start at Jalisco National Public Hospital a Failed generator caused the death of four coronavirus patients connected to ventilators in a Guadalajara hospital According to the staff at zapopans Valentin Gomez Farrias Government workers hospital you got that it's a national health care government workers hospital Then it says during a four-hour power outage due to rains in the area on Sunday The emergency generator failed to kick in and power was lost to the ventilators helping patients breathe chief radiologist Dr. Benjamin Muniz said the hospital's maintenance department was at fault for neglecting to replace a Effective battery in the unit according to colleagues. He said the generator failed for several hours. No power at all

[10:27] They didn't have a portable emergency generator That would have been the solution because the patients on the seventh floor in the covid area with the ventilators are 100% dependent on the power. Dr. Muniz said maintenance problems have been ongoing at the National Health Care Hospital So frustrated he actually filmed maintenance workers improperly disposing of hospital liquids earlier this year And dr. Muniz himself was personally sanctioned and on the verge of being fired or reporting the incident With his termination process put on hold due to the coronavirus emergency Then it says various members of the hospital's medical staff supported by various health care workers unions have complained about shoddy maintenance in the past And when they did complain the incurred threats and retaliation

[11:14] risking dismissal Dr. Muniz also added quote people have pointed out to the director of the hospital the negligence and The ineptitude of the person's in charge of maintenance and in addition to workplace harassment He says staff members who complain are the ones that suffer especially Muniz who formerly accused the hospital maintenance department of corruption Meanwhile the National Health Care Hospital Union representative his name is Diego Torres He said it was commonplace for Mexican public hospital workers to be fired after denouncing deficiencies and maintenance infrastructure or lack of medical supplies Saying it's undeniable that the Mexican government does not invest adequately in their health care system

[12:01] In fact conditions and maintenance problems are so bad in Mexican national health care hospitals that the union workers and representatives have announced a National strike and protest at public hospitals taking place July 1st. Hmm So I guess that happened a couple days ago with demonstrations plan for Jalisco Guerrero Chiapas Baja, California Veracruz Hildego and Coa Julia So there you have it Who are you gonna believe? doctors and staff working at these Mexican national health care hospitals or those glossy rags like Aarp and international living who never failed to put a bright and happy spin on practically everything they grind out Meanwhile here are the expat files living in Latin America We promise to give you the good the bad the ugly and the great by the way I'd like to thank Michael are for sending me that article

[12:49] Alright speaking of 43 more reasons why I don't recommend Mexico for your plan B Comes this news out of Mexico dated June 30th 2020 turns out Mexican prosecutors have requested 46 arrest orders for public officials In one small city you got that not just anybody. We're talking about 46 public officials going to be arrested over charges of forced disappearance and organized crime as part of a probe into the disappearance of 43 students from the same school who disappeared without a trace in 2014 The article goes on to say since 2014 when the case was first investigated. They've uncovered official police

[13:34] Violations and missteps and handling of the case including torture arbitrary arrests and hiding of evidence officers originally on the case being accused of fraud manipulating data and Mishandling evidence and now with Interpol warrants out indicating many of the 46 accused government officials in the plot Including top official Tomas Saron having fled the country Now let's pretend we're the detectives here Can you off the top of your head think of a place where? Indicted and convicted Latin American political scumbags usually end up buying luxury houses and condos. Let's see I'll give you a hint. It starts with an M and ends with a jammy. Oh And speaking of Mexico, there's always a never-ending stream of bad news coming out of that place

[14:23] Can you think of any good news coming out of there if you can let me know yet I still get emails from expat wannabes up in the state saying they're a hundred percent on track with getting out of dodge and their destination Mexico, in fact just yesterday I got a call from a publicity agent for a guy who wrote a book that's on the Amazon bestseller list on the joys and wonders Of Gringo's and expats move into Mexico Turns out the publicist wanted some free publicity wanted me to interview the guy on this show and you know, I don't do that Not because I don't like doing interviews. I used to do them all the time But before this show the fact is it's just too hard to set up the logistics and whether by nature or just because I'm slipping Into old age. I just want a simple life I don't want to complicate things and setting up interviews times dates and juggling schedules that to me involves a lot of wasted time

[15:12] Not to mention in this guy's case You think I'm gonna put a guy on this show whose whole spiel is the joys of moving to Mexico Obviously neither the guy nor his publicist has ever listened to one of my shows Nope, I don't think I want to embarrass the guy on the air, you know, though It might be fun. Just needling them to death But still so many expat gonna bees and wannabes look to Mexico for their plan B because it's just an easy shot South of the border in fact It's the first country south of the border thus making it very easy to slip back and forth to the states Meanwhile as if we needed another reason to stay away from Mexico We've got this confession that came out June 19 2020 where the Mexican president says he ordered last year's release of El Chapo's son. Remember that big brouhaha

[15:59] In fact, he announced last Friday that he was personally behind one of the most embarrassing Episodes in Mexico's history that proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that the narcos are in complete control of that country Not elected officials that in fact elected officials are owned by the narcos now if you remember last year el Chapo Guzman's son was captured in a manhunt and then after a gun battle in which 14 people died They decided to release the guy because the cartel announced if they didn't more would die more to the point the arrest of Olvido Guzman Lopez the son of Chapo last October 17 led to a Prolonged gun battle with the cops and then he was released now You might remember seeing this on TV yourself because I know it was broadcast all over the place in Mexico

[16:46] No, I don't know how much got up to the states But you could watch in real time an actual war going on with automatic gunfire every couple seconds that ended only after Outgunned military and police units retreated and then handed Guzman el Chapo's son Over to his narco confederates providing further evidence to the world Of course and everybody in Mexico knows this that criminal gangs and narcos are in charge Not the cops the military or the politicians now for a while after the incident in the Mexican press People sucking up to the president were writing articles saying that Guzman the son is just that guilty by association The son of a narco not an arco himself However, the real story is that both el video Guzman Lopez the son and his older brother

[17:33] Hakeen Guzman Lopez are facing drug trafficking charges up in the states and are Wanted fugitives that if caught will be extradited to the states like their old man Then it goes on to say and you probably know this already Guzman's up in the states because he can't get a fair trial in Mexico Because every straight judge and lawyer in the country is afraid to prosecute him because he has a history of wiping out his enemies And their families and what's worse and even more embarrassing internationally The Mexican president received a call from Donald Trump a day or two after the screwed up Operation with Trump offering to send some SWAT teams and firepower down to take care of the situation But the corrupt candy ass Mexican president said he declined the offer as well as a similar offer from Trump following the killings

[18:22] In November of nine students who were dual US Mexican citizens Remember that those Mormon women and children who were ambushed and killed in Sonora, Mexico Now for you guys and gals out there who have been following this case and following Mexican president Lopez Overdoors spineless career, you know that in his 18 months of office is completely avoided confrontations with the country's cartels Describing his hands-off approach as hugs not bullets Hmm. So how's that working for you Senor presidente? Meanwhile, most Mexican residents with a half a brain know the presidents on the tape In fact many independent journalists have written that he's friends with the Chapo family since he recently went to Sinaloa on

[19:08] Chapo's son's birthday shaking hands and taking pictures with Chapo's mother and afterward having a private conversation with Chapo's lawyer That would be like Franklin Delano Roosevelt shaking hands and taking pictures with Al Capone's mother And for all you guys and gals out there thinking well, so what if Trump called him? He can't do anything about it. That would violate a country's sovereignty To send in troops and SWAT teams to a country. You're not at war with would be illegal Yeah, right. Like the US has never conducted those kind of operations before besides Here's a statistic that'll blow your mind the US uncle slam maintains nearly 800 military bases in more than 70 foreign countries So then what are they doing there on foreign soil if not to help out with problems?

[19:56] Just like the one Mexico's having with the narcos. I tell you Mexico's a lost cause It's a narco state through and through and really I feel sorry for Americans gringos and expats living there who've got property and such Yes, I know there are some very nice places in Mexico Hey, I like taking a little vacation to Cancun once in a while myself But as things get worse economically and socially and now that for all intents and purposes Marijuana has been legalized in Canada in the States putting a big dent in the narco business The question is how long are you gringos and expats living in your protected little paradise islands of prosperity in Mexico? How long will you remain untouchable? You're not untouchable. You're the next target Look already bad guys with guns are picking on tourists and gringos and expats living on the outskirts of

[20:47] Previously untouchable cities like Cancun you knew that already, right? But then again, who am I to chip away at someone else's fantasy? So let's just leave it at that I'm not really trying to convince anybody of anything Only to say that I've been living in Latin America with boots on the ground about 30 years now And I don't think I'd be sticking my neck out much by saying I've been living here in Latin America Longer have seen and experienced more things than the next half dozen pro-mexican bloggers and influencers though I could be wrong. I don't think so Oh and one last thing about Mexico you longtime listeners or at least people who've been listening to show for the past year You might remember a couple of months ago. I mentioned that I was baffled to see that the remissa numbers You know the amount of dollars sent back from

[21:32] Mexicans in the states to their families in Mexico did not crash or tumble as you might expect with the corona lockdown since everyone's home And quarantined I mentioned on that show that I didn't get it. I couldn't understand what was happening. It didn't make sense Coincidentally now or a couple days ago Anyway comes an article at a Bloomberg on that very subject the title get this Economists are baffled how Mexicans can send so much money home. So let me just highlight a little bit of this article It says remittances to Mexico Surgeoned in May Confounding the majority of economists who expected the weakest US job market in decades to take a heavy toll on Mexicans and migrant workers up in the states Instead it says money sent home by Mexicans abroad increased by 3% from a year earlier

[22:20] Whereas economists were forecasting a big year-on-year decline due to corona with the average monthly remissa amount being around 320 bucks so then how's that possible you tell me now I've said about that now I'd like to mention once again that my August 2020 expat insider seminar has been canceled actually has been moved up to January again because of the schizophrenic nature of bureaucrats making the rules for airports as You probably know a lot of people are predicting a second wave whether it's BS or not Meaning we don't have the all-clear yet, whether we're talking about US or Latin American airports So as for canceling the August seminar I just don't want to take the chance that an attendee might get stuck in a bureaucratic loop at an airport It would be no fun to get stuck there in quarantine. I fully appreciate that. So we've rescheduled the seminar the new dates

[23:12] January 8th through 14 2021 now, I know it's some months away But I do have the detailed sign-up sheet with the early bird discounts at expat plan B comm so check it out Just a word of advice. I'm very sure it'll fill up to the limit. The limit is 25 people The fact is since the covid thing I've been getting an unprecedented amount of email mostly from people who before the virus thing had been On the fence regarding getting the hell out of Dodge and really getting serious about their plan B And you know even before the covid thing every day, I'd get emails from people saying Johnny. I'm with you 100% I'm on board. I'm gonna get that plan B going but not right now. I've got a kid in college got four years to retire I've got a couple properties to get rid of I want to dip into my 401k just yet got grandma and the nursing home

[24:02] I'll be sure to get on that plan B when she croaks Yep before this coronavirus thing I heard every excuse why a plan B had to be put off for a couple of years But now now that the reset buttons have been pushed It's as if everyone who'd been sitting on the fence just sat on a rusty nail So again, I expect a seminar to fill up fast. Don't miss out sign up soon Don't procrastinate get in on those early bird discounts and remember if you're looking to save 750 bucks off the price of a single it's pretty much a guarantee that I can hook you up with a roommate To share double occupancy check out the sign-up sheet at expat plan B.com Oh, and here's another important piece of news. If you recall on the June 28th show I mentioned the availability of an amazing fast-track 60-day Caribbean island passport by

[24:51] investment program a program that just came about to the fact that the coronavirus has completely wiped out tourism in Latin America and the Caribbean and now governments are absolutely broke So in this case, not only do you get the passport in 60 days You can do the entire application process online and you only have to make one trip to the country to pick it up Now after I made that announcement I had lots of inquiries and quite a few questions now The fact is that passport programs not cheap though not killer expensive either plus and this is the part I forgot to mention I believe though I still have to verify this the majority of the money you put into that Investment program to get that passport is held in a government bank CD a zero-interest CD But I believe you get the majority of the money back after five years now

[25:40] I'm not exactly sure on the numbers of the amounts of that CD and how much you get back But I'll know that by the next show so stay tuned But man if that's true that makes this an even more spectacular deal for all the info in the scoop Send me an email the expat files at gmail.com and now on a somber note I'm asking to beg your pardon. I'm taking a knee and apologizing for my podcast privilege Yep, I admit I've got podcast privilege Look, I know it's entirely unfair that people listen to me and people like me instead of let's say my own brother Who's smarter funnier and quicker on the draw than I am yet? He's a complete unknown and no one pays him any mind because he has no podcast That's no podcast privilege and by today's standards He's got every right in the world to get pissed even sue me

[26:27] So who could blame people who don't have a podcast if they want to pick it protest and stop the wheels of progress Though that's not the only reason I'm taking a knee and begging your forgiveness because down here in Latin America I've also got blue-eye privilege, too I've known it for a long time and people especially girls whisper behind my back about it all the time Were she yet coupled with the gringo advantage just a nice way of saying gringo privilege I guess me and all the blue-eyed gringos here in Latin America. Oh the world an apology the Latino world anyway So I'm begging your pardon asking for your forgiveness and hoping you'll forgive my trespasses and accept my apology Of course talk is cheap, but I plan on walking the walk, too Though I can't do anything about my height or my gringo accent

[27:13] I have gone on Amazon and ordered a pair of brown contact lenses. It's a start When I'd like to call out George Lucas for his totally insensitive portrayal of Darth Vader I vowed never to see another Star Wars movie till Vader wears white and embraces the light force You've been listening to the expat files living in Latin America If you need some help with your own plan B We can schedule a one-on-one phone or Skype consult Just send me an email the expat files at gmail.com And if you want to get on the waiting list for my next week-long expat insider seminar in Central America Where you're guaranteed to get a two to five year head start on your plan B Send me an email the expat files at gmail.com. No spamos