The number-one question people ask us is, "What possessed you to move to Mexico?" The number-one answer we give is that we simply could no longer afford to live in America, so we found a country where we could, and moved there.
We found ourselves in a position not unlike many Americans: A major illness strikes, unexpectedly, and though insured and with incomes, the cost of funding the illness simply becomes too much. It becomes, essentially, impossible. We were not alone.
It turns out that more than 50% of bankruptcies filed in 2001 were medically related and were filed by middle-class homeowners who not only had an income but also health insurance. The prevailing myth that most bankruptcies are due to credit card debt is not true. Less than 1% of filed bankruptcies are due to credit card debt.
Researchers found that, in those surveyed, 1.9 to 2.2 million U.S. residents filed a "medical bankruptcy". The average person filing for bankruptcy during the 2001 period spent $13,460 on co-payments, deductibles, and uncovered services even though they had private insurance.
"Our study is frightening. Unless you're Bill Gates, you're just one serious illness away from bankruptcy. Most of the medically bankrupt were average Americans who happened to get sick. Health insurance offered little protection," said Dr. David Himmelstein, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who led the study.
Another one of the study's authors, Elizabeth Warren, said, "It doesn't take a medical catastrophe to create a financial catastrophe. A larger share of American workers are going to have insurance that's like a paper umbrella. It looks good, and it might even protect you in a sprinkle, but it melts away in a downpour."
In the fall of 2002, we began to feel the sprinkle on our paper umbrella turn into an unstoppable downpour. We had to do something before the full brunt of the downpour tore the paper umbrella to shreds and our lives along with it. We began to look to other alternatives to purchase our prescription drugs and found them.
Other Americans are finding themselves in the same boat with not many options from which to choose. I was reading the other day where a married couple from Illinois sued the Federal government for the right to import prescription medications from Canada.
They lost. The judge dismissed the case. Maybe they should sell everything and move to Mexico as we did.
Moving to another country-one with a different language and culture-can offer many new challenges that can surprise you, shock you, and delight you. It takes a bit of getting used to, to say the least.
One such shock was the first time I got all my needed prescriptions refilled. I knew from our research to expect cheaper prices but I did not know how cheap!
I went to the ATM and secured a fist full of pesos then trudged onward to the Farmacia. They were helpful and cheerful but when they told me the total price, I had to re-ask, in my terrible Spanish, if they were sure of the price.
You see, I was able to get all my drugs refilled for the price of one, count it, one co-pay of a name-brand drug in America! I am not making this up. A month's supply of generic Prozac is less than $16.00 USD!
We stepped into a new reality where everything--prescription drugs, housing, utilities, food, transportation, entertainment--is 25-75% less than it is in America. My Social Security Disability income adequately covers our expenses here in Guanajuato, Mexico.
Moving to Mexico--an alternative for everyone? I doubt it. The solution? I don't know. What I do know is that we, and many other Americans, cannot sit idly by waiting for our elected officials to work it out. We had to take action--drastic as it was.
That paper umbrella wasn't going to last long!
Expatriates Doug and Cindi Bower have successfully expatriated to Mexico, learning through trial and error how to do it from the conception of the initial idea to driving up to their new home in another country. Now the potential expatriate can benefit from their more than three years of pre-expat research to their more than two years of actually living in Mexico. The Plain Truth about Living in Mexico answers the potential expatriate's questions by leading them through the process from the beginning to the end. In this comprehensive guide, you will learn not only how-to expatriate but will learn what to expect, in daily life, before coming to Mexico. BUY BOOK HERE: http://www.universal-publishers.com/book.php?method=isbn&book=158112457 0
Lincoln Stretch rentals Alsip ..Regarding the issues with the Space Shuttle and the in... Read More
Sarbaines Oxley was probably the easiest way to destroy free... Read More
Economy is called the dismal science because it pretends to... Read More
Prosecutors with political ambitions are known to modify the truth... Read More
Why are we over regulating the franchising industry? What are... Read More
When Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Spector exercised his right to free... Read More
Dust from Deserts and Particulate ControlThe greatest contributor to particulate... Read More
Let the reader be reminded, that this document we are... Read More
All countries have specific things that are abundant in the... Read More
Currently the US Army is having trouble recruiting. These problems... Read More
What depth of blind insanity has inflicted itself upon Israel's... Read More
Despite their signature on the Biological Weapons Convention of 1975,... Read More
Most government agencies cannot pass an audit of their expenses.... Read More
Guides for RetailersThe regulations about marketing pearls are listed in... Read More
The clause (c) of Electronic Crime Act 2004 has been... Read More
It is a law that we register deadly weapons with... Read More
The current political efforts aimed at improving the American public... Read More
Let's put it all into perspective: the U.S. has an... Read More
The Carl Rove issue is definitely interesting and distracting. The... Read More
The use of religion is well-documented as a social engineering... Read More
Earlier this month, I heard President George W. Bush and... Read More
The idea is to have all the important items with... Read More
I am an incurably ill American male forced to leave... Read More
Q. Should the Government be concerned if the CPI rises... Read More
There are many mines around the world, which are owned... Read More
Western Springs shuttle limo ..With the recent threats from Bin Laden and Al Queda... Read More
Heaven, Hell, or some sort of Purgatory.I cannot seem to... Read More
With people living longer we have some problems as those... Read More
You have in front of you two buttons, one is... Read More
Previously Senator Dick Armey and his staff in 2000 to... Read More
When this president's father was in the Oval Office, he... Read More
Osama bin Laden probably needs to get a pay raise,... Read More
Forest Vegetation Simulations for Fire Prevention, Healthy Forest and Saving... Read More
Most citizens agree that we need the Federal Trade Commission... Read More
"When you are right you cannot be too radical; when... Read More
Many of the problems that the members of the European... Read More
We have heard a lot about the coming bird flu... Read More
Mexican has tariffs on goods, which come into its country... Read More
Compulsory-attendance laws force parents to send their children to public... Read More
In response to Douglas Bower's article; Logic Class 101 Applied... Read More
In discussing the OODA Loop theory on Limited War by... Read More
The US Dollar has been falling continuously in last year.... Read More
The recent Jakarta summit of Asia and Africa brought remembrance... Read More
The City of Portland is going after any small business,... Read More
Our trade deficit is directly proportional to our attacks on... Read More
For years I have been amazed as I've listened to... Read More
There are many issues on the minds of US voters... Read More
INTRODUCTIONPERHAPS the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not... Read More
Well the title is absolute Bull Crap, but this article... Read More
I, too, am saddened by the disaster in New Orleans... Read More
Political |