Bob

Depends where you live....there aren't any parks you'd want to walk around here, there's some small greens and parks, but not that you'd want to walk around, certainly in winter or summer, so the mall works for many, and you can walk at your own pace...it's dull, but it's comfortable...and it's before the shops open, so you don't get annoying people in your way, nor those people flogging rubbish at those stands.

Bikes, you see 'em a fair bit, but usually trails riding, XC is pretty popular around here, as is DH, hill climbing ain't though, which is a shame...and as for the roads, a few people in the summer, but most don't because the roads are horrid and it's just not safe to use as a means of transport because of the drivers.

jumping doris

I wouldn't dare go on a bike here. I have tried walking along the side of the road but drivers beep their horns all the time....must because I am so young and glamorous.
Last Spring we had an open evening at my daughters middle school, which is just across the road from our neighbourhood. It was on the evening of another daughters birthday and we had booked a table for dinner at the Cheesecake factory. So we went to the school open thing all dressed up in our finery and mega high heels but we couldn't park. we ended up miles down the road and had to stumble along at the side of the road to the school.
The only thing going through my mind, after "I hope we don't get knocked down " was "We must look like a bunch of hookers."

rangdaa

<<....... You can buy Medicare Part A and B if you have been a permanant resident for 5 years and are at least age 65. .....>>

If you are an American citizen but have lived and worked overseas for all your working life, would you be entitled to buy in to Medicare? If so, would you have to be resident in the US for any specific period before being able to buy into it?

When I last enquired of Medicare there was no residency requirement but that was about 3 or 4 years ago.

dunroving

I think considering the number of people on here lately who say they are sh*t scared of retiring in the US, it would be helpful if some of this information was posted permanently on the site.

I didn't realize, for example, that Medicaid was for the "donkey poor" and Medicare for the "donkey old". Whenever I go to the official sites for this stuff, I can't make head or tail of it. Ee-aww!

penguinsix

Start here. Not perfect, but gets you in the general direction. The links at the bottom will help as well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicar...ited_States%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicaid

robin1234

I read recently - maybe in the AARP Magazine - I'm qoting from memory, that the average American retiree will spend $215,000 in lifetime out-of-pocket medical expenses from the time they get their Medicare coverage (age 65.) This would be premiums, deductibles, copayments and prescription expenses. This figure doesn't include any longterm care, which of course is not a covered medical expense in either the UK or USA.

So, if I (having lived and worked in America for about 20 years) relocate to the UK when I retire, I'll save about $215,000 over my lifetime. If I choose to retire before the age of 65, then all the more reason to immediately relocate to the UK.

Your mileage may vary - some folks die soon after retiring, thus saving a bunch of money, others live to be a hundred...

Robin

dunroving

Channel 4 showed a program last night on some of the world's oldest people. I hope I don't live to be that old. Although they obvsiously had strong fortitude to have reached that age, some of them indicated that they weren't having much fun. One of them said "I am not of this world" (he was referring to the idea that the modern world was no longer relevant to him).

mdyoung

HI = Part A
SMI = Part B

HI 00801.131 Eligibility for Premium-HI

A. Requirements for Entitlement

To become entitled to Premium-HI, an individual must:

-- have attained age 65; and

-- be a resident of the U.S. and either:

-- a citizen or

-- an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence who has resided in the
U.S. continuously for the 5-year period immediately preceding the month all
other requirements are met and

-- be ineligible for HI under any other provision; and

-- already have SMI coverage or be eligible for SMI enrollment and file an
enrollment request which will entitle him to SMI and

-- file an application for HI during a prescribed enrollment period

B. Mandatory SMI Coverage

An individual may not enroll in Premium-HI without an existing or simultaneous enrollment in SMI. Further, the termination of an individual's SMI coverage requires a simultaneous termination of Premium-HI coverage.

dunroving

I just figured out that $215,000 after age is over $10,000 per year. Whoa.

mdyoung

My mother and father both have Medicare and 100% sure that they don't have anywhere near $10,000 a year in medical costs.

Not sure about my father, but my mother pays around $400 every three months in addition to the $93.50 monthly Part B premium for Medicare coverage from a private company. Because of her income Part D prescription coverage is free. Other than that my mother has almost no additional medical costs.

Mallory

My MIL had Medicare. She also had a policy from her company, after she retired. Other than her premiums, she didn't pay anything. She had quite a few medical problems too.

Sally

That figure was a lifetime average I think.

robin1234

I just did a quick search, and came up with a really informative document from the National Institue for Health Care Management. According to this, the average out-of-pocket expenditure for enrollees in the year 2000 was $3142 ... OK, a bit less that 10K but on the other hand, it's probably now gone up a bit since 2000.

Robin

Mallory

They have drug coverage now - so not as much out-of-pocket. They didn't have it in 2000. Would really need more up-to-date figures, maybe by next year.

robin1234

Mallory, you're absolutely right - I didn't think of that.

Robin