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as far as I know only open Fridays from 1-5….Holidays sometimes change the day. We go there often. It is wonderful, lots of hydroponic and organic products. It is not easy to find. All you see is a driveway going back in between buildings, there is a 500 colon parking fee and 500 colon if you want a shopping cart. It is worth the trip. That is the only place I can get that non nutritional iceberg lettuce. There are three places to eat there, one woman makes fresh pupusas. there are meats, fish as well as some clothing, shoes, etc. We leave from Jaco about 11 or 11:30.
[quote=”bogino”]I know that these are always subject to change but using today’s requirements:
1) Q: I believe the minimum amount for pensionado status is $1,000 per month of steady income. What % of that amount does the CR government take from you.
A: [i]The CR government does not take a tax out of our SS. I am not sure if you make a separate income how that works.[/i]
2) Q: I understand that joining CAJA is a requirement. What percentage of monthly income does CAJA take from you?
A: [i]It depends on your income, ours is $92 a month for the two of us, our income is under $2000 a month,[/i]
3) Q: A pensionado with a “pre-existing” condition is shut out of the private insurance market and only has CAJA as an option. Correct?
A: [i]It depends on age and other things as well, you can use any private hospital out of pocket and it is less expensive than the states.
For instance, my husband was hospitalized with Dengue Fever for 3 days at Clinica Biblica, good hospital, we had to put I believe $3500 on our credit card as a deposit. Then If all is not used you get a refund of the difference.
We then have Humana Advantage in the states, sent in the form that was online..we were reimbursed for all of it except the medications because they were not American (go figure), His total bill for intensive care was $1500, two years ago. It took Humana about 4 months to reimburse.
I know of another retired woman that spent the night at Hospital CIMA, same thing, deposit, then her insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield supplement reimbursed her in about 4 or 5 months. If it is an emergency some insurances in the states will reimburse your out of pocket expense, So check on that.
We have pre existing and are over 65, age matters with INS, and have not even tried. I have been told that there are international insurances that you can find, never tried those either.[/i]
Thank You.
Thx.[/quote]
I planted a few sweet corn seeds and two have come up so far, I just stuck them in a pot and they are germinating. The spaghetti squash is up also. It looks a little spindly but I am hoping it will grow., I have given a few seeds here and there for people to plant and hopefully they will have plants.I am going to Grecia tomorrow for the Ferria, a wonderful place to see if anyone speaks english that can be of some help. The seeds I have are Burpee, winter squash (vegetable spaghetti) and White sweet corn, I can not believe they confiscate them in the mail. I had 4 more spaghetti squash packets mailed to me and CR took them. Wish me luck..I have about fifteen seeds left if anyone is in my area of the spaghetti squash and probably fifty of sweet corn
I have spaghetti squash seeds I planted and amazingly they are sprouting. I too have tried corn and am going to try it again. I am hoping for the spaghetti squash to complete. the government confiscated spaghetti squash seeds that a friend mailed me. they don’t grow it here, so they say that they destroy the seeds. I guess I did not realize that seeds were such an issue since so many people are hungry here
I agree with the last comment about the impossibility of receiving your drugs here,. They even tax you on them if by chance you find a way to get them. However I think that people should network to bring in our needed prescriptions. It has been done for me and I have done it for others. Sometimes you can find a substitute for a drug that you take in the states in CR.
My husband and I have been in CR for 5 years and have our residency. Our income is over 2000 combined. Mine,his wife, is under 1000. They go by the combined income. If something happens to him my income would also meet the requirements provided they dont change. Hope that helps
A GPS is extremely helpful if you are new here. we were lost lot. When we visited rental cars were very expensive. As far as a phone I don’t know if things have changed but phones from the states did not work here, we used a magic jack when we came here. You can buy cellphones pretty cheap and just buy minutes like a tracphone.
we have been doing that for awhile. with banco nacional you go to misc pagos pick cchss, I think then type in your account no. there is a choice if you want it recurring or not. Once you put the number in it will always be there and you just pay it.
In Garabito, Jaco I think we can pay online. and if you pay in January there is a ten percent discount here.
we brought our chihuaha in cabin with united as long as they fit under the seat. its been awhile, we paid 125. As far as quarantine, we had our pets vet checked and all shots were up to date with a certificate from the veterinarian. the rabies shot was given and we had to wait 30 days to clear after the injection. They did not check when we came into san jose airport but I would not take the chance, the shot certs are important for you and your pet anyways. they don’t automatically give all preventative shots in costa rica unless you ask, at least in Jaco. Distemper shots are not required here either and there have been outbreaks. So make sure they have all their shots before leaving to come here with the cert, your vet should have it and be able to fill it out for you
We use Aerocasillas. The fee varies, the basic is $20. a year. You have a p.o. box and and a street address in Miami, then they bring it across. I don’t know if there is an office close to you. Most letters are 1.50 and up it is done by weight. It takes us about two weeks to send to or receive from the states. You cannot ship medications or anything flammable or receive medications without the ministerio of something approval in CR. No food supplements or vitamins either. You can get a mailbox here but a lot of places wont mail internationally and it is good to have an address in the states.
besides taxes, most ex pats don’t know that if you ask you will get a ten percent discount at almost all businesses, not the grocery stores, but pharmacies,restaurants,. If you don’t ask you will not get it. And at the Social Security office there is a gold card for people over 65 that offers discounts..including ten per cent at CIMA, free entry to national parks and it is a free card. I have not thoroughly investigated all the benefits but I have been told that in San Jose there are other opportunities to use it. I know Cima and the parks for sure.
I forgot to add, the government seems to be adding taxes, increasing taxes that mostly apply to foreigners. Not only the electric is going up but additional increases are coming across the board. It is though the government has the mindset that everyone that comes here has an unlimited income. I guess I am paranoid.
We live in Jaco. The beginning of last year ICE raised their rates either 2 or 3 times within 3 months. then they changed their billing method. It used to be a tiered system of charges, I believe there were three levels. Now there are two. over 200 KWH is one rate and under 200 KWH is another. we did a spreadsheet and took it to ICE. Our electric is within 100 kwh each month. For example we were paying in Jaco $185 a month now we pay 250 if we are lucky. We paid to have blown in insulation put in the attic because it was 300 a month. So the insulation brought a 50 decrease. We only use air in our bedroom at night set at 25. We have a propane range and water heater.
We are disgusted. it is hot here and the air conditioning is just so expensive. We lived in Arizona before. Our budget bill was 200 a month using the air whenever we needed it. Even in the 120 degree weather. At least in Arizona we could get some relief from the heat at a lower rate.
I don’t know what the answer is but there are Americans leaving because of these outrageous bills. Businesses are struggling here because their rates are high too.
