The Costa Rica Real Estate Expert

For YEARS now, Costa Rica has been a favorite place for retirees to settle down - either part time or full time.  These lucky people discovered that Costa Rica has a lot more to offer than friendly people, gorgeous beaches, and fresh squeezed fruit juice every morning!

During this seminar, we’ll tell you why so many people have been, and currently are, interested in Costa Rica as a retirement spot, and also how even those who own a modest home can live in luxury, peace, and healthfulness in this paradise called Costa Rica.

During this presentation, I’ll go over some great vacation, investment, and retirement opportunities available in Costa Rica, as well as:

• An introduction to Costa Rica and why people are retiring there.
• Staying healthy and worry-free in Costa Rica for your entire retirement.
• Easy immigration.
• Introduction to retirement properties.
• Discuss financing options and products.

Everyone is welcome!  Limited seating, so RSVP now!

WHEN:  Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 7:00 pm (please show up at least 15 minutes early for sign-in).

WHERE:  Prudential Financial Offices - Computax Tower
21250 Hawthorne Boulevard, Suite 500
Torrance, CA  90503

ENTRANCE FEE:  Free, but we please ask that you please bring a non-perishable food donation for the Los Angeles Food Bank.

RSVP:  Please RSVP to Chris Turkmany at 310-516-3444 or by filling out the form below:

RSVP for Costa Rica for Retirees - Torrance (April 16, 2008)

1. Your Name (required)
2. Email (valid email required)
3. Address
4. City
5. State/Province
6. Zip/Postal
7. Home Phone
8. Cell Phone
9. Number of guests

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Last updated February 12, 2008 

Costa Rica has an excellent healthcare system that consists of private and public (government run) medical facilities.

Here is an ever-expanding list of medical facilities throughout Costa Rica:

Cartago

Clinica Biblica (satellite site)
Phone:  506-551-0511

Doctor on site, as well as a pharmacy. 

Heredia

Clinica Biblica (satellite site)
Phone:  506-260-4959

Doctor on site, as well as a pharmacy.

Jaco

Clinic CARE
Phone:  506-643-4300
Email:  emergenciascare@racsa.co.cr

This is a private clinic intended primarily for emergency care, also offering ambulance transport services to larger facilities in San Jose.

Clinica Hospital Santa Catalina (satellite site)
Phone:  506-643-5059
Email:  info@gruposantacatalina.com
Website:  http://www.gruposantacatalina.com/eng/index.php
Location:  400 este Pops Jacó, Puntarenas

This is a satellite facility of the much larger Clinica Hospital Santa Catalina located in San Jose.  This facility boasts many English speaking, qualified dentists and doctors

San Francisco de Dos Ríos

Clinica Biblica (satellite site)
Phone:  506-218-0035

Doctor on site, as well as a pharmacy.

Clinica Hospital Santa Catalina (satellite site)
Phone:  506-218-1717
Email:  info@gruposantacatalina.com
Website:  http://www.gruposantacatalina.com/eng/index.php

Location:  San Francisco de Dos Ríos, del parque Okayama 50 sur

This is a satellite facility of the much larger Clinica Hospital Santa Catalina located in San Jose.  This facility boasts many English speaking, qualified dentists and doctors

San Jose

Clinica Biblica (main facility)
Phone:  506-522-1000 or 800-911-0800
Fax:  506-258-7184
Email:  info@clinicabiblica.com
Website:  http://www.clinicabiblica.com
Insurance:

• Blue Cross/Blue Shield
• Cigna International
• Aetna Global
• United HealthCare
• Prudential
• Humana
• Secure Horizons
• See more…
• Expects to be affiliated with Medicare in 2008

Staffed with highly trained doctors.  Facilities include an ER, maternity ward, MRI equipment, and a lab.  The hospital is currently adding a large, new wing. 

Clinica Biblica also has an International Department to specifically provide excellent customer service tailored to the foreigner.  They also have a corporate partnership with HomeWatch, which provides specialized home care services for the elderly, patients recovering from surgery, people recovering from plastic surgery, and a host of other situations.  Check with your long term care insurance plan to see if they will cover the services from HomeWatch.

Clinica Catolica (a.k.a. Hospital La Catolica)
Phone:  506-246-3000
Fax:  506-283-6171
Email:  info@clinicacatolica.com
Website:  http://www.hospitallacatolica.com/eng/indexeng.html
Location:  Guadelupe, suburb of San Jose.

Complete hospital and emergency services 24/7. 

Clinica Hospital Santa Catalina
Phone:  506-250-5059
Website:  http://www.gruposantacatalina.com/eng/index.php
Location:  Costado Este de la plaza de deportes de Gravilias, Desamparados, San José

This private hospital provides emergency services, dentistry, opthalmic services, gynecology, dermatology, cardiology, and a number of other medical services.  They also boast a medical imaging center and a pharmacy which is open 24/7. 

Clinica Hospital Santa Catalina also has satellite offices in San Francisco and Jaco.

Hospital CIMA San Jose
Phone:  506-208-1000
Fax:  506-208-1001
Email:  cima@hospitalcima.com
Website:  Click here to view the English version of CIMA’s website, translated by Google.
Location:  Escazu of San Jose.  See map.

CIMA is the most well known medical facility in all of Costa Rica, and for good reason.  It was built around 2000 and is affiliated with Baylor University in Texas.  CIMA has all the modern conveniences of a hospital in North America, with high tech equipment and well trained doctors and nurses.

CIMA provides emergency services, surgeries, laboratory services, psychiatry, physiotherapy, medical imaging, a pharmacy, and numerous other services.

San Pedro

Clinica Biblica (satellite site)
Phone:  506-283-6058
Location:  San Pedro mall

Doctor on site, as well as a pharmacy.

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It is undeniable that Costa Rica is a beautiful paradise.  If you question this statement, just look at the Costa Rica tourism statistics (tourist arrivals grew by 15.6% in 2005), or ask someone who has been there.  Most visitors to Costa Rica have been there before and return because it is a Latin American paradise.

People have been visiting Costa Rica for years, but it is only in the past 10 years that it has gained such worldwide visibility.  But before this happened, many seniors had found Costa Rica to be a retirees paradise.

Retirees

Along with investors, retirees make up one of the largest groups to buy real estate in Costa Rica.  Small communities of retirees have sprung up over the past 20 years all around Costa Rica.  Each of them came to Costa Rica and discovered that it was a wonderful place to retire, with its low cost of living, excellent weather, plentitude of activities, and its laid back lifestyle.

Before these retirees discovered Costa Rica though, they did have several common concerns:

Safety

Personal safety is probably one of their top concerns.  In fact, this is a top concern for anyone traveling ANYWHERE.  The good news is that Costa Rica is a very safe country.  Petty crime has gone up - consisting mostly of stealing.  But violent crime is still much lower than any of the major US cities.  Of course, a little bit of common sense is always helpful for staying out of trouble, no matter where you are.

Real estate developers recognize this fear, and have addressed this in their developments by offering gated entrances and oftentimes 24 hour, on site security.  Obviously this will do its job to keep crime rates low, but for the most part it is more to provide a sense of security.

World Class Healthcare

Costa Rica has a world-class healthcare system with many US-trained physicians, providing affordable healthcare for all in private and public facilities.  This is of great interest to retirees whose other concern is the quality and availability of healthcare.

Retirees who are considering Costa Rica as a retirement spot will be pleased to learn that not only is Costa Rica’s healthcare inexpensive, but that most private facilities will also accept foreign medical insurance.  In addition, new healthcare facilities are being built all over the country.

Lenient Residency Rules

Many retirees may not retire to Costa Rica full time, but possibly only for part of the year.  Either way, the Costa Rican government’s residency rules are quite lenient - especially for retirees.  For example, a retiree can stay in the country for up to 3 months with nothing other than their passport!  No visa or any other paperwork!  If they wish to stay longer, they can leave the country, re-enter after 72 hours, and stay another 3 months.  Of course, this practice is discouraged if it is done over several subsequent times.  Doing this once or twice a year is okay.

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Costa Rica is a Latin American paradise.  Bountiful with breathtaking beaches, exotic flora and fauna, friendly people, and an endless list of activities and unique sights, Costa Rica can satisfy almost any adventurer’s desire.Over the years, many North Americans have come to visit and fall in love with Costa Rica, finally choosing to retire or move there.  They not only loved this tropical paradise, but they also loved the lower cost of living, the comfortable environment, and the ease of attaining long term residency.

There is also another reason why they chose to retire in Costa Rica - high quality, inexpensive healthcare.

High Quality Healthcare

When most people consider buying foreign real estate, the thought very soon crosses their minds as to the quality and accessibility of healthcare in the foreign location.  This is a VERY important concern, as no one wants to get sick away from home and have to worry about the medical care that they will receive. 

Well, the good news is that Costa Rica’s healthcare system rates highly among the healthcare systems of the world - in fact, it is rated above America’s healthcare system!  The Costa Rican government directs large amounts of money into their healthcare system so that everyone can obtain affordable healthcare.  The proof though, is in the pudding - Life expectancy is high at nearly 77, and infant mortality rates are low at 10.6 for every 1000 births.

The Best of Both Worlds - A Hybrid Medical System

In Costa Rica, medical care is provided at either public or private facilities.  Both provide high quality medical care, but you oftentimes have to deal with a fair amount of red tape at the public facilities.  The private facilities are typically more modern, though the current system is currently undergoing some expanding and modernizing all over Costa Rica.

Medical Insurance

It is possible to purchase medical insurance through a Costa Rican government agency called the Costa Rican Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS).  This insurance is inexpensive compared to most American policies, running from $600 a year for men up to age 59, to $1350 a year for women ages 60-75.  This allows the insurance holder to choose their own doctors and get their care at private facilities, with the INS covering 70% of the medical bill.

Of course, another option is that foreigners can sometimes use private insurance from their home countries.  However, some research is required to determine whether your insurance plan can in fact be used in Costa Rica.  For the most part, most private medical facilities in Costa Rica do make a concerted effort to work with international insurers.

A final option is to use no insurance at all, and to opt instead to pay cash.  This really isn’t a bad option, as prices for medical care are a fraction of what they are in the US.  For example, prices for one night in a single room with adjustable bed, cable TV, phone, a daybed for a companion, and nursing care at the top 3 private medical facilities in San Jose range from $115 to $182.

Prescription Drugs

Prescriptions are easy to fill as pharmacies are plentiful.  Though, you should make sure that your prescription is for a generic drug, instead of a brand name.  Oftentimes, some drugs do not even require a prescription, unless they are an antibiotic, narcotic, or psychotropic drug.  And here is something different - pharmacists oftentimes will even diagnose you and recommend appropriate treatment!  Of course, that would be for minor, non-life-threatening ailments!

No one wants to have to visit the doctor or go to the emergency room when they are away from home, but knowing that your healthcare needs are attended to when you are abroad brings peace of mind and allows you to enjoy yourself worry-free.  And that’s what Costa Rica is all about - Pura vida!

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