Hi Jim,
I definitely recommend having some sort of coverage in the U.S., even for brief visits. It could be Medicare, it could be a private international insurance policy, or a Costa Rican policy that covers you out of the country as well.
It’s all about risk, basically. A friend of mine went back to Texas for a two-week visit and had a fall. Broke her wrist and ended up in the ER in Texas. With no insurance in the U.S., the surgery, follow up, etc. cost her $12,000 – at least that’s the last I heard. I know the bills from the all the different doctors and departments at the hospital were still coming in.
So really it’s up to the individual. But you can imagine what it would cost if there was a major medical issue during a visit to the States.
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