Expat Community > Ecuador

JMM123
Joined 2013
Posts: 8

Social Security Issues and Living in Ecuador

10 years ago

This topic is related to a thread that was started about a month ago by another poster.

Like the other poster, I am on SSDI (disability). I recently had a bad experience with the local branch of the Social Security Administration where I am in the states. I don't want anything like what I am going through now to happen when I leave the states. That is why I am looking for the advice of folks on the board here.

While what I am going through is not fun, I am using it as a useful life lesson, i.e. a real learning experience, lest it happen again when I move abroad, either to Ecuador or elsewhere.

Here are my queries:

I am 53 and am on disability. I was just "audited" by the Social Security Administration. Since I am almost ten years under retirement age and the usual age when folks start to collect Social Security, I may very well be audited again; and the next time may be when I am living abroad.

What happens when one is audited? One is asked to provide continuing documentation of one's disability. It is not a simple matter. Or at least it has not been for me.

My benefits have been pulled pending the Social Security Administration's satisfaction, based on their review of my medical records for the past year--I suppose; that is what they have said that they wanted to see--that I am still disabled.

They claim that they sent a request on my continued disability to my current address and that I never responded.

In fact, I never got anything from them except an irate voice mail from a local SSA worker right before I was recently hospitalized saying, "NOW YOU MUST COME IN OUR OFFICE."
Since I have read everywhere about mail issues in Ecuador, I can only imagine what the heck might happen if such an important piece of mail were to go missing if I emigrate to Ecuador. Yikes.

It turns out that they suspended my benefits while I was hospitalized; and now I am fighting to get them back quickly.

I should have no problem getting back my benefits since I have good medical documents and several doctors who will really go to bat for me. It is only a question of time.

With the above in mind, the bottom line that I would love to get feedback on is this: what would happen if I were in Ecuador and this happened to me?

Here are some of my practical queries:

Would I be paying a huge phone bill to the states while on hold with the Social Security Administration trying to get this sort of thing taken care of if it happened and I was in Ecuador?

Would the US Embassy help?

Would the Consulate help?

Would the Social Security Administration take an Ecuadorian doctor's/doctors' word and Ecuadorian medical records that I am still disabled as satisfactory for an audit, and, therefore, keep or reinstate my benefits?

Or would I have to spend a lot of money while my benefits were potentially suspended flying back to the states to get an American doctor to certify to my continued disability?

I appreciate very much anyone's answers to these questions.

I don't need feedback on not coming to Ecuador as someone who won't be able to cope owing to my disability. I came to the country in person to see if it would be OK; checked on doctors; checked on hospitals; checked on pharmacies; checked on what medical tourism is doing to medical care, etc. I.e. I have done my research on that score and am completely satisfied that the level of care would be great for what I need and that I can deal with what I need to deal with if and when I emigrate.

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