Souvenir Photo Studio, by Al Bourassa: Thursday September 7, 2017 IESS / Herederos

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Thursday September 7, 2017

UPDATE to the IESS medical premium saga = The basic requirement for a Pensioner Visa to enter Ecuador is $800 for a single person plus $100 for every dependent. The new Human Mobility Law requires that the IESS Social Security premiums for persons on Pensioner Visas (folks over 65 who are supposed to receive preferential treatment..) be based on the pension amount used to obtain the original Visa. The new tariff is 17% of that amount, plus 4% for each dependent.

This morning I took in proof of income back to 2011 when we applied for the original Visa for 2 of us (where I was actually 11c short of the $900 required at the time), and proof of the exchange rates at the time (bouncing around Par), and it was accepted by Diana Calle,... so I am under the wire to stay with IESS for now at the 21% rate for myself, plus Cristina as the dependent, at a $189 monthly premium.

Naturally we are far from happy at the discrimination against expat pensioners which is against the Constitution , which makes that awful law null and void..(Article 424).....

For now, people with other types of Visas, like Investor or Professional are getting a free ride at the old rates simply because the Government can't figure out how to charge them as well.... but they still have to "register" with Diana Calle before some nebulous deadline... Like everything to do with Government, everything is as half-baked as any Trump idea,

Then, later, I got a response with a quote from a Private Insurer, Bellgenica, which included co-pay (20%), prescription limits, benefit limits, waiting periods, etc. etc., and, for us, was way more money to even come close to IESS coverage... I think we have no choice but to stay put.... For others, it may become a choice between premium and coverage, because they have much larger pensions. If we are to believe one survey (I certainly don't) that the average pension here is around $3,000 (I am less than 1/2 that), so 17% of that average becomes a $510 premium for one person, or 21% and $630 with one dependent... This is really outrageous when any one of us can get sick or hurt... regardless of our income status.

Cristina is still mothering this bird which is growing its feathers at an amazing pace and we would swear that this is a full-grown bird already.. Hopefully it will decide to fly the coop on its own soon. Cristina does an amazing job mothering these helpless strays, whether they are birds, dogs, or whatever.

Tonight I made it out to the Herederos ride and again I thought that I should really bring my big tripod with me to improve on these night shots. A proper time shot, like some of the ones I did just sitting on a rock, are just so much clearer and crisper. Lots of shots of Todos Santos tonight to kill my boredom, then the full moon, and then a combination of both using my cool programs.

We were only 5 bikes and 6 riders tonight and rode over to the west end of Gran Colombia to the big Honda dealer there (soon to include Kawasaki too). They were having a big show with this fellow who has travelled some 35,000kms around South America as part of a possible world tour. I didn't catch his name but he was pictured with Dr. Francisco Sepu, who founded our Herederos club, who now lives and works in Chile.

I bought a grilled sausage and Sprite for $3 from a street vendor on site. I ate the bun and sausage (pretty tasteless unfortunately) then started to open the Sprite bottle which fizzed and sprayed all over my hands and jacket and, I thought, the fellow standing next to me. I immediately cussed "you rottten @#$%^&**((*&^%$#@". I asked the fellow in Spanish if he got wet, he said no, then he kindly offered me some napkins and asked me, in English.., "Did I just hear you cursing in English???" It turns out that he is Brian McMullen from Cape Breton, and he has lived here for 18 months already... and he rides an 850cc bike... Always enjoy meeting fellow Canadians, we are so darn nice, lol.

I hope you enjoy the photos. That was the day’s excitement.

Cheers, Al

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