Cover your house, your car,
and the people in it.

Usually not in any way that matters. Most US ACA-marketplace plans only cover emergencies abroad, and even then they reimburse you after the fact at US rates — not the rates you actually paid. Medicare stops at the US border with very narrow exceptions.

The honest answer: if you're spending more than ~four months a year in Nicaragua, an international plan or a local plan is almost always the right move. We can sketch a side-by-side for your specific situation in one call.

Not automatically. Each carrier underwrites differently. Common conditions like hypertension, controlled diabetes, hypothyroidism, and most cancers in remission ten-plus years are usually insurable — sometimes with an exclusion rider on that specific condition, sometimes with a premium loading.

Conditions that are typically declined or excluded: active cancer treatment, recent cardiac events (under 24 months), and certain autoimmune conditions on biologics. We get a real answer from underwriting before you commit to anything — not a sales pitch.

That depends on the policy and the procedure. International plans (Cigna, IMG, GeoBlue) cover treatment in the US at US rates, including Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, and most major centers — that's the whole point of them.

Local Nicaragua plans cover treatment in private hospitals in Managua (Hospital Vivian Pellas, Hospital Metropolitano), which are good for most things including cardiac surgery, orthopedics, and obstetrics. For complex oncology or transplants, most patients fly to the US, Mexico, or Costa Rica. We help you choose a policy that matches where you'd actually want to be treated.

Earthquake — yes, almost always. The Pacific coast is on an active subduction zone and we have had ~6.0+ events in the last decade. The rider typically adds 15-20% to a property premium and is generally worth it for any structure you'd struggle to rebuild out of pocket.

Hurricane — depends on the coast. The Pacific side (SJDS, Tola, Granada-adjacent) almost never sees direct hurricane impact; tropical storms yes, hurricanes no. Caribbean side (Bluefields, Corn Islands) absolutely needs it. We'll tell you straight which coast you're on and what's worth paying for.

The horror stories are usually one of two things: (1) someone bought a policy with exclusions they didn't read, or (2) someone tried to handle the claim themselves in Spanish without a broker pushing the carrier.

The honest mechanics: claims here move slower than the US. A car-accident claim takes 4-8 weeks for full payout. A property claim takes 6-12 weeks. A complex health claim takes 30-60 days for reimbursement on out-of-network treatment. CORE walks every claim through the carrier in person. That is the single biggest reason we use a broker rather than a direct policy.

Not strictly required by the residency rules themselves, but it helps two ways: proof of insurance is one of the optional supporting documents that strengthens a pensionado or rentista application, and life-insurance ownership occasionally factors into financial-stability evidence. If you're going through our legal & residency team, we coordinate the documents in one workflow.

A captive broker is contractually tied to a single insurance carrier. They get paid more if you buy that carrier's policy — even if it's not the best fit for you. Most "free quote" websites and a number of in-country agents are captive without disclosing it.

An independent broker (like CORE) sits across from every carrier and is paid the same regardless of which one you pick. That means you get a fair comparison rather than a steered recommendation. It's the single most important question to ask anyone selling you insurance in this country.

Bundling discounts exist on property + vehicle when both are with the same carrier — typically 5-12% off the base premium. Health insurance is almost always underwritten separately by a different carrier (often international), so it doesn't bundle.

The bigger savings come from getting the policies right — picking the deductible that matches your actual cash position, dropping coverage you don't need, and renewing through us so we can re-shop the panel at every renewal instead of letting auto-renew raise your premium quietly.