IL Magazine: Discover the Greatest Retirement Town +6 More SUBSCRIBE NOW AND SAVE 35% about subscribing to International Living Magazine Healthcare is one of the most important factors potential expats consider before moving abroad and often one of the hardest to plan for in the U.S.
Anyone looking to retire overseas is concerned with the quality of the healthcare that will be on offer in their new overseas country. How can I gauge the calibre of the healthcare I could receive? Is it possible to get medical treatment as good as what’s available in the U.S. and Canada? The answer…a resounding yes. Sometimes it’s even better than what’s on offer at home, and at a more affordable price too.
Measuring the quality of healthcare is difficult, and it’s hard to put a number on it. We can, however, put a number on the price of medical procedures, the range of medical facilities and their world rankings.
In fact, many of the countries we speak about are leaders in the medical field, scoring high in the World Health Organisations ranking of healthcare systems. France, Colombia, Portugal, Spain, Costa Rica are just some of our favorite overseas retirement havens that score higher than both Canada and the U.S.
Surprised? You shouldn’t be. The United Nations has also ranked Costa Rica’s public health system within the top 20 worldwide and the number one in Latin America.
From dental work, to joint reconstruction, to regular doctor’s visits, healthcare abroad doesn’t have to be a pain. With low barriers to entry, ease of use and flexibility, it’s no small wonder more people are turning their backs on the high healthcare costs in the U.S. for more accessible healthcare abroad.
Discover where to find the best quality, most affordable healthcare in the world from our expert expats, who share their overseas healthcare experiences. Our extensive library of articles below will give you new ideas about places where healthcare is both affordable and high quality.
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One of the main concerns of any person looking to retire overseas is the quality of healthcare. Is it possible to get medical treatment as good as what’s available in...
Affordable healthcare isn’t a myth. In fact, if you look beyond U.S. borders you’ll find healthcare systems in other countries that are equally as good—if not better—than what you get at home. And you won’t have to remortgage your house to stay healthy.
No matter what politicians decide about healthcare, one thing is for sure—your Medicare coverage won’t go with you if you decide to retire overseas. Luckily, though, there are many countries where, as a legal resident, you can qualify for a local healthcare plan that’s often more comprehensive and less costly than Medicare.
Healthcare costs in the U.S. continue to rise. According to PwC’s Health Research Institute, medical costs look set to grow by 6.5% this year alone. Out-of-pocket medical expenses are one of the main reasons U.S. citizens go into debt, according to the Association of Healthcare Journalists.
Readers often write in to International Living to ask whether U.S. health insurance companies cover treatment abroad. For any U.S. resident considering a move abroad, this is an important consideration. The short answer is: probably not. Most U.S. health insurers don’t cover treatment outside the U.S. Neither, of course, does Medicare.
For most folks looking to move abroad, healthcare is a huge consideration. You want care at least as good as what you get at home…but preferably without that U.S.-sized price tag. But how can you judge which doctors and hospitals are good in another country?