IL Magazine: Discover the Best Retirement Haven + 24 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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Not long ago I found myself suffering a major sinus infection. My head was pounding and I had a cough that kept me (and my husband) awake all night...I was exhausted. Nothing I was taking over-the-counter was helping. I needed to see a doctor. Unfortunately, I was visiting the States. At the doctor’s office in Omaha, I got right in. I did the interview with the nurse about my prior health history and what my symptoms were.
The road leading to the town of Santa Fe de Veraguas climbs gently and steadily up the slopes of the Continental Divide, winding past cattle ranches, jungled hillsides and gurgling rivers. The bright blue roof of the Catholic church in the middle of town is one of the first sights you see. This church marks the center of town. Around it you'll find a soccer pitch, a shaded plaza with benches and a gazebo, and small stores and businesses along the main street.
When I think about my old life in Branson, Missouri, so many things go through my mind… but mostly, I don’t miss it at all. Life in the U.S. is so fast paced…no one has time for one another anymore, most people don’t even know their neighbors. Now that my wife Laurie and I live in Ecuador, everything in our lives is much slower…and a lot less stressful. Our typical day starts with coffee in the backyard by the pool, followed by pottering about in the garden and then an hour or so of relaxing. Later in the day, we may take a stroll along the nearby crescent-shaped beach that never gets overcrowded, or we’ll make time to visit the local mercado and stock up on fruit and veggies. Several times a month, we’ll get together with other expats for dinner and to catch up.
The drive from my hometown of David west to the town of Volcan in Chiriquí Province is one of my favorite scenic routes in all of Panama. I pass cattle pastures, dairy farms, horse stables, and chicken farms framed by rolling green hills. At certain vantage points I look out over the landscape and can see all the way to the Pacific coast. Colorful flowers and a surprising variety of trees and foliage decorate the roadway as I wind my way up the slope of the mountain.
After enduring too many cold winters I decided it was time to move overseas. Shoveling snow just to get to work and more shoveling to get back into the garage at night was exhausting. It was adding more time to my work day, meaning less time for relaxing at home. Plus I hated how the cold dictated how and when I did everything. It would take twice as long to get anywhere. And my cost of living was going up and up and my heat bills just kept rising. Then there was the worry about the wear and tear on the car due to the freezing temperatures, frozen pipes, downed power lines, and power outages.
Toward the southern end of Belize, you’ll find a 17-mile-long peninsula that has become a center of expat activity and tourism in recent years. Developments and homes can be found up and down its length, as can beautiful beaches and views of the blue Caribbean. But Placencia Village, the walkable community at the peninsula’s far southern tip, is where Paul Petit and his wife Gail decided to settle.
Most expats who have settled either part-time or full-time in this country will attest to the large number of readily available doctors, dentists, and opticians, combined with accessible, well-equipped, modern public and private hospitals. These institutions employ highly trained doctors and use cutting-edge technology and modern medical equipment that rival anything available in Western countries.
Financial struggles weren’t the only thing motivating our retirement abroad, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that’s what got us looking for an out-of-the-box solution to begin with. Like a lot of people during the financial crisis, my husband, Donald, and I took a big hit. Here we were nearing the end of our working years, and our financial security had evaporated in a seeming instant. My husband had his second heart attack in three years, and then lost his job—along with his medical insurance. We were tired, vulnerable, and drowning in stress. I remember my husband declaring that he felt as if he’d, “been running a marathon for 60 years.” We both worked regular jobs, and even started a couple of small businesses on the side to claw our way back. But it would be years before we could hope to retire, and we were spending all our time and energy just to hold on.
In 2008, when my husband Paul and I first started talking about the possibility of retiring overseas, we really only considered two countries: Mexico and Costa Rica. I often wonder why we didn't consider more countries at the time; there are so many great options. At the time, though, we only thought of countries where we'd had some personal experience. First up was Mexico. Paul lived and went to college there in the '70s and has always had a love for both the country and its culture, so it was natural that Mexico was on our short list. I had visited Costa Rica on a business trip in the '90s and remembered it as a beautiful country that I always wanted to visit again.
Ah yes, another warm, sunny day in Panama is drawing to a close. It's been just one of many afternoons spent reclining lazily on our terrace watching the iguanas, birds, and squirrels cavorting in our yard. Unfortunately the day did not start out that way. My poor husband suffers periodically from allergies and, after completing some vigorous yard work he had irritated, sore eyes and itchy skin. But after a quick trip to our local farmacia (pharmacy) he was symptom-free.