Retire Overseas - What About Health Care?

Many people dismiss the option of retiring overseasWhat would that cost in the USA now...a week in the
due to health care concerns.hospital and the CAT scan?
Many Americans and Canadians, live very well onIs the health care great in the US, you bet, just realize
$2,000 month or less in such places as Mexico,up front that you are going to pay for it.
Panama or Ecuador. That includes a maid...interestedIf you retire to Mexico you can buy health insurance
ladies?for about $300 per year. That pretty much covers you
My wife and I lived in various countries for 8 yearsfrom A to Z. I pay that much each month for a
while living aboard a sailboat. We are in good health,catastrophic policy with a $10,000 deductible.
exercise regularly, and never had a health issue inLiving in Phoenix we drive to Mexico for our dental
those 8 years. We did have optional laser surgery oncare...cleaning, performed by the dentist, $30. A crown
our eyes in Venezuela. It cost $350 per eye.is $200. Prices have not gone up in the 5 years we
We had total trust in the Venezuelan doctor and havehave been going to Mexico. My wife is a former dental
not had any problems with our eyes. I don't misshygienist. She is well pleased with the cleanliness of the
wearing glasses either.office and the quality of the service we and many of
We did have friends that needed medical care. Oneour friends have received.
friend was hospitalized in Trinidad for about a week.If you do retire overseas, eat right and exercise
His private hospital room cost $56 per day, including hisregularly, you should not worry about the health care
meals. When he needed a CAT scan the doctoryou may or may not need while in a foreign land.
apologized for charging him $180 for the procedure. ItDon't give up on retirement before you check out the
would have been $100 if he had been a local.opportunity to live cheaply and well overseas.