Returning to fundamentals...

Now that the plans for my trip are set, it’s time to return to big picture research and planning.  There are some things that need to be looked into and thought out no matter where I end up.  Health care is a major concern and I will begin there.

I have learned that Medicare cannot be used outside of the states, so that means relying on the health care system where ever I end up.  While local clinics in many countries may not provide the level of care we typically demand, almost every country has well trained, private doctors that charge a pittance compared to doctors here at home (and actually spend more than ten minutes with you). 

As an example, if I end up in Belize they have a system of local clinics that can take care of the most common ailments, but more serious matters would require going to a private hospital in Belize City or, more likely, traveling across the border to Chetumal, Mexico.  Chetumal has several first class hospitals and is relatively close to both Corozol and Belize City.  Living further south in Belize would provide more serious challenges, but if I am able to fly there is good, cheap travel by air from the towns I am considering to Belize City or even Cancun.

I’ve been pretty darn healthy all my life, but I know that as this body wears out I will have greater needs and increasing costs.  At present, I have two doctors – one that I see for my annual check-up and routine matters, and another who has a much more holistic approach and who I credit with keeping my wife well even after she had been diagnosed with cancer.  This two-doctor system works for me and perhaps some sort of dual track approach to insurance and health care will work elsewhere.

The question becomes, do I purchase an international health care plan, use a local, hospital-based insurance or pay out of pocket.  At the very least, some type of critical care insurance would likely be necessary.  While many countries allow you full access to their health care system once you have established residency, each country approaches this differently.  This ability to access the local health care system could definitely be a factor in my choice of country.  If I am able to travel as much as I would like to, then maybe a long-term travel insurance plan might work in conjunction with local health care, since most decent travel insurance includes repatriation and emergency health care coverage.

I can tell this is going to take a lot of consideration since there are so many variables.  Health care is definitely in my “major research” bucket.  Despite our Yankee pride in our health care, most countries offer health care that rivals our own.  The question often isn’t if the actual care is good, but rather access to that care and the cost.  For the most part, our health care problems in the U.S. are related to cost and access, not the quality of the care we receive or the skills of our medical professionals.  OK, I got off the track there.  The bottom line is that I need to do in-depth research of each country that interests me and at the same time find out as much as I can about the various insurance possibilities.