Hola Sheba,
I am not retired but I have a tourism businesses to bring North Americans to Costa Rica. Because of this, I am bouncing back and forth during the year between CR and St. Louis, MO. There are a few companies that offer global insurance policies for people like us. I found mine through www.globalinsurancenet.com. I was very happy with their services and their owner Carlos Perez was very patient with me as I asked question after question. One thing I did learn is that, even with insurance, you are better off getting sick outside the U.S. Most global companies will cover 100% of medical expenses anywhere in the world EXCEPT the U.S. where usually only 80% are covered. Here in Costa Rica, the health care and dental care are excellent.
Costa Rica is still a good place to retire although the property taxes are going up. Many are now looking at Panama as the next best thing so you might want to check that out. The great thing about Central America is that it is close..if I leave St. Louis at 6 or 7 a.m. I am here by 1 p.m. I am in the same time zone as St. Louis.
Anyway..if you have specific questions I am happy to help.
Annette
Hi Sheba!
I just want to echo affirmatively everything Annette said in her reply. My oldest son and his family now live in San Marcos La Laguna on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. Carlos Perez got insurance coverage for my son's family. Just this past October my grand daughter fell from a tree and suffered severe head trauma. The insurance company responded quickly and most adequately, covering 100% of all costs related to her injury.
It seems like Panama is getting the most "press" these days as far as great places to retire are concerned, and I agree with most of it. As Annette said, Panama is now where Costa Rica was 10 years ago. I hear good things coming out of Honduras and Nicaragua also. Best of luck in your search!
Allen
Hola Annette and Allen,
Thanks for your information and input. I will contact global insurance. I understand Panama and Argentina is a good option--still. I like living into town, meeting at people/friends/expats/locals at the local cafe. But, I also WANT to and will NEED to work. How does one look into ALL the legal ramifications of residency, working overseas, etc.part-time. It does seem overwhelming. I just requested international living subscriptions. I will continue to have a home in the U.S. as I have a daughter and family here. But the more information I get and the experiences I hear, will only help us all make informed decisions. Its funny, but the older you get the longer it takes to jump into things--and by then the opportunity has gone. I need to stay at work until summer of 2008 and then to quit--is still scary for me. Again, I am not very computer savvy to chat online (when I do have the time) but want you to know that I do appreciate your input and info. Thanks again. Sheba
International living has a pretty good thread on International Health Care at ....
view linkIn that thread I noticed a Tony & Patricia Hamrick will cruise through some the International Living's forums to discuss health related issues. They are Health Insurance brokers. I have no idea how reliable they are but their website is.....
view link
Hi Sheba
As a International Real Estate Consultant I can tell you that more people from US are now retiring and looking into Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Brazil for low cost of living and health insurance.
If you are interested or considering purchasing in any of these places please let me know as I can help you. Contact me at geoliza25@yahoo.com
For world class medical care, and inexpensive medical insurance, I suggest you might want to consider Thailand.
jon
Chiang Mai
Northern Thailand, a.k.a. "The Land of Smiles
Hi. I recently retired to Penang, Malaysia, under the Malaysia My Second Home Program (MM2H). One advantage of living here over Thailand is that you can buy property. I bought a beautiful condo with a view of the sea and city. Many of the units in my area are owned by foreigners and are either rented out or occupied for only part of the year. Under this program you do not have to pay taxes from outside income or interest on Malaysian bank accounts. The cost of living here is much lower in the US. I take a couple of medications which I can buy without prescription for a fraction of what I paid for in the US, even with health insurance drug plans. Medical care here is excellent and much more affordable than in the US. International Health insurance plans offer about $5 million in coverage, which would never ever be used in many lifetimes. They are way too expensive. I am insured by a local company for a very reasonable price for a very good policy. A doctors visit here is about $10US. I think Malaysia would be worth looking into for you. Anyways good luck in your search.
