Paul G. Says:
My wife has MS, very much under control for the past 18 years, but it still raises concern, so we are hesitant to head to a foreign country and drop our current medical coverage in the States. Do you have any advice?
IL Senior Editor Dan Prescher Says:
Hi Paul,
My wife and I lived and worked abroad for 20 years and have dealt with healthcare systems in a number of countries.
I’d recommend reading The 6 Best Countries For Expat Healthcare in 2023. The article includes links to more information about each country. But as you know better than anyone else, MS is a specific and particular healthcare issue.
Many of the countries IL covers have national health systems you can avail of once you have residency. Most of those national systems have no exclusions for pre-existing conditions, and prices are very reasonable. And as in the U.S., the best healthcare in any particular country will be in the major metropolitan areas.
All the countries IL covers also have companies that offer private insurance. Private insurance often means shorter wait times for treatments and access to a wider choice of doctors and facilities for additional cost… usually much less than private insurance in the U.S. But most of these private plans have exclusions for pre-existing conditions.
Another consideration is that your treatment for MS in other countries may be different from the treatment you receive in the U.S. You may have access to treatments not available in the U.S… or you may not have access to treatments or drugs you’re used to. Each country’s healthcare system, insurance situation, and treatment spectrum will be different.
This makes it particularly important for you to research particular countries from the viewpoint of your particular needs.. The article above will give you a good start.
But for information specific to MS, you’ll have to contact local resources. You can always call local hospitals and insurance companies, but you’ll get lots of leads from the expat Facebook pages and bulletin boards for particular communities as well.
I’d concentrate on large cities for modern treatment modalities. Once you establish residency and enter the public health system, costs should be significantly lower than you’re paying now.
But what it takes to establish residency and what you have to do in the meantime for health insurance will vary from country to country. Look particularly at Portugal, France, and Spain. In Central America, look particularly at Costa Rica and Panama.
Hope this helps, Paul, and best of luck.
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