Author Topic: Which country to move to if Obamacare turns bad?  (Read 10187 times)

secondcor521

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Re: Which country to move to if Obamacare turns bad?
« Reply #50 on: May 22, 2018, 10:53:58 AM »
Secondcor521:

Quote
Others joined groups like IEEE and got on group insurance plans that way.

This is good information.  What other organizations will provide health (not life) insurance?  Could this be an option rather than moving abroad?  I've received mail from organizations I belong to but they are only peddling life or car insurance.

I also know people who have retired a few years early who find a part time job.  They use the money from the part time job to pay their health care premiums.  They could possibly still be reduced through Obamacare, I don't know.

Perhaps either of these could be considered alternatives to leaving the USA.

I don't know of any other organizations that provided group health care...IEEE is the only one I can remember off the top of my head.  And to be clear, you had to pay for the health insurance policy premiums in addition to the IEEE membership (although the membership was pretty cheap IIRC).

I don't know what the current state of affairs is, but I think those group policies probably did not comply with ACA rules so they have probably gone extinct by now.

Another option I didn't mention in my previous post is health sharing ministries.  In general, they meet the current ACA individual mandate for having health insurance, they may have requirements (you attend a church) or place restrictions (no alcohol or drug use).  My understanding is that they also don't cover some things sometimes, and that they can be cheaper even than an ACA subsidized plan.

jim555

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Re: Which country to move to if Obamacare turns bad?
« Reply #51 on: May 22, 2018, 12:17:35 PM »
Wealth tax countries would be off the list for people in the FIRE community considering most have substantial savings.
Also some countries have exorbitant inheritance taxes and that would be a major reason not to reside there.

pecunia

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Re: Which country to move to if Obamacare turns bad?
« Reply #52 on: May 22, 2018, 04:05:53 PM »
secondcor521:

Quote
I don't know what the current state of affairs is, but I think those group policies probably did not comply with ACA rules so they have probably gone extinct by now.

Looks like they still have it:

https://www.ieeeinsurance.com/us/Personal-Insurance/Health-Insurance

Their web page also speaks of the ACA (Obamacare).

Base membership was $201 in 2017.

The church thing sounds like another good option.

Very good info.

FIREin2018

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Re: Which country to move to if Obamacare turns bad?
« Reply #53 on: May 25, 2018, 09:20:04 PM »
Other countries can't afford to take in more people on their healthcare systems.   Some countries like Ireland if you even have enough $ to qualify to stay will not let you use their healthcare.
omg.. i have a stalker :(

Acastus

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Re: Which country to move to if Obamacare turns bad?
« Reply #54 on: May 29, 2018, 12:04:37 PM »
Don't forget Massachusetts. They had universal coverage before the rest of the US. They are now 98% insured, compared to around 91% for the country. They will probably keep it, regardless. I am hoping other states adopt it. A lot of progressive ideas were adopted state by state. Why not this?
« Last Edit: June 04, 2018, 11:16:05 AM by Acastus »

Paul der Krake

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Re: Which country to move to if Obamacare turns bad?
« Reply #55 on: May 29, 2018, 12:46:32 PM »
There's a bill making its way in the Hawaii legislature to basically ensure ACA survival there. They've always had a very low number of uninsured people and a sweet heart deal like Alaska's because of the higher income requirements. If it's successful, it could encourage other blue states to follow suit.

DreamFIRE

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Re: Which country to move to if Obamacare turns bad?
« Reply #56 on: May 29, 2018, 09:12:28 PM »
There's a bill making its way in the Hawaii legislature to basically ensure ACA survival there. They've always had a very low number of uninsured people and a sweet heart deal like Alaska's because of the higher income requirements. If it's successful, it could encourage other blue states to follow suit.

That would just be my luck since I'm considering relocating from a blue midwestern state to a red southern state.

Cassie

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Re: Which country to move to if Obamacare turns bad?
« Reply #57 on: May 29, 2018, 10:43:01 PM »
Health care is huge and you can’t expect other countries to give it away to foreigners.  Plus the loss of family/friends is another consideration. My DIL is from Poland but luckily she was living here when she needed complicated brain surgery that no one in her country could perform.

ChpBstrd

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Re: Which country to move to if Obamacare turns bad?
« Reply #58 on: May 30, 2018, 06:13:15 AM »
I'm surprised there isn't a more developed medical tourism industry here in the U.S. There are still bricks-and-mortar travel agencies selling Disney "packages" in competition with the whole internet when what people really need is assistance not going bankrupt from their hip replacement. From the host country's perspective, this would help pay for a lot of medical infrastructure and education. From the insurance company's perspective, this would save billions.

Perhaps this is why the government is clamping down on Cuba travel. It just looks bad. Why smuggle cigars out of Cuba when you could fill your blood pressure prescription for a year and save thousands?

MrSal

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Re: Which country to move to if Obamacare turns bad?
« Reply #59 on: May 30, 2018, 06:34:05 AM »
Portugal...

It's a modern country with good infra structures, and unlike Mexico and India which are for the most part 3rd world countries, in Portugal you have the benefit of having great beaches, good weather, good food and cheap and all of this close to the other major European capitals. Not to mention that it's a technology hub and more and more startups are moving their headquarters to Portugal/Lisbon.

There is a big expat community in Portugal, one of the biggest if I recall ... Most people of younger generations speak English at a high level so the language is not a barrier...  You can have a visa simply by buying a house (the value depends) and you also get FREE taxes for 10 or 15 years on your income. Property taxes are cheap (about 100-300 per year) and everything else is cheap for the most part (like all european countries gas is not cheap).

2000 dollars in Portugal gives you a very comfortable life even in Lisbon - for example a night out at a good restaurant with wine included will probably be 15-20 dollars/person. If you go out for drinks, the street bars beer is around 1 dollar to 2 dollars per pint ... You can eat a full meal (soup, actual dish like steak or fish and desert) for about 6-7 dollars, etc.

There is also universal healthcare ...

Not to mention the cultural offerings that living in a 2000+ years old city gives you... lots to see and great nature/views attractions ... and the locals have a very laid back lifestyle. Also very safe country with very low crime.
« Last Edit: May 30, 2018, 06:36:42 AM by MrSal »