{"id":3309,"date":"2025-02-02T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-02T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expatsi.devstudio.work\/?p=3309"},"modified":"2025-02-02T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-02-02T00:00:00","slug":"4-tips-for-accessing-healthcare-anywhere-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expatsi.devstudio.work\/?p=3309","title":{"rendered":"4 Tips for Accessing Healthcare Anywhere in the World"},"content":{"rendered":"

Expatsi can direct you to the <\/span>countries with the best healthcare in the world<\/span><\/a>. But we can\u2019t all move to Singapore. (Where would we fit?) Wherever you go in the world, you need to be able to find and access healthcare services that suit your needs. These five tips can help.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Learn how to start receiving your healthcare services.<\/h2>\n

Universal and single-payer healthcare services can be life-changing, but expect to face specific processes and requirements to access them. In the UK, for instance, newcomers are subject to an \u201cimmigration health surcharge\u201d of \u00a31,035 per year to access the National Health Service (NHS). Spain, which views healthcare as a human right, requires no additional fees for immigrants \u2014 you\u2019ll only have to contribute to social security or qualify for permanent residency to be covered, just like anyone else.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Check healthcare coverage for any disability or long-term condition you have.<\/h2>\n

Universal healthcare doesn\u2019t necessarily cover every condition, so if you have a disability or long-term health condition, look into your chosen country\u2019s health system to make sure you\u2019re covered by their healthcare system. Most countries with public healthcare will cover most or all of your medical expenses. In Germany you pay into the public healthcare system that will cover most conditions, but you may want to supplement it with private insurance to fill the gaps. Brazil, on the other hand, covers all medical costs for free.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, not all countries are as welcoming to expats with disabilities. Some may place limitations on healthcare coverage based on disability, and some may decline residency entirely. The UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand may decline residency if they believe care for your disability would present a \u201csignificant cost\u201d to the country. Australia and New Zealand recently increased their \u201csignificant cost\u201d threshold to A$86,000 and A$81,000, respectively, over a period of five years.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Secure private health insurance, if necessary.<\/h2>\n

When a country\u2019s public health system doesn\u2019t cover all healthcare needs, they may recommend you carry private insurance to cover any gaps \u2014 or they may require it. Portugal\u2019s universal health system covers all medical procedures, but private insurance would provide some added benefits like choosing your physician. The Netherlands funds all long-term treatments but requires private health insurance for others. Note: The cost of private insurance in other countries will probably shock you as an American. Your annual premium may be what you pay per month in the States.<\/span><\/p>\n

Have all arrangements made for your private insurance before you arrive at your new home. Some countries require a waiting period, or at least a local address, before giving you access to their public healthcare. Don\u2019t risk having an uncovered medical emergency in the time before your local coverage kicks in \u2014 make sure you have everything in place before setting foot in your new home.<\/span><\/p>\n

We recommend Expat Insure<\/a> for international insurance.<\/em><\/p>\n

4. Take care of as many health concerns as possible before leaving.<\/h2>\n

Because of the possible gap in health coverage when you land in your new country, you\u2019ll want to take care of everything possible before leaving the U.S. Have one last visit with your primary care physician and any specialists you see. Fill any prescriptions you have, and research to make sure those prescriptions are readily available in your new country \u2014 and if they aren\u2019t, find alternatives that are.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your physician in the U.S. might even be able to recommend a physician in the country where you\u2019ll be living \u2014 it can\u2019t hurt to ask. And be sure to look for a doctor who\u2019s fluent in your native language. The doctor\u2019s exam room isn\u2019t the moment to realize Duolingo didn\u2019t cover <\/span>dolor intenso que se irradia<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more info, watch our webinar on how to get healthcare around the world<\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Expatsi can direct you to the countries with the best healthcare in the world. But we can\u2019t all move to Singapore. (Where would we fit?) Wherever you go in the world, you need to be able to find and access healthcare services that suit your needs. These five tips can help. 1. Learn how to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1661,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthcare"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatsi.devstudio.work\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatsi.devstudio.work\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatsi.devstudio.work\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatsi.devstudio.work\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatsi.devstudio.work\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3309"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/expatsi.devstudio.work\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3309\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatsi.devstudio.work\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1661"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatsi.devstudio.work\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatsi.devstudio.work\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatsi.devstudio.work\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}