Where did you end up going? I have some savings and would like to retire early, and getting health insurance is an impediment to that. Need somewhere that doesn’t require a work visa and is a good place to raise a family. I have enough to do it in the US but would be happy to consider alternatives.
To Portugal. If you have enough assets to retire in the US then you probably qualify for the passive income visa.
It’s not all smooth sailing, though. The immigration agency here (AIMA) currently has 300,000 cases in the queue. It’s so difficult to get an appointment that people are making hundreds of calls per day, standing in queues for hours only to not be seen, and filing lawsuits.
Most people here make about €1200/mo and there’s a severe housing crisis that I have contributed to with my presence. The influx of people like me with vastly higher purchasing power is creating resentment: the far-right party quadrupled (5% -> 20%) their seats in parliament by running against immigration.
Having said that, I do love it here. I’ve been considering blogging about my experience since there’s a dearth of clear-eyed information from real people who moved to Portugal and aren’t selling something.
Anyhow, I’m happy to share more info and resources with anyone who wants to learn more. Please feel free to reach out - my contact info is in my profile.
Thanks for sharing your experience. And thanks for acknowledging your part in "the problem" -- truly, a lot of people in your position e.g. immigrate, and then try to pull the ladder up after them.
I have Portuguese friends who relocated to the US (for the salary, rest assured they own homes there to go back to). They're saying there are waits and quality issues.
I can’t speak to the public system. My visa requires me to carry private insurance, so I have only used the private system.
It’s a breath of fresh air. I’ve had to wait a week or two here and there for exams and tests, sure. My preferred hospital system has a great app where I can book doctor appointments (€15) and see results as soon as they’re available. The system knows what my copay is and I pay it on my way home. That’s the end of it; there are no inscrutable bills in the mail months later for hundreds or thousands.
Here’s an example: due to family history, my doctor recommended an MRI. When she saw my horrified face she told me not to worry. I booked it, got a text from my insurance company a few days later with the approval, and had the exam a week after that. The results were available in the app soon after, including the raw images (not that I have the training to interpret them).
My copay for the MRI was €50. I pay €80/mo for the best insurance available. I’ve never had a claim denial and have never interacted with my insurance company.
