However it is partly government subsidized, a money loser and you have to live in Mexico to get it. But it sounds like a good backup plan in case a person is uninsured/uninsurable in the US and wants health care in case they get a severe illness.
So I’m wondering if other nations like India, Thailand, etc have a plan like this. Can an American who is disgruntled with US health care buy an insurance policy in a nation like India for maybe $400/yr or so that will cover surgery, disability care, etc. in that country while not actually living in that country?
Basically as a back up plan in case they have a catastrophic illness and cannot get/don’t want US health care?
It’s not exactly the same thing, but this is a thread in which Desert Nomad describes the health insurance he gets from a UK company for $200 per month, although the coverage is only valid outside the US. So he and his wife move from country to country, as required by tourist visas and residency requirements.
I found this article from Slate to be very interesting. No dollar amounts for insurance, but it points out that the author purchased global health insurance for one-third of the US cost - and it is good in any country but the US.
The article is about having a child in a modern Thai hospital, where the cost of an uncomplicated birth was $2000 - but $30,000 in the US.
Amazing what we pay for 37th best in the world healthcare
I’m an American and I reside outside of the US. When I travel out of this country, I can purchase traveler’s insurance that’s good even in the US. The kicker is that to get the insurance, I have to show my Alien Registration Card. So, if I were in the situation described by the OP, I would not be eligible for that insurance.
I forgot to mention that I am also required by Korean law to participate in the National Health Insurance program. It’s quite cheap and the benefits are pretty good. If I wish to have better coverage, I can purchase supplemental insurance (which I intend to do after renewing my visa at the end of this month). The NHI, though, isn’t good for any treatment outside of South Korea. For such coverage, I would need to, as noted above, purchase traveler’s insurance.
