# Can an American buy health insurance in a developing nation
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-american-buy-health-insurance-in-a-developing-nation/528804
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 13, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-american-buy-health-insurance-in-a-developing-nation/528804 "2010-02-13T02:03:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-american-buy-health-insurance-in-a-developing-nation/528804/1 "2010-02-13T02:03:46Z")
In Mexico there is a plan that costs $95-250/yr that covers everything called Mexicare.
[http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2009/08/29/20090829biz-mexicare0830.html](http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2009/08/29/20090829biz-mexicare0830.html)
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?
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### Author:  [@Eleasarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleasarian)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-american-buy-health-insurance-in-a-developing-nation/528804/2 "2010-02-13T03:15:50Z")
Are they paying taxes in/for those countries?
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2010, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-american-buy-health-insurance-in-a-developing-nation/528804/3 "2010-02-13T03:28:01Z")
It’s not exactly the same thing, but [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=551089) 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.
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### Author:  [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2010, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-american-buy-health-insurance-in-a-developing-nation/528804/4 "2010-02-13T14:41:06Z")
I found this [article](http://www.slate.com/id/2217481/entry/2217482/) 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 😉
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### Author:  [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-american-buy-health-insurance-in-a-developing-nation/528804/5 "2010-02-13T14:51:34Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2010, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-american-buy-health-insurance-in-a-developing-nation/528804/6 "2010-02-13T15:07:19Z")
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.