Medicare in Mexico
Perhaps the chief obstacle for U.S. citizens’ retiring in a foreign country is the fact that Medicare, which provides for almost free healthcare, stops at the U.S. border. A number of groups are lobbying for Medicare in Mexico, where approximately 1 million U.S. citizens already live.
Congress will have to be convinced that healthcare for retirees in Mexico is both feasible and cost effective. Expat groups who are bringing this issue to the attention of the U.S. government include the Puerto Vallarta based chapter of Democrats Abroad and the bipartisan group of American Citizens Abroad (ACA).
The Americans for Medicare in Mexico, A.C. (AMMAC)is working hard to promote this benefit to eligible retirees and is urging members of Congress to initiate a demonstration project. They argue that not only have these eligible Medicare recipients paid into the fund over a lifetime, but the cost to the U.S. taxpayers will be significantly less than if these retirees sought healthcare in the U.S. Anyone following the current healthcare debate is aware that Medicare costs constitute a major issue.
Proponents of the law change include David C. Warner of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas. author of Getting What You Paid For: Extending Benefits to Eligible Beneficiaries in Mexico (U.S.-Mexican Policy Reports).
Separately, some private insurers have begun encouraging U.S. policyholders to seek less costly services in certain foreign countries.