Health insurance for Americans retiring abroad before Medicare
€248/month.
Combined, for a couple, for full private health coverage in Porto, Portugal.
That's Tammy, 64, and Fred, 56, two real people who moved before either of them was eligible for Medicare. Compare that to a US COBRA premium, which regularly runs $700 to $1,800 a month, per person, before a single claim gets paid.
If you're retiring before 65, health insurance is the one line item that can break the whole plan on its own. It's also the one where a bad choice is expensive twice: once in the premium, and again if a claim gets denied when you actually need it. Both fears show up constantly in expat forums, and both are legitimate.
Why SafetyWing
We looked at several international insurers before putting one here, weighing published pricing against “call for a quote” opacity, and how each one is actually described by the people using it, not just its own marketing. SafetyWing's Remote Health plan held up on both counts: pricing you can see on their site before you talk to anyone, a monthly premium instead of an annual lump sum, and a Complete tier that guarantees lifetime coverage for any new condition you develop after enrolling, as long as you sign up before you turn 64.
What it doesn't do
- Not a Medicare replacement. Once you're 65 and Medicare-eligible, this is a bridge, not a permanent solution.
- Doesn't cover conditions you already have when you enroll. The Complete tier's lifetime guarantee applies to new conditions that develop after you're covered, not pre-existing ones. If you have a pre-existing condition, read the exclusions before you sign up.
- Coverage is capped for members age 65 to 69 (per SafetyWing's plan terms as documented in our own affiliate research; worth confirming the current number directly with SafetyWing before you enroll, since plan terms change).
- Doesn't cover routine visits back to the US unless you add the US coverage rider.
Full disclosure: this is an affiliate link. I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The commission doesn't change your premium, and it doesn't change this page if SafetyWing's terms get worse for people our age. We'll update the page or take it down. Not the other way around.