valleychallenger

Hi all new on here and hoping to get some views on the above i'm 62 in april my wife 50 in august and we are fed up with england and the weather. we go to orlando every few years and would like to live there,if we sold up we'd probably have around 300.000 sterling anyone give me the reality of it if you have managed to do it or am i just dreaming.

Mr Weeze

Welcome to British Expats

Please take a look at http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Pulaski%27s_Ways:_How_to_Live_and_Work_in_the_USA and if anything sounds positive, come back and we can discuss further.

penguinsix

Hi and welcome,

You'll find on that link above the ways to get a visa, and unfortunately, it isn't going to be easy. Most visas are based either on family connections or employment, with a subset on investment (which might apply). There are no retirement visas for the USA.

Take a look at the link and let us know if any apply. After that we can offer some advice on how to proceed, but also on some of the pitfalls you may encounter (health insurance is a huge problem for someone your age without access to US government Medicare programs).

Englishtart

Welcome :-)

I'm surely not going to be the first to suggest this, but have you thought about moving to another European Country? There are lots of expats living in Spain, Cyprus etc.

It's almost impossible to move to the USA unless you are sponsored. It's pretty scary being here as you get on in years due to the health costs being so ridiculous! There are lots of people here living in fear of being one serious health issue away from Bankruptcy (sp?)

Might also be a good idea to read some of the 'moving back to the UK' forum, it will give you an idea of why so many expats are heading the other way.

valleychallenger

Thanks i do worry about the health as i am on bp pills (for white coat syndrome) but in the florida heat i was told it lowers a persons bp substantially???mine was lower than my 22 yr old sons in walmart!!!! its a kite thats not going to fly i guess, just have to make do with a few more holiday's or win the lottery.

valleychallenger

Thanks for that, it would probably stress me out with worry also.

Wibblypig

My FIL moved over to Florida a few years back, married a Floridian lady (not just to move over ). You could say his health improved slightly on a day to day basis, but he couldn't get health insurance and had to pay for his medication and doctors visits, he couldn't afford the $1000's to have more than the very basic doctors checks. Sadly he then had a heart attack and died more or less instantly, I dread to think what bills my step-MIL would have had if he had to be hospitalised (sounds insensitive but that's the way you have to look at it). My point is, if you cannot get decent health insurance, don't move here!

valleychallenger

What is it with medical in the us my lad got swim ear and it cost 200 dollars for a consultation and a small tube of cream, someone told me they go into mexico for their drugs, if thats true!! but that still doesn't cover doctors or hospital.

Pulaski

$200 is about the right cost for a short consultation with a licensed professional - a lawyer, an accountant, a architect, and, yes, a doctor or dentist too.

Someone might recommend going to Mexico for pharmaceutical drugs because many that are controlled by prescription in the US and UK are sold freely over the counter Mexico, and in many other Latin American countries. There are several problems with this suggestion, not least that you don't know if you are buying a brand name drug or a counterfeit.

penguinsix

For many Americans it would have cost between $0-$50 for that treatment as they have private insurance that covers those expenses. The problem you will encounter is having to buy private insurance over 60 with no access to Medicare, the insurance program for the elderly. Your costs could easily be $1,000 a month just for insurance especially if you have a pre-existing condition.

Jerseygirl

Then there are deductibles, co-pays, meds, optical, dental to pay for out of pocket.

valleychallenger

I have never thought of myself as elderly , i still drive, drink, and dress like a teenager and keep the wife happy as well doesn't seem so long ago that i left school.

Bob

$300K ain't enough.

Plus retirement age, medical insurance means it's really not a goer.

Stick to being a snowbird for a few years and make sure you spend less than whatever it is, 6 months in the US to get out of the significant presence test for tax filing.

Bob

Aye, but unfortunately, you're pretty much un-insurable, with a pre-existing condition.

They'll tack anything onto it and if you get something expensive to treat, will just drop your coverage.

To make it doable, you'd need a job and get in on a company group plan.

SanDiegogirl

There is also the wife to consider. She is only 50 so many, many years of providing individual health insurance for her.