Your ability to emigrate might depend on your ability to get health insurance or meet a government’s health standards.

For example, New Zealand notoriously has these health requirements for immigrants.

Most other countries are less stringent and might just want a note from a doctor saying that you don’t have anything communicable. However, in those countries you’re often required to get private insurance for at least the first year, which can become a barrier.

Also, if you’re taking a prescription medication, it might not be easy to get in the place you’re going. It would be best to not need the medication at all.

If you want maximum portability, get healthy and reduce or eliminate your need for medications.

Special challenge: US diagnoses and drugs

The Americans I meet seem to take more medications than other nationalities and receive more diagnoses.

Any diagnosis you receive or medication you “need” reduces your appeal to a private insurer and makes it harder to travel.

Americans tend to accumulate diagnoses for things like:

  • Gastric reflux
  • Sleep apnea
  • ADHD
  • Generalized anxiety disorder

Their treatment is drugs or, in the case of the apnea, a machine. Then when the drugs cause side effects, the doctor prescribes drugs for the side effects.

US doctors apparently don’t suggest lifestyle changes. This results in lots of Americans who are on medications and who could look less appealing to overseas insurers or authorities.

Example: Meet Nick from Iowa. He’s 42 years old and 30 pounds overweight, sometimes has heartburn, and feels tired and anxious. His wife complains about his snoring, and his job is stressful because he has to herd cats. His doctor diagnoses him with everything I listed above and gives him prescriptions for several meds and a CPAP machine.

Nick has a doppelganger in Greece, Nico. He’s the same age and weight and has the same symptoms. Before Nico goes to a doctor, he talks to a friend.

“Lose the gut, Nico,” his best buddy tells him. “And go for walks every day. I’ll join you. Plus, that job of yours is shit. Let’s ask my brother-in-law if he has something better for you. Meanwhile, put down the phone and stop reading Tweeter or whatever it is.”

Who’s going to look better to a private insurer or immigration authority? Nick with his four diagnoses and fistfull of pills, or Nico, who soon has a slimmer shape and lower blood pressure to boot?

Question your diagnoses

Do you really have a “disorder,” or do you have a crappy job? Are you permanently “ill,” or are you suffering the effects of bad habits that you can change? How many of your symptoms are caused by excess fat? If you lose the fat, will the symptoms go away?

Question your meds

Research the drugs you’re taking. Are they really the only treatment? Were they designed to be taken for as long as you’ve been taking them? Could they be causing more problems than they’re solving? Could you manage your symptoms without a prescription? How?


Photo at the top: Leaving Asunción, Paraguay