Having just signed up for AARP (saved me $80 on a hotel reservation!), I got to wondering, what do other countries offer their seniors to make life healthier, happier, and more affordable?
If you get a retirement visa in Panama, look forward to big discounts on entertainment, local transportation, airfare, power bills, medication, movie tickets, and hotel stays.
In Portugal retirees can relax about high medical bills thanks to the Servicio National de Saude (SNS). Most essential health expenses are covered at no cost while non-essential items are just a small copay.
Australia acknowledges – with actual money – the sacrifices made by care givers. It’s not huge, but the Carer Payment and Carer Supplement plans are better than the kind wishes given to the many care givers in the US. Really the list goes on and on for senior benefits Down Under with help with rent, energy costs, continence supplies, and a friendly tax system for pensioners.
This is just a small sampling and I’m sure there are things we do better here in the US than many other countries. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to all of those great discounts from my $12 AARP membership!
