Subject: Re: Reading tea leaves
As a Canadian this flies in the face of my understanding of the US health care system - don't you get Medicare once you're 65? Perhaps Medicare standards are not up to standards in the private health care sector, but then again, if you're comparing the US with other countries as a place to retire, you should be comparing Medicare to other countries' public health care systems, like the care available in provinces in Canada or countries in Europe. My impression is that, while you won't get an MRI for a sore knee in Medicare, you won't get one in Canada either, and probably not in Germany.

Medicare is great. My MIL is going through some very expensive health care treatments at the moment and we've had zero problems with Medicare paying for anything she needs.

The tricky part is if you retire before 65 and have an income high enough that it exceeds the ACA subsidy thresholds. In that case, your maximum out of pocket insurance costs are capped at $18,900 or 8.5% of your income (IIRC, any clarifications welcome). Which is a lot to be sure. As an ex-pat you can get cheaper health insurance in Europe. I don't know if it would be worth moving to Europe just for that reason, but it can be done.