Latest news with #HealthCareIndex
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Sector Update: Health Care Stocks Mixed in Afternoon Trading
Health care stocks were mixed Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Health Care Index up 0.3% and the Hea Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Retired Americans are moving to this vibrant country for its low cost of living and better quality of life
Retirees are saying adios to the US. Boasting plenty of beaches, top-notch food, a wealth of nearby travel destinations, a lower cost of living and a pleasant warm climate — it's not hard to see why American retirees are swapping out domestic locales like Florida, Georgia and South Carolina for Spain. According to InterNations, an organization dedicated to building a global community of expats, Spain offers Americans the highest quality of life and the most abundant leisure activities — making it the top European country to move to. Spain is also ranked among the top countries for travel, assimilation and health care — the country is ninth best on the 2025 Health Care Index, while the US is 39th. The tax rate in Spain is slightly higher, as the country operates on the worldwide taxation system, but per Forbes, given the benefits that it offers — allowances for inheritance, property taxes, access to high-quality health care and some exemptions for those 65 and up — many expats find it worthwhile. Global Citizen Solutions specifically ranked Spain the No. 1 country for American retirees in its 2025 report, and estimates that the average monthly cost of living is around $2,000 to $2,500 — which often includes rent. 'I started investigating the residency requirements for moving to Spain. My pensions just met the financial threshold. I started gathering documents, ordered an FBI report and got an apostille. My doctor wrote a letter saying I had no infectious diseases, and I bought Spanish health insurance,' said an American retiree, Marsha Scarbrough, who detailed her Spain expat experience in an essay for Travel + Leisure. 'I printed bank statements, took passport photos, filled out forms and paid fees online. Finally, I had everything translated into Spanish by a certified interpreter.' For retirees and those not planning on pursuing school or work opportunities in Spain, you can move there on a non-working, or non-lucrative, visa. Visitor visas, which can last up to nine months, can also be an easy way to spend an extended period in the country before deciding to move. Given the impending social security cuts that many Americans are set to face, moving abroad to enjoy a high quality of life without the rising costs of living in the US seems to be a popular choice for retirees.
New York Post
23-06-2025
- New York Post
Retired Americans are moving to this vibrant country for its low cost of living and better quality of life
Retirees are saying adios to the U.S. Boasting plenty of beaches, top-notch food, a wealth of nearby travel destinations, a lower cost of living and a pleasant warm climate — it's not hard to see why American retirees are swapping out domestic locales like Florida, Georgia and South Carolina for Spain. 3 Out of the estimated 5.5 million Americans living abroad, per the Association of Americans Resident Overseas, around 108,000 currently live in Spain, but as the cost of living makes the destination more popular, that number is likely to rise. Bloomberg via Getty Images According to InterNations, an organization dedicated to building a global community of expats, Spain offers Americans the highest quality of life and the most abundant leisure activities — making it the top European country to move to. Spain is also ranked among the top countries for travel, assimilation and healthcare — the country is 10th best on the 2025 Health Care Index, while the U.S. is 38th. 3 Valencia offers its residents a Mediterranean climate and beachfront views. NurPhoto via Getty Images The tax rate in Spain is slightly higher, as the country operates on the worldwide taxation system, but per Forbes, given the benefits that it offers — allowances for inheritance, property taxes, access to high-quality healthcare and some exemptions for those 65 and up — many expats find it worthwhile. Global Citizens Solutions specifically ranked Spain the number one country for American retirees in its 2025 report, and estimates that the average monthly cost of living is around $2,000 to $2,500 — which often includes rent. 3 'Though petty theft can occur in tourist areas like Barcelona and Madrid, it has low crime rates,' said Global Citizen Solutions in its report. Getty Images/iStockphoto 'I started investigating the residency requirements for moving to Spain. My pensions just met the financial threshold. I started gathering documents, ordered an FBI report, and got an apostille. My doctor wrote a letter saying I had no infectious diseases, and I bought Spanish health insurance,' said an American retiree, Marsha Scarbrough, who detailed her Spain expat experience in an essay for Travel and Leisure. 'I printed bank statements, took passport photos, filled out forms and paid fees online. Finally, I had everything translated into Spanish by a certified interpreter.' For retirees and those not planning on pursuing school or work opportunities, who plan to move to Spain, can apply for a Non-Lucrative Visa. Visitor visas, which can last up to nine months, can also be an easy way to spend an extended period in the country before deciding to move. Given the impending social security cuts that many Americans are set to face, moving abroad to enjoy a high quality of life without the rising costs of living in the U.S. seems to be a popular choice for retirees.
Local Spain
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Local Spain
The reasons why Spain is a top choice for American digital nomads
According to a survey by the Expatsi website, a company which helps Americans move abroad, over the past year more than 113,000 respondents said they were considering leaving the US to work remotely from other locations around the world. Sixty-eight percent of them preferred a European destination and Portugal and Spain ranked first and second place when it came to choosing a favoured country to work from. It's worth keeping in mind that the profile of the digital nomad looking to leave the US isn't the traditional type of remote worker that stays in a country for a few months and then continues travelling. Many of them want to stay in Spain for several years. In fact, 44 percent are professionals with partners and 39 percent are between 25 and 44 years old. There is also a high number of workers between 55 and 65 years old. And 30 percent of them have confessed that they intend to stay indefinitely in their chosen countries, in which case they can't technically be considered digital nomads at all, despite the fact that they work remotely. So why is Spain such a popular destination for Americans to come to live and work? A more stable political climate A total of 56 percent of respondents said that the US has become too conservative and that the political climate is too polarised (53 percent) - these both being the reasons that have grown most over the past year for those wanting to leave the US. Although Spain has had its fair share of divisive politics, many believe that the country is currently in a better and more stable position since than the US under President Donald Trump. Less gun violence Forty-eight percent of respondents say that one of their reasons for wanting to live outside the US is to avoid the threat of gun violence. According to website Nation Master, the US ranks first in the world when it comes to gun crime, while Spain ranks 59th, and the homicide rate was nine times higher in the US than in Spain. This makes Spain a much safer destination and one of the reasons people want to move here. Universal healthcare Two thirds or 68 percent of respondents said that they wanted to move to a country with universal or public healthcare. Spain has a very good public healthcare system, which is ranked 8th in the world by the Health Care Index. It's important to remember though that only self-employed digital nomads in Spain who pay their own social security will be able to access it. Those who are employed by companies abroad will either have to get their company to register with social security and pay it for them or get private health insurance. Having said that, both social security and private health insurance are much cheaper than health insurance in the US. Greater acceptance of homosexual relationships The fourth most popular reason (48 percent) of respondents gave for wanting to leave the US is that they are allowed 'different freedoms'. A total of 60 percent said they were looking for a country where homosexual relations (60 percent) and same-sex marriage (56 percent) are permitted. In 2005, Spain became the third country in the world to legalise gay marriage, following the Netherlands and Belgium. Spain is a progressive country when it comes to LGBTQIA+ rights and generally people here are very open and accepting of homosexuality. Language Language is another reason why many Americans choose Spain. A total of 51 percent of those surveyed said that they would be willing to learn Spanish, while only 27 percent said French and 23 percent said Italian, even fewer said they would be willing to learn German. Spanish is the second most common non-English language spoken in the US and according to Forbes, the US also has the 2nd largest population of Spanish speakers in the world. Around 43 million people speak it the US already. Landscape When it comes to landscapes, Spain seems to tick all the boxes for Americans too. A total of 55 percent of those surveyed said they wanted beaches and coastlines in their new chosen countries, while 47 percent said mountains. Spain has both of these in abundance with a long coastline and the most Blue Flag beaches in the world, awarded to those beaches that meet demands of hygiene, water quality and accessibility. Spain is also home to countless mountain ranges, from the Pyrenees in the northeast to the Sierra Nevada in the south and the Picos de Europa in the northwest. Many of them boast excellent hiking trails, ski resorts and epic landscapes. Right to self-determination of gender A total of 58 percent of respondents said they wanted to move to a country where they had the freedom to determine their own gender. In early 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order proclaiming that the US will only recognise two sexes – male and female. While in early 2023, Spain passed its Ley de Trans or Trans Law, which states that 'No person may be pressured to hide, suppress, deny, modify, or forcibly make visible their sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, sexual characteristics, or membership in an LGBTQIA family'. The law recognises the right of trans people to self-determine their gender identity, and depathologises trans people so that it's not seen as an illness, but a personal decision.
New Straits Times
31-05-2025
- Health
- New Straits Times
A healthier world through Taiwan's proven healthcare model
LETTERS Health is a fundamental human right and a universal value. Improved health results in greater well-being for the people and has ramifications for the survival and development of a country and even the world. At the 77th World Health Assembly, members adopted the World Health Organisation (WHO) Fourteenth General Programme of Work for 2025-2028. The programme includes such strategic objectives as improving health service coverage and bolstering financial protections to ensure universal health coverage. WHO has called on all countries to take action on these issues. As concerns rise over universal health coverage, Taiwan launched the National Health Insurance (NHI) system in 1995. The scheme, which brought together already existing occupational insurance schemes, has reached its 30th year and now covers 99.9 per cent of the population. The NHI system provides equitable, accessible, and efficient healthcare to all people in Taiwan. It is also an important pillar and guarantor of Taiwan's social stability as well as people's health and safety. It has, moreover, become a global benchmark for achieving universal health coverage. In an annual survey carried out by Numbeo, Taiwan has been ranked first in the Health Care Index category for seven consecutive years. The NHI operates on a pay-as-you-go, self-sustaining model capable of addressing the financial challenges posed by an ageing population and rising healthcare costs. By reforming premium rates and adding additional funding sources, such as the tobacco health and welfare surcharge, the system is on a sound, sustainable footing. To promote the health of our people, President Lai Ching-te articulated a vision of a healthy Taiwan in 2024. This aims to ensure that people are healthy, the nation is strong, and the world is more ready to embrace Taiwan. Remaining focused on people, families, and communities, we are expanding health promotion operations and preventive healthcare. Moreover, we are implementing a family physician plan, offering comprehensive care to patients with chronic diseases, and utilising telemedicine to improve healthcare accessibility in rural areas. By promoting integrated long-term care, palliative care, and ageing in place, we ensure holistic, lifelong, and dignified care for all people, realising health equity. In 2021, WHO released the Global Strategy on Digital Health for 2020-2025. Under this plan, the global health body is seeking the development and adoption of person-centric digital health solutions to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious diseases. It is also overseeing development of infrastructure and applications to use health data to promote health and well-being. Taiwan continues to utilise its prowess in information and communications technology to build effective, high-ROI health systems and services. The NHI cloud facilitates the more efficient exchange of medical records, while the adoption of international standards such as Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources enhances international medical data sharing. Additionally, the incorporation of AI-assisted technologies is advancing the development of smart healthcare. And the introduction of a virtual health insurance card and the My Health Bank app, which enables real-time management of personal health data, empowers people to make health-enabling choices. In 2008, Taiwan introduced the Health Technology Assessment to facilitate evidence-based policymaking. It also accelerated the inclusion of new treatments under the NHI system. For example, in 2023, gene and cell therapies were covered for the first time, marking a new era for precision medicine and offering patients enhanced treatment options. Taiwan also continues to leverage innovative technologies to improve the working environment for the medical workforce and to bolster the overall quality of medical service. What's more, despite facing political challenges, Taiwan has continuously participated in international health affairs and has been dedicated to supporting the global health system. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Taiwan played a crucial role in sharing supplies, strategies, and experiences, and proved to be a reliable partner of countries worldwide. Separately, Taiwan's success story in implementing universal health coverage offers valuable lessons for countries worldwide. As we continue to share our experiences in universal coverage, financial management, and digital health, we hope to facilitate other nations in reaching WHO's goal of universal health coverage. In this rapidly changing era, health challenges transcend borders, and global cooperation has become essential to addressing various health crises. However, Taiwan has been prevented from participating in WHO—the foremost global health cooperation body—due to China's continued distortion of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 and World Health Assembly Resolution 25.1. Neither of these resolutions mentions Taiwan or declares that Taiwan is part of the People's Republic of China. Therefore, these resolutions have no power to confer upon the PRC any right to represent Taiwan in WHO. In light of this, and to uphold the core UN values of inclusiveness and universality, we urge WHO and all relevant parties to recognise Taiwan's considerable contributions to global public health and the human right to health. It is imperative that WHO adopt a more open-minded approach and demonstrate flexibility, adhering to the principles of professionalism and inclusivity. Taiwan should be included, as a matter of pragmatism, in the World Health Assembly and all WHO meetings, activities, and mechanisms, particularly those concerned with the WHO pandemic agreement. Taiwan earnestly hopes to work with the international community to create a future of borderless healthcare that realises the fundamental human right to health stipulated in the WHO Constitution and the vision of leaving no one behind espoused in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
