I just read the book Expat Health Guide, by Hunter Schultz. One of the most important aspects that any expat has to take into account when considering a move abroad, is health care. I know Hunter since many years ago. He is a US expat living in Panama since 2004 and so the book is written from the point of view of an expat living in Panama. However, many of the points and recommendations made in the book are applicable in general to expats anywhere. This book is a good guide for anyone considering going expat or even for anyone that has already taken that step.

Some -but definitely not all- of the topics you will find in the book are:

• The key role of primary care in any good health care plan. As Hunter explains in the book, your Primary Care Physician is the focal point for all your health care. The importance of that cannot be overstated. You want to avoid what Hunter calls the Medical Silo Effect.
• The problems with fee-for-service in health care.
• The many problems with Corporate Medicine.
• The importance of requesting your health history before packing, and good tips on how to keep them safe.
• The importance of privacy, how with the Corporate model, your health records -containing potentially sensitive information- is increasingly in jeopardy of falling into the wrong hands, and how to avoid or substantially mitigate that risk.

And much more useful information. For me, it was a pleasant surprise when reading it, to find my name in the book.

It is a good read and with only 162 pages, you can finish it in a weekend. You can buy it in kindle format from Amazon.