I recently mailed this idea to the president of a leading retirement
and healthcare real estate investment trust here in the U.S. The idea
is to develop planned communities for Americans in lower cost countries
that have more freedom than the United States. Chile and Uruguay are
prime candidates, but as America becomes increasingly unstable and
socialistic, places like Nicaragua, Panama, and Nevis are also
candidates. The proposal is as follows:
I'm a
college professor in New York who is a former Sunrise shareholder and has
recently bought 100 shares of HCN. I'm
also a former employee-benefit-plan administrator in industry and have
published on pension-and-ERISA issues and healthcare reform. I have an idea for you, and I am happy to
discuss it further. The idea is to transfer
what you're doing here to Latin America and the Caribbean (e.g., Uruguay,
Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, and Nevis).
The
model I'm suggesting is this: A host
country-based healthcare facility surrounded by a high-end retirement
community. The idea includes three or
four elements:
1.
There will be increasing instability in the United States due to monetary-and-fiscal
policy. This will make a second, foreign residence attractive to affluent retirees
who may be interested in basing part or all of their retirement portfolios in
another market-based economy as well as in alternative citizenship and
residence that will diversify citizenship risk.
2.
Healthcare costs are on the rise.
Healthcare tourism is a way to sidestep the American system's costs. An American-managed, community-based
healthcare system will take the perceived risk out of healthcare tourism. As well as providing a foundation for a
large-scale community, the community's hospital could provide healthcare
tourism services to Americans who want an American-managed healthcare facility.
3. The
cost of living in Latin American countries like Costa Rica is advantageous and
can draw Americans threatened by inflationary monetary policies and a declining
social security system. This may open large new markets for your organization.
4.
Many Americans might be interested in relocation as a way to economize and
enjoy life in a new environment, but they are deterred by the uncertainty,
bureaucracy, and language barriers of relocation. A systematic approach that would provide
turnkey relocation support and services to Americans who wish to relocate but
lack the initiative could open new markets.
In effect, an organized approach can replace the transactions costs of
individuals' dealing with visas and the like with an organized approach. These services could extend to citizenship
applications, opening bank accounts, assisting with relocation, and language
instruction.