Expat health insurance

[landover]

I am trying to decide whether to get local health insurance, it is just for hospitalization and limit is approx. 20000USD/yr for both spouses combined, Premium/yr age wise:

40- 300
45- 500
50- 700
55- 850
60- 1000

If I get the insurance now, there is no preexisting condition limitation. But once there is a preexisting condition, it will be very difficult to find insurance and will be expensive. If I have the policy, they can not drop as long as I pay the insurance and it is transferable to other providers.

I can do self-insure as it is like putting 20000 in a bond fund as present value of all future premiums is approximately same. But if I get insurance and a need arises then health insurance amount-20k will be available each year as long as I keep the policy and there is a need.

There is one more option at half price, I will have around 6000 deductible with the same upper limit.

For medical cost reference, recently it cost someone around 50k for 35 days in hospital with two regular (not complex) surgeries.

I plan to live both in the US/here spending half the time at each place after (E)R. But this plan can change and is much further away in future.

 

[Khufu]

Although once you have purchased the policy with a right to renew in subsequent years, does the insurance company make any guarantee as to the future level of premiums? Also, will they sell you insurance as long as you are alive or is there an age cutoff as well? If there is a risk that you could be cutoff when you need it most either from age or because the premiums become too expensive you should be aware of it.