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You have options – Why we left the U.S. and moved back to Europe

sam-the-man.com

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Re: You have options – Why we left the U.S. and moved back to Europe

#41

Post by mavdi »

dapreja wrote: post #14
mavdi wrote: post #3

I moved from London to Lisbon and then to Brazil. I get the same kinda "wtf" reaction from Brazilians. The bottom line is, with all that's wrong in Brazil and given my circumstances and my remote well paid job, I'm a lot happier living here than anywhere else in the world. I truly love this place. I don't think one needs to try to make a place work for them. Sure you can try and adapt. But ultimately most people read…

Well paid US job? Could you please provide ball park estimate and what exactly do you do. Also how do you deal with currency exchange and are yoy a native brazzilian speaker? I've been contemplating moving to south america as well.

Yes well paid US based programming job. I transferwise.com funds, you have to read rules about your country of origin and double taxation laws. Brazil is a bureaucratic hell. I speak very basic Portuguese but taking lessons. I would definitly suggest living in a target country for a month before deciding to move.

Re: You have options – Why we left the U.S. and moved back to Europe

#42

Post by jacquesm »

nostrademons wrote: post #33
jacquesm wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok, but the number of people employed by companies such as Google is very low compared to the total number of Americans. So statistically speaking chances are that you'll find yourself on that 'other end of the spectrum'.

Statistically speaking yes, health care in the U.S. sucks more than in countries with socialized medicine. You are not a statistic. Evaluate your expected experience accordingly.

From a rich persons point of view such expected experience will vary drastically compared to a poor person's. They can evaluate all they want it will likely not make much difference.

Re: You have options – Why we left the U.S. and moved back to Europe

#43

Post by saudioger »

Every time I fight with my insurance company about what's covered or not, I certainly consider it.

When I had to enter my kid into a lottery system and cross my fingers he'd end up in a good school, I certainly considered it.

Canada's not too far away.

Re: You have options – Why we left the U.S. and moved back to Europe

#44

Post by luckydata »

nostrademons wrote: post #29
theyinwhy wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The quality of health care is so high in Europe that I really cannot imagine any European going to the US for treatment apart from perhaps very few experimental treatments that are not permitted in Europe.

Unsure what it's like in Europe, but when my Canadian cousin had a brain tumor, he went to the U.S. for treatment. Canada's health care system is on average better than the U.S, but when you have a brain tumor, you don't want an average doctor, you want the best. And by and large, these are still in the U.S. because they can make an order of magnitude more money than they could in a country with socialized medicine.

Are they actually better doctors or just doctors that make more money?

Re: You have options – Why we left the U.S. and moved back to Europe

#45

Post by luckydata »

abqwe wrote: post #35
dazc wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Europe is a big place and covers at least 6 different kinds of lifestyle and 3 kinds of weather. That's a few shades of grass to try before you give up entirely?

+1. And do not need a visa if you are European.

Unless, you know, you're British and your fellow countrymen decided to go crazy all at the same time.

Re: You have options – Why we left the U.S. and moved back to Europe

#46

Post by sexydefinesher »

gwern wrote: post #28
avenoir wrote: post #23

With all of the options he had he decided to move to ex-soviet republic... Let's see how long you'll manage to stay there before ludicrous levels of corruption at all levels of society start making expensive healthcare in the US seem insignificant in comparison. I say this as Ukrainian/Armenian who was born and lived in the USSR and seen my father, who's a brilliant engineer, stagnate in the professional culture that…

The Ukraine, Armenia, and USSR != Estonia. Estonia is regularly ranked as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, on par with Japan: https://www.transparency.org/country/EST , among the many other superlatives you can find listed in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estonia . (If he's going to worry about something, I would suggest that since he worries about such rare events as movie theater shootings, he ought…

Is Japan really that incorrupt when they have zaibatsus and Yakuza?

Re: You have options – Why we left the U.S. and moved back to Europe

#47

Post by pranjalv123 »

throwaway84742 wrote: post #40

People tend to be irrational about things and this is a good illustration. As broken and expensive as US healthcare is, you’re making 3x the money here, and out of pocket maximums do kick in eventually. And the US is not the top country by far, even among developed ones, in number of mass murder victims per 100000 population. You’re vastly more likely to drown in your backyard pool than be a victim of a mass shooting…

Out of pocket maximums kick in eventually, unless you accidentally go to an out-of network provider, unless you lose your job and therefore your insurance, unless your insurance decides that a drug you need isn't covered, etc., etc., etc.

Re: You have options – Why we left the U.S. and moved back to Europe

#48

Post by fwdpropaganda »

throwaway84742 wrote: post #40

People tend to be irrational about things and this is a good illustration. As broken and expensive as US healthcare is, you’re making 3x the money here, and out of pocket maximums do kick in eventually. And the US is not the top country by far, even among developed ones, in number of mass murder victims per 100000 population. You’re vastly more likely to drown in your backyard pool than be a victim of a mass shooting…

> As broken and expensive as US healthcare is, you’re making 3x the money here

It's not a matter of the expected values, it's a matter of their distribution. The fact that you're making 3x as much doesn't change the fact that if you're unlucky for whatever reason you'll be in debt for the rest of your life.

Re: You have options – Why we left the U.S. and moved back to Europe

#49

Post by therealmarv »

theyinwhy wrote: post #20
kurthr wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, to be clear Health Insurance and the US companies that supply it often do so poorly (Kaiser isn't too bad except for mental health), but the healthcare itself can be top notch. People travel from all over the world to get the best treatment, but basic healthcare (preventative etc.) is expensive and not even uniformly acceptable.

The quality of health care is so high in Europe that I really cannot imagine any European going to the US for treatment apart from perhaps very few experimental treatments that are not permitted in Europe.

Overall it's good in Europe. But there are some specialists and specialist clinics in USA (high priced of course!) which can be better than in Europe. E.g. Houston medical center is a big area of specialist clinics (e.g. cancer) and I can imagine rich people do medical tourism to this places. It's somehow comparing Europe Universities with US ones... they are not on the same level.

Re: You have options – Why we left the U.S. and moved back to Europe

#50

Post by matthewmacleod »

holydude wrote: post #16

The grass is always greener on the other side. Being born in Europe and living here is suffocating me.

I find that quite difficult to believe.

"Europe" is essentially meaningless as an identification of a place you live. The difference in culture, society and lifestyle between, say, Athens, Bucharest and Inverness is pretty extensive. There are of course some elements of shared culture, but there are also a whole bunch of different lifestyles.

The same applies in the US to some extent, though of course a common language and federal government homogenises the country much more.

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