#expat-experience

#expat-experience

When my first child was born in Medellín, Colombia, I had an emergency C-section after a long labor. My doula supported me at home, then accompanied us to the hospital, where I paid a small copay of 53,000 Colombian pesos, about $14. On discharge day, my husband was sent to the finance desk to settle the bill. Nervous about what we might owe, we learned that almost everything had been covered.

The recent back-and-forth over the Social Security Administration's processes for accessing benefits has left many American retirees abroad confused about their options.