“Lief, without question your discussion of the IRA reporting rules in your Simon Letter materials is by far the easiest to read and understand of any discussion that I have seen to date. Thank you for excellent treatment of this very complex issue.
“I realize that logical thinking and government reporting are oxymoronic terms. I also believe you are 100% correct that it is not worth the penalties to even attempt to hide anything. At this point, I’m just trying to figure out what would be reportable and what isn’t…”
–Rob V., United States
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“Kathleen, I have been receiving your e-mails for some time now and am very interested in retiring in Panama or a similar location. I recently retired from the federal government after 25 years and am now living and working in Europe. I am wondering how I might get input regarding the best place to retire with my own personal situation.
“My main concern is specialty medical care. I have a cardiac condition that is controlled, but if I ever need emergency medical care, it would have to be available locally and up to date. I would need to be followed by a cardiologist wherever I live.
“My dream is to live near the beautiful clear water since I love to snorkel and am a beach lover. I am a single female and therefore would like to live in close proximity to other expats.
“Any advice that you could give me would be appreciated!”
–Lana B., United States
Wherever you go, you’ll want to locate yourself near a city of some size. In any country, this will be where you’ll find the most advanced medical care.
Panama could, in fact, be a very good choice for you. You could live in or near Panama City…which would mean you’d be within an hour or so of what are referred to as the “City Beaches.” Coronado in particular, about an hour outside Panama City on the Pacific coast, could be an ideal location for you, with its new hospital facility and established and growing expat community.
Roatan and Ambergris Caye would be top on my recommended list for snorkeling and sand but not for the level of medical support you need.
