I did seriously consider taking out backpacker-style travel insurance at first, mainly to keep the cost down. But there are limitations and conditions attached to these policies, and I’m not sure that’s really what they’re intended for long term.

After seeking several quotes — with some companies refusing to even provide one due to my age and pre-existing medical conditions — I was eventually offered a package from Tenzing Pacific (see the link at the top of my website if you want to get a quote).

It was a reasonable price, around £80 a month, and provided cover for major health issues. It also included repatriation, meaning that if the worst were to happen, they would cover the cost of flying my body back to the UK. Previously, some quotes I received were as high as £200–£300 a month.

What wasn’t covered were my two pre-existing conditions: an enlarged prostate (not uncommon for a man of my age) and my left eye, as I had undergone a DALK cornea transplant the year before. To be fair, most of the quotes I received had similar exclusions.

The policy also didn’t include cover for things like dental work, routine doctor visits, or physio. The main reason for this was to keep the monthly cost down — and to be honest, these services are very affordable here compared to the UK.

For example, dental check-ups are free in Hanoi, a scale and polish is about £4, and a filling costs around £6–£8. Most people only go once or twice a year, so it’s often cheaper to just pay out of pocket. A basic doctor’s appointment is around £9, and physio is roughly £15–£20 per session — and you may never even need it.

So I was quite happy to leave those out of my policy and keep the monthly premium lower.

When fine-tuning the quote, the company suggested I consider extending the cover beyond just Vietnam. For an extra £10 a month, the policy would cover all of Southeast Asia. They explained that in some cases, the best treatment might be in another country — for example, Bangkok, Thailand — and the policy would cover that.

As I need to do visa runs every 90 days and may well travel around the region, I felt it was worth paying the extra £10 for that added flexibility.

I mentioned earlier about my age — I was 62 when I took out the policy. Many companies simply refused to insure people of my age or older. From what I understand, it can also become very difficult to get cover once you reach 70, which is something I’ll need to look into more seriously in the near future.

I was reassured that the insurer underwriting my policy guarantees continued cover up to the age of 70. However, at this stage, I don’t yet know how much the premiums may increase year on year.

Thinking About Retiring Abroad?

If you’re considering a move abroad later in life, health insurance is just one of the many things to think about — and it’s easy to underestimate the costs, like I did.

I’ve put together a simple guide based on my own experience of moving from the UK to Vietnam in my early 60s, covering things like finances, visas, healthcare, and settling in.

👉 If you’d like to learn more, you can check out my guide here - click here

Or, if you’re still in the early stages, I’ve created a free 1-page checklist to help you decide if retiring abroad is right for you. Download it here - -FREE CHECKLIST