En español | Mexico continues to draw the largest number of U.S. retirees, but other Latin American nations are becoming increasingly popular. “They’re nearby, sunny and cheap,” says Kathleen Peddicord, author of How to Retire Overseas.

They also offer health care options, more political stability than in the past and perks geared to retirees, she says. And many retirees who move to Latin America keep their Medicare coverage, then head home to use it if they suffer a serious illness or need an expensive medical procedure.

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Don Robinson, 66, is a retired realtor from San Diego who now lives in the Mexican city of La Paz, the seaside capital of Baja California Sur. He pays less in Mexico for his prescription drugs and happily visits local doctors for routine medical care.

“But as good as the medical community is here,” he says, “I would still be more comfortable using my Medicare and medical facilities in San Diego if something more serious came up, such as cancer.”

Other retirees buy local health insurance or international insurance plans. Hospitals in Latin America couldn’t compete with those in the United States before, but now they are often just as good and a lot less expensive, Peddicord says.

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