Carl, I believe you can get decent health insurance here if you have no serious pre-existing conditions. I agree that you would be much better off with an open plan such as Medicus, Omint etc rather than a plan that limits you to one hospital. As for Medicare, as I understand it, at age 65 all Americans are covered by the plan. What you are paying must be additional insurance for the 20% that the US government does not cover. If I were you I'd continue paying for the Medicare insurance so that you are fully covered. I agree that hospital care at the best institutions here (Instituto Diagnostico etc.) can be good and the attention may be more personal than in the US. If I had the choice, however, I'd prefer to have serious surgery at a major teaching hospital in the US (but I'd rather be treated here at the best hospitals than at a second rank hospital in the US). As I said, medical attention can be fine here but it's a fact that Argentines who can afford it often have surgery done at leading hospitals in the US.