Americans are moving abroad to escape rising health care costs

"Hilary Hodge suffers from severe allergic asthma. But in 2012, she saw hope in biologic medication. There was one catch: She was living in the United States at the time, and biologics would cost her $36,000 a year. A few years later, she moved to Algiers, France, with her husband. Across the pond, that same medical treatment was 12 times cheaper."

"Hodge has had asthma since childhood, but instead of improving as many asthmatics do, she was part of the 10% whose respiratory condition worsens. By age 32, her inhaler no longer provided relief. Her chronic condition became "a big struggle," she told USA TODAY. Although she qualified for a biologic when living in Chicago, the injectable medication was highly expensive at the time."

"In 2017, Hodge and her husband decided to make a temporary move to France to be closer to his friends and family. In her new home, Hodge was instantly able to get her biologic for $3,000 a year. "That was sort of one of the very first experiences I had with realizing how different the systems were," Hodge said. They had only planned to stay for a few years, but they got pregnant with their son and bought their own house."

Hilary Hodge developed severe allergic asthma that worsened into adulthood and rendered inhalers ineffective by age 32. She qualified for a biologic in the United States priced around $36,000 per year but moved to Algiers, France, where the same injectable cost about $3,000 annually. The lower price and easier access influenced a permanent relocation after pregnancy and home purchase. Rising medication costs worry many Americans, with a 2025 West Health-Gallup survey finding nearly half of adults concerned about affording medical expenses, the highest level recorded since 2021. Several countries offer lower drug prices, universal coverage, and easier access for residents and some visa holders.

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