Q.1132 Health benefits for ex-

servicemen moving abroad

Question: Dear Sir, Thank you for taking the time to review my email. My father is an ex service man with 14 years service to the navy and is considering taking a US citizenship. We are concerned as he has excellent health benefits in India and we are afraid he may lose them. Will he lose his exserviceman health benefits and pension once he renounces his US citizenship. Answer: I assume when you wrote “Will he lose his exserviceman health benefits and pension once he renounces his US citizenship” you meant ‘renounces his Indian citizenship! My understanding is that your father would continue to get his regular pension regardless of where he stays on submission of a life certificate every year. However, other benefits such as health/medical benefits will not be available to him in USA. Once your father becomes non-resident then he will have to purchase his own medical insurance in USA. Coverage for ex-servicemen is provided through government hospitals in India, one cannot even imagine benefits being paid in USA where medical costs are one of the highest in the world. Even countries where medical insurance is provided as a benefit for its citizens, there are rules that such benefits cease if the person moves out of the country. For example if a Canadian citizen leaves Canada for more than 6 months, they lose their medical insurance benefits.