Elderly Brits planning on spending their retirement abroad have been reminded that they may face problems having health insurance cover in their host country.

This, reports said, is because they are perceived as a risk by insurers and would end up paying a lot of money to private hospitals which could make their stay difficult.

46 per cent of Brits aged between 50 and 69 dream of leaving the country to spend their retirement abroad, a recent survey revealed. It also found that at least one million people have made this dream a reality.

Reports further pointed out that in some countries elderly expats are left without a proper medical care or recourse to health insurance.

In countries outside the European Union they are also unable to use their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which further complicates their predicament.

A further complication is that those who are returning home for the purpose of obtaining free NHS care in the UK are denied it because they are permanently resident abroad. They usually are required to spend up to six months in the country before they can access free medical care.