Hello Lars ... it wouldn't be hard at all for many of us to pack up and move permanently to Sint Maarten, but because it is not a U.S. territory there are many factors that stand in the way other than the occasional hurricane that strikes. For people 65 and over on Medicare it would not apply to U.S. citizens who move and take up full-time residency in a foreign country. So, we'd have to have the additional income that would allow us to purchase health coverage on the island. But, specialized health care would be a challenge compared to living in the states so that would have to be thoroughly investigated before making such a move. Also, as mentioned previously in an earlier post the infrastructure is also concern that we would have to deal with. Sometimes it's simply better to have a destination that you love to visit, but wouldn't necessarily want to move there. My wife and I also love Florida and have many relatives there, but would never consider moving there because we love the change of seasons in the northern state where we reside.