Retirement, Healthcare, etc.

[convivium]

Do Buddhist Monks have any retirement or healthcare? Is it normal for western monks to save up money, for this purpose, before ordaining?

[Billymac29]

From what I have heard from certain areas, the lay community in that sangha, temple, or center helps with the costs of any health issues for the monastics... I could be wrong though.

[BuddhaSoup]

It may be true that some farang ordain in say, Thailand, and are able to use their pensions and/or social security to fund the Wat and support their own medical costs. I doubt that many Wats, Thai, Sri Lankan, or western, have the ability to fund the retirements and healthcare of new monks. Surely, to ordain just to have financial support or health care is not a proper intention, and it would be a mistake in that most Wats can't provide this funding.

[James the Giant]

I heard that one of the big costs for Abhayagiri monastery in the USA, is insurance and health insurance for the monks. The anagarikas have to cover their own insurance, but as soon as someone becomes a novice it is paid for by the monastery. Full insurance in the USA is a big cost.
There is no retirement fund.
In the UK, Canada, NZ, Australia, etc, a fair level of healthcare is offered free by the government, so it's not a burden on the monastery funds or lay supporters. Likewise, if a monk wants to disrobe, in those countries everyone gets a pension. Otherwise a monk can remain a monk till he dies. The monastery and lay community provides him with all the requisites. What need for a retirement fund?
One Canadian monk I knew thought it might be a good idea to get the pension and pay it automatically to some other monastery, so he would help the sangha but not break the rule about handling money. But in the end he found he would have to have a bank account in his name, so he didn't want to go there.

[Goofaholix]

Surely, to ordain just to have financial support or health care is not a proper intention, and it would be a mistake in that most Wats can't provide this funding.

It's quite common in places like Thailand for men (or women) who don't have enough financial support from their family in their old age to ordain for this reason, many Wats function a bit like a retirement home as i don't think there is much in the way of retirement homes otherwise.

[convivium]

Thanks for your responses