Sheryl

I have never seen a travel policy which guaranteed treatment abroad vs bringing the patient home and AFAIK there is nothing in any country's insurance regulations that requires it. If an insurer were proposing something not in the patient's best interests medically then there would be recourse but there is none on grounds of personal preference. Case in point: someone with travel insurance broke his leg. Complicated fracture requiring noth immediate stabilization/ casting and subsequent surgeries. His insurance paid for the initial care and then insisted he return to his home country for the rest, with the insurer paying the added travel costs (change of return flight date with upgrade to business class to better accommodate the cast etc). The patient was unhappy because he wanted to stay in Thailand and get all his care there. He didn't however have a case and would not in any jurisdiction because what the insurer oroposed was medically safe and met their responsibility.

Ostenil and Hyruan are both HA. Both of them come in 2 forms: regular requiring a series of 3 shots (once a week) and single dose. This price list seems to show a regular preparation of Ostenil and the single dose preparion of Hyruan. In terms of cost it is unclear if the price listed fo Ostenil is per injection or for the course of 3 injections (though probably the latter). It is also unclear if doctor fee is included. If it not then the single dose will be less expensive. If it is included then the 3 dose series is less expensive but not by very much. I am not aware of any data showing one brand to be better than the other but a knee specialist might know more . In terms of 3 dose vs single dose, studies I have seen indicate equal results initially but wearing off a little sooner for the single dose. In any event you can't just make an appointment for these injections. You must first have a consultation with an ortho specialist. And it is this doctor who would administer the injection. I suggest you consult Dr. Panya, an eminent knee specialist there. Bring your most recent xrays with you. He can advise further on pros and cons of single dose vs 3 dose series.

Would not be that as not an antifungal and appropriate for his need. Though I also do not know what he meant by metraconozole. Voriconazole is available here (though imported and expensive. Ditto posaconazole. And of course itraconazole though I some species of aspergillus are resistant.

As I said, the use of PRP for OA is at best experimental and many studies have failed to show benefit. I would suggest you just get HA injection to start with rather than undergo the pain and considerab;e expense of something that may not even help.

There have been innumerable threads on this topic. Suggest you read https://aseannow.com/topic/1043051-trt-clinics-offers-vs-diy/ https://aseannow.com/topic/1049008-testosterone-replacement-in-bangkok/ https://aseannow.com/topic/1055664-cost-of-trt/ https://aseannow.com/topic/1258918-testosterone-enanthate-–-in-pattaya-or-bkk/ Just for starters, there are many mroe threads. plenty of TV members doing DIY TRT but there have been supply issues. Also plenty of TV members doing RT through Maximum Wellness clinics, Dr. Olivier, or other doctors.

https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/treatments/platelet-rich-plasma-prp-therapy https://www.samitivejhospitals.com/article/detail/platelet-rich-plasma Please note that PRP has been shown effective for Rheumatoid Arthritis and to speed healing after joint injuries. It's efficacy for osteoarthritis is debatable with many studies showing no effect. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6383098/ The injections are painful (not possible to combine with a local anesthetic) and the treatment will be quite expensive If the problem is osteoarthritis you would be better advised IMO to look into HA injections. But if this is for an orthopedic injury that is not healing well with standard treatment, might be worth considering

It won't matter but regular insurance vosts a great deal more. And you'd have to get a 12 month policy. So hardly makes sense in your situation.

If AB index were readily available it would be worth getting but, in the absence of any symptoms of peripheral arterial disease (such as pain on walking) I don't think it is worth going to extra trouble to get. Having lived in SE Asia is nto a risk for liver disease per se if you do not have chronic hepatitis B or Hep C, have never had liver fluke and do not drink excessively. The comparatively high incidence of primary liver cancer in SE Asia is due to (1) higher than average prevalence of chronic hepatitis B, usually contacted at birth and (2) high incidence of liver fluke related to eating of raw fish. Foreign-born people who do not eat raw fish and do nto have chronic Hep B or Hep C, are at no more risk than if they lived in their home countries i.e. very low risk indeed. Most liver cancer in the West is due to metsatasis from other types of cancers (many cancers metastasize to the liver). Are you sure your father died of primary liver cancer and not metastatic liver cancer? If the latter, metastasis from where?

If getting regular health insurance it is best to get through a broker - but not best (IMO) to get a Thai issued policy. Travel insurance can be gotten through a broker as well, and might best be done through a broker in your home country. Some travel insurances will make direct payment to hospitals and some will not. Often it depends on the expected size of the claim. It is important to note that travel insurance covers only emergency care and that the insurer has the option to either pay for it where you are OR to pay to bring you back home, depending on how stable your condition is and the relative costs of these two options. This often comes as a shock to people wanting to stay in Thailand. It is essential that you have health care access in your home country and that you are prepared to go back home on short notice if necessary for health care (the insurance would pay any additional costs that entails). OP for travel insurance it will not matter whether you are there visa exempt or on tourist visa, as long as your dates match up with what you said on thei nsurance application and yo uare nto actually living full time in Thailand.

OP, can you not get a r/t ticket that allows date changes (either free or for small fee)? Book it with rteturn in 30 days and then change the return date after your arrival.

Neither Mister Prakan nor Roojai are insurers. They are brokers. Any insurance you get through either of them will be issued by a different company, such as AXA, Viriyah. MSIG etc etc. Personally I have always used AXA, obtained through AA brokers. One of the htings to consider is if the insurer's hotline has English language operators and whether they have English speaking claims agents. Not all do.

They are reliable, I have used them. And they offer a very wide range of tests including iners not done by many other labs. It can be hard to find the place as google maps shows wrong building (also Bria, but not where they draw blood - that is a few blocks away from it). Or at least this used to be the case ,it's been a few years since I went there.

You indeed do not need the HBV since you already know you have antibodies (and assuming your HB antigen at at check up was negative). Thyroid on the list is probably only TSH, if you also need Free T4 may need to ask about that. If you have never been tested for HCV then good idea to have it done once. If you have bene, then no need. Definitely get the LDL-Cholesterol direct as what you will get in the basic package is only an indirect (estimated) rate. Also get the HB1Ac (in fact with that, there is no need for the glucose in the basic package) Get the PSA - make sure no sexual activity or bike/moto riding for 48 hours before the blood draw as these can artificially raise it Stool for occult blood a good idea. If you have nto had a colonoscopy in past 10 years, then you should but that is another matter and would nto be in the check up dept. I cannot read the 3rd from the bottom item on the "extra" menu. If it is AB index (ankle/brachial index) then yes get it. anti-HIV if you have had any possible exposure since last HIV test (if applicable) Yes, a DRE (rectal exam of the prostate) is indicated at your age and a stress test would be an excellent idea. You can ask about these but at Chula they might say you have to consult urologist and cardiologist to order it, respectively. No harm in asking though. I note that no hands on physical exam of any type is listed here, seems to be only labs/xray/EKG.

There are literally millions of hernia repairs using mesh performed each year. The overwhelming majority of people do fine, and when there are complications they are usually unrelated to the mesh. In fact, use of mesh may reduce overall risk of complications by shortening recovery time. Youtube (and the like) are not where to get a clear picture of medical risks from. But if you insist on getting your information that way, google Youtube + strangulated hernia to get an idea of what a successful hernia repair prevents. You might also like to wait until you see surgeon as in some individual cases, mesh is nto necessary. Depends on the size of the hernia, strength of the abdominal wall and other factors.

The cancer was definitely the problem. You can try April (Global), their medical review is quite comprehensive and possible they would offer to insure with a cancer exemption. I very, very much doubt any insurer will offer yo ua policy with no exclusion. Because having had cancer once, you are at above average risk for future cancers (and not just the kind you had). Yiou can get policy through broker now, no need to await arrival - it can all be done by email. My broker Is Jenny at AA <[email protected]> Tell her upfront about the cancer and that Cigna rejected you because of it. Also make clear you want an internationally issued policy not a policy from a Thai company (in any case, no Thai insurer will accept you, they are worse than international insurers in that regard).

Try Bria (though more of a trip - they are on a back soi of Lardprao. Way, way back - need a car or taxi to get there) https://www.brianet.com/en/blood-test/ OR RSU (I had a PTH done there a few years back - although website shows only packages, you can get labs done "ala carte") https://rsu-healthcare.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral They are on Sukhumvit around Soi 33, convenient to Prom Prong BTS With both of these do nto expect prompt email reply, better to call - or perhaps just walk in, in the case of RSU

I had to remove ther quote you put as it was without attribution. All the studies I have seen fail to show a relationshiop between h. pylori and asthma https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3461765/

You can buy h. pylori meds over the counter. Does not require a prescription. Are you sure you have actual wheezing (audible through stethoscope?)

Getting an audiology test of course requires a doctor's oreder, so do all other types of tests, the only exception being check up packages. This has nothing to do with the subject, which is whether or no it requires first seeing a general doctor to get a referral to see a specialist. Were that the case (it is not) you would not have been able to see the ENT doctor directly.

You could get some ymptom rebound if you stop it abruptly

It appears you have mistitled the thread and your problem is not "getting past" a general doctor to see a specialist - -which as many others have explained, is a non-issue in a private hospital, you simply request the specialist you want, no referral is required -- but rather knowing what type of specialist you need. It also appears that you have been simply walking into hospitals and expecting the reception staff to direct you to the best place, this seldom works in Thailand. You need to do some research first and pre-select the doctor you want to see, then make appointment with him or her. Easily done in all private hospitals. Now in terms of what specialist to see, I would need more information, which you can send me by PM is you like: - is the lump under the skin or on the skin? (If on the skin - what color? Can yo usebnd picture?) - Is it freely movable? -What did the XRAY report state? As it is sounding like the Xray was considered normal, which would suggest that perhaps this is just a cyst or lipoma. Another option would be to see Dr. Morgan as other poster suggested and let her advise you of what sort of specialist you need. You could go directly to a surgical onoclogist but I'm concerned that might be a waste of time if the Xray is normal.

Hua Hin is a bit of a back water, medically speaking. I suggest you come up to Thonburi. https://www.thonburihospital.com/searchdoctor https://www.siphhospital.com/en/medical-services/doctor-biography?id=68 (same doctor, different hospitals. Thonburi may cost a bit less).

BTW from other recent thread it seems KKU has a new hotel close by for around B 900/night (connected by shuttle bus). If you don't want to drive round trip same day.

Likewise websites of most other insurers. Or broker can provide you with comparison chart. Some insurers offer deductible and/or copay options which, if elected, reduce premiums (but of course make sure you have the amount of the deductible set aside) Since you are planning to retire here, don';t look just at current cost, look also at what happens in the older age brackets.

As far as is known, yes proof of vaccination is required. Whatever sort of documentation your government provides, will suffice.