simon43

Prior to visiting Bumrungrad, I have never had any written diagnosis for BPH, nor any recommendation for further treatment or investigation, nor any medication prescribed. I self-medicated from 2021 with Alfuzoline when I was in north Laos, after an online consultation with Dr Google. April have already stated in their letter that the policy is cancelled immediately, and all premiums paid to date are forfeited.... I have a copy of my original application form.

They mean that when I applied for cover in early 2020 (I had actually been similarly covered since 2016 with a different insurance company, but changed because their customer service was appalling - I never made any claim with that company) - I failed to disclose that I had mild BPH. I was never diagnosed in writing with BPH (the Thai doctor did a DRE and verbally told me that I had slight BPH, but nothing to worry about). I was never prescribed any medication or recommended further treatment for this BPH. My PSA remained stable around 5 - 6 for years. Sheryl, I have a bunion on my foot. Should I have disclosed that also in case I break my foot at a later date? BPH is not an illness, it is a common condition for older men. It bears zero relationship to prostate cancer, as you are well aware. April simply don't want to accept their responsibility to provide cover. After this experience, you can be damn sure that I will go for self-insurance, despite all my encouragement previously that health insurance is a must for expats. I consider that I did not mislead the insurance company. I will consider my options now.

Alternatively, I can stay in my idyllic location in Thailand, ignore the MRI results and perhaps live for many years without any treatment..... Or.. try to find a cheaper hospital in Thailand and save up for treatment (I don't think a GoFundMe for an old expat will attract any interest!).

Update: After telephoning April International insurance in France, I finally received an email reply. They have denied my claim! They state that since my PSA was slightly raised over the past years, I was therefore "suffering from the prostate" for more than 5 years. They make no mention that I was suffering from prostate cancer. They go on to state that because I intentionally made a false declaration my insurance cover is null and void and cancelled immediately. It seems they are basing their decision on the mild BPH that I have, which results in a slightly raised but stable PSA. At no time did any doctor recommend any further investigation or treatment for my slightly raised PSA. So where do I go from here? I have wasted thousands of $ in insurance cover and of course will now be unable to obtain future cover. It seems to be that they are denying cover based on my BPH, which is ridiculous. Is there any appeals procedure? Their decision will probably mean that I have to return to the UK and declare myself to have returned permanently, in order to get NHS treatment. But I imagine all of that will take months to arrange. Not good news ...

April International emailed me directly for more health history after they had received the completed pre-authorisation form directly from Bumrungrad. They confirmed receipt of my reply email with all the scans of my PSA numbers from 2014, 2017 and 2018 and that was the last I heard from them! (ie - my 2 follow-up emails to the same email address have not been replied to). That's why AA Insurance has forwarded my emails 2 times now to France (and they haven't replied to those either), and why I have also emailed all of the Cc; email addresses in my correspondence (which resulted in autoreplies but nothing else). So I also intend to call April later today (timezone difference)

Get my blood pressure down? I just measured it at 111/76. How low do you want it? ???? The UTI was sorted out months ago, thanks.

My numbers were steady for many years, then more than doubled last Autumn, which is when I went straight to the hospital for the MRI etc. The MRI analysis gives it a Pirads 5 level (cancer highly likely), but still wholly contained within my prostate. This is why I need to move quickly before the cancer breaches my prostate.

2 - It is indeed strange that Bumrungrad Hospital did not submit the pre-authorisation request in a timely manner. Water under the bridge.... 3 - The hospital provided details of the biopsy procedure and cost estimate on the form provided by April International, and April hasn't contacted the hospital since that date (10th January). 4 - Direct email to April International in France, also emails sent to AA Insurance brokers were forwarded to France. This afternoon I'll try to call them in France.

Thanks for the advice. Just to emphasize that my insurance is with April International and nothing to do with April Thailand. AA Insurance are the brokers, but they have made it clear that all communication between the hospital and the insurer must go direct to April International in France. AA has no input at all in the decisions by April - AA just remind me to pay the premium.... April International in France tout their medical insurance to provide a fast (5 days) pre-authorisation decision. Well, they have failed miserably on that and now they have gone 'dark', with only an automated reply to my emails. Had my biopsy been performed within 30 days of the MRI, my insurance with April would have paid the cost (54,000 baht). Perhaps not surprisingly, April failed to give the biopsy go-ahead within 30 days, and so I had to pay for the MRI myself, with no reimbursement possible. I cannot (easily) afford to pay for the biopsy (160,000 baht), and what about the actual prostate surgery cost? April has given no indication that there are any problems with my medical history - they simply haven't responded at all, apart from confirming receipt of documents. I think being an EU company they must have a published formal complaints procedure. I'll try to find that.

Well, I really do not know what to do or say about April International insurance. Yet another 5 days have passed, and no communication from this company to my urgent emails, nor to the emails sent direct to them by AA Insurance Brokers. Now I begin to understand that the prompt service provided by the broker is no indication that the actual insurance provider will do likewise. Do I register a formal complaint with the company or approach the insurance ombudsman body in their country of registration? It is surely not acceptable that an urgent request by the hospital for pre-authorisation for the biopsy surgery to confirm a Pirads level 5 prostate cancer is processed so slowly by the insurance company. Since providing them on 10th January with my medical health records dating back to 2014, they have not requested any further documents, nor made any further comment. I'm just about speechless........

I can believe that. 100% of my online students in China have recently had Covid, and their parents as well.

January 20th and still no reply/decision from April International, (despite sending them a reminder email which went unanswered by them). AA Insurance has also (at my request) emailed them, since the insurance policy states a 5-working day decision turnaround...

Maybe they were more concerned to get the woman back upright to stop possible blood leakage ????

Add Myanmar to that list ???? When I first started visiting Myanmar around 2003, any Burmese who spoke to me had to then report our conversation at the local police station. Friendly men in plain clothes would stop me in the street and ask who I had spoken with. When I lived in Naypyitaw in 2017-2020 (ish), the police would follow my bicycle at a discrete distance as I cycled home from work....

Yes, the chargers were emitting 5g radiation that temporarily hypnotised them into revealing their bank details. To avoid this risk, I always charge my phone at the end of a 50 metre extension cable, in the middle of my garden...

That would seem to be the true reason ????. But had they discovered that I was living with a Lao woman, I'm sure the police would not have ignored this situation. Too risky IMHO to shack up with a Lao woman if you are not married to her.

Whilst living in Luang Prabang in 2021, my house was 'raided' on 3 separate occasions by the local police (8 officers each time) where they grilled me as to whether there was a Lao woman/girlfriend in my house. There was (and never had been) either of these.... Personally, I suspected that it was a pretext just to hassle me, and I departed from Laos in late 2021 when Covid rules allowed me to do so.

It's an MRI Fusion under IV sedation and then home later the same day if you feel fine.

When I am paying hundreds of dollars each month for the premium, I expect a decision within a couple of days. In any case, the approval should be a no-brainer. What is there to discuss? Anyway, this is off-topic ????

My insurer (April International) refused to cover this cost because I don't have out-patient cover ???? Now they are dragging their feet to pre-approve the biopsy. Quite frankly, I'm losing patience with April concerning this life-threatening disease (cancer).

54,000 baht at Bumrungrad Hospital about 3 weeks ago.

My net worth isn't even 1% of the average for my age band in that table. Yet I manage to have a very happy life in Thailand. Despite having few assets and $$$, I have a large pe-nis, definitely bigger than most on this forum ????

I am going to announce to all that I have 50 million baht and the details how to access it are all on my mobile phone (which is locked). If someone manages to unlock my phone after I die, then they will see the message "sorry, I mean 50 million Lao Kip!".

Addressing me as 'sir' ????

Hmm, the MRI scan report basically says 2 growths found with a level 5 probability (the highest) that they are cancerous and that a fusion biopsy is required to confirm this. Anyway, I will wait to see what April says...