Hi Sheryl (and all), I'm also a US citizen considering April International (France) via AA Brokers and have been scrutinizing it against the April Thailand plan which was initially presented to me by them (despite my clear request for the true International policy). In particular I'm wondering:
Can you comment on what the "more thorough and well-informed underwriting process" is actually like?
Aside from the medical questionnaire, should I expect to need to grant access to my US health records? Will a social security number be required?
I'm eager to understand why it's generally accepted as not worth it to buy OPD coverage when living in Thailand? Is it simply because one is unlikely to spend, out-of-pocket, an amount equal to or greater than the difference in premium between IPD and IPD+OPD?
I'm 33, so for the Essential plan I'd pay $1162 for just IPD or $2499 for both (w/o deductible), so I can see how a 45,000 baht difference might not pay for itself, but I want to make sure I'm getting the full picture.
One thing I'm concerned about is labs and more importantly, medications. If an OPD consultation results in a diagnosis that requires expensive medication (but that may not be officially defined as "life-saving"), those costs in addition to whatever labs and routine tests are needed to manage a condition, that could easily overtake that kind of figure. Anyone experienced a scenario like this?
If considering OPD and comparing the France-based policy to the Thai-based one, is it accurate to state that April Thailand can direct-bill for OPD expenses while April International would only reimburse you after filing a claim?
Anyone have any experience using the free telehealth services? My broker at AA said it's available in Thailand so wondering if it's of any actual use in practice?
Lastly, does anyone have an especially helpful broker they can recommend to purchase April International through? My contact at AA has been very responsive and informative, but I'm somewhat turned off by the fact it took me asking literally 3 times before he acknowledged we had in fact not been discussing the International (France-based) policy I had clearly stated I was only interested in.
Thanks so much for all your insights. They've been a huge help in this process for me.