ExPat Aussies - Medical Insurance

[Razuu]

Afternoon

 

Suggestions what to do with Medical/Health Insurance for Aussie couple (63 years)

Options:

1. Take out Medical Ins in Thailand 

1.1 What level/types?

 

2. No Insurance in Thailand and keep private Healthcare in Australia?

3. No Insurance in Thailand or Aust and pay CASH for treatment in Thailand for minor items and go back to Australia for major medical treatment?

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Cheers

P&C

[Sheryl]

There is another option to #1 which is to get an expat insurance policy issued by an international company which covers you in Thailand. Preferrable to insurance from a Thai company IMO and it may also be hard to find a Thai company willing to issue a new policy at your age. Most expat polices will cover you in all countries except the USA which is a plus if you are going to do other travelling.

 

#2 - it depends, does your private insurance in Oz cover you while in Thailand?

 

#3 - unless you are very well off (e.g. can readily pay a bill of several million baht) don't even think of this. You  can't count on being in a condition which makes it feasible to fly home for treatment - and medical evacuation is very, very costly.

 

You do not mention if you are planning to live permanently in Thailand, or go back and forth, or what. If you expect to spend only part time in Thailand and would be going back to Oz regularly then a travel insurance policy combined with either private insurance in Oz or continued eligibility under the NHS (note that this is lost if you settle permanently abroad) would likely suit and you need the travel policy only for the time periods in Thailand. Such policies can include multiple countries, you just have to specify your itinerary. Travel policies will ocver only urgent, not elective, care, though, i.e. thinsg that cannot wait until your scheduled  return home.

 

In terms of level of cover, for private hospitals think in terms of 3-5 million baht per event (hospitalization) or 10-15 million baht per year if the policy maximum is by year rather than by event. Most international policies easily exceed these amounts.

 

While having insurance is a must it does not have to include outpatient, just inpatient along with outpatient care for things like cancer and dialysis (which most in-patient only policies include).  The increase in premium cost to include routine OPD is seldom worth it. But do plan on possibly spending  up to a few thousand  AUS dollars annually on OPD care if you will be living here fulltime (I just spent 15,000 baht one one OPD visit today, though granted it involved some costly lab tests. Doctor visit only was 2,000.).

 

Costs can be greatly reduced (by a factor of 3-5 five fold) if you use government hospitals but these can be hard to navigate without a Thai speaker and entail very, very long waits (e.g. all day for a short OPD visit, maybe even several days if you are needing a specialist).

 

 

[4MyEgo]

Ok, where do we start ?

 

I am assuming you are relocating here to Thailand ?

 

If that's the case, you have to 1st ask yourself what category you will fit into as far as the government back in Australia considers you to be fit in, i.e., either an Australian Resident, or a Foreign Resident/Non Resident same meaning.

 

If your here for the majority of the year, i.e. more than 183 days of the year, you could well be deemed a foreign resident, this of course has nothing to do with your Australian Citizenship, its just a way they work things out for tax, voting rights, Medicare and the old age pension qualification.

 

Now, if you are going to be residing here and maintaining a residency in Australia, like have a property, or an address, and don't stay in one country at a time overseas for long periods, have club memberships, family, a car, furniture, and do tax returns, some of these things can help you retain your residency.

 

If you cannot then note, the biggest issue will be you having to return to Australia when lodging your application for the pension, and possibly having to remain for two years before you can have it made portable, i.e. have the right to take it overseas with you, if you didn't know that already, lots of traps out there mate.

 

Now to health cover, this can be a nightmare, if your going to be a non resident, you cannot get cover from Australia to be living here, it just is not possible, but if you are an Australian Resident you can, that said, you might be better off getting travel insurance for the period you are here, 3, 6, 9, 12 months, but you have to shop around and read all of the fine prints.

 

I am a non resident, been living here for 2.7 years and had no cover until recently, the reason for that is, that International Healthcare Insurance is expenses for one, but my main reason was that I have a pre-existing heart condition from 10 years back and no one wanted to cover me for that part, so I said, well I am not going to part with my dollars and will self insure, i.e. pay for things myself if I have a problem.

 

I looked into it again and found a policy that allowed pre-existing conditions of over 5 years if there was no further problems since then, that said, its on an individual basis and depending on the pre-existing condition they may or may not cover you for that pre-existing condition.

 

I am 58 in August and the policy I took out is for Thailand and 4 neighbouring countries, its part and parcel of that policy, i.e. zone 5, they have zones of countries from 1 to 5, and the fact of the matter was I didn't want International Health cover for worldwide, so why pay for it, this policy also covers me for up to 90 of emergency cover when I am in Australia. But be advised there are two types of cover, inpatient and outpatient, now outpatient is cheap enough in Thailand so why pay for both, i.e. your premium would be higher, so its inpatient for me, i.e. emergency cover, (must be in hospital for a minimum 24 hours), or elective surgery, up to the value of 1.2 million USA $, and you get $25,000 USD medivac, conditional off course, they all are.

 

Now moving over to the Medicare part of things, you have cover for up to 5 years as a Foreign Resident, and there has been a lot of talk here on Thai Visa Forum TVF that as long as you renew your card every 5 years, your covered, and naturally as an Australian Resident your always covered, clear difference. As for the cover over 5 years as a Foreign Resident as long as you renew your card, I cannot confirm that, as I haven't been away that long, only 2.7 years and I used it when I was 18 months absent when I returned for a week, however time will tell I guess as I edge closer to the 5 years mark.

 

The thing to look out for in International Healthcare Insurance is the allowable entry age, most say 60, although there are some who will take over 60's, oh there is also deductibles/excess payable on most, however the one I have has nothing to pay and the cover is annual, i.e. 1.2 USD as mentioned earlier, and its any private hospital of my choice in Thailand and the 4 neighbouring countries, and Australia under the 90 day emergency cover that it provides.

 

If you need my brokers details and the insurers details let me know, as I am happy to assist.

 

Just so you know, it cost me $142 USA per month, plus $35.50 USA per month to cover my pre-existing heart condition, when transferred to Australia dollars that came to $2,820, or 67,000 baht or more depending on the exchange rate, note the higher your age, the higher the premium price, as is the case with any insurer, eg $2,076 USA or 64,500 baht (no pre-existing conditions).

 

I think that just about covers what you had asked, plus a little more, i.e. the trap for the old age pension, but if you live in Australia before you move here and reach the old age pension age, you can leave as free as a bird, no 2 year jail term and take your pension with you, but do not think for one minute, you can go back after a long absence and get it portable, without doing your 2 years, they are linked up with immigration and know your every move.

 

Hope this all assists.