Health Insurance over 70

[mjtusa]

I've spent about 18 months in SE Asia divided between Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.  An issue that always interests me is health insurance for expats.  I've read many posts on different forums about this issue.  From what I have read, insurance becomes difficult or impossible to obtain once one reaches 70 even if one is healthy.  

 

To those expats on this forum 70+(or those of you familiar with this problem), what do you do?  Is self insurance the only viable possibility?

 

Thanks

[metisdead]

Moving to the Insurance forum for knowledgeable replies. 

[Henryford]

This is why i don't have health insurance. They take your premiums why you are young and healthy then kick you off when you are old and likely to get sick.

[Kwasaki]

Just another of the many threads about the mystery of health insurance that keep repeating about no insurance for over 70 yr old's and it only available up to 70 yr old. it's not true.

I live in Thailand so have Thai health insurance now but only got it after a getting Dengue fever and a 15 day hospital stay.

Took it out at 67 yr old and I'm insured for health insurance up to 80 yr old.

 

[ukrules]

8 hours ago, Henryford said:

This is why i don't have health insurance. They take your premiums why you are young and healthy then kick you off when you are old and likely to get sick.

At what age did you cancel your health insurance and did the price rise a lot each year as you approached this age ?

[cooked]

10 hours ago, ukrules said:

At what age did you cancel your health insurance and did the price rise a lot each year as you approached this age ?

When I became 70 years old, my premiums went up 50%. That's when I cancelled.

[ukrules]

38 minutes ago, cooked said:

When I became 70 years old, my premiums went up 50%. That's when I cancelled.

 

That's interesting, thanks for the information.

 

[Kwasaki]

On 9/18/2018 at 9:27 AM, Henryford said:

This is why i don't have health insurance. They take your premiums why you are young and healthy then kick you off when you are old and likely to get sick.

Yeah some health insurance companies do that and it's their way of doing business.

People shouldn't use those ones if there not inexpensive not all people have had the free health care in many countries.

You can still get health insurance in Thailand at reasonable costs.

[cooked]

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

Yeah some health insurance companies do that and it's their way of doing business.

People shouldn't use those ones if there not inexpensive not all people have had the free health care in many countries.

You can still get health insurance in Thailand at reasonable costs.

If you read the (Thai) small print, all the companies reserve the right to raise your premiums or restrict your coverage at any time. I believe that most of them tell you about anticipated age related automatic increases in advance. In my case I should have got repatriation insurance, as I get "free" (I already paid for it) treatment back home in Switzerland. Not available if you're over 65.

[petedk]

On 9/18/2018 at 12:12 PM, Kwasaki said:

Just another of the many threads about the mystery of health insurance that keep repeating about no insurance for over 70 yr old's and it only available up to 70 yr old. it's not true.

I live in Thailand so have Thai health insurance now but only got it after a getting Dengue fever and a 15 day hospital stay.

Took it out at 67 yr old and I'm insured for health insurance up to 80 yr old.

 

 

I am looking at the different insurance companies in Thailand. 

I had BUPA for many years, but had to change to Thai Insurance as it was a group policy. I made a claim for 600K Baht and they threw me out.

Now looking at Aetna.

Do you have any better recommendations?  

[Kwasaki]

6 hours ago, cooked said:

If you read the (Thai) small print, all the companies reserve the right to raise your premiums or restrict your coverage at any time. I believe that most of them tell you about anticipated age related automatic increases in advance. In my case I should have got repatriation insurance, as I get "free" (I already paid for it) treatment back home in Switzerland. Not available if you're over 65.

Read what you like, so what I'm covered and better than nowt, I'm still insured and claimed twice 1 time at 70 yr old and 1 at 71 year old and no increases, you think whatever you want I'm happy with my coverage, most of the time costs are blown out of proportion because the fairy falangies go private in Thailand, so more fool them. 

[Kwasaki]

4 hours ago, petedk said:

 

I am looking at the different insurance companies in Thailand. 

I had BUPA for many years, but had to change to Thai Insurance as it was a group policy. I made a claim for 600K Baht and they threw me out.

Now looking at Aetna.

Do you have any better recommendations?  

A moderator on TV may have better recommendations for you, I'm with Thailife.com and happy enough but there maybe better ones dunno, 

[Bang Bang]

2 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

A moderator on TV may have better recommendations for you, I'm with Thailife.com and happy enough but there maybe better ones dunno, 

Good for you, Kwasaki. Thanks for the info. Questions though.

 

The thailife.com site seems to be all Thai with no English option. Did you deal with them in English or had a Thai person speak for you (or maybe your Thai is good enough)?

 

Are they farang-friendly? Obviously in your case they were. But do you think generally they are a place that would be happy to deal with farangs?

Edited September 19, 2018 by Bang Bang

[Bang Bang]

Apropos above. I take back what I said about thailife.com being a Thai only site. There's an English version.

 

So I'll ask a dumb question probably: do they have English speakers to answer on the phone?

 

And, would you recommend them for a farang without a Thai companion to help out?

Edited September 19, 2018 by Bang Bang