Health Insurance - crazy percentage increases this year!

[Sheryl]

Woke Christmas day morning with a detached retina (not trauma induced - degeneration was the reason given). Went to Nonthavej hospital eye center Nam Wong Wan. Quoted Tb 190,000 for a 1-hour outpatient op. A tad expensive I thought. They don't have direct billing with Cigna. Now waiting for an estimate from World Medical hospital who do have direct billing with Cigna, to compare. Policy renewal due in February. Lets see.

Don't delay. This needs to be dealt with promptly.

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[Henryford]

That's why i never have health insurance. They con you for premiums for years while you are young and healthy (and don't claim) them kick you off as you get older and might want to claim.

[rustyhinges]

Continuing thread, World Medical quoted me Tb 260.000 to Tb 270.000 for the retinal detachment corrective surgery. I have thrown the ball into Cigna's court asking them which hospital to go to.

[lopburi3]

On 12/21/2018 at 12:46 PM, Pedrogaz said:

Health insurance is a giant con trick. Don't fall for it, self insure. Never use a private hospital in Thailand either, they recommend unnecessary treatments and surgeries for non existent illnesses. Go to the government run places and wait your turn, they use the same doctors as the private hospitals but the desire to treat you expensively is lacking because there is no profit motive.

Put an amount of money away each month equivalent to the insurance premiums that you would have paid and use this as your own health fund.

This is not about you but believe some points need to be made. 

 

Health insurance is like any other insurance - in case.  It can save you financially or physically or both but in most cases will be payment to avoid that - in case.  That not all insurance play by the same book unfortunately seems to be a fact of life.

 

Hospitals do not prescribe treatment - that is what doctors do.  A good doctor at a private hospital can be just as good as one at a government hospital and may have more time to diagnose.  Doctors at private hospitals are often not government hospital doctors and most will take clue from patient on how expensively to treat - but true it will cost more than most government facilities, where doctors are paid very little.  The choice is ours - but in some cases government waits could be a real danger.

 

Indeed if trying or having to self fund health care a savings plan should be part of it - plus enough cash/credit to cover a major incident.  Obviously what is required is hard to estimate but if private facilities it likely will require a good deal more for most treatments.

 

[simon43]

They con you for premiums for years while you are young and healthy (and don't claim) them kick you off as you get older and might want to claim

[/quote]

 

If you have an insurance policy with a Thai company, then your statement might certainly be true.

 

If you have an expat insurance policy with a European (or probably also USA, Canada, Australia company), then your statement is factually wrong!  Under the legislation for insurance companies, they are not allowed to 'kick you out' when you get older and maybe have to claim for some medical condition/operation.  They cannot increase your premium to 'force you out' (they can only increase your premium in line with everyone else in the same age band).

 

You can claim for whatever is covered under your policy and your premium will not increase (except condition above), and you will not be kicked out (unless the insurance company has a ceiling age limit in their policy, such as 90 years old, (which you would have known about when you took out the policy).

 

I think the vast majority of us will not die healthy and peacefully in our sleep.  If the baht bus doesn't run us over as we hobble across the road, then bits of our body will degrade or stop working... That's a fact of life and death.

 

As Sheryl has mentioned 1,000 times, take out expat medical insurance when you are still fit and healthy, because if you do so and if you continue to pay the annual insurance premiums, then you are 'locked in' for life.  Get high blood pressure at  65 years old?  No problem - you took out your insurance BEFORE you had high BP and you're covered... etc etc etc

 

If you have the money to self-insure (and you need a lot of money), then fine - you can make a choice between self-insurance and getting an insurance policy.

 

For heavens sake, don't be like so many foreigners and do neither!  Don't just think about illnesses - think about unexpected serious accidents that might happen.

[Letseng]

On 12/21/2018 at 11:57 AM, Sheryl said:

There are international companies that will newly insure you at 71 if you are healthy. The problem will be if you have pre existing conditions like hypertendion, diabetes etc.

If not, you can and shoukd change companies IMO.


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Which international companies are you thinking of? I am 72 and I have other than cataract nothing acupuncture can't fix. I have outpatient cover through AXA, never needed them. I feel uncomfortable with them. I'm in a group policy which was really affordable. However, some members seem to be claiming heavily. Last renewal premium doubled. Dread to think about upcoming renewal.

In a way I feel cheated as I lead a healthy lifestyle, don't drink, smoke, not overweight. Yet some members known to me have no health concerns.

Would prefer to go it alone.

[Sheryl]

3 hours ago, Letseng said:

Which international companies are you thinking of? I am 72 and I have other than cataract nothing acupuncture can't fix. I have outpatient cover through AXA, never needed them. I feel uncomfortable with them. I'm in a group policy which was really affordable. However, some members seem to be claiming heavily. Last renewal premium doubled. Dread to think about upcoming renewal.

In a way I feel cheated as I lead a healthy lifestyle, don't drink, smoke, not overweight. Yet some members known to me have no health concerns.

Would prefer to go it alone.

At 72, April My Health International (not April Thailand My Health!) and Cigna Global Silver plans come to mind. Suggest you contact AA insurance brokers.  www.aainsure.net

 

[holy cow cm]

The government really needs to offer a range of policies that covers expats for coverage for certain hospitals. Bumringrad would be highest level, then on down. There should be no age limit or existing conditions  

[rustyhinges]

Continuing thread. Cigna replied and advised that it is entirely up to you which hospital you go to regardless of cost. So as I already had an appointment for surgery at Nontavej hospital which quoted the cheaper cost of Tb 190,000 I decided to stick with them as time is of the essence for retinal corrective surgery, I had the surgery 3rd of January so now writing this with one eye. The surgery was not one hour outpatient. The pre op was 3 hours and actual theater time was two hours. An initial communication problem on that point. I had to stay in the hospital for four nights. Before discharge I was presented with the bill. It turns out the Tb 190,000 was a deposit only and the actual bill was just under Tb 160,000 including take home meds. A nice surprise.I have to go back to Nontavej on Saturday for follow up. Not sure if that is already included in the price already paid. I kept Cigna in the loop and they said keep all my invoices and submit when I am ready via scan attachments to e mail and they settle payment with 5 days. Lets see so to speak.

[trawler]

So did Cigna pay up your claim and was your eye rescued so to speak????Cheers