If health insurance becomes mandatory ,what then?

[bert bloggs]

As i wrote in the headline ,what then? many many Married guys here cannot get health insurance (to old,preexisting conditions etc,what then ,will we all be deported ?

[Khaeng Mak]

There is a small typo in your topic heading.

 

"If" should be "When".

 

 

 

[bert bloggs]

1 minute ago, Khaeng Mak said:

There is a small typo in your heading.

 

"If" should be "when".

You are a happy bunny arnt you , so whats the answer?

[Carib]

Where are the conspiracy cookies and the paranoia smarties handed out?  Looks like they are for free lately.

[Khaeng Mak]

It will be a show stopper for many.

 

But difficult to predict the extent of the damage.

 

Much will depend on the manner of implementation.

 

But noting we were given just one month's notice of these current changes, train wreck is an image that come easily to mind.

[Khaeng Mak]

3 minutes ago, Carib said:

Where are the conspiracy cookies and the paranoia smarties handed out?  Looks like they are for free lately.

 

I'll add you to my "I told you so list".

[ubonjoe]

Just a bunch of unfounded rumors about it.

It all started from a news article stating they were considering it for OA long stay visas issued at embassies and consulates which did not happen. Not a word more about it since then.

[Pravda]

This should be easy.

 

Many long term expats bought land and houses for their wives and family. 

 

Since Thais care so much about the family they will sell the land and house to help the Farang stay in Thailand.

 

 

[Pattaya46]

14 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

many many Married guys here cannot get health insurance  //

They can't? or they don't want pay? 

Many rather cheap Thai insurances accepting nearly everyone,

by example https://www.viriyah.co.th/en/longstay-form.php#.XFud1nduJhE

[Vacuum]

2 minutes ago, Pravda said:

This should be easy.

 

Many long term expats bought land and houses for their wives and family. 

 

Since Thais care so much about the family they will sell the land and house to help the Farang stay in Thailand.

 

 

If you change the word "farang" to Thai husband, I believe you're right in your assumption.

[fforest1]

You only need to look at the O-X visa to see what the health insurance will look like......Sense the insurance is not enough for major medical bills loads of people would have to buy worthless insurance just for a visa....

A major problem they are working hard on now is how to exclude the Chinese and Indians from needing this health insurance while requiring it from westerners..

[LivinLOS]

16 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

to old,preexisting conditions etc,what then ,will we all be deported ?

 

I suspect they will allow you to purchase it, just you wont be able to claim on it.. 

 

That seems to fit the Thai model of service interactions perfectly.. 

[Peterw42]

The O-X visa's currently require insurance and the consulate pages link to sites that provide the specific insurance to meet the requirement.

 

https://longstay.tgia.org

 

I imagine a similar thing would be in place if a general mandatory insurance comes in.

 

 

 

[kelboy]

8 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

 

I suspect they will allow you to purchase it, just you wont be able to claim on it.. 

 

That seems to fit the Thai model of service interactions perfectly.. 

I have had bkk bank insurance for 14 years yesterday I paid my yearly payment and the lady told me I pay next year and get my bonus money back straight away and not wait until the end. So it does work. ...Sometimes 555

[OneMoreFarang]

Maybe there could be an exception of the rule. Anybody who has no health insurance must have a million baht cash in a special account which will be available in case he/she needs the money for health issues.

That shouldn't be really a problem because everybody should be prepared. Or who do you think should pay your hospital bill i.e. for a heart operation? Should the Thai tax payers be responsible for that bill? Or should someone setup another fund-me account?

 

Everybody should be responsible for his/her own bills. If you have money, fine. If you have an insurance, fine. And if you have no money and no insurance then don't be surprised that the Thai taxpayers don't think they are responsible to pay your bills.

[holy cow cm]

18 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

They can't? or they don't want pay? 

Many rather cheap Thai insurances accepting nearly everyone,

by example https://www.viriyah.co.th/en/longstay-form.php#.XFud1nduJhE

That says long stay 5 years. What ever that means. 

[Khaeng Mak]

17 minutes ago, fforest1 said:

A major problem they are working hard on now is how to exclude the Chinese and Indians from needing this health insurance while requiring it from westerners..

Excluding them is a doddle. Chinese and Indian ethnicity is a pre-existing condition.

[fforest1]

2 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Maybe there could be an exception of the rule. Anybody who has no health insurance must have a million baht cash in a special account which will be available in case he/she needs the money for health issues.

That shouldn't be really a problem because everybody should be prepared. Or who do you think should pay your hospital bill i.e. for a heart operation? Should the Thai tax payers be responsible for that bill? Or should someone setup another fund-me account?

 

Everybody should be responsible for his/her own bills. If you have money, fine. If you have an insurance, fine. And if you have no money and no insurance then don't be surprised that the Thai taxpayers don't think they are responsible to pay your bills.

Thailand DOES NOT foot the bills.....They just pull the plug..Problem solved.....

[scubascuba3]

I have had bkk bank insurance for 14 years yesterday I paid my yearly payment and the lady told me I pay next year and get my bonus money back straight away and not wait until the end. So it does work. ...Sometimes 555

The bangkok bank insurance is pretty poor, look what it covers, it won't be enough for compulsory health insurance

 

[scubascuba3]

Personally i would switch to two tourist visas a year and go to other asian countries for the other 6 months. Not buying or having a wife means you are more flexible with any changes they bring in

 

 

[worgeordie]

If it becomes mandatory,it will have to be a Government run thing,

IF the Government really want Expats to retire here,as it will be nearly

impossible to get coverage from private providers,due to age,pre conditions,

and very high costs.

Twice in the past the Government has given health coverage to Expats here,

first time,Thaksin introduced it,it was free if you had a Yellow book,had 2+

years coverage on that ,until it was cancelled,as it was a Thaksin thing.!

next was a few years ago,it cost 2,500 THB to join,run by an unknown

insurer,Government approved, lasted few weeks,was reimbursed 1,200 THB

if i remember correctly.So maybe 3rd time lucky,or many will have to pack

their bags,

 

regards Worgeordie

 

[GeorgeCross]

what then?

 

the harsh answer is you'll get it, you'll pay a bribe (if possible) or you'll leave

 

appealing to an IO's better nature without 'option2' doesn't work at the moment

 

 

 

 

[bert bloggs]

4 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

If it becomes mandatory,it will have to be a Government run thing,

IF the Government really want Expats to retire here,as it will be nearly

impossible to get coverage from private providers,due to age,pre conditions,

and very high costs.

Twice in the past the Government has given health coverage to Expats here,

first time,Thaksin introduced it,it was free if you had a Yellow book,had 2+

years coverage on that ,until it was cancelled,as it was a Thaksin thing.!

next was a few years ago,it cost 2,500 THB to join,run by an unknown

insurer,Government approved, lasted few weeks,was reimbursed 1,200 THB

if i remember correctly.So maybe 3rd time lucky,or many will have to pack

their bags,

 

regards Worgeordie

 

in that case many are going to be turning up at airports in their home countrys ,with nowhere to live and in dire straights , the Daily Mail will love it in the UK .

[MRToMRT]

22 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Maybe there could be an exception of the rule. Anybody who has no health insurance must have a million baht cash in a special account which will be available in case he/she needs the money for health issues.

 

 

Or..... keep 400K in a bank account ?? 

[BritManToo]

26 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Or who do you think should pay your hospital bill i.e. for a heart operation?

Why not allow people to die?

[theoldgit]

49 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

They can't? or they don't want pay? 

Many rather cheap Thai insurances accepting nearly everyone,

by example https://www.viriyah.co.th/en/longstay-form.php#.XFud1nduJhE

With quite small limits to go with it.

[Peterw42]

There appears to be this belief that ex-pats are all a huge burden on the Thai hospital system. Maybe they are, but any stories of unpaid hospital bills that appear in the media are always a 2 week tourist with no insurance etc, not long-stay ex-pats. Most of my friends and aquatences have their own insurance/funds to cover. Mandatory insurance is one of these solutions to a problem that doesn't really exist.

It would make more sense to bring in mandatory insurance for tourists

[Moonlover]

58 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

1 hour ago, bert bloggs said:

many many Married guys here cannot get health insurance  //

 

58 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

They can't? or they don't want pay? 

Many rather cheap Thai insurances accepting nearly everyone,

by example https://www.viriyah.co.th/en/longstay-form.php#.XFud1nduJhE

Don't bother looking folks. It is only available for 5 year long stay visa holders.

[Moonlover]

16 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

42 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Or who do you think should pay your hospital bill i.e. for a heart operation?

 

16 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Why not allow people to die?

That may go against the grain of the Hippocratic Oath, however everyone has the right to decide whether they wish to submit themselves to treatment.

 

I hate hospitals and would do anything and everything to stay away from them, including dying.

 

I do have personal accident insurance, but would never buy full blown medical insurance.

[joebrown]

49 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Maybe there could be an exception of the rule. Anybody who has no health insurance must have a million baht cash in a special account which will be available in case he/she needs the money for health issues.

That shouldn't be really a problem because everybody should be prepared. Or who do you think should pay your hospital bill i.e. for a heart operation? Should the Thai tax payers be responsible for that bill? Or should someone setup another fund-me account?

 

Everybody should be responsible for his/her own bills. If you have money, fine. If you have an insurance, fine. And if you have no money and no insurance then don't be surprised that the Thai taxpayers don't think they are responsible to pay your bills.

You talk as if expats don't pay any tax in Thailand and all Thais do. We pay tax on almost everything we buy, so get real please.