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Health insurance mandatory for long-stay foreigners in Thailand


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Posted
19 minutes ago, smedly said:

a recent change requiring you to maintain a minimum bank balance of 400k baht 12 months a year or other options involving income 

For 3 nationalities.

The others have still the Letter of Income/Affidavit option = no money in Thai bank; no monthly transfer of a minimum of 65000 ThB.

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Posted
3 minutes ago, robertson468 said:

Hi Everybody, have a look at Thailife medical insurance company.  I can get 400,000 baht in patient and 40 baht outpatient coverage at the age of 75 years old for 41,800 per annum, which I assume can be paid monthly at 3,484.  Other policies quotes are either way higher than this and one of them has a couple of very poor reviews on Google - buyer beware!  Another one will not even download.  Not quite the "death knell" (excuse the pun) that I initially thought.  Cheer up you grumbling geriatrics, life, in my opinion is still better in Thailand.

This is Thaivisa, we dont let facts cloud a good argument.

 

A large percentage of expats have always had the 800k in the bank and have always had insurance. 

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Posted
8 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Read the OP, it doesnt say anyone over 50, it says

 

"the new rule applies to both new applicants for the non-immigrant visa (O-A), which offers a stay of up to one year, and those wishing to renew their visa. Each renewal is valid for one year."

It does in the referenced article, first line, big font, then talks about O-A visas, etc. No mention of Martians, Thai or Martian wives.

 

HEALTH insurance has been made mandatory for foreigners aged 50 years and above seeking long-term stay in Thailand.

Posted
3 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

Has anyone obtained health insurance within Thailand? If so, did you have to provide your medical records from your home country or was a medical examination required by the insurer prior to the policy commencing?

I have a Health 1st policy issued through Bangkok Bank. When I first got it (in 2015) I didn't need an examination at all (massive thunderclap just happened - coincidence ?).

However, last year I missed the renewal date by a couple weeks (I thought it automatically renewed but apparently I was supposed to go into the bank and sign a paper or something). 

Anyways, I had to go do an exam. They were very good about it. I told them I used Bangkok-Pattaya hospital, they (the Bank's insurer) set up the appointment, a rep from the bank met me at the hospital and when it was done she paid the bill (I thought they would pick the hospital or use a clinic and that I was going to have to pay for it.)

Have to renew again next month. Will make sure I renew before the expiry date this time. I expect I won't need to do another exam. If so, great. A free medical check every year !

ps: The Health 1st (plan 1) more than meets the requirements noted in the news article and costs 29,000 per year.

pss: I note that the ThaiVisa link included in the original article leads you to a page that shows you different packages and their benefits, but no quotes. You have to contact them (or whoever the info is sent to).

Posted

Having health insurance per se is not a bad thing. But the devil is of course in the detail, eg those with pre existing conditions and those who are too old to get it.

 

but is a 1 year visa really long stay? It doesn’t seem so long to me.

 

i am hoping this will not apply to ASEAN nationals, since I am one.

 

however, quite a few things seem to get passed by the government that eventually fall by the wayside, and i’m Hoping this will be one of them. Even if I had insurance, there is no way I would set foot in a government hospital. Shoddy doesn’t begin to describe the health care provided by them in my experience.

Posted

 The Thai government have 'delivered' to their buddies that own banks.

They are now in the process of 'delivering' to their friends in Insurance.

Their mates in the Hospital/ Healthcare system will  next face a boom in business  , because if we farang have to be covered for outpatients , you can bet we will be using outpatients over  even the  seemingly smallest  issue.

 

Going by the fact that I read about some rule change or proposal to do so involving the farang almost every day in Thailand , it appears the Thai is obsessed with foreigners.

I cannot fathom why ...

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Posted
6 minutes ago, Longcut said:

It's not hospitals like Bumrungrad that the Thai government is worried about not being paid. Private hospitals have their own way of collecting money. 

 

The insurance policy must offer up to Bt40,000 coverage for outpatient treatment and up to Bt400,000 for inpatient treatment. 

 

This is one of the measures the government has introduced to ease the financial burden placed on state hospitals by foreigners, many of whom have not paid for treatment. 

What was said was NO hospital and I corrected it.  Also, BNH and Bangkok Hospital does the same thing.  I would only go to a Thai government hospital for minor care.  Not to have my heart valve replaced.

Posted
1 minute ago, zaZa9 said:

Going by the fact that I read about some rule change or proposal to do so involving the farang almost every day in Thailand , it appears the Thai is obsessed with foreigners.

I cannot fathom why ...

You're wrong, it's only white folk the Junta want rid of.

Can't imagine the Burmese and Cambodian labourers being forced to buy insurance. 

  • Like 2
Posted

If they have a reasonable plan for everyone 50 - 100+ at the same premiums, then ok. Most people do not get sick and do not go to the doctor. 15,000 baht per individual is more than enough to support a long term foreign group here being the ones who get really sick to the ones who don't it would cover everyone. Ones who want the hoity doity hospitals like Bumrungrad etc can opt to pay more for that service. I do not require that. But also the answer would be a general nominal fee included in everyone's extension and then the tourist travelers air tickets put all into one fund to take care of all. No preconditions, no strings, just health care when absolutely needed. If anyone thinks it is only an O-A and its renewal, then don't hold your breathe. Renewal is like an extension and trying to play semantics will only create more aggravation. I don't like it either, but I can see it is straight across the board for all of us over 50.

  • Like 1
Posted
2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

You're wrong, it's only white folk the Junta want rid of.

Can't imagine the Burmese and Cambodian labourers being forced to buy insurance. 

And Burmese and Cambodians can't get long-stay OA or OX visas.

Posted

I doubt it is the long stay but those on a tourist visa are mostly the ones who have problem paying for their

hospital bills...from what one reads in the media...

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Posted

Whilst I agree having money in the bank to cover health problems or an Insurance Policy would the IO have the time or the knowledge to check if an Insurance Policy was valid !

Posted
9 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

You've confused the word 'farangs' and 'Americans', all us western folk outside America get free health care from our governments.

 

If your a UK non resident you don't get free health care in the UK unless you pretend not to be non resident

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Posted

Just remind everybody. Thai local people do not have such high fees for insurance. The insurance should first make equal fees. Without dual pricing!!!!!

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Posted
3 hours ago, alfalfa19 said:

does medicare parts a and b work in thailand, does anyone know?

The answer is no

Posted
3 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

Has anyone obtained health insurance within Thailand? If so, did you have to provide your medical records from your home country or was a medical examination required by the insurer prior to the policy commencing?

I've had medical insurance here for 12 years with 3 or 4 different companies. Never been asked for anything and never an exam.

 

If you have been treated in Thailand for an ongoing condition at a private hospital, they will find the record and may consider it a pre-existing condition.

Posted

I don't think this a surprise as on a related thread a little while back I mentioned that the General Hospitals were lobbying for change for long stayers. But I understood also that General Hospitals wanted to sell their own health policies (much like the Asian one (or an extension of it) but perhaps more expensive. I will to check to see if there is any info on the latter, though it would seem unlikely given the OP, and post again if there is any relevant news.

I don't have health insurance and at 76 years old it will be difficult to obtain at affordable price for the apparent requirement. Originally I was automatically covered, my wife being a Head Nurse, but not now as we are divorced. During 24 years in Thailand I spent 3 days in the general hospital for a vasectomy related problem (done 40 years ago) and visited the outpatients once. So I've been lucky enough not to require their facilities but of course, that it no guarantee of such a continued status.

Posted

Just spoke with my IO. He was aware of this but said it's for new applicants only. Business as usual for my next extension, fingers crossed????

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Posted
1 hour ago, 1DegreeN said:

If you follow the link from the longstay.tgia.org page to Viraya Insurance's website - https://www.viriyah.co.th/en/longstay-form.php#.XNoaJ44zZaQ it states that a Long Stay Visa is a 5 year visa - so perhaps this new rule is just for those with Elite visas and those of us on retirement/marriage extensions are covered by the income/money-in-the-bank requirement.

I think this applies to everyone. The rich mans "Elite" long stay visa's has always made it mandatory for health insurance since it was introduced.

"According to Nattawuth, the new rule applies to both new applicants for the non-immigrant visa (O-A), which offers a stay of up to one year, and those wishing to renew their visa. Each renewal is valid for one year." 

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