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Expats overwhelmingly support mandatory health insurance of over 50s: Poll


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Expats overwhelmingly support mandatory health insurance of over 50s: Poll

 

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Expats in Thailand say they support plans that require foreigners aged over 50 to have mandatory health insurance when applying for a Non-Immigrant Visa OA.

 

The plans were approved by Cabinet in April, and revealed on Monday by Health Service Support Department director-general Nattawuth Prasert-siripong.

 

According to a straw poll on the Thaivisa Facebook page, which at the time of publishing had received over 3,000 votes, 69 percent of respondents voted ‘Yes’ when asked “do you think foreigners aged over 50 should be required to have health insurance in order to stay in Thailand?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many of those commenting voiced their support at the move.

 

Laura Saffy Bates said: Everybody should have travel health insurance to protect themselves on overseas holidays

 

Jase Darbs: I agree that health insurance should be compulsory. But I’d suggest that short term tourists who have accidents and then leave the country without paying bills, are much more of a drain on the Thai medical system than what long term expats are?

 

Kristjan Árnason: Everybody should have health insurance while staying in Thailand (living or traveling). It should be mandatory and checked on arrival in Thailand.

 

Robert McGuigan: If I was living in Australia I would have private health insurance, so now I live in Thailand and I have private health insurance. Just hope I don’t need it!

 

John Koenig: I think all visitors should have a health plan peroid (sic). I never leave Australia without one

 

Allan Kortsen: I welcome the mandatory health insurance..Was about time. Nobody should be without an insurance. You don't need to get an insurance in Thailand. An insurance in Europe will do as well.

 

Edwin Echevarria Gonzalez was less supportive saying:  I have medical insurance but it is not accepted in Thailand. It is just another ploy to fleece more money from foreigners who want to retire in Thailand. Already made preparations to retire in the Philippines, so much easier.

 

While it is not clear when the new requirement will come into effect, those foreigners applying for a Non-Immigrant Visa OA will need to have a valid health insurance policy bought in Thailand or from overseas.

 

The insurance policy must offer up to Bt40,000 coverage for outpatient treatment and up to Bt400,000 for inpatient treatment, the Nation reported on Tuesday.

 

The measures have been introduced to help ease the burden of foreigners not paying for medical treatment they have received in state hospitals.

 

According to the announcement by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), it would appear the new requirements only apply to those seeking an Non-Immigrant Visa OA and not to foreigners over 50 who stay in Thailand on an extension of stay based on retirement.

 

 

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-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-05-15

 

 

 

 

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6 minutes ago, webfact said:

According to the announcement by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), it would appear the new requirements only apply to those seeking an Non-Immigrant Visa OA and not to foreigners over 50 who stay in Thailand on an extension of stay based on retirement.

So it seems as clear as mud then.

While I know there has been no change (yet) regarding changes for Non O extensions, it wouldn't surprise me if some offices might take  it upon themselves to decide what is required.

 

There was a report last week of one office telling an applicant that his 400K Baht for his marriage extension needed to stay in his account for three months after the application.

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"According to a straw poll on the Thaivisa Facebook page..."

 

Well, that's about as highly scientific and objective as it gets in Thailand. The only other research method which would represent the epitome of "science" in Thailand is if every respondent copied from the first one (aka - The smart kid) to answer the question. 

 

I would think that if there was a truly objective and scientific poll conducted, the majority or respondents would answer: "I'm moving to Vietnam. Where, if I choose to deposit $26,000 into a bank, it would earn me a decent amount of interest". 

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Hog wash and that is a fully loaded question.. Not until they real in the boundaries of affordable sensible health care and not the ones gouging the folks as they get older or if you use it then premiums go up or you are simply dropped.. It should be affordable like travel insurance or on the other end one should be able to have a minor deposit in a bank as hospital fund slated for health. How come I did not see this on normal Thai Visa?

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1 minute ago, jaltsc said:

According to a straw poll on the Thaivisa Facebook page

i took a poll and the people overwhelmingly stated that they do not want to be forced to give money

to insurance companies.   Self insure,  thank you.

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I wonder how many who said yes had seen the plans offered. Surely 100,000B for 400,000 of coverage, 40,000B outpatient, and US$1,000,000 repatriation are scamish. Just who is going to spend US$1M to send my ashes to Buriram?

 

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23 minutes ago, webfact said:

Jase Darbs: I agree that health insurance should be compulsory. But I’d suggest that short term tourists who have accidents and then leave the country without paying bills, are much more of a drain on the Thai medical system than what long term expats are?

A sensible statement. Even the hospitals have said it's the tourists.

 

26 minutes ago, webfact said:

According to the announcement by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), it would appear the new requirements only apply to those seeking an Non-Immigrant Visa OA and not to foreigners over 50 who stay in Thailand on an extension of stay based on retirement.

And I wonder if it will be interpreted that way by the IO's

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Still as confused as ever. Are they talking about. Type O-A Retirements visas ? Type O Marriage visas ? Those that need no bank accounts that apply for Type O visas in Savannakhet Laos ? And why not mandatory to ALL visas? What about the millions of Full Moon Party idiots who in up in the hospitals and make a dash to the airports without paying?

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You have to wonder how they came up with this idea for OA visas but not the Non O based on retirement?

Yet another idea that hasn't been thought through. 

The prices being quoted of around 60k Baht for the 400k baht of cover seem very high as well. There are cheaper alternatives available already. Will this push those premiums up?

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I think if you ask the foreigners, aged over 50, who are living here whether they should be required to have mandatory health insurance, the results would be very different. Some of the comments in the article are not from Thai expats

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12 minutes ago, rabas said:

I wonder how many who said yes had seen the plans offered. Surely 100,000B for 400,000 of coverage, 40,000B outpatient, and US$1,000,000 repatriation are scamish. Just who is going to spend US$1M to send my ashes to Buriram?

Just about anyone who thinks they can claim it back from your insurance I'd think.

 

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10 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

And how those old geezers >70 years or better? 

Can't get insurance when you already have one foot in the grave. 

I guess in your estimation l am an old greezer. I am 71. Slim and fit. Regular health checkups define me as excellent. I bike 30km EVERY day.

I outworked the younger Thai workers building my home. I really don't think l am close to having a foot in the grave. Pretty sure l could keep up to you.

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16 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

And how those old geezers >70 years or better? 

Can't get insurance when you already have one foot in the grave. 

Or over sixty . Confused yet ? And even if you had the insurance is the company going to pay anything when the time comes ? I do not trust insurance companies as far as i can toss them. Your just tossing money out the window. I will just save my money . Is insurance mandatory in Malaysia, Cambodia or Vietnam ? NO!

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Misleading title. You should say "Expats on Thaivisa overwhelmingly support mandatory health insurance of over 50s: Poll".

This is not representative of all the expats in Thailand. Please correct and do not mislead people. 

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46 minutes ago, webfact said:

Expats overwhelmingly support mandatory health insurance of over 50s: Poll

What a load of crock. If the above comments are anything to go on the majority is about travel insurance. How you can extrapolate that expats overwhelmingly support being forced to take out overpriced insurance from a handful of insurance companies is an utter nonsence.

 

54 minutes ago, webfact said:

The insurance policy must offer up to Bt40,000 coverage for outpatient treatment and up to Bt400,000 for inpatient treatment, the Nation reported on Tuesday.

Bt40,000 for out patient. Well you might need this if you go to a private hospital but definitely not for public hospitals. 

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You pay insurance companies and your payment goes in part to a department that exists to deny your claim. You pay them to look for loopholes to deny your care. These stories pop up all the time. 

 

Insurance is a scam, forcing people to have insurance is outright rape. 

 

All you insurance fans, go look up some data on a situation like katrina. The shit hit the fan and the insurance companies decided not to pay what they owe to a large extent. What else is there to talk about? It is a giant scam, the scam of the century. It is the best thing that every happened if your an insurance executive however. 

 

What people fail to ask themselves when it comes to insurance, is what if the shit hits the fan!? The insurance companies are going to run for the hills. If a plague hit Thailand and everyone got sick, you think insurance could cover that? The entire system is based on a false pretense. They are making profits when they can't even cover losses in worst case scenarios. Absolute scam. 

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21 minutes ago, inThailand said:

Who did they poll?

 

Insurance companies?

Hospitals?

TAT? 

All of the above with hands on the money. Treat it as FAKE NEWS. The old story lie about something long enough and people believe it.

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What do other countries stipulate ?  Why doesn't Thailand learn from others ?  Is this a real problem ?  I do know of cases where farangs have died in Thailand and family members cannot pay their medical expenses.  The question is how big a problem is it ?  At the same time, is it an opportunity ?  Would love to see an insurance vending machine at Thai borders.  During the hight of manic junta mania, I asked about insurance offered by a major hospital in Thailand.  I asked them if I could be denied entry into Thailand while seeking treatment.  The hospital said it was not out of the question.  Thailand does great work in health care for older people, but Thai army undermines that by creating doubt and fear.     

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NO ,   800 k and health insurance to cover  400   k THB....    cost of living in Thailand required huge amount.  It's about time to move elsewhere...  Thailand overrated..

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14 minutes ago, billsmart said:

I'd like to see this poll conducted on Expats over 50, not just everyone on Thaivisa...

Yep. Like all such polls, the response is based on the specific wording and the understanding of the meaning of those words. This poll, based on some of the responses is wide in being interpreted as meaning different things. We'll need to see how things shake out. At age 72, having had cholesterol issues insurance companies exclude anything to do with the heart/circulation, the biggest risk factor. Retired here for going on 8 years. I carry accident insurance here, have a supplemental US policy paying up to $5K a year overseas and Medicare back in the US. Heart attack bill in 2015 = 411,000 baht. The supplemental policy paid $5K, I paid the balance (ouch!). The bottom line for me through any Thai allowance for me to stay? I am a free man able to spend my retirement income in several countries. 555 As a Buddhist, how am I doing with non-attachment?

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I checked in ins co I currently have heath ins with and they now offer 'long stayer coverage'.... which provides lesser coverage, coverage that I don't want or need, and costs at least 2.5X what the plan I now have costs......

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