Mandatory health insurance for foreigners aged over 50 in Thailand - why it may not affect you

[Orton Rd]

2 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

The income or savings requirements are far higher for settling in the UK than for Extensions of Stay in Thailand. Plus UK requires a NHS payment (basically insurance), TB certificate and Thais have to pass a basic English test.

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But they can recoup that on the first baby delivery, then the kid is Schooled for free for life. People want to get into the UK for a reason, and it's not the weather or the food!

[onera1961]

54 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

People want to get into the UK for a reason, and it's not the weather or the food!

Every year when I am in Benidorm for three months (like now) I spend a few weeks in London for food only. London, I consider the food capital of the world. 

[garyk]

Haha, 800K, 400K, now this..  

Business is booming in Thailand.

[Robin]

Totally unclear.  I seem to remember that I started with a 3 Month Non-IM A Visa and this was extended to a 365day Retirement Visa.  This I extend every year at my local IO, presenting all the required paperwork which becomes more onerous every year.

Am I going to need health Insurance this year?   

If so where do I get it??

I would have expected this thread to have links to insurers offering the policies we need to get a retirement visa, but the only link I find does nothing and goes nowhere.

3 or 4 years ago, Khun wife tried to buy health insurance with a Thai company she was using.  I filled in all the forms and paid some premium, but was then rejected as I was 'not Thai enough'  Premium was returned, so I now have to carry my own risk.

Has anyone on TV bought themselves insurance as required?  How much and here from.

[Cabradelmar]

You are delusional if you think this will not apply (soon) to those holding "retirement" visas or every other type of long stay status

[Jingthing]

You are delusional if you think this will not apply (soon) to those holding "retirement" visas or every other type of long stay status

Careful with the terminology. What's a retirement visa?

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[AYJAYDEE]

18 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Careful with the terminology. What's a retirement visa?

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according to consulate in Vancouver, its a Non O-A   http://www.thaiconsulatevancouver.ca/retirement-visa/

[Andrew Dwyer]

according to consulate in Vancouver, its a Non O-A   http://www.thaiconsulatevancouver.ca/retirement-visa/

Yup, according to the Thai Embassy in Canberra it’s also a Non OA.
They classify it as a retirement/long stay visa.

http://canberra.thaiembassy.org/Home/visa

[garyk]

1 hour ago, Cabradelmar said:

You are delusional if you think this will not apply (soon) to those holding "retirement" visas or every other type of long stay status

I agree, I am kinda curious what else they will do to extract money out of the expats, and long term hanger owners. I thought 800K was a stretch, then the 400K hit, that one caught me completely by surprise.  Now the insurance!  Damn, we need to start a pole to see who can guess the next thing they will hit us with... haha

[AYJAYDEE]

8 minutes ago, garyk said:

I agree, I am kinda curious what else they will do to extract money out of the expats, and long term hanger owners. I thought 800K was a stretch, then the 400K hit, that one caught me completely by surprise.  Now the insurance!  Damn, we need to start a pole to see who can guess the next thing they will hit us with... haha

a spelling test? lol????????????????????????

[haymanpl]

On 5/18/2019 at 8:43 AM, AYJAYDEE said:

of course. its a shakedown

Costs 46000 baht for 1 years cover for a 52 year old. Would much rather put in bank an extra 400,000 baht making it 1.2 million deposit rather than pay 46000 a year which will only increase in age.

[luckyluke]

33 minutes ago, garyk said:

guess the next thing they will hit us with..

Knowing the Thai language, or being prepared to start classes (at a price naturally). 

[balo]

I pay less to AETNA (BUPA), around 17k . But it does not cover cancer etc.  

[Ozman52]

6 hours ago, haymanpl said:

Costs 46000 baht for 1 years cover for a 52 year old. Would much rather put in bank an extra 400,000 baht making it 1.2 million deposit rather than pay 46000 a year which will only increase in age.

I decided to live here around that age. If the insurance requirement had been in place then, I could have had the joy of paying A$40,000 over 20 years for SFA, except that my decision of where to live would not have been Thailand.

 

Do the maths; 10 people pay B460,000 each year. Allowing B60,000 for admin, if 1 in 10 is not maxing their insurance, the companies are making obscene profits at our expense.

[jacko45k]

On 5/17/2019 at 3:15 PM, tingtongtourist said:

but yes, who wants to put 800k in a Thai bank at these exchange rates?

Or equivalent in another currency in a FCD account. 

[Mike Teavee]

7 hours ago, haymanpl said:

Costs 46000 baht for 1 years cover for a 52 year old. Would much rather put in bank an extra 400,000 baht making it 1.2 million deposit rather than pay 46000 a year which will only increase in age.

As a 52 year old you may want to consider getting a Thailand Elite visa 1Million THB for 20 years is 50,000 pa (46,200 if you get 21 years by doing a border bounce at the end).

 

[scubascuba3]

I pay less to AETNA (BUPA), around 17k . But it does not cover cancer etc.  

For what age? what's the name of that policy?

[tingtongtourist]

11 hours ago, Cabradelmar said:

You are delusional if you think this will not apply (soon) to those holding "retirement" visas or every other type of long stay status

and risking tourism $ ??

 

Let me as you about this bright idea..

 

It is reported that Thai reccomend a policy that covers no less than 400k baht.

 

So, if people have the minimum cover and need a big Op..say 2 million...

 

The hospital get back 400k and the big bad foriegner can then run away without paying the other 1.6 million.

 

But mandatory 400k insurance will solve all the problems??

lol

come on, they are not that stupid!

[wobalt]

So much fuzz for nothing. I have my travel insurance from AXA for 20 euro and that is all I need


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[scubascuba3]

So much fuzz for nothing. I have my travel insurance from AXA for 20 euro and that is all I need


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It's true that Annual travel insurance should be sufficient but it usually only covers max 90 consecutive days, plus if live in Thailand would be void

[Sheryl]

I thought this article was clear and helpful, even if the rules still are not. Thanks!

However, a suggestion: should this new requirement for mandatory health insurance ever be extended to apply to extensions based on retirement, perhaps the health insurance that Thai Visa is selling (notably, right along side these articles) could also be available to the full range of retirees who've lived in Thailand for many years - - often because paying full rate for medical care in Thailand is STILL less expensive than buying insurance back home. Currently the Pacific Cross insurance Thai Visa is hawking only covers people to age 64.

The expats who will be most effected by this requirement, if applied to extensions based on retirement, are those who have retired here on a fixed income, and who have aged out of basically any insurance (affordable or otherwise) available for purchase in Thailand. So, even if financially able to buy the insurance, they can't. And, likely, have no where to go to if unable to stay in Thailand.

You do not have to buy insurance from a Thai company to have coverage in Thailand. There are international companies that sell Expatriate Health Insurance policies to people over 65, in fact some even up to age 99. This had been covered repeatedly in other threads.

Contact a broker such as aainsure.net

Even if under 65 there can be advantages to an internationally issued policy vs Thai issued policy and dollar for dollar they do not cost more, in fact the opposite.

Age per se is not a barrier. Premium costs are an issue for some (though should not be if one truly has at least 65k/month income). Bigger problem is that many older people have pre existing conditions like diabetes, heart disease etc and these do pose a barrier.

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[wobalt]

It's true that Annual travel insurance should be sufficient but it usually only covers max 90 consecutive days, plus if live in Thailand would be void

Depends how you manage it. You don‘t really live in Thailand as Long you have an residence permit


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[Sheryl]

It's true that Annual travel insurance should be sufficient but it usually only covers max 90 consecutive days, plus if live in Thailand would be void

Thete are policies that cover ad much as 1 year long trip at a time. But there may be requirement as to having lived in your home country for a period of time before travelling -- it is true that these policies are not intended for people permanently residing abroad. They also will not cover other than emergency care and may opt to medivac you back to your home country rather than pay for tteatment here if you ate stable enough so it really does not meet the meefs of a resident expat. It is a viable option for people spending part time hete & part time in home country though



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[ThaiBunny]

1 minute ago, wobalt said:

Depends how you manage it. You don‘t really live in Thailand as Long you have an residence permit

The policies I've reviewed recently all have clauses defining as resident as "lives 75% in his home country", "returns to his home country", etc. You'd need to read those definitions very carefully as insurance companies are always out to wriggle out of paying the insured, and residence would be a classic one if the policy itself was for a long period of time

[wobalt]

How they know that you don’t live in your home countryside?


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[scubascuba3]

Thete are policies that cover ad much as 1 year long trip at a time. But there may be requirement as to having lived in your home country for a period of time before travelling -- it is true that these policies are not intended for people permanently residing abroad. They also will not cover other than emergency care and may opt to medivac you back to your home country rather than pay for tteatment here if you ate stable enough so it really does not meet the meefs of a resident expat. It is a viable option for people spending part time hete & part time in home country though

 

 

 

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Yes I've been using these travel insurance policies they are commonly called "backpacker insurance" (very different to annual travel insurance) but often have an upper age limit often 49. I've seen them as much as 18 months long, i usually get 9 months, but often the policy T&Cs will say you need to be your home country (UK in my case) for 6 months before, but they don't seem to check that

 

[AYJAYDEE]

2 minutes ago, wobalt said:

How they know that you don’t live in your home countryside?


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by your record of when you came thru your home country immigration. 

[ThaiBunny]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

... but they don't seem to check that

But have you ever claimed? There's no need for them to determine if you qualify or not until you actually hit them up for money

[scubascuba3]

Depends how you manage it. You don‘t really live in Thailand as Long you have an residence permit


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If you read the t&cs they will say something on the lines of must have been in the UK for example the preceding 6 months. All they need to do is check your passport

[scubascuba3]

But have you ever claimed? There's no need for them to determine if you qualify or not until you actually hit them up for money

Yes claimed twice, both small and they checked GP pre existing conditions, for a big claim i think they'd dig even further