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

[Bkkjimbo]

Make no mistake this requirement is for the coffin dodgers and if you're on a retirement visa it is you they want insurance for. Clearly a misinterpreted announcement at this stage. 100% for retired folks. Don't shoot the messenger just switch your brains on.

 

[overherebc]

7 hours ago, carbon007 said:

I have been here 12 years and this is the first time I realise (have been explained) that a "Retirement" visa (which I have) is not the same as an extension of a "Non-immigrant O-A" visa.

Let us see how long time this distinction will be upheld

 

Well in real terms there is no such thing as a retirement visa.

If you show cash in the bank and get what you call a retirement visa it's actually 1 year 'permission to stay'. 90 day reports are the clue.

If you apply for an O-A 'visa' in your own country it's officially called a 'long stay visa' and allows you to enter and leave Thailand as often as you like, however, if you stay longer than 90 days at any time then you must do a 90 day report.

You can get an O visa if you are married to a Thai or parent of a Thai, either single or multi entry visa, single lasts 90 days and can be converted to a 1 year 'extension of stay' at your local Imm' and do 90 day reports.

You can also convert your 'holiday visa' at Imm to a non O single 90 days? and change that to an extension of stay by showing cash in the bank and proof of being married etc.

You can also apply for a multi entry O visa at a consulate/embassy outside Thailand with each consulate/embassy's printed requirements. This means leaving Thailand and returning every 90 days.

Anyway go back to the OP and note the difference between a 'visa' and 'permission to/extension of stay.

Edited May 15, 2019 by overherebc

[Huckenfell]

3 hours ago, TigerandDog said:

Your comment about PC only covering to age 64 is completely wrong. PC accept new clients up to age 75. New clients 65 and over must have a full medical examination before being accepted. Once accepted PC will renew your plan until the day you die, even if you live to 110 or older. They have even come out with a new series of Platinum Plans for the over 50's, based on the new requirements. The same conditions with regards to age still apply.

Platinum prices too no doubt.

[Peterw42]

5 minutes ago, Bkkjimbo said:

Make no mistake this requirement is for the coffin dodgers and if you're on a retirement visa it is you they want insurance for. Clearly a misinterpreted announcement at this stage. 100% for retired folks. Don't shoot the messenger just switch your brains on.

 

When you say retirement visa, do you mean an OA visa? Most people are on an extension of stay not a visa.

[Bkkjimbo]

Just now, overherebc said:

Well in real terms there is no such thing as a retirement visa.

If you show cash in the bank and get what you call a retirement visa it's actually 1 year 'permission to stay'. 90 day reports are the clue.

If you apply for an O-A 'visa' in your own country it's officially called a 'long stay visa' and allows you to enter and leave Thailand as often as you like, however, if you stay longer than 90 days at any time then you must do a 90 day report.

You can get an O visa if you are married to a Thai or parent of a Thai, either single or multi entry visa, single lasts 90 days and can be converted to a 1 year 'extension of stay' at your local Imm' and do 90 day reports.

You can also convert your 'holiday visa' at Imm to a non O single 90 days? and change that to an extension of stay by showing cash in the bank and proof of being married etc.

You can also apply for a multi entry O visa at a consulate/embassy outside Thailand with each consulate/embassy's printed requirements. This means leaving Thailand and returning every 90 days.

Anyway go back to the OP and note the difference between a 'visa' and 'permission to/extension of stay.

Never heard that before.

 

A 90 day non O can be converted to a 1 year EOS at local immigration?

 

 

[Cabradelmar]

It appears.... It appears... It appears.... This article does nothing to clear the confusion. Simply sdds to it

[Huckenfell]

3 hours ago, khunpon said:

Just seen this article in Phuket News:

Full link here.

 

Like OP says only applies to O-A retirement visa.

So at the end of the day,  Some must have insurance but others need not.

[overherebc]

8 minutes ago, Bkkjimbo said:

Never heard that before.

 

A 90 day non O can be converted to a 1 year EOS at local immigration?

 

 

If you are married/parent and can show the money in the bank/income etc.

Not always the same requirements at different offices but generally the same-ish.

[Maverell]

6 hours ago, malagateddy said:

Wait and see.
I am not a gossip monger..I was told this by someone who is in a position to know things.
The same person told me over 15 MONTHS ago about meetings being set up re healthcare insurance becoming mandatory

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

I expected this as every contact with the UK embassy asked if I had health insurance, obviously a survey.

[malagateddy]

I expected this as every contact with the UK embassy asked if I had health insurance, obviously a survey.

Wait and see..meant to be sadly very soon..the 1st of July.!!
Remember expats only got 4/5 weeks notice re money in Thai banks re extensions..marriage/retirement..that was implemented ..think 1st of March.
Thailand is slowly catching up with many other countries re immigrants..that's all.

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[chingmai331]

Hey, maybe the Thais want only healthy, younger type retirees, like those age 50-58 coz those chaps visit brothels more frequently than older, sickly expat guys thus insuring a good brown envelope for the local cop.

[Pique Dard]

i mean seriously,  why can anyone live, let live abroad or travel without any adequate health or medical insurance? one might as well play the russian roulette

[Peterw42]

Maybe people could get a better understanding if they remember the following

 

Embassies and consulates outside of thailand issue visa's.

Immigration inside thailand issue permission to stay and extensions of stay. (exception being O visa, to generate a permission to stay, during conversion to extension)

 

A visa gives you entry to thailand and generates a permission to stay.

inside thailand you are not on your visa you are on a permission to stay (thats the stamp in your passport)

 

A visa will let you leave and come back, but on another permission to stay inside thailand.

 

When your visa expires and the permission to stay expires, thats it, the visa is finished and so is the permit to stay.

fortunately, just before the permission to stay expires most remember to apply for an extension of stay.

 

The permit to stay isnt a visa and the extension of stay isnt a visa.

An extension of stay isn't an extension of a visa or a renewal of a visa.

 

 

[jessc]

6 hours ago, KhunFred said:

Thai expats can choose between Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines. All three of these countries are glad to take the expats that Thailand kicks out.

Yeah, but I'm not sending my mom (age 75, too old for any insurance policy I have found so far) to live alone in any of those countries, when I (her only family) live here, where my businesses are. And having spent a decade here building my businesses, employing people, paying taxes, etc., I'd really prefer not to move. I get your point, but it's hardly a fix all solution.

[jessc]

6 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

I didn't know that.  Do we get a special deal?

Thai Visa Health Protect is what it's called (appears to be underwritten by Pacific Cross), and if you link to any of the articles titled something like "range of insurance offered in Thailand" it takes you to the Thai Visa Health Protect page: https://www.thaivisaprotect.com/quote-en/

[NCC1701A]

a friend of mine's wife knows someone who said they were told by their husband that his sister said that this affects expat's pets as well.

 

like retired cats and dogs will need insurance too.    

[billd766]

2 hours ago, riclag said:

 original posting scared the Bejesus out of me

And me.

[mngmn]

This just in...

https://news.thaivisa.com/article/35306/mandatory-health-insurance-for-retirement-visa-holders-likely-to-take-effect-in-july

[jessc]

4 hours ago, rayw said:

Well alternatives are available.  Like I hope most folks do, when I retired back in 2003 and moved here from the UK,  where of course we don't need to waste our little available spare money on health insurance, the first thing I did was a no brainer and that was to get myself a health insurance package.  The capital I then had was needed to buy somewhere to live, furnish it and get a car too, so that left me with my regular monthly works pension income and the state lension once I reached 65, and that was enough for my Thai retirement visa requirements as I had planned my retirement pension needs with my work package. 

 

So I checked and found that if you took out cover health insurance here with the then BUPA Blue Cross Insurance (Now Aetna) before the age of 60, then they would guarantee to cover you for life.  True to their word I am 73 now and they still cover me without question with no added pre existing condition exceptions to my cover that I did not start the cover with back in 2003.   Of course the premium has risen quite a lot for me now in the 71 to 75 age group, but that is expected when you are this old.  They also do allow you to pay monthly, interest free and in arrears using an acceptable Thai bank debit card. 

 

To me the two essential things I did, and thoroughly recommend all new reitees here do, and before starting to settle down to having fun here, was to get my driving licence and health insurance sorted.  I always, like most of us I am sure, had been taught from a child to get the work done and out of the way first and only then play.  Absolutely vital and very silly not to get a sutable health insurance cover immediately on retiring here, unless you have a lot of money you can and are prepared to call on it when needed. Few pensioners I know can do that though as most are living okay and reasonably well here from one pension payday to the next, as indeed I do now too. 

 

All I was not happy about with the new proposed visa scheme set oujt here yesterday, was that they were asking for Outpatient cover, which I do not want and should not need to have IMHO, as I am quite happy to pay those small outlays (usually less than a 1000 Baht a visit and often only 200-400 Baht or so unless you go to the expensive big private hospitals) as and when they arise.  Geting OP insruance cover is quite a lot more expensive than OP only which most folks get, and it also is likley each year you would make OP claims and that would mean you do not get any no claim bonus (usually 10% ) back each year when you don't end up in hospital for any illness, which is the casr for most years for most of us. 

 

As a guide I am 73 and have a good Aetna Insurance Emerald plan my monthly premium is for this year now 6740 Baht a month and that gives me 500K per illness cover, 60K Baht accidental death cover, and with 4000 a day for hospital room and service, which is more than enough for a private room at just about all good state hospitals.  Clearly though not enough for the incredibly over priced big private hospital operations that are to theri credit great hospitals (some of them the best in the World I have ever seen), but way way too overpriced and IMHO rip off, and thus for many they easlily end up with some insurance excess to pay after in patient treatment.  Most ordinary poor pensioners I know cannot afford such an excess outlay and thus look for a good Thai state hospital, as most big towns and cities have.  Such a policy for one just under 60 is way way much cheaper and indeed probably less than a 1/3 of that cost for the same cover with 2 cheaper slightly lower cover packages available too.  I have no complaints at all with them and have had several claims over the years I have been here.  In fact I have found them to be first class and extremely helpful when the time comes to need their help when you have to go into hospital.  As I said many alternatives are available but I was just trying to give some useful info as to what is available for those that want it by giving an example of my experience. 

 

To live in Thailand as a falang without any health insurance cover is IMHO very silly and irresponsible.  Getting suitable cover should be one of the very first things you do when you retire here to Thailand before the fun starts. Sorry for long post but wanted to give sufficient info to be useful.

I am glad it worked out well for you - but your situation isn't everyone's situation. I have been in Thailand nearly a decade, have a business, have health insurance, all is well. I moved my parents here 5 years ago, because they could no longer afford to live in California on their fixed incomes. They were 71 and 70 years old at the time. We looked for insurance at that time (and at subsequent times) and the fact is, it's less expensive to pay full rates at the hospital than pay the insurance premiums for people at that age.

Dad passed 2 years ago (and I paid all the hospital bills at full price -- which was still MUCH cheaper than what they would have had to pay in the US under medicaid and their private supplemental insurance combined). Now mom is 75, I am her only family, and insurance is not only expensive at her age, but so far in my research, basically a unicorn. I'll pay the insurance, if I can find any (and I have just started researching, so I may still, but so far I haven't found anything).

 

Irresponsible would have been leaving my parents to live in relative poverty in California. I brought them here so I could take care of them, and so that they could live a reasonably comfortable retirement (still not even close to luxury).

[NCC1701A]

2 hours ago, onera1961 said:

He does if someone has a complex situation. But most posters don't have complex situation. 

i have five girlfriends.

 

so you can see why i already have health insurance.

Edited May 15, 2019 by NCC1701A

[jessc]

4 hours ago, SteveBangkok said:

Hi this is incorrect, I work for Pacific Cross and we take on people up to 75 years old. I can see why you think that however as the prices quoted only go up to 65 but we are getting our site updated to include up to 75.

That is really helpful for some, so good. But, my mom is 75 (turning 76 this year). Wanna raise that age limit some more?

[malagateddy]

This just in...
https://news.thaivisa.com/article/35306/mandatory-health-insurance-for-retirement-visa-holders-likely-to-take-effect-in-july

Sadly my friend is correct in what he told me

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[overherebc]

8 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

i have five girlfriends.

 

so you can see why i already have health insurance.

Life insurance would be a better bet. ????????

[connda]

7 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

The threat of having to deal with yet another "refugee crisis" - particularly of the costly sick and elderly - might galvanize them into to lobbying the Thai government for a more humane visa policy.

Go back to 'Merica and they will hand you a pup-tent and show you the street.

[Ricebarnandrooms]

Lessons that need to be learnt.

The large number of responses to this issue shows clearly that Thai Visa failed us. By having a facebook poll that the majority of its readers didn't know about was disgraceful as those in a position to implement this proposal will happy say the majority of expats agree with it. Next time when a serious issue arrises Thai Visa should announce that they will be conducting a poll and let us all have a say.

 

Secondly the numbers of so called Expats who voted that they agreed are those who live their lives speed reading facebook pages and pressing buttons before considering the argument and the effects it may have on good responsible expats who have lived here for a long time. Yes they should have insurance, press YES. I am sorry for these idiots Looking at some of the names and from where they come from a large number seem to be younger short termers who teach English in international schools. To them I say get a life and checkout the real world. 

[jessc]

Didn't find this page before when looking at Pacific Cross - and it's not available if you go through the Thai Visa Health Protect "get a quote" page, but, this does in fact allow new policies through age 75, and provide coverage up to age 99 - https://www.pacificcrosshealth.com/en/health-insurance/longstay-visa/

[NCC1701A]

8 minutes ago, Ricebarnandrooms said:

By having a facebook poll that the majority of its readers didn't know about was disgraceful

been on this forum 7 years. never seen a poll before the results were announced yet.

[BertM]

54 minutes ago, malagateddy said:

Sadly my friend is correct in what he told me

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Yes, I guess your friend was correct. The article states anyone on a O-A visa will be required to have medical insurance. The article doesn't say anything about those on O visa extensions.

Edited May 15, 2019 by BertM

[DaRoadrunner]

1 hour ago, NCC1701A said:

a friend of mine's wife knows someone who said they were told by their husband that his sister said that this affects expat's pets as well. 

 

like retired cats and dogs will need insurance too.    

So will I have to get health insurance for Lady Roadrunner too!? She already costs me enough.

 

We Farang need some collective way to petition the Thai Gov't and Immigration. Right now they just do as they please with the reg's that affect our lives. How can they expect people to retire here with no surety of tenure?

 

The health insurance requirement may not affect retirees yet but it's coming for sure.

 

Bottom line is you can stay .... so long as you have money. Typical Thailand.

[AYJAYDEE]

It's amazing how this government further confuses things everytime they try and do something! Health Insurance for an O-A but NOT for an extension of permission to stay based on O-A and not for a Non-O based on marriage or an extension of permission to stay based on Non-O.