Mandatory health insurance for non-immigrant O-A retirement visa holders likely to take effect in July

[Huayrat]

Fake insurance cover will be rife you watch.. Won't be hard to fake an overseas company with a letter headed piece of paper.. Even if they call the number you could inform someone back home to take the call.

[connda]

7 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I'm one of the thousands, had 5 trips to government hospital in the last four weeks (3 were to emergency).

My hospital bill was 1,500bht ........... (paying from 600bht to 77bht per visit)

 

Tell me why I need insurance again?

Bit of a wait (2-5hrs) each visit, didn't mind the 50bht extra foreigner charge on the bill, but can't fault the service

We don't.  I have insurance but have chose not to use it in more than one case.  Use your insurance and the insurance company raises your rates and excludes the problem you were hospitalize for - or they just drop your coverage.  

I've carried coverage since I came here 12 years ago and used in for the single time I was hospitalize with Dengue.  Everything else I've paid for out of pocket.  The "You Need Insurance" crowd are either supporter of Big Government or supporters of Corrupt Government.  The garbage policies being offered to Non-Immigant O-A visa holders are predacious.  They cover next to nothing while charging predatory premiums.  My guess is that most previous Non-Imm O-A will pass on that visa.  Then next year the Thai government will focus the Eye of Sauron on those holding Non-O and Non-M visas and those extending them.  There is blood in the water and the greed will cause the rapacious to come to the surface to feed, and the Thai government will throw long-stay expats into the gaping maws of Thai insurance and Thai banking corporations.  It doesn't take rocket science to figure this out.  

[Olmate]

4 hours ago, hashmodha said:

I would like to take a bet Cambodian, Vietnam, Mynmar illegal Labourers are a significant part of this   Problem...why are the Hospitals taking on patients who cannot pay?...

Because they are hospitals, treat sick and injured! Where you come from they don’t?

[steve73]

2 hours ago, sfokevin said:

Also I hope the powers that be have done I quick and dirty calculation on the back of a bar napkin of what just a conservative 10% drop in the long term retirement community would cost the Thai economy?...

 

8,000 People x 65k month x 12 months = 6,240,000,000 baht...

 

Does that seem worth it to save most like a small portion of the 300,000,000 in bad debt?

It's not just the fresh money being brought into the country that's at stake.  The 65k per month that you spend gets' "recycled" a few times also.  The bar/restaurant you use, uses that cash to buy from its suppliers, and to pay its staff, and they reuse that same cash to pay for their own stuff.  This "so-called" velocity of money can multiply the effect of the original income by around 5 or more..

 

So your conservative 6.3 Billion baht shortfall, becomes more like 30Bn, or 100x the paltry saving in bad deb they are trying to recoup.. 

Edited May 17, 2019 by steve73

[Pattaya46]

14 minutes ago, Huayrat said:

Fake insurance cover will be rife you watch.. Won't be hard to fake an overseas company with a letter headed piece of paper.. Even if they call the number you could inform someone back home to take the call.

That could be the reason why they may not accept foreign insurances.

Remember, they didn't say yet that they would accept them...

[marcusarelus]

3 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

That could be the reason why they may not accept foreign insurances.

Remember, they didn't say yet that they would accept them...

If a foreigner already has insurance provided by an agent overseas, the policy must provide the same amount of coverage, Dr Nutthawut said.
 

If you have insurance from an insurance agent overseas, that policy will be honored as long as it has enough coverage to cover the amount stated in the requirements above.

[nausea]

I'll wait and see. If I had a heart attack over every crazy initiative the Thai government brings out I'd be long dead. Usually, when the dust settles, it's business as usual.

[connda]

23 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Because they are hospitals, treat sick and injured! Where you come from they don’t?

Where I come from they will treat you, and then force you into bankruptcy court.

[connda]

8 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

If a foreigner already has insurance provided by an agent overseas, the policy must provide the same amount of coverage, Dr Nutthawut said.
 

If you have insurance from an insurance agent overseas, that policy will be honored as long as it has enough coverage to cover the amount stated in the requirements above.

And nobody who has 400k THB lock up in a bank account need 40k worth of overpriced, worthless insurance.

[connda]

23 minutes ago, steve73 said:

It's not just the fresh money being brought into the country that's at stake.  The 65k per month that you spend gets' "recycled" a few times also.  The bar/restaurant you use, uses that cash to buy from its suppliers, and to pay its staff, and they reuse that same cash to pay for their own stuff.  This "so-called" velocity of money can multiply the effect of the original income by around 5 or more..

 

So your conservative 6.3 Billion baht shortfall, becomes more like 30Bn, or 100x the paltry saving in bad deb they are trying to recoup.. 

These people only see one thing: how to fleece foreigners.  By the time they figured out that there stupidity kill the geese that laid golden eggs, they'll have figured out a scapegoat to blame other than themselves. 

[Pattaya46]

12 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

If a foreigner already has insurance provided by an agent overseas, the policy must provide the same amount of coverage, Dr Nutthawut said.

Unsure where you have read that, but I remember reading something like "health insurance for foreign companies may be considered for approval" on the initial announcement.

And BTW, how many of us have a foreign insurance that covers 40'000B Out Patient ?

[sfokevin]

1 hour ago, steve73 said:

It's not just the fresh money being brought into the country that's at stake.  The 65k per month that you spend gets' "recycled" a few times also.  The bar/restaurant you use, uses that cash to buy from its suppliers, and to pay its staff, and they reuse that same cash to pay for their own stuff.  This "so-called" velocity of money can multiply the effect of the original income by around 5 or more..

 

So your conservative 6.3 Billion baht shortfall, becomes more like 30Bn, or 100x the paltry saving in bad deb they are trying to recoup.. 

Also consider the thousands of foreigner who have decided not to buy a condo because they may not be assured a visa to live in it...

[Olmate]

1 hour ago, connda said:

Where I come from they will treat you, and then force you into bankruptcy court.

Someone asked the Q why treat the sick !What happens afterwards is another story.

Edited May 17, 2019 by Olmate
Wrong respondent

[TomyumFarangSe]

I don't understand, each time i have a small problem and i need to go to hospital, i don't get any results for my exams nor any medicine if i don't pay first.... how come a thai hospital can let some money disappear like this, give me the receipe.

[marcusarelus]

1 hour ago, Pattaya46 said:

Unsure where you have read that, but I remember reading something like "health insurance for foreign companies may be considered for approval" on the initial announcement.

And BTW, how many of us have a foreign insurance that covers 40'000B Out Patient ?

Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry has suggested that visa applicants purchase health insurance from one of the companies listed on www.longstay.tgia.org. The ministry has also told relevant agencies to plan how health insurance policies bought overseas will be verified. 

https://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30369468

 

You should not make stuff up.  Every article written about the new mandatory insurance coverage has mentioned foreign coverage.  You must not have read any of them.

Edited May 17, 2019 by marcusarelus

[marcusarelus]

Just now, TomyumFarangSe said:

I don't understand, each time i have a small problem and i need to go to hospital, i don't get any results for my exams nor any medicine if i don't pay first.... how come a thai hospital can let some money disappear like this, give me the receipe.

You have to be a poor Burmese, Lao or Khmer. 

[Pattaya46]

8 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

You should not make stuff up.  Every article written about the new mandatory insurance coverage has mentioned foreign coverage.  You must not have read any of them.

Sorry but who make stuff up? You! You take second hand article (TheNation) as if it was the official announcement; it's not! My previous quote come from the original article who says that foreign insurance "may be considered for approval", it's a conditional expression, nothing sure.

[Huckenfell]

On 5/15/2019 at 9:23 PM, Andrew Dwyer said:

If all these millions of OA visa holders are skipping their hospital bills then why don’t they chase em up !!

After all , what with the TM 30 and 90 days reporting they are easily tracked down

Too bloody LAZY, but i cannot believe these figures as every time i have used a hospital i cannot leave until i pay the bill. There is something wrong here.

[Huckenfell]

38 million O-A  visa holders. Just think of how much money  those 38 million bring into the country, now many of us will have to leave, i will for one as i can not get insurance aged 84 even though i am fit and well. Now i will have to DESERT my Thai family, how cruel is that.  To be honest i think that this figure of 38 million debtors is probably far more than O-A visas issued. Another point, every time i have used any hospital i have had to pay the bill before i could leave.

It is very discriminatory that some have to have health insurance but others are excused. Is this Thai logic. What are the monetary requirements attached to obtaining this visa expected to be used for as one can get quite a few Take away Khao Phats for this sum. Now if they will drop the 800.000 bht from the application, i will go back to my country and try to get cover.  The best Unlimited cover to age 75 that i can find is 32.726.00 bht per annum. over that age nothing.

[Huckenfell]

Now that they have produced these figures for O-A retirement visas, how about how many tourists under 50 that owe money to hospitals as there is no requirement for tourists to have health insurance. These would be more likely to check out and skip the country than long term resident retired ex-pats.

[Huckenfell]

14 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

The figures have been adjusted, seems like the 38 million was visitors !!
OA visa holders for 2018 was 80,950 .
 

That still sounds a lot of O-A visas..  So can we see just how many retirees owe hospital bills and how much as i am still skeptical about these figures.

[Andrew Dwyer]

Now that they have produced these figures for O-A retirement visas, how about how many tourists under 50 that owe money to hospitals as there is no requirement for tourists to have health insurance. These would be more likely to check out and skip the country than long term resident retired ex-pats.

Actually the 38 million turned out to be visitors 2018 and the number of OA visa holders is, apparently, 80,950 for 2018.
But, who knows what the actual figures are !!

A breakdown of these people who owe money to the hospitals would be very interesting !!

Most likely tourists falling off their mc’s and foreigners from nearby Asian countries make up the majority !!

[Huckenfell]

14 hours ago, CanterbrigianBangkoker said:

Good to know they can report correct information, even if it takes them two goes! ????

38 million!!! ???? Who allowed that to go to press!? ????

It still gives over 75's no chance of staying with their Thai families as unless the government can arrange some reasonable cover, we cannot get it from insurance companies.

[Huckenfell]

13 hours ago, madmen said:

I know 2 guys , one 75 and the other in his 80's. Barley living month to month on poor pensions. They dont give a rats about health insurance and must be thousands more like them.

I am 83 have no insurance, cannot get it, my health is as good as any 60 yr old and better than most and have had only 3 hospital visits in 12 years. One private, was taken there by Samui Rescue ambulance, stayed overnight and payed the 26.000 bht bill before leaving, i have been to government hospital twice, but to outpatients and once again paid the bill before leaving. So i really am questioning all these unpaid bills with retirees.   Something is not right here, also why do some have to have health insurance and others are excused.  At the same time, tourists are excused health insurance, when these are the ones most likely to skip the country. I have two pensions and able to live comfortably.

[Huckenfell]

13 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I'm one of the thousands, had 5 trips to government hospital in the last four weeks (3 were to emergency).

My hospital bill was 1,500bht ........... (paying from 600bht to 77bht per visit)

 

Tell me why I need insurance again?

Bit of a wait (2-5hrs) each visit, didn't mind the 50bht extra foreigner charge on the bill, but can't fault the service

This goes for all of us oldies, we pay as we go, no problem.

[Huckenfell]

13 hours ago, zydeco said:

Why should they? With pre-existing conditions and other exclusions, they won't be covered anyway. And any money they spend on a worthless insurance policy will mean less that they have to pay in cash when they need to make a hospital visit. Which means Thai hospitals are still stuck with the same problem of taking in so-called charity cases. Insurance solves nothing. In fact, it makes matters worse. It will simply be a transfer of money to insurance companies with little benefit to purchasers. 

But probably creates a very nice milch cow for some fortunate Thai insurance company with obligatory Brown Envelopes. 

[Huckenfell]

13 hours ago, GeorgeCross said:

 

in the UK you would pay 16,000 baht annually for the NHS surcharge which comes with unlimited coverage both in and out patient, no pre-existing conditon exclusions and its for any age

 

mandatory for long stay settlement visas 

 

source: https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application/how-much-pay

 

oh and of course being a developed country, after 5 years they give you a passport and you don't have to pay it ever again.

 

not 50-250K every year until you die broke in your late 90s with a policy that covered $%$% all of consequence.

 

 

 

Yes but we are only concerned with Thai hospitals. So i guess that this is supposed to be a guide on costs. 

[Huckenfell]

13 hours ago, Mango Bob said:

So you think they are going to only make those who apply for a visa at an embassy or consulate have health insurance but that those who live here and do an extension of stay year after year do not need health insurance.  Think about it.

Its known as Thai Logic .

[Huckenfell]

12 hours ago, DUNROAMIN said:

Too confusing for me now, TV forum seems to change its story from day to day. I think I'll just wait until I have to renew my I year extension of stay and see what immigration says.

When will your O-A visa expire.

[JetsetBkk]

Just now, Huckenfell said:

When will your O-A visa expire.

If it's a single entry, it already has if he's in the country.