Health cost on Phuket

[Olmate]

Just spent 24hrs In Int Hospital on Phuket after no joy in 2 gov hospitals,serious pneumonia,more or less ICU,40k baht.Gives you an idea of how quick your self insurance will disappear.Still not back to normal but very smick service and also on the ball re payment.50 % upfront,50% on discharge

[meand]

It goes just about as fast if you have insurance. 

[DaRoadrunner]

Anyone know how Mission Hospital Phuket stacks up against the others?

[Olmate]

1 hour ago, meand said:

It goes just about as fast if you have insurance. 

Add the premium for 73 yr old 

[emptypockets]

Doesn't sound too expensive for what is after all known as the old mans disease - can kill overnight.

All the best Olmate, look after yerself.

[Joe Mcseismic]

11 hours ago, meand said:

It goes just about as fast if you have insurance. 

Depends on your insurance. Mine gives up to 50 million per annum. You can get more, or less.

Very reasonable prices at International (Siriroj). I was quoted 300k to have my gall bladder removed at Bumrungrad  in Bangkok.

Got it done at the International Phuket. All up 176k.

[Badrabbit]

How much does 50 million cover cost? 1.5 million 60k per yr but I am 63.

Depends on your insurance. Mine gives up to 50 million per annum. You can get more, or less.
Very reasonable prices at International (Siriroj). I was quoted 300k to have my gall bladder removed at Bumrungrad  in Bangkok.
Got it done at the International Phuket. All up 176k.

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[Olmate]

11 minutes ago, Badrabbit said:

How much does 50 million cover cost? 1.5 million 60k per yr but I am 63.

 

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OP was referring to self insured costs ,not insured folk good luck to them of course!

[Badrabbit]

Yes I know just interested to know the cost of 50 million cover.

OP was referring to self insured costs ,not insured folk good luck to them of course!

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[Joe Mcseismic]

1 hour ago, Badrabbit said:

How much does 50 million cover cost? 1.5 million 60k per yr but I am 63.

 

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Firstly, I have a 100k deductible.

I started off at 57 years old paying over 85k. As there is a no claims bonus that varies between 10% and 20% per annum, my last payment was 57k. I am now 61 years old.

[meand]

3 hours ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

Depends on your insurance. Mine gives up to 50 million per annum. You can get more, or less.

Very reasonable prices at International (Siriroj). I was quoted 300k to have my gall bladder removed at Bumrungrad  in Bangkok.

Got it done at the International Phuket. All up 176k.

We all pay for health. When insurance is involved, we all pay for health AND insurance company overhead and profit. The system has shown to be terribly inefficient by places like the US and their abysmal care quality vs dollars spent. In other words, when insurance is involved we all pay a lot more and get worse care for our money. So how would it "depend"? In a general sense, our money seeps out faster with insuance, and we get worse care for our dollar. 

Edited July 4, 2019 by meand

[Joe Mcseismic]

3 minutes ago, meand said:

We all pay for health. When insurance is involved, we all pay for health AND insurance company overhead and profit. The system has shown to be terribly inefficient by places like the US and their abysmal care quality vs dollars spent. In other words, when insurance is involved we all pay a lot more and get worse care for our money. So how would it "depend"? In a general sense, our money seeps out faster with insuance, and we get worse care for our dollar. 

Huh?

Yes, off course single payer is better and cheaper. Most countries except for the USA have already figured this out, so your post is correct when talking about countries.

As an expat in a country that I'm not entitled to health care, we have two choices. Insurance, or self insure. As I was insured by the company I worked for for many years, everything was taken care of. When I became a self employed contractor at the age of 48, I self insured. As I knew that I was one day going to retire in Phuket, I started insurance.

If you honestly think it is better to self insure in the case of surtgery, or, cancer then you are kidding yourself.

As for what I said about coverage depending on what premiums you want to pay, what is incorrect about that statement?

[Old Croc]

Insurance companies have high overheads and are profit making.

Therefore, they factor into their business model, fees that ensure their income from clients is greater than their payments out. And of course they try to minimize those outwards payments as much as possible to help their bottom line. 

Add to the mix the fact that hospitals have a higher fee structure for insured patients, and that raises the premiums you are charged.  (For that reason it not always a good guide to compare costs of procedures between insured and self-insured patients)

Yes, if a catastrophic, and expensive, health event occurs, having insurance potentially keeps you from parting with large amounts of your own money (I'm making the presumption that you have the funds to self insure, and are not just uninsured because you are broke).

However, if you have been self insured for sufficient time, the savings accumulated will exceed virtually any outgoings a health event may incur, and your money is not paying for company office buildings, inflated wages or executives cars. It's potentially high stakes gambling, but with great savings to be made if your health holds. 

I self insure. I can't get any reasonable insurance here now because of my age, 71, and a myriad of pre-existing conditions. I was over 60 when I came to Thailand and thought premiums expensive then, so declined joining.  I keep close tabs on all costs since my health deteriorated 6 years ago, have done comparisons, and consider myself to be comfortably ahead than if I had been paying for insurance since arriving in Thailand.  

Considering health costs only, I would have been better off staying in Australia, fully protected by it's umbrella of insurances, but I am still far wealthier here because of many other factors.

[xylophone]

On 7/3/2019 at 7:23 PM, Olmate said:

Just spent 24hrs In Int Hospital on Phuket after no joy in 2 gov hospitals,serious pneumonia,more or less ICU,40k baht.Gives you an idea of how quick your self insurance will disappear.Still not back to normal but very smick service and also on the ball re payment.50 % upfront,50% on discharge

I sympathise with you Olmate as I spent four nights/5 days in Bangkok Phuket hospital a few weeks back with pneumonia, complicated by pharyngitis and sinusitis, and I think it was the sinusitis which led to the others.

 

However I was on an IV drip with a couple of antibiotics and I did feel like sh1t although not eating any of the awful hospital food probably contributed to that.

 

Total cost was 130,000 baht, which I thought was quite expensive, however it was covered by my insurance, so perhaps it was loaded because of this.

 

Now I have received my new Aetna health insurance policy quote and it is at 133,000 baht and despite looking around at others, I don't know that I can do any better because at least this policy, which was formerly with BUPA, does cover my pre-existing conditions, so I am between a rock and a hard place, so it looks like Aetna despite other quotes (thank you Sheryl).

[LivinginKata]

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

<snip>

Now I have received my new Aetna health insurance policy quote and it is at 133,000 baht and despite looking around at others, I don't know that I can do any better because at least this policy, which was formerly with BUPA, does cover my pre-existing conditions, so I am between a rock and a hard place, so it looks like Aetna despite other quotes (thank you Sheryl).

 

Yes, we are with Aetna now. My previous Thai company not cover after 60, despite being with them for 15 years and no claims. Then BUPA only one cover for life if sign up before 60.  My premium due in 4 weeks and I have the usual gulp at price increase. 172 K for myself and wife (we ain't no spring chickens) for 2 million each cover. Sure get 10%  discount if pay by date and a 10% cheque rebate for no claims mid term.  

 

Each year I debate with myself go self insure or pay premium. I always pay. Too late self insure as I have blown 2 million baht in premiums over 28 years private insurance. And only 2 minor accident claims over that time. Wife says I should be happy neither of us get sick or big accident. Wife is correct. 

Edited July 6, 2019 by LivinginKata

[Olmate]

3 hours ago, xylophone said:

I sympathise with you Olmate as I spent four nights/5 days in Bangkok Phuket hospital a few weeks back with pneumonia, complicated by pharyngitis and sinusitis, and I think it was the sinusitis which led to the others.

 

However I was on an IV drip with a couple of antibiotics and I did feel like sh1t although not eating any of the awful hospital food probably contributed to that.

 

Total cost was 130,000 baht, which I thought was quite expensive, however it was covered by my insurance, so perhaps it was loaded because of this.

 

Now I have received my new Aetna health insurance policy quote and it is at 133,000 baht and despite looking around at others, I don't know that I can do any better because at least this policy, which was formerly with BUPA, does cover my pre-existing conditions, so I am between a rock and a hard place, so it looks like Aetna despite other quotes (thank you Sheryl).

Funny you say sinusitis cos I think the same ,been a lot better since and have used the experience to load up on my health foods ,protein galore and general shake up.Im way out re cost of the insurance and next signal it’s back to Oz.Cheers