April Insurance

[Felt 35]

Anyone who use them and live in Thailand and can share their experience?

 

Thanks

Felt

[wgdanson]

They will not take anyone over 70.

[Felt 35]

How old can you be for first time policy and if you do it before 60 how long can you renew?

[topt]

On 7/26/2019 at 3:17 PM, Felt 35 said:

How old can you be for first time policy and if you do it before 60 how long can you renew?

Not sure if you are aware but there are potentially 2 different April's. There is the Thai based plan and then the International Plan which I think is run out of the UK. The Ts and Cs of each plan should give you answers and if not I found the customer services/sales of each responded very promptly to questions when I was searching last year. 

[HampiK]

7 hours ago, topt said:

Not sure if you are aware but there are potentially 2 different April's. There is the Thai based plan and then the International Plan which I think is run out of the UK. The Ts and Cs of each plan should give you answers and if not I found the customer services/sales of each responded very promptly to questions when I was searching last year. 

I think April International is based in France,

UK one is Cigna International

 

Try to use the International ones instead of the Thai based!

[BestB]

Been with them for 3 years. Claims are easy and fast. They have office in BKK.

 

Premium up every year, not by much but about 3%-5%

 

i only have Inpatient cover , they paid in full but any medication to take home they do not pay . They also pay for outpatient follow up after hospitalazation up to 6 visits from memory.

 

can pay yearly or every 3 months 

[topt]

5 hours ago, HampiK said:

I think April International is based in France,

UK one is Cigna International

 

Try to use the International ones instead of the Thai based!

You are correct in that they are indeed a French based business but they also presumably have local operations as the person who I dealt with had a UK email and web site and said this in one email-

Quote

Of course if you do wish for our help with anything here at APRIL International UK, f

There are of course many other International plans of which Cigna is but one and totally agree with your reccomendation.

[Sheryl]

20 hours ago, BestB said:

Been with them for 3 years. Claims are easy and fast. They have office in BKK.

 

Premium up every year, not by much but about 3%-5%

 

i only have Inpatient cover , they paid in full but any medication to take home they do not pay . They also pay for outpatient follow up after hospitalazation up to 6 visits from memory.

 

can pay yearly or every 3 months 

 

I have it to (he international one). Very happy with it. I got it through AA Brokers and very happy with them as well.

 

They do cover take home medications but you have to pay first and get reimbursed same as for the follow up visits. Which are unlimited but within the 30 days after discharge. I was fully reimbursed for about 60K baht of discharge meds and follow up OPD visits after a recent hospitalization. Again, I have the international plan, don't know if the Thailand plan differs,

[BestB]

35 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

I have it to (he international one). Very happy with it. I got it through AA Brokers and very happy with them as well.

 

They do cover take home medications but you have to pay first and get reimbursed same as for the follow up visits. Which are unlimited but within the 30 days after discharge. I was fully reimbursed for about 60K baht of discharge meds and follow up OPD visits after a recent hospitalization. Again, I have the international plan, don't know if the Thailand plan differs,

I also have international one. IPD only cover.

Meds to take home after discharge they did not cover in my case, 

[Sheryl]

57 minutes ago, BestB said:

I also have international one. IPD only cover.

Meds to take home after discharge they did not cover in my case, 

 

Any idea why? They normally do.

Paid for it in full for 2 hospitalizations for me.

 

Did you by chance have a deductible? As if so they may deduct from home medication costs  for that.  Other than deductible I can't think why they would nto have paid for your meds.

[BestB]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

 

Any idea why? They normally do.

Paid for it in full for 2 hospitalizations for me.

 

Did you by chance have a deductible? As if so they may deduct from home medication costs  for that.  Other than deductible I can't think why they would nto have paid for your meds.

No deductible . They told me any medication IPD they paid but anything OPD they do not . 

 

Medication in question was pain killers and antibiotics after the surgery.

 

They also covered my follow up visits but not all . From memory they said up to 4-6 but I could be confused and it was indeed 30 days as you mentioned , this is why they only covered some not all. 

 

I was and still happy with service , fast responses , but not the cheapest player on the market . I guess as they say you get what you pay for ????

 

PS. Thinking about it more , I think paying for meds has to do with how doctor fills out the documents. 

Edited July 31, 2019 by BestB

[Felt 35]

Thanks for the replies. Do April demand a physical check up to be approved their insurance plans?

Felt

[BestB]

4 minutes ago, Felt 35 said:

Thanks for the replies. Do April demand a physical check up to be approved their insurance plans?

Felt

No, and very flexible with BMI or at least use to be when i took out my cover.

In my case, i also had shoulder surgery 10 year prior, all other companies excluded shoulder and all related immediately even after were provided with doctors report of all being cleared.

 

April, did not even ask for report, just detailed explanation of what took place and did not exclude it and did not put any loading.

 

When i lodged my first claim for hernia surgery, i was little worried they might start asking questions.

 

Instead i received friendly phone call from the agent in BKK, just confirming i was about to have surgery, which hospital and wished me speedy recovery.

 

About a week after, i received a follow up call, just confirming how surgery went and if i was well and happy(i am guessing this phone call was prior to paying the hospital)

 

Really could not fault anything, besides high premium, haha

[david_je]

On 7/31/2019 at 5:35 AM, Sheryl said:

 

I have it to (he international one). Very happy with it. I got it through AA Brokers and very happy with them as well.

 

They do cover take home medications but you have to pay first and get reimbursed same as for the follow up visits. Which are unlimited but within the 30 days after discharge. I was fully reimbursed for about 60K baht of discharge meds and follow up OPD visits after a recent hospitalization. Again, I have the international plan, don't know if the Thailand plan differs,

Sheryl,

Could you tell us which April international policy you have, whether you elected deductible, what is premium like, etc.? Website shows three choices and lots of possible matching. Would be good to know what kind of policy you believe economically reasonable yet secure for expats in Thailand who also travel abroad.

[Sheryl]

I have the international policy issued out of France, not My Health Thailand.

 

Essential policy or some such name (the level below "Comfort") and a $500 US deductible. It covers me in most countries with a few exceptions (US, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and I forget where else) but will cover those places too for emergency care if trip is less than a certain duration.

 

One warning: my policy pays actual costs of standard room but they have since revised it and newly issued policies apparently limit reimbursement for room charge. No effect for those of us who already have policies but something to consider for those newly considering it i.e. you may want to take higher level policy or else plan on paying extra for room charges. Or get a different policy.

 

April international policies do not meet Thai immigration requirements for OA visa.  I believe a policy from April Thailand can because they are underwritten by one of the "listed" companies, LMG, but should double check that before buying a policy. A big limitation for April Thailand is that they guarantee renewal only to age 90.  Especially if insurance is a visa requirement, that could lead to major problems at an advanced age when you can least handle it.

 

I absolutely do not have the time (nor the training) to serve as an informal insurance broker for TV members. PLEASE work through  ha professional broker.

[pontious]

On 2/4/2020 at 9:59 AM, Sheryl said:

I have the international policy issued out of France, not My Health Thailand.

 

Essential policy or some such name (the level below "Comfort") and a $500 US deductible. It covers me in most countries with a few exceptions (US, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and I forget where else) but will cover those places too for emergency care if trip is less than a certain duration.

 

One warning: my policy pays actual costs of standard room but they have since revised it and newly issued policies apparently limit reimbursement for room charge. No effect for those of us who already have policies but something to consider for those newly considering it i.e. you may want to take higher level policy or else plan on paying extra for room charges. Or get a different policy.

 

April international policies do not meet Thai immigration requirements for OA visa.  I believe a policy from April Thailand can because they are underwritten by one of the "listed" companies, LMG, but should double check that before buying a policy. A big limitation for April Thailand is that they guarantee renewal only to age 90.  Especially if insurance is a visa requirement, that could lead to major problems at an advanced age when you can least handle it.

 

I absolutely do not have the time (nor the training) to serve as an informal insurance broker for TV members. PLEASE work through  ha professional broker.

I am also in April International. I have just spoken to AA Brokers in Hua Hin to clarify the Terms and Conditions dates . They confirm that when new T and C's are issued [ latest are 2020[ the new T and C,s apply to ALL members in April irrespective of the year  they joined April.

Regarding the 'private rooms' situation, as there are so few Twin room  private hospitals in Thailand it has little practical effect. The 75$ would only apply if you were say in Bhumigrad [spelling[ in Bangkok which does have twin rooms then if you went to a private room that 75$ would come into play. Even then they will use the room price and not all the ancillaries that may take it to 8000 Baht. 75$ may mean you will have to maybe pay 700 Baht top up for instance..

[david_je]

Sheryl,

Sorry, did not mean to be seeking broker-like advice. Just interested in your own choice, so I can make a better choice based on your medical savvy. Thanks.

 

[ha55ha]

Hi, I've just read through this thread as I was looking to get health insurance from April. As a 36 year old British national living in Bangkok should I still get the Spril International package over the myHEALTH Thailand package? I'm struggling to find details on why one is better than the other

[BestB]

27 minutes ago, ha55ha said:

Hi, I've just read through this thread as I was looking to get health insurance from April. As a 36 year old British national living in Bangkok should I still get the Spril International package over the myHEALTH Thailand package? I'm struggling to find details on why one is better than the other

The Thai one is much cheaper and offers good coverage , however how is your BMI?

 

i was about to change from international to Thai policy, almost half the price , applied and they cane back with 25% loading because of my BMI and I am not fat, just not a skinny guy, been working out since I was 16 years old, so in the end price difference was only 9000 baht per year , hardly worth it.

 

thai policy is actually good, also group not individual , can have deductible, unlike international policy. 

[sanemax]

6 minutes ago, BestB said:

The Thai one is much cheaper and offers good coverage , however how is your BMI?

 

i was about to change from international to Thai policy, almost half the price , applied and they cane back with 25% loading because of my BMI and I am not fat, just not a skinny guy, been working out since I was 16 years old, so in the end price difference was only 9000 baht per year , hardly worth it.

 

thai policy is actually good, also group not individual , can have deductible, unlike international policy. 

Have you read the small print ?

Some Thai insurance policies can cancel your policy any time they like 

[BestB]

9 hours ago, sanemax said:

Have you read the small print ?

Some Thai insurance policies can cancel your policy any time they like 

This one is actually very good as I said no hidden tricks and no cut off age if joined before certain age. It’s April policy underwritten by LMPG( I think the correct spelling )

[ha55ha]

22 hours ago, BestB said:

The Thai one is much cheaper and offers good coverage , however how is your BMI?

 

i was about to change from international to Thai policy, almost half the price , applied and they cane back with 25% loading because of my BMI and I am not fat, just not a skinny guy, been working out since I was 16 years old, so in the end price difference was only 9000 baht per year , hardly worth it.

 

thai policy is actually good, also group not individual , can have deductible, unlike international policy. 

My BMI should be fine, if anything I'm a bit under weight currently. I'm just looking for an individual policy and for the most basic package. From reading this thread I'm still undure what's the downside to getting the Thailand one over the international one? But if the price is similar it sounds like the International package is a better choice overall

[BestB]

40 minutes ago, ha55ha said:

My BMI should be fine, if anything I'm a bit under weight currently. I'm just looking for an individual policy and for the most basic package. From reading this thread I'm still undure what's the downside to getting the Thailand one over the international one? But if the price is similar it sounds like the International package is a better choice overall

Price is NOT similar . Thai policy is almost half the price

 

in my case , loading is what raised the price . It may not be same in your case

[mduras01]

I’m 45 and chose the international version for two reasons:

 

1. they are regulated by French law, which is far stricter on insurers. Thai law is lenient and insurers can raise your premium considerably every year, depending on your claims. 
 

2. They do not exclude anywhere like Thai policies do, or have a probationary period of 1-2 years like Thai policies. If you look at the Thai version, the level of questioning on the application borders on Gustapo-style interrogation, compared to the French version.

 

I assume this is where French law kicks in.

 

I used to have Cigna, Aetna, and Pacific Cross.

 

April has been superior so far.

Edited July 5, 2020 by mduras01
Spelling

[BobBKK]

I just started a thread about April and noticed this one. HUGE price hike this year - no claims.

[pontious]

7 hours ago, BobBKK said:

I just started a thread about April and noticed this one. HUGE price hike this year - no claims.

Do you mean the Thai one or the international one based in France.? They are very different.

[Ray394]

On 7/31/2019 at 5:35 AM, Sheryl said:

 

I have it to (he international one). Very happy with it. I got it through AA Brokers and very happy with them as well.

 

They do cover take home medications but you have to pay first and get reimbursed same as for the follow up visits. Which are unlimited but within the 30 days after discharge. I was fully reimbursed for about 60K baht of discharge meds and follow up OPD visits after a recent hospitalization. Again, I have the international plan, don't know if the Thailand plan differs,

My AA broker also introduced me April international. But there's a big note saying 'treatment exceeding $2,000 needs prior approval from the company'. Is yours also have the same policy? If yes, how easy is the approval process? 

[Sheryl]

43 minutes ago, Ray394 said:

My AA broker also introduced me April international. But there's a big note saying 'treatment exceeding $2,000 needs prior approval from the company'. Is yours also have the same policy? If yes, how easy is the approval process? 

 

Pretty much all insurers require pre-approval for hospitalizations. In an emergency can inform them after arrival at the hospital but should be within 24 hours.

 

Also, for direct billing (payment of the hospital by the insurer, leaving you out of it except for any deductible - definitely the preferred arrangement) the hospital has to submit some paperwork (treatment plan,  estimated cost etc) to the insurer which then provides them with a "Guarantee of Payment" and most private hospitals  will not want to treat - at least not for anything costly - until they get the GOP. This process takes a few hours at least (and speediness may depend on the hospital at least as much as the insurer i.e. some are better than others at churning out the paperwork).

 

Should you be in a government hospital it will usually nto be possible to get a GOP and you'll have to pay and be reimbursed afterwards, not because of the insurer but because the hospitals don't have the capacity and staff to handle it and set up diorect billing. Possibly the really big ones in Bangkok differ in this regard, I don't know.

 

In my case the hospital took care of contacting the insurer. We got the go-ahead in about 4-6 hours (on a Sunday). As I needed immediate surgery the hospital gave me the option of making a deposit with my credit card  pending the insurance authorization or else delaying the surgery by several hours,  I chose the former (turned out to have been a wise move, medically) and when the insurance OK came through they tore up the credit card deposit.  For a planned hospitalization of course no problem.  In an emergency  the hospital might ask you to front a deposit to cover the initial costs pending the insurance OK especially if something costly like surgery is needed right away.

 

 

[BobBKK]

On 7/14/2020 at 4:50 PM, pontious said:

Do you mean the Thai one or the international one based in France.? They are very different.

AA Insurance arranged it and prices for both the same 57k to 93k. Now with Pacific Cross 45k.

[Ray394]

On 7/30/2020 at 9:59 PM, Sheryl said:

 

Pretty much all insurers require pre-approval for hospitalizations. In an emergency can inform them after arrival at the hospital but should be within 24 hours.

 

Also, for direct billing (payment of the hospital by the insurer, leaving you out of it except for any deductible - definitely the preferred arrangement) the hospital has to submit some paperwork (treatment plan,  estimated cost etc) to the insurer which then provides them with a "Guarantee of Payment" and most private hospitals  will not want to treat - at least not for anything costly - until they get the GOP. This process takes a few hours at least (and speediness may depend on the hospital at least as much as the insurer i.e. some are better than others at churning out the paperwork).

 

Should you be in a government hospital it will usually nto be possible to get a GOP and you'll have to pay and be reimbursed afterwards, not because of the insurer but because the hospitals don't have the capacity and staff to handle it and set up diorect billing. Possibly the really big ones in Bangkok differ in this regard, I don't know.

 

In my case the hospital took care of contacting the insurer. We got the go-ahead in about 4-6 hours (on a Sunday). As I needed immediate surgery the hospital gave me the option of making a deposit with my credit card  pending the insurance authorization or else delaying the surgery by several hours,  I chose the former (turned out to have been a wise move, medically) and when the insurance OK came through they tore up the credit card deposit.  For a planned hospitalization of course no problem.  In an emergency  the hospital might ask you to front a deposit to cover the initial costs pending the insurance OK especially if something costly like surgery is needed right away.

 

 

Hi Sheryl, so April came back with the offer and they will cover my existing conditions with higher quote but there's a condition saying '50% increased Medical expenses' do you know what does this mean? I emailed back to April but they takes more than 3 weeks to reply.... ???? just want to know if it's a common terms in insurance world, cause I don't know if that's benefit to us or them.