elite visa versus health insurance

[andy72]

with the announcement of new health insurance requirements

ie over 50 non o-a visa

 

for many the cost of insurance will be too costly

plus will some even get insurance with pre existing conditions

 

what is it $15k for 5 years 

might be a valid option for some 

READ HERE 5 YEAR VISA
 

[Caldera]

Give it some time. They might well add the very same health insurance requirement for 1-year elite visa stays in the future.

[bbi1]

Yep, an Elite visa is what a smart cookie who's on a retirement visa suggested as being similar costs to a retirement visa. Old folks better switch to an Elite visa these days to be on the safe side since they are apparently similar in cost.

[gk10002000]

Yep, the total cost is about the same.  Now if one has decent insurance in their home country and barring major issues could fly home for treatment, going the Elite route can be competitive, especially since that tgia website to buy the insurance I think is going to require the yearly premium paid up front at once and not via monthly payments.

[JohnnyBKK]

Everybody on elite is smart enough and rich enough to already have insurance...

[jacko45k]

13 minutes ago, JohnnyBKK said:

Everybody on elite is smart enough and rich enough to already have insurance...

Then no problem whatsoever making it obligatory.

[ubonjoe]

A off topic inflammatory post has been removed.

[abrahamzvi]

Although the Elite Visa for 5 years, or even 20 years may be the right venue for some, it is stupid to compare this to Health Insurance. Health Insurance covers  medical costs and even if one enjoys the benefits of an Elite Visa, such costs may still be incurred.

[BritManToo]

11 minutes ago, abrahamzvi said:

Although the Elite Visa for 5 years, or even 20 years may be the right venue for some, it is stupid to compare this to Health Insurance. Health Insurance covers  medical costs and even if one enjoys the benefits of an Elite Visa, such costs may still be incurred.

Most of us would have many exclusions making health insurance effectively worthless.

[stevecarteraus]

I have the 5 year one currently, the cost was 100,000b per year. because I’m not full time my annual travel insurance covers me. Once I go full time living here I don’t know that a deciding factor on another elite visa will be health insurance. More likely not doing the annual renewal dance etc is more to mind, and the exchange rate when it falls due.

[cerox]

Assuming that "one day" health insurance will be required for all non-immigrant visas and extensions, who says it will not be necessary for Elite too?

 

I am not sure why some think the cost is almost the same. Retirement visa is only 1900 THB yearly if I understand it correctly. The bank "frozen money" is your money, you leave it is your money. Elite is money spent and gone forever.

[Max69xl]

Up to 65 years of age,the price for the health insurance is affordable and no check up at a hospital/clinic when applying is needed, but from 66 years of age a check up is mandatory and the prices goes up. 

[Max69xl]

5 hours ago, JohnnyBKK said:

Everybody on elite is smart enough and rich enough to already have insurance...

I wouldn't call it "smart" to pay 100000 baht/year for a Visa. 

[Why Me]

1 minute ago, Max69xl said:

I wouldn't call it "smart" to pay 100000 baht/year for a Visa. 

It's all relative. Some people take a cab to where they can get by bus. Some spend 500b on meals when they can fill up street food at a fifth of the cost.

 

There's lots of people for whom 100,000b/year to kiss IO hassles goodbye is peanuts for a good cause.

[gk10002000]

8 hours ago, abrahamzvi said:

Although the Elite Visa for 5 years, or even 20 years may be the right venue for some, it is stupid to compare this to Health Insurance. Health Insurance covers  medical costs and even if one enjoys the benefits of an Elite Visa, such costs may still be incurred.

But the point is many Elite holders would already have insurance from their home countries or good international policies, or would be quite content to self insure and then fly home for any long term care or some special care or treatment they would prefer not to do in Thailand.  That is certainly the category I would be in.  I have and will have full and complete health insurance in the USA.  While in Thailand for months or maybe a year, I have no desire and no personal need to purchase anything insurance wise in Thailand. 

[gk10002000]

3 hours ago, cerox said:

Assuming that "one day" health insurance will be required for all non-immigrant visas and extensions, who says it will not be necessary for Elite too?

 

I am not sure why some think the cost is almost the same. Retirement visa is only 1900 THB yearly if I understand it correctly. The bank "frozen money" is your money, you leave it is your money. Elite is money spent and gone forever.

How many of you have taken the 800,000 baht out and left the country?  Obviously a few days of ATM withdrawals is possible towards the end of your stay.  Transfers out are not mentioned as much as transfers in. 

[onera1961]

6 hours ago, cerox said:

Assuming that "one day" health insurance will be required for all non-immigrant visas and extensions, who says it will not be necessary for Elite too?

I don't think elite will ever require insurance. It is like a Tourist visa that will never require insurance. They may tag an extra fee to the departure tax for a general accident insurance in the future which was delayed for now. The health minsitry is worried about old people dying in hospital after racking up huge awmount of hospital bills and the incidence will increase exponentially as many more older people will start dying. Hence, the requirement for insurnace. Moreover, most countries that have retirment visas do require health insurance. So it is nothing new. 

[onera1961]

2 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

I have and will have full and complete health insurance in the USA. 

You can get a catastrophic health insurance with high deductible. Once you meet the deductible, there is no limit. It will come with a HSA account where you can put pre tax money up to IRS limit to meet deductible. I have one like from UHC and they are usually cheaper both as a single or group insurance compared to other types of PPOs or HMOs.

[CrossBones]

On 10/10/2019 at 11:36 AM, Caldera said:

Give it some time. They might well add the very same health insurance requirement for 1-year elite visa stays in the future.

there is a one year elite visa?

[Jingthing]

there is a one year elite visa?

No.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Nyezhov]

On 10/10/2019 at 7:20 PM, Max69xl said:

I wouldn't call it "smart" to pay 100000 baht/year for a Visa. 

Can't afford it then?

[Pravda]

Can you apply for elite visa from your home country? 

 

I mean what if I come on tourist visa amd get denied an entry...how can I apply for it outside Thailand? 

[Jingthing]

2 hours ago, Pravda said:

Can you apply for elite visa from your home country? 

 

I mean what if I come on tourist visa amd get denied an entry...how can I apply for it outside Thailand? 

Sort of.

You can apply for and purchase an ELITE CARD membership from your home country.

The Elite visa itself will then be obtained when you enter Thailand.

You coordinate all of that with the Elite card organization. 

[Jingthing]

On 10/11/2019 at 1:25 AM, onera1961 said:

I don't think elite will ever require insurance. It is like a Tourist visa that will never require insurance. They may tag an extra fee to the departure tax for a general accident insurance in the future which was delayed for now. The health minsitry is worried about old people dying in hospital after racking up huge awmount of hospital bills and the incidence will increase exponentially as many more older people will start dying. Hence, the requirement for insurnace. Moreover, most countries that have retirment visas do require health insurance. So it is nothing new. 

I wouldn't say most. Most countries don't have formal retirement visa programs at all. I haven't done a full accounting of those that do but generally some do and some don't. 

 

I don't know how you or anyone else can know whether the Elite card based visas will eventually require health insurance or not, especially for older people. 

 

Consider that many older people may switch to the Elite program especially if it turns out that people applying for retirement extensions will be subject to the requirement. It's silly to assume everyone that pays for an Elite membership is actually wealthy or will have insurance cover. The authorities if they don't know that already will learn that eventually and then there is no reason to assume they wouldn't take similar steps aimed at the "Elite" crowd. There are no guarantees offered by the Elite program as far as being protected by future rule changes.

[Jingthing]

On 10/10/2019 at 1:33 PM, JohnnyBKK said:

Everybody on elite is smart enough and rich enough to already have insurance...

Sarcasm?

[ukrules]

On 10/10/2019 at 1:33 PM, JohnnyBKK said:

Everybody on elite is smart enough and rich enough to already have insurance...

I certainly do.

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, ukrules said:

I certainly do.

So what?
If a large percentage of people currently on retirement extensions switch to the Elite because of issues with the health insurance requirement, it's only logical that a large percentage of those people won't be meeting that requirement for the Elite program IF it becomes one. It's totally obvious to me. So people will be seeking a loophole that may actually be QUICKSAND. 

[ukrules]

9 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

So what?
If a large percentage of people currently on retirement extensions switch to the Elite because of issues with the health insurance requirement, it's only logical that a large percentage of those people won't be meeting that requirement for the Elite program IF it becomes one. It's totally obvious to me. So people will be seeking a loophole that may actually be QUICKSAND. 

Maybe, I have health insurance in case I have health problems so it's not a visa thing for me.

[Caldera]

6 hours ago, CrossBones said:

there is a one year elite visa?

No. But whenever you arrive on an elite visa, you get stamped in for one year.

 

As with the 1-year permission to stay based on having a Non-OA visa, they COULD enforce the same health insurance requirement when stamping in an elite visa holder in the future - all it takes is another police order. That was my point, there's no guarantee that this won't happen eventually.

[lupin]

5 hours ago, Caldera said:

No. But whenever you arrive on an elite visa, you get stamped in for one year.

 

As with the 1-year permission to stay based on having a Non-OA visa, they COULD enforce the same health insurance requirement when stamping in an elite visa holder in the future - all it takes is another police order. That was my point, there's no guarantee that this won't happen eventually.

I'm almost positive that would take more than a police order since the PE visas are a subcategory of the tourist visa class.... the regulations already exist for NON O, that's why a police order was all that was needed for the OA announcement since the OA is a subcat or the NON O