Which foreign health insurance companies are accepted for Non-Immigrant Visa “O-A” (Long Stay)

[stat]

Any experience feedback is greatly appreciated which health insurance companies were

 

 

1. willing to sign the necessary paperwork confirming the health insurance scheme with 2 directors signing for it

2. accepted by which embassy for the longstay visa

3. finally accepted by immigration officer in Thailand at immigration checkpoint

 

Additional plus would be information on price of insurance and age of applicant to decide which company is best.

 

I am looking to get approval from the German embassy in Berlin and will write then when I am certain in which year I will use the visa.

 

[Haribo]

I think you mean the german embassy in Bangkok or the thai embassy in Berlin. But there is no german embassy in Berlin.

???? 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I believe there was a recent post here in another related thread on a German citizen who claimed they were able to get some German insurer to sign the foreign insurance certificate for use with the Thai Embassy or Consulate there....

 

I'm searching via Google for the post I'm recalling, but can't find it. It was a very brief comment of someone saying they'd managed to get a foreign insurance certificate signed by their insurer, and I'm pretty sure they mentioned the particular name of the insurer, that being one in Germany, as best as I can recall.

 

Edited November 16, 2019 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[stat]

6 hours ago, Haribo said:

I think you mean the german embassy in Bangkok or the thai embassy in Berlin. But there is no german embassy in Berlin.

???? 

Yeah sorry I mean the thai embassy in Berlin ????

[sunnyboy2018]

I have international BUPA. Will that be acceptable?

[Langsuan Man]

5 hours ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

I have international BUPA. Will that be acceptable?

Is it on the list ?  If not, then NO

[roobaa01]

6 hours ago, stat said:

Yeah sorry I mean the thai embassy in Berlin ????

hanse merkur does sign the certificate but only valid for 1 year , thereafter you are requested a thai insurance. better apply for a non-o 90 days or non-o multiple entry both require no insurance.

 

wbr

roobaa01

[Expattaff1308]

So not only telling you you must have insurance but telling where you must buy it with their inflated premiums, seems the chosen few will be quids in.

Why would it matter to them where you got your insurance other than to capitalize on the inflated premiums they offer. 

Edited November 17, 2019 by Expattaff1308

[stat]

9 hours ago, roobaa01 said:

hanse merkur does sign the certificate but only valid for 1 year , thereafter you are requested a thai insurance. better apply for a non-o 90 days or non-o multiple entry both require no insurance.

 

wbr

roobaa01

Thanks for the information regarding Hanse Merkur!

Was the certificate accepted at embassy and did you manage to get past immigration with the health insurance certificate?

 

Not even sure if I will stay longer then one year so will go for longstay but thanks for pointing out the alternative. Main reason for sticking with longstay is that I do not need to do visa runs that take a full day each and cost additional money.

[CMBob]

22 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

Is it on the list ?  If not, then NO

The Thai Embassy site in the US (consistent with a letter sent out by the US State Department) clearly states that the long-stay health insurance requirement for an O-A visa can be satisfied by coverage from a Thai or foreign insurance company so long as the insurance company signs the form that the required coverage (400 k in-patient, 40k out-patient) has been provided for the stay time period.  You can read the clear requirements (see specifically Sections 8, 8.1, and 8.2) here:  OA Visa Requirements  

 

So, yes, at least in the US (I didn't research other Thai embassies' requirements), a foreign insurer not on the so-called "approved list" is acceptable.  The new long-stay health insurance requirements are rather minimal and I would think (hope?) that the same coverage provided by a foreign insurer would be cheaper than what's being charged by the approved Thai companies.

[Fore Man]

Sorry to pour cold water onto the topic, but one of my European friends just went through a very unsettling experience at Chiang Mai Immigration. He holds an original 0-A visa issued outside of ThaIland and fell under the new regulation compelling him to have health insurance. He already has a foreign policy issued by a major international insurer that clearly shows $2 million in maximum coverages, far exceeding the new Thai requirement.  When he showed his policy to Immigration, the official brusquely shoved it aside and handed over a list of 14 eligible Thai insurers that must be used to meet the insurance requirement.  He said that international coverage is not permitted. Actually the original announcement in Thai signed by a police general in Bangkok does mention that foreign insurance can be used if it exceeds Thai coverage, but Chiang Mai officials have decided not to ignore that order and disallow such coverage. Furthermore my friend contacted several of the listed 14 Thai companies and each one told him that he is uninsurable because of his age (late 60s).   <deleted>?
 

it is time for our respective embassies to step in to plead for fair play in how their citizens living in Thailand are being treated.  This refusal by Chiang Mai immigration authorities to allow adequate international insurance coverage clearly indicates the massive Thai shakedown for what it truly is: a conspiratorial scam that the Kingdom ought to be ashamed of foisting on older expatriate retirees who clearly can take care of their own needs. 

[Sheryl]

23 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

Is it on the list ?  If not, then NO

For initial issuance of visa it will be accepted if they sign the "certificate".  Some places are accepting policy documents without "certificate" since most companies won't sign the latter.

 

There was indeed a report from someone with a German insurance policy that agreed to sign the certificate. I think company name began with an H? I'll see if I can find it.

 

This will only suffice for the first year though. Unless things change between now and then you won't be able to get an additional year out of that visa unless you buy local insurance. But you could go back to Germany and get a new OA.

 

Immigration at entry point is supposed to accept anyone with the requisite Embassy/Consulate notation on their visa.  

 

Embassies/Consulates are supposed to acvept any foreign polucy that signs the certificate. As mentioned some agree to accept policy document if cannot get the certificate but this may vary with place. Obviously any such policy will have to include outpatient coverage.

[Sheryl]

53 minutes ago, CMBob said:

The new long-stay health insurance requirements are rather minimal and I would think (hope?) that the same coverage provided by a foreign insurer would be cheaper than what's being charged by the approved Thai companies.

The problem is the OPD requirement. Foreign policies don't offer 40k baht OPD. They usually either offer inpatient only, inpatient plus OPD only for selected high cost things (cancer treatment, dialysis, day surgery etc) or inpatient plus complete OPD cover up to the polucy maximum which is usually 1 million US. Inclusion of complete OPD cover typically doubles premiums.

[fulhamster]

11 minutes ago, Fore Man said:

Sorry to pour cold water onto the topic, but one of my European friends just went through a very unsettling experience at Chiang Mai Immigration. He holds an original 0-A visa issued outside of ThaIland and fell under the new regulation compelling him to have health insurance. He already has a foreign policy issued by a major international insurer that clearly shows $2 million in maximum coverages, far exceeding the new Thai requirement.  When he showed his policy to Immigration, the official brusquely shoved it aside and handed over a list of 14 eligible Thai insurers that must be used to meet the insurance requirement.  He said that international coverage is not permitted. Actually the original announcement in Thai signed by a police general in Bangkok does mention that foreign insurance can be used if it exceeds Thai coverage, but Chiang Mai officials have decided not to ignore that order and disallow such coverage. Furthermore my friend contacted several of the listed 14 Thai companies and each one told him that he is uninsurable because of his age (late 60s).   <deleted>?
 

it is time for our respective embassies to step in to plead for fair play in how their citizens living in Thailand are being treated.  This refusal by Chiang Mai immigration authorities to allow adequate international insurance coverage clearly indicates the massive Thai shakedown for what it truly is: a conspiratorial scam that the Kingdom ought to be ashamed of foisting on older expatriate retirees who clearly can take care of their own needs. 

Sounds like Chiang Mai immigration are now also insurance salesmen !!

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

The problem is the OPD requirement. Foreign policies don't offer 40k baht OPD. They usually either offer inpatient only, inpatient plus OPD only for selected high cost things (cancer treatment, dialysis, day surgery etc) or inpatient plus complete OPD cover up to the polucy maximum which is usually 1 million US. Inclusion of complete OPD cover typically doubles premiums.

Your post made me look at my current domestic policy. I declined OPD, but had I accepted it the premium would have been 22500 baht p.a. more, which offered 2000 baht cover per visit, up to 30 visits p.a. You can see why I turned it down! But would this meet the Non-Imm-O-A requirement of 40,000 for OPD cover? How does that define max per visit or number of visits?

[Sheryl]

They define by maxium baht amount not number of visits. So 30 visits at up to 2000 baht each = 60,000 = meets (exceeds) requirement.

 

Problem for people with international policies is they don't offer such low cover.

[roobaa01]

13 hours ago, stat said:

Thanks for the information regarding Hanse Merkur!

Was the certificate accepted at embassy and did you manage to get past immigration with the health insurance certificate?

 

Not even sure if I will stay longer then one year so will go for longstay but thanks for pointing out the alternative. Main reason for sticking with longstay is that I do not need to do visa runs that take a full day each and cost additional money.

1. it is written clearly in the police order non-oa issue after the 31.10.19 for 1 rst year foreign insurance policies are accepted. no i did not enter the country as i stay here on marriage extension. a member in this german forum nittaya.de posted about hanse merkur.

2. you miss out on the fact that non-o's can be converted into extensions of stay 12 months plus multiple re-entry total cost thb 5700, serving in the same way as non-oa. thereto no health insurance issue. anyway you pay about euro 150 thb 5025 visa fees in germany.

 

wbr

roobaa01

[rwill]

If you already have insurance and can get it approved for the visa run with it.  Otherwise your best option is to go with one of the companies approved for the extensions.  Otherwise you will have to change insurance again anyway.  Pacific Cross offers the widest range of plans approved for O-A extensions.

[JimHuaHin]

I must admit that this is all becoming rather annoying and stressful.

 

Before I left Australia 7 years ago, I took out a 1 year travel insurance policy, which included comprehensive health insurance.

 

Just before that policy ran out, I searched for a comprehensive health insurance policy.  I found all the various policies offerred by Thai companies to be somewhat expensive, comared to what I had to pay in Australia.  I then looked at various overseas companies which offered overseas coverage.  Eventually I found a US-based company which offered global health coverage, in all but 10 advanced expensive countries.  This was encouraging as I planned to travel overseas during my Thai retirement, and this company would cover me during such travels, while Thai-based companies would not.  The other greart thing about this company's policy was that it provided more coverage at a cheaper price that the Thai-based companies I consulted.  So, I took out a policy, which I have maintained for the past 6 years.

 

I sent US-based company the required "Overseas Insurance Certificate" a few weeks ago, but am still waiting for the signed certificate to be returned, although the company has acknowledged receipt of my communication!!

 

The other problem is that your health insurance coverage and the retirement visa must align in their covergae dates.  So unless you pay your insurance a few months in advance, and you can get all the required documents from the insurance company within a few weeks of the time your have to renew your visa, you have problem.

 

I have no objections to having health insurance in Thailand; but the new requirements seem to make life much more difficult for many of us living peacefully in Thailand.

 

 

 

 

[Fore Man]

18 minutes ago, JimHuaHin said:

I must admit that this is all becoming rather annoying and stressful.

 

Before I left Australia 7 years ago, I took out a 1 year travel insurance policy, which included comprehensive health insurance.

 

Just before that policy ran out, I searched for a comprehensive health insurance policy.  I found all the various policies offerred by Thai companies to be somewhat expensive, comared to what I had to pay in Australia.  I then looked at various overseas companies which offered overseas coverage.  Eventually I found a US-based company which offered global health coverage, in all but 10 advanced expensive countries.  This was encouraging as I planned to travel overseas during my Thai retirement, and this company would cover me during such travels, while Thai-based companies would not.  The other greart thing about this company's policy was that it provided more coverage at a cheaper price that the Thai-based companies I consulted.  So, I took out a policy, which I have maintained for the past 6 years.

 

I sent US-based company the required "Overseas Insurance Certificate" a few weeks ago, but am still waiting for the signed certificate to be returned, although the company has acknowledged receipt of my communication!!

 

The other problem is that your health insurance coverage and the retirement visa must align in their covergae dates.  So unless you pay your insurance a few months in advance, and you can get all the required documents from the insurance company within a few weeks of the time your have to renew your visa, you have problem.

 

I have no objections to having health insurance in Thailand; but the new requirements seem to make life much more difficult for many of us living peacefully in Thailand.

 

 

 

 

I think the issue for many retirees will be that they will not be insurable by Thai companies for reasons of age or pre-existing conditions, or that the premiums would be so inflated by surcharges as to make it financially impossible for the average retiree to procure the required amounts of coverage. His life would be callously uprooted and he or she forced from his home and family in Thailand. I have always considered that Thailand was a nation that embedded strong family values, but that belief has been utterly dashed now. 
 

Then there is the plight of US military retirees, of which I am one, that I’ve posted about previously. Our sizeable population in Thailand is covered by the US Department of Defense Tricare system with an annual catastrophic cap in place of $3,000.  Once a beneficiary exceeds that cap, all of his care for the remainder of that year is free of charge. I know of a retired Navy sailor who was stricken with stage 4 melanoma of the scalp at age 76 which had spread to his liver. He was cured totally by infusions of a new immunotherapy drug that cost US$10,000 per infusion treatment, required every three weeks for 18 months.  Some $300,000 in all after adding in his other medical costs. Tricare paid every cent after the fellow met his annual cap over those two years.  With almost any form of private coverage...Thai or international...he would have been bankrupted because such coverage would never be adequate.  Thankfully, I am aware that our government is fully aware of the Thai insurance mandate for certain categories of Americans living here and is seeking an acceptable outcome with its governmental counterparts.

[madisongy]

Well, isn't this new requirement just grand!!   I am in the enviable position of just starting my OA application, so looks like I'm about a month late to the party since I looked at the new requirements. Immediately logged onto TV for advice.

 

I have a very comprehensive Aetna health insurance policy in the US.  Saw Aetna on the list of the Thai companies providing the insurance.   Wrote to them to ask if the policy I have in the US will fulfill this requirement.  I feel a runaround coming on.

 

Anyone have any information on the cost of these Thai based policies??    Criminy.

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, madisongy said:

Anyone have any information on the cost of these Thai based policies?? 

You can find info here on the site for insurance. https://longstay.tgia.org/home/companiesoa

[madisongy]

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You can find info here on the site for insurance. https://longstay.tgia.org/home/companiesoa

Thanks very much Ubonjoe.   You were so incredibly helpful when I got the oa last year.  Unfortunately, that one lapsed in February as I was back in the US caring for sick parents.   Finally have a new opportunity to return, and found this new requirement.  I figured it would be a simple issue of duplicating the documents from my last application.  

I did find the following, so I know I'm looking at another $800/year if I cannot work something else out...........but lots of questions on this so heading to the link you provided.  

 

 

[oslooskar]

28 minutes ago, madisongy said:

Anyone have any information on the cost of these Thai based policies??    Criminy.

If you're between 76 and 80 years of age it looks like it will run about 81,000 baht a year. If you're you're between 71 and 75 it's around 69,500 baht a year----at least according to the chart I'm looking at.

 

My Kaiser Permanente Plan, that covers me here in Thailand, costs me only $1272.00 U.S. dollars a year, which is about 38,460 baht.

 

[madisongy]

52 minutes ago, oslooskar said:

If you're between 76 and 80 years of age it looks like it will run about 81,000 baht a year. If you're you're between 71 and 75 it's around 69,500 baht a year----at least according to the chart I'm looking at.

 

My Kaiser Permanente Plan, that covers me here in Thailand, costs me only $1272.00 U.S. dollars a year, which is about 38,460 baht.

Thanks for that.  I read elsewhere that the cheapest eligible Pacific Plan is the Standard Extra policy, so 42,000 baht at minimum for me.  I need to find the absolute cheapest plan, since I will be using my Aetna Global policy when I'm in Bkk.   I've got an email into Aetna Thailand right now to see if they will provide the document based on the Aetna policy I already have.   Of course, I tried a similar move with my US Citibank account, and when I tried to do some business at Citi Thailand, they told me that they are considered separate companies.  

Someone mentioned an O visa as an option since my wife is Thai.   There is no insurance requirement, but the visa is only good for 90 days?   Not sure how that's an option. 

[Bogbrush]

Here’s a plan: keep your overseas policy and take out Pacific Cross - 53 000 baht for 65/70 yrs old, and will go up to 90 yrs thereafter. Then take the 50% deductible (of the 400 000 baht cover, you will waive the first 300 000 baht) so the premium is now 25 000 baht a year with a further 10% off the next two years for no claims dropping to 20% third year. 
 

When/if needed, fall back on the overseas policy for treatment; PC have no objection to you holding 2 policies as long as you only claim on one.

 

It’s all a pain I know, but 25 000 baht extra for someone who has to keep 800 000 baht on tap, it’s not a killer. You’ll need a medical, estimated by PC to cost between 6/10k..

[holy cow cm]

46 minutes ago, Bogbrush said:

You’ll need a medical, estimated by PC to cost between 6/10k.

What does that mean?

[Arndt777]

I agree! Me and my (German) wife will go the same way. We both have unlimited and worldwide health insurance already. On the one hand the additional health insurance with Pacific Cross is wasted money, but on the other hand it is the admission ticket to a retirement in Thailand...

[Bogbrush]

6 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

What does that mean?

It means you’ll need a medical prior to acceptance if you are 65+. Its quite extensive (includes chest X-ray/mammogram and blood work) and no doubt will involve non-coverage for existing conditions but as the whole point of my plan is to rely on your overseas cover it’s merely a paper exercise..

[holy cow cm]

55 minutes ago, Bogbrush said:

You’ll need a medical, estimated by PC to cost between 6/10k

If it is a full check up then not interested as I will never use the insurance anyway.

 

Can you or anyone tell me which insurance companies on the list do not require a medical? I'm just interested in filling out an application online and then paying online as no more than that.