Invasive questions for health insurance - Legal requirement?

[Crossy]

I'm in the process of sorting new medical insurance, my existing policy is becoming rather too expensive and I don't travel or do site work nearly as much as i did.

 

So the nice lady from <insert name of insurance company> sent me a questionaire, most of the questions are no issue but a few I find invasive and irrelevant.

 

When questioned she informed me that they are a Thai legal requirement. Of course no reference to the law in question was ever forthcoming.

 

So are these relevant to MY application for medical?

Are they actually a legal requirement?

 

-          Highest level of education & qualification:

-          Previous occupation responsibility before coming to Thailand:

-          Annual income before coming to Thailand:

-          Birthdate of spouse:

-          Annual income of spouse:

-          Spouse’s Occupation & responsibilities:

-          How long have you been married:

-          Have children:

-          (If have) Birthdate of children:

-          Address of spouse:

-          Company address of spouse:

 

[jvs]

11 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

-          Highest level of education & qualification:

-          Previous occupation responsibility before coming to Thailand:

-          Annual income before coming to Thailand:

-          Birthdate of spouse:

-          Annual income of spouse:

-          Spouse’s Occupation & responsibilities:

-          How long have you been married:

-          Have children:

-          (If have) Birthdate of children:

-          Address of spouse:

-          Company address of spouse:

 

Yes i find this rather invasive also,things you did before coming to Thailand are totally irrelevant and

how would they ever check this?

What if you are not married?Or she does not work?

If you do not fill this out however could this be a reason to reject your application?Or even worse,reject a claim you will make later?

Immigration has asked me before about my parents name and occupation,they died a long time ago so what is the use?

THailand likes a lot of paperwork and even more stamps,i guess not much we can do about it.

Then again,when i moved to France a long time ago they wanted me to fill out some forms in threefold,i got to keep one,they kept one and one they put in the wastepaper basket.

I asked why three?It is the law they  said.

[tonray]

I don't know if they are legally required but they certainly all fit in under what undwerwriters need to determine your risk and therefore premiums. These are standard underwriter questions for example...if you were a welder prior to coming to Thailand...likelly to have eye issues, affecting your insurability....annual income...people with higher income levels are generally healthier and require less emergency health care visits, etc etc.

 

While not legally required or not, they certainly can deny you coverage based upon your answers or your refusal to answer is what she likely means.

[Crossy]

@tonray , yes I can go with the "previous occupation" question, what you say makes sense. Thanks.

 

Maybe asking for my qualifications is relevant.

 

But what about all the stuff about my wife, they're not insuring her.

 

Oddly enough, they've not asked about my income in Thailand, just what I was earning in 2004 before I came here.

 

[4MyEgo]

29 minutes ago, Crossy said:

So are these relevant to MY application for medical?

Are they actually a legal requirement?

Ummm, the more information they have that is not relevant to medical insurance, tells me they will be on selling your information, those questions have nothing to do with health insurance policies if because your asking. If it's a Thai insurer, I would steer clear as I have heard stories they don't pay up, can't confirm that, but have heard.

 

Try AA Insurance Brokers, they are great at finding reputable insurers with less questions and cheaper than most, and they pay up from what I have been told, AA Insurance Brokers have a good reputation amongst expats, if you like I can PM you my contact or just Google them.

 

My wife used to get calls from other insurance companies for the car when we switched, now where did they get her information from, no privacy, but since we went with AA, no calls, the fact that her information gets forwarded to others was of concern.

[Pib]

I highly doubt many of those questions are legal requirements; instead purely information gathering for other purposes such as marketing, underwriting.  Purely info that particular company wants to collect on you....just their policy; not a law.

 

Over the years in Thailand I've notice many "registration/signup documents" for bank accts and even simple membership cards for some commercial store like Lotus, Big C, Central, etc., would ask for similar info such as education level, annual income, etc.  I almost always left most of those entries blank and it had no effect on me getting that bank acct opened, that membership card, etc. 

 

[tonray]

37 minutes ago, Crossy said:

@tonray , yes I can go with the "previous occupation" question, what you say makes sense. Thanks.

 

Maybe asking for my qualifications is relevant.

 

But what about all the stuff about my wife, they're not insuring her.

 

Oddly enough, they've not asked about my income in Thailand, just what I was earning in 2004 before I came here.

 

I don't fully know the underwriter's bible...but I used to do IT work for a company that insured the Aerospace industry...and while working in an about their office I was privy to some documents and some of the questions regarding the insuring of Satellites for example might have seemed very off the wall..but somehow and someway the actuaries and the underwriters have figured out mathematically that certain things about your wife may affect your health. For example, your wife works in a factory with various shift changes, which may in turn affect your sleep patterns...etc etc etc....it never ends. I envision a day when all info about us will be embedded in a chip and the chip gets automatically updated to where we have been and what we have been doing....sci fi stuff but we are getting closer every day.

[Crossy]

5 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Try AA Insurance Brokers, they are great at finding reputable insurers with less questions and cheaper than most, and they pay up from what I have been told, AA Insurance Brokers have a good reputation amongst expats, if you like I can PM you my contact or just Google them.

 

Thanks for that. AA responded very quickly with plans for April (LMG) and Pacific Cross.

 

And guess what, neither application form contains any of my worrisome questions ????

 

[bkk6060]

They seem like pretty general questions.  Insurance companies have many ways to columize, and evaluate their policies and rates/risk for the future.  Maybe being married and her age and employment could be a risk factor of something who knows.  Thinking about it, I certainly am healthier and much happier/go to the Doctor less since my divorce.

 

Anyway, invasive for me would be how many times a day do you have sex or take a S...

[Crossy]

The issue is moot now anyway as the agent lady informed me that I'm too old (at 61)!

 

So I'm going with Pacific Cross, similar cover for slightly less $$$ and no medical until I'm 65.