Health insurance age bracket increase 60-64 Ouch !!!

[The Fugitive]

On 3/27/2021 at 11:31 AM, Sheryl said:

 Consult a broker.  You might not be able to get insured due to the Hodgkins but possibly there is a company who would take you with exclusions.

 

Otherwise your best recourse is (1) get a personal accident policy with as high a medical cover as possible (broker can advise) so that you have some coverage at least for anything related to an accident  and (2) put aside as much money as you can, continuously until it reaches at least 1 million baht (and then use only government hospitals) or about 4 million baht (your choice of hospitals).

 

Another option you might look at if it is feasible for your situation (i.e., you can go home for medical care) are policies that provide emergency repatriation only

Very informative and concise as always Sheryl. This should help many people. As regards 'one-off' accident cover I know that Bangkok Bank includes cover for coming off your moto, but only up to age 65. For the over 65's without any form of cover, riding a moto has to be one of the riskiest activities of all?

[Sheryl]

2 minutes ago, The Fugitive said:

Very informative and concise as always Sheryl. This should help many people. As regards 'one-off' accident cover I know that Bangkok Bank includes cover for coming off your moto, but only up to age 65. For the over 65's without any form of cover, riding a moto has to be one of the riskiest activities of all?

PA policies vary re covering moto accidents. Some include it. Some have special riders you can opt for to include it.

 

Bangkok Bank as far as I can see provides only 30k medical cover (60k if bones broken) which is hardly worth it. This is what one has to be careful of with accident policies -the maximum cover is for death benefit not medical care and medical benefiots are always much lower. Have to really hunt around to get meaningful medical cover.

 

Best PA policy for people over 65 now seems to be Siam Commercial Bank Happy Plus plan 5 - 300,000 in medical cover including moto accidents, can enrol until age 75 and renew for life.  Of course 300k is too low but it is better than nothing (and includes both in and outpatient care).

 

Under 65, should be possible if you look around (or consult broker) to get higher cover, there used to be one for up to 800k medical costs but I'm nto sure if still the case.

[The Fugitive]

6 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

PA policies vary re covering moto accidents. Some include it. Some have special riders you can opt for to include it.

 

Bangkok Bank as far as I can see provides only 30k medical cover (60k if bones broken) which is hardly worth it. This is what one has to be careful of with accident policies -the maximum cover is for death benefit not medical care and medical benefiots are always much lower. Have to really hunt around to get meaningful medical cover.

 

Best PA policy for people over 65 now seems to be Siam Commercial Bank Happy Plus plan 5 - 300,000 in medical cover including moto accidents, can enrol until age 75 and renew for life.  Of course 300k is too low but it is better than nothing (and includes both in and outpatient care).

 

Under 65, should be possible if you look around (or consult broker) to get higher cover, there used to be one for up to 800k medical costs but I'm nto sure if still the case.

Thanks for the Siam Commercial Bank tip Sheryl!

[Shouldhaveknownbetter]

On 3/22/2021 at 8:56 PM, Sheryl said:

Re the fact that you had no claims in 3 years:

 

You can't have it both ways regarding rate increases:

 

Either an insurer considers claims history, in which case you are subject to individually base increases on top of age-related ones, which can quickly price you out if you have the misfortune to develop a chronic health condition, and to my mind completely undermines the whole point of health insurance

 

OR

 

Rates are "community rated" and not individually based. In which case increases are the same for everyone in the same age bracket.

 

At this particular moment in time, since you had no major illnesses or accidents, you'd be doing better under the first option than the second but there is nothing to say the same would be true next year, it's a roll of the dice.

 

All that said - the magnitude of the increase you report is quite large and unusual. Possibly this particular insurer has a comparatively small pool of insured persons and/or a disproportionate number of ones living in countries where health care costs have risen sharply.

 

You can certainly ask your broker about less expensive options. BUT I recommend against switching to a non-community rated plan.

Can you please list a few community plans which a Thai citizen can purchase.

[scubascuba3]

3 hours ago, Sheryl said:

PA policies vary re covering moto accidents. Some include it. Some have special riders you can opt for to include it.

 

Bangkok Bank as far as I can see provides only 30k medical cover (60k if bones broken) which is hardly worth it. This is what one has to be careful of with accident policies -the maximum cover is for death benefit not medical care and medical benefiots are always much lower. Have to really hunt around to get meaningful medical cover.

 

Best PA policy for people over 65 now seems to be Siam Commercial Bank Happy Plus plan 5 - 300,000 in medical cover including moto accidents, can enrol until age 75 and renew for life.  Of course 300k is too low but it is better than nothing (and includes both in and outpatient care).

 

Under 65, should be possible if you look around (or consult broker) to get higher cover, there used to be one for up to 800k medical costs but I'm nto sure if still the case.

Also appears to cover up to age 90, have you seen the premiums? nothing online

[Sheryl]

2 hours ago, Shouldhaveknownbetter said:

Can you please list a few community plans which a Thai citizen can purchase.

 

Any insurance plan issued by a Thai company is allowed to raise rates based on claims.

 

the only one I know of that to date does not do so (i.e. chooses to be community rated) is April MyHealth Thailand.

 

Most Thais do nto purchase private health insurance since there is universal access to free health care for Thai citizens.

[NancyL]

Bangkok Bank Kad Suan Kaew branch, Chiang Mai, does offer an accident insurance policy that covers up to age 100.  It's from Bangkok Insurance.  They arranged for it since they have so many foreign customers over age 65.  I don't think it covers if you're riding on a motorcycle, however.  And it pays higher than the normal Bangkok Bank accident insurance policy, up to 200,000 baht with no deductible.  500,000 baht life insurance if death is by accident.  Costs less than 6500 baht/year.

 

I've used it several times for minor boo-boos at private hospitals with no fuss.  Just present the card at check in.  And no problem with renewal.  

 

My friend who was thrown off the back of the songthaew said she thought of me and this insurance plan when she was picking herself off the pavement.  She knew I was always talking it up and wished she'd acted on the advice.

[Sheryl]

6 hours ago, NancyL said:

Bangkok Bank Kad Suan Kaew branch, Chiang Mai, does offer an accident insurance policy that covers up to age 100.  It's from Bangkok Insurance.  They arranged for it since they have so many foreign customers over age 65.  I don't think it covers if you're riding on a motorcycle, however.  And it pays higher than the normal Bangkok Bank accident insurance policy, up to 200,000 baht with no deductible.  500,000 baht life insurance if death is by accident.  Costs less than 6500 baht/year.

 

 

 

This is what I have Nancy (in addition to my regular health insurance) and it is indeed easy to use. And due to some bad luck (cat bite--->cellulitis and then motorcyle ran me over) it has paid for itself several times over. However I plan to drop it in favor of SCB (unless the premiums are way, way higher) since they offer higher cover (300k vs 200k) and lifetime renewal, Bangkok Insurance drops you at I think 80 or 85

[JetsetBkk]

5 hours ago, Sheryl said:

(cat bite--->cellulitis and then motorcyle ran me over)

 

Interesting!! I had cellulitis which I blamed on an over-friendly one-eyed dog called "Bod" who kept licking my leg at the top of a mountain because, I presume, he liked the salt in my sweat!

 

Cost me about 75,000 baht at Bangkok Phuket hospital - 6 hourly drips of antibiotics for a couple of days plus a week of once-a-day antibiotic drips as an outpatient. 

 

The dog died soon after. Not sure why ???? . But he was nice and friendly.