Advertorial What is health insurance and why do you need it?

[ASEAN NOW Sales]

 

You wouldn’t think twice about not insuring your home or car, but some people don’t think the same when it comes to health insurance.

 

Why get health insurance in Thailand?

 

Health insurance is designed to ensure that if you need medical treatment at some point in the future while living in Thailand you wont need to worry about paying for the cost of the treatment. You can also be assured of receiving a superior standard of care to what may be otherwise available. 

 

If you need to be treated in a private hospital in Thailand, health insurance will pay for all or some of the medical costs, depending on your policy. 

 

Having private health insurance should ensure you are diagnosed and treated quickly, as well as giving you access to a consultant and admission to a private hospital that will ensure the best possible level of care and convenience.

 

You could even have a choice of private hospitals from an agreed list or network of medical facilities provided by your insurer. 

 

Private hospitals in Thailand will provide you with your own room, TV, choice of food and other comforts that are otherwise unlikely to be available as a normal patient. 

 

In brief, the main benefits of having health insurance in Thailand include:

 

• No or much shorter waiting times
• Faster diagnosis
• Better facilities
• Choose from a wider range of facilities
• A choice of convenient times for appointments and treatments

 

Health insurance in Thailand: What it does and does not cover

 

Your health insurance policy will provide you cover for a wide range of things, including hospital stays, exclusive drugs, treatments, scans and surgeries. 

 

Inpatient treatments are those times when you need a hospital bed and are almost always included in most plans.

 

Outpatient treatment refers to when you need to visit a specialist or consultant who are normally available in more comprehensive or premium plans. Different policies will offer different options with regards to both inpatient and outpatient care. 

 

Things that are not usually covered in health insurance policies include any existing or chronic conditions or problems, A&E visits (although this can also be policy dependent), organ transplants, normal pregnancy and non essential cosmetic treatments. Treatment for alcohol or drug abuse are also unlikely to be covered. 

 

What are the alternatives to health insurance?

 

The alternative to health insurance for expats in Thailand is to go it alone, and pay for any medical treatment as and when you need it. 

 

However, this carries huge risks and the potential of a financial burden that you have not budgeted for. 

 

Even treatment for a relatively minor injury, such as a broken wrist, treatment for a dog bite or food poisoning, as examples, can cost into the tens of thousands of Baht. 

 

Treatment for something such as a heart attack, stroke or other life threatening conditions can cost into the millions of Baht. 

 

By not having health insurance, you may also have limited options when it comes to where you receive your treatment and there could be a waiting period before you receive the treatment.

 

For more information on health insurance, including a choice of coverage up to 30M baht and premiums starting from just 882 baht/month* contact Aetna now