Tourist medical insurance that covers forced hospitalization for positive covid test

[fujitsu]

After buying my Safety Wing insurance for an upcoming trip (yes, I got my Thailand pass) I received an email saying that forced hospitalization is not covered.

 

That is, if you test positive for covid either upon arrival, or after the 7 days of SHA+ sandbox stay, visitors to Thailand may be forced into hospitalization even when covid symptoms are mild or nonexistent. This will incur a potentially costly hospital bill. Safety Wing says this is not covered as the hospitalization is not medically necessary.

 

Do you know of other tourist medical insurance for Thailand that might cover forced hospitalization by the government?

Perhaps the AXA policy that seems to be popular might cover it?

 

I wouldn't mind paying significantly more for a medical insurance policy that covers forced hospitalization owing to a simple positive covid test.

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

[fujitsu]

Or perhaps a positive covid test will simply result in ASQ quarantine?

In that case, the expense isn't great, but manageable.

[scubascuba3]

Cancel your insurance and look for one that includes forced hospitalisation

[fujitsu]

Yes, that is what I am looking for ... only it isn't clear to me which policies include forced hospitalization, as opposed to hospitalization due to real sickness.

 

Would any of these work?

https://thethaiger.com/covid-19/thailand-re-entry/#packages

 

[cardinalblue]

Why ask for higher premiums? Just pay it if it happens…

 

As long as you have $50,000 coverage stating Covid treatment is all that matters 

 

the probability is strongly in your favor you won’t get hospitalized for Covid treatment ….

[fujitsu]

3 hours ago, cardinalblue said:

Why ask for higher premiums? Just pay it if it happens…

 

As long as you have $50,000 coverage stating Covid treatment is all that matters 

 

the probability is strongly in your favor you won’t get hospitalized for Covid treatment ….

One month medical insurance premiums are so trivially inexpensive that they are a non-factor. Doesn't matter to me if it's $50 or $70 or $100 or more for one month of coverage.

 

"As long as you have $50,000 coverage stating Covid treatment is all that matters "

This is incorrect. My insurance company wrote saying they will not cover forced hospitalizations for a simple positive test without symptoms.

 

From Thaiger: "Those with no symptoms but who tested positive would have to stay in hospital for ten days after their positive test."

 

Hence it would be better to choose a policy that covers the hospital stay.

Maybe we'll be forced into ASQ instead, which would be fine. But it's smarter to have coverage than not. What I don't want to pay for is a variable cost 10 day hospital stay. Not if I can find a better policy.

 

What I'm asking for is this: does anyone know of a medical insurance company/policy that would cover the cost of a forced hospitalization for tourists visiting Thailand?

 

Edited December 24, 2021 by fujitsu

[Sheryl]

AxA Sawatdi plan will cover it as will any of the covid policies om the tgia site. 

 

Basically, Thai issued policies will cover it as it is standard medical practice in Thailand.

[fujitsu]

4 hours ago, Sheryl said:

AxA Sawatdi plan will cover it as will any of the covid policies om the tgia site. 

 

Basically, Thai issued policies will cover it as it is standard medical practice in Thailand.

Thank you Sheryl! That is very helpful feedback and I will rearrange my travel insurance policies based on your advice.

 

 

[NoshowJones]

If you have tested positive in a PCR test, why should any insurance company not pay out if you have to go to hospital? Is that not what the insurance is for? Where else are you going to get treatment?

Edited December 25, 2021 by possum1931

[bkk6060]

AXA and Aetna will cover it their general policy is to insure you from what a Doctor orders.

[sandyf]

11 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

If you have tested positive in a PCR test, why should any insurance company not pay out if you have to go to hospital? Is that not what the insurance is for? If that is not covered, just what is covered?

It is basically a play on words, the Safetywings insurance is described as meeting medical and travel needs. Pricing will be based upon what they believe is "needed", it would appear they take the view that hospitalisation may be for quarantine reasons rather than medical.

A comprehensive covid policy would include both.

[Sheryl]

50 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

If you have tested positive in a PCR test, why should any insurance company not pay out if you have to go to hospital? Is that not what the insurance is for? Where else are you going to get treatment?

 

The point is that if you are completely asymptomatic you do not need treatment.

 

And, medically speaking, you do not need to go to the hospital.

 

Thailand is an outlier in requiring this (and I do not see how they possibly can continue to do so with Omicron). Basically they are using hospitals to quarantine people which is a highly cost ineffective way of going about quarantine.

 

In addition, once a disease is well established in the community the benefit of quarantining -- or even trying to identify -- asymptomatic people becomes debatable. In earlier stages where it is still hoped to be contained or even kept out, yes, but later - no. International arrivals are a bit different as there is concern about the import of new variants nto already established in the country.

 

Cambodia changed its approach a month or so ago, officially recognizing COVID as an established endemic disease and stopping testing of all but symptomatic people. But, of course, they have 90% of their population vaccinated (and are now well into booster phase).

 

 

[aussiexpat]

I found this link very useful for insurance. I took AXA for 30 days at 2000 baht because it covered asymptomatic  hospital cover

 

https://asq.in.th/thailand-covid-insurance

Edited December 25, 2021 by aussiexpat

[fujitsu]

21 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

I found this link very useful for insurance. I took AXA for 30 days at 2000 baht because it covered asymptomatic  hospital cover

 

https://asq.in.th/thailand-covid-insurance

Aussiexpat, thank you so much for sharing this link.

 

It is so helpful that it lists which policies cover asymptomatic hospitalization.

I signed up for AXA on your advice. But when I went to buy a policy for my fiancée, I noticed that her country wasn't listed. So I chose Tune Protect's policy and it worked for her country. Now we are both covered for asymptomatic, forced hospitalization. I hope that more travelers to Thailand will find this thread and make use of it.

 

Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge and experience.

 

[sandyf]

On 12/25/2021 at 10:00 AM, Sheryl said:

Thailand is an outlier in requiring this (and I do not see how they possibly can continue to do so with Omicron). Basically they are using hospitals to quarantine people which is a highly cost ineffective way of going about quarantine.

I think there is some misunderstanding on the situation. The bulk of the covid patients are in quarantine under medical supervision, a hospital in name only.

It is very unlikely a foreigner would get sent to one of these facilities so the context has been distorted to a certain extent.

It was a bit the same in the UK, they created several Nightingale "hospitals" but couldn't staff them so never got used.

Thailand is using the military with some seconded medical staff, my niece is a junior doctor and was seconded to one and resigned her position, went freelancing instead.

How many they can cope with is yet to be seen.