Phuket hotels desperate as "insured" foreign tourists with Covid denied coverage, refuse to go to hospital - "Hospitel" shortage admitted

[GreasyFingers]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile Dr Kusak Kukiatkul of the Phuket health authority confirmed that the "Green Cases" didn't want to go to hospitals as they came from countries where asymptomatic cases could just quarantine at home. 

The (Thai) law of unintended consequences.

[cheapcanuck]

It would be nice to know which insurance companies are not paying ? Or is it all of them which are not paying?

[Bangkok Barry]

5 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

It needs to be made clear to avoid any Thai Insurance company.

What males you think they are Thai insurance companies? AFAIY, arrivals can use any insurance company, including those based in their own country. They do not have to use a Thai company.

[Cabradelmar]

Its fairly clear what policies pay or don't pay asymptomatic cases (at this point you'd be crazy to buy a package that dose not includes it). What's also clear is what the government is saying about how asymptomatic cases should be handled (self quarantine at home - e.g., in your SHA+ certified hotel room). Seems like the hotels are the ones trying to have it all (taking the tourist money and shuffle the asymptomatic one to hospital to open up a room to someone who will buy overpriced massages and excursion packages). I think the hotels should get no sympathy for this stunt, they wanted the SHA+ designation, deal with it, and I hope the government does not back this BS by the hotels. To be honest, I would not travel on a sandbox/test-and-go scheme anywhere in Thailand right now.

[TroyC]

I really don't think it's down to individuals taking out inadequate policies, even when I was enquiring about AXA's most expensive policy, they were being so cunning the way they were answering my queries. All I was trying to gauge was that if I was forced into hospital but asymptomatic would all expenses be covered, and they kept carefully stating "medical expense incurred based on medical necessity" 

[RocketDog]

5 hours ago, Chris.B said:

So much for having trust in insurers! Best to self insure.

 

The folks who were self-insured would then be forced into the hospital and higher bills.

In this case the insured ones will get to stay in a hotel; certainly a better outcome than a hospital.

No?

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Bottom line, tourists shouldn't come at all until this mess is over which still could be years.

Returning expats, family reunification, those are the only rational reasons to come now.

Agreed. It is madness to undertake unnecessary travel now. Those who risk it surely know they are taking a huge risk, with rules sometimes changing overnight. So I have no sympathy at all for those who gamble on booking trips. None.

[MrJ2U]

6 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

What a frigging self made mess. If insurance companies don't pay for Green cases then the insurance is useless and that should have been identified before regulations for sandbox or test and go were ever implemented.

These are insurance insisted on by the government in many cases.

 

Complete scams.

[steevjee]

5 hours ago, ohno said:

 

Insurance covering asymptomatic hospitalization has been available for some time. You would hope that these policies would be paying out as promised ...

 

This site shows prices for symptomatic and non-symptomatic cover for different ages and timeframes, quite useful. All policies listed are Thai:

 

 

https://asq.in.th/thailand-entry-requirements

 

The reasons given for asymptomatic tourists being "denied coverage" isn't clear, but as you can see from the above, 2 of the 5 policies specifically do not include it, including the cheapest one.

thanks for this, my obvious question was...Which Insurance companies are not covering for asymptomatic? thankfully mine is, but I hope to never find out

[Dialemco]

This is not a good promotion for Thai Tourism nor the hotels. Best stop ALL international tourism until Covid under control as we are going to have to live with it indefinitely. Omicron is now present in Thailand and predicted to infect everyone. Thai Insurance companies should be compelled to refund ALL premiums plus interest. 

[steevjee]

1 minute ago, Dialemco said:

This is not a good promotion for Thai Tourism nor the hotels. Best stop ALL international tourism until Covid under control as we are going to have to live with it indefinitely. Omicron is now present in Thailand and predicted to infect everyone. Thai Insurance companies should be compelled to refund ALL premiums plus interest. 

???????? Next you'll be saying Thai Motorcyclists should wear helmets or the RTP are useless

[robblok]

2 hours ago, samtam said:

And can somebody please tell me why Kh Thanatorn can be in "isolation" when others have to go to hospital, or to a SHA+ hotel....and my friends mentioned above are rich Thais too.

 

Leader of #Thailand's Progressive Movement (former leader of now-dissolved Future Forward Party) Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit tests positive for #COVID19 upon returning from abroad yesterday. He posted on social media that he is now in isolation and currently asymptomatic.

 

As well as this, the one in hospital since 30 December, is clear of Covid, (after 3 days), but has to remain in hospital for the full 10 days, until 8 January.

There is home quarantine for Thais and sometimes foreigners too if they have a big house and are lucky. 

 

Tourists seems logical that if no symptoms go to a quarantine hotel.

[toolpush]

5 hours ago, samtam said:

....and very very soon. Give it 2-3 weeks.

I seem to recall way back in Feb 2020 something about it will only be two weeks to get this under control......................

[ThailandRyan]

3 minutes ago, steevjee said:

???????? Next you'll be saying Thai Motorcyclists should wear helmets or the RTP are useless

Oh no, you don't mean it, really, I am just flabbergasted.  The keystone cops are better is what your trying to say...

[Scott Tracy]

6 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Good luck securing a Thai Pass with your ’self insure’ certification. 

 

There is no Thai Pass anymore...

[robblok]

36 minutes ago, TroyC said:

I really don't think it's down to individuals taking out inadequate policies, even when I was enquiring about AXA's most expensive policy, they were being so cunning the way they were answering my queries. All I was trying to gauge was that if I was forced into hospital but asymptomatic would all expenses be covered, and they kept carefully stating "medical expense incurred based on medical necessity" 

Basically they are saying your not covered, for the ASQ hotel only the price of the test. So it will be expensive if you have to go into hotel quarantine.

 

Same thing goes if your locked up in a hospital and its not needed it wont be covered. 

[Bernietravelling]

6 hours ago, smedly said:

This has been going on for months and is clearly a money grab 

a small hint:

 

Check the background of some of the medical advisors from the CCSA,

… and you might be surprised to find some interesting bios, which explain these quarantine rules.

[ThailandRyan]

4 minutes ago, Scott Tracy said:

There is no Thai Pass anymore...

Better look again at https://tp.consular.go.th/

 

Two Thai Pass programs still available.

The Blue Zone Sandbox (Sandbox Program), and the Alternate Quarantine.  You can select either, it is just the Test N Go scheme that is currently unavailable.

[sambum]

"Dr Kusak said there were negotiations underway to help with the situation."

 

Good luck with that - my guess is that more money will have to be paid over by the insured tourists! 

[Robbie2618]

Makes sense actually, I didn't stop to think about what my required Thai covid insurance actually covers until I read this article. Health insurance only normally pays for medically required treatment, if you are asymptomatic there is nothing to treat medically. I can see an insurer saying we are not going to pay for 10 days at a hospital when there is nothing the hospital is going to do medically. Just because the Thai government requires quarantine at an authorized facility at cost does not make it a medically accepted procedure to treat covid.

 

When I applied for my Thai Pass it just said I need Covid 19 coverage of minimum USD50,000, I don't believe anywhere did it say the insurer had to pay for mandatory 10 day hospital stay based solely on positive test. That's something I think the Thai government needs to require in their next update to entry requirements.

 

Like if you get in a car accident your insurer will pay to fix the damage, but if you get into a near miss they aren't going to pay for a tow to the repair shop and pay for an inspection and 10 days storage fee when there was no contact or damage.

 

Although, for the ones refusing to go to the hospital or Hospitel they should have read the fine print of their policy, but then again who does until its needed?

[matador007]

I spoke about this what feels like a long time ago, when I was doing my STV.

I knew what could happen as I read the "exclusions" section of the Policy before sending in my $$$.

 

Linked:

By default, the insurance has a 14/15 day "waiting period" to cover Covid, and other things.  So basically if you get tested positive, its on you.

Only way around that is to buy a 2nd policy, that covers the first 2 weeks.  Which is doable using links provided on Embassy/Consulate Sites.

 

They are linked up on ...something TGIA site, and others have posted on this forum to ones that have a daily rate, and select # of days.

Plus extra to cover "asymptomatic" etc..

 

Its sad there is no 1 size fits all where it will cover you from Day 0 (Foot onto airplane) without having to read all the fine print.

Generally speaking, few read the fine print.

 

Good luck to all, better luck next time to those who got Insurance that they signed for, but never bothered to read/ask.

[Straight8]

More fun sitting at home far away, with popcorn and watching this madness unravel.

 

Yeah, eff that.. plans to come have been shelved as soon as Omicron started to run a muck.

[samtam]

22 minutes ago, robblok said:

There is home quarantine for Thais and sometimes foreigners too if they have a big house and are lucky. 

 

Tourists seems logical that if no symptoms go to a quarantine hotel.

My two friends are rich and have a house too. They were not given the option to isolate at home.

[Marley01]

Name and shame these insurance companies so they and those officials receiving kickbacks don’t profit from these shonky companies

[Johnthplumb]

7 hours ago, ozfarang said:

The question is why, is the USD50.000 compulsory insurance coverage required to enter Thailand.

Seems like a money grab by the insurance companies in collaboration with the Thai government. Just another way to fleece the unsuspecting tourist, who would have thought.......?

Shame on you Ozfarang, how could you have such thoughts.

[Thunglom]

Thailand has been very keen to ensure that foreigners visiting the Kingdom are fully insured. Surely they too have a responsibility to ensure that the companies offering cover will do so?

[aussienam]

A friend recently got COVID and despite not being that ill was being told by the hospital he needed to be hospitalized and unnecessary x-rays taken, when no breathing or lung complaints.  They demanded he stay for 8-10 days for 120,000 baht +.

When asked where the legislation was that required him to stay, the hospital backed down and told him he could quarantine at home.  

Surprise surprise!!! They were bluffing. 

 

Thailand hospitals seem to using COVID as a cash-cow (rort) as premiums can be charged against insurance companies at the triple-tiered farang patient hospital rate - if the policies cover the hospital admission.  

 

And many (if not all) insurance policies won't cover for asymptomatic or even symptomatic hospitel admissions too, meaning if you are not sick enough with COVID to be hospitalized you can be worse off financially.  What a crazy time we live in!!

[BKK Chopin]

Guys,

 

ALL you very valid arguments are correct and laudable.

Fact, however is, that such news is spreading like wildfire amongst people who are thinking of visiting Thailand. They - and I know a few of those in Europe - do not read your comments etc.
THEY JUST STAY AWAY, now and for a very very long time ....... 

[theonetrueaussie]

Health Insurance and Travel Insurance cover you if you get sick and need medical treatment....Of course they won't cover you if you are not sick and just need to quarantine!! It even says so on nearly every single insurance website!

[cjinchiangrai]

6 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

It is obvious that those who test positive need to isolate, even when asymptomatic.

 

The obvious solution is that the ‘green cases’ isolate at their SHA Plus+ hotel as they would in any ASQ hotel. 

 

They’re not going to like it, but thats the nature of the beast which is travel in current times. 

 

Owners are not going to like it - but they wanted to take incoming tourists and secured the SHA Plus + for a reason, they have to take the smooth with the rough. 

 

There is no need to be sent to hospital unless symptomatic, in which case the government forces insurance to cover the hospitalisation. 

 

 

It has become clear that International Insurance providers need to be relied upon for such issues. 

 

 

It needs to be made clear to avoid any Thai Insurance company.

 

 

 

It seems to make sense but really doesn't. The hotels would need to meet the more stringent ASQ certification and include meals and medical supervision. SHA and ASQ are not the same.

 

This has been on the horizon for a while and the Thai insurance companies just started offering cheaper symptomatic only policies to compete with foreign vendors that have been doing it all along.