Hospital insurance recommendation to take me into my 80’s…?

[MrBrad]

23 hours ago, nickmondo said:

how can you have outpatient insurance, yet you used it once for an overnight stay?

that does not make sense

personally, i self insure, i allow 150k a year, and I know that I will pay myself for treatment if needed, unlike a Thai Insurance that will do all it can not to pay

My error.  Yes, I should have written "in-patient".

[MrBrad]

"Self-insure" means "I have no insurance; I will be responsible for the hospital bill myself."

 

That sounds good if you are either very well off to begin with, or you have been able to stash away money on a regular basis for an unknown but usually long period of time.  I can imagine this scenario:

 

You've decided to go without insurance, self-insured, from today onward.  Your "insurance account" (if you've actually started one) consists of $0.  ฿0.  In a month or two you will have only a few baht in the account.  But, then, long before you've been able to establish any kind of war chest, the unthinkable happens, and you're hospitalized for a few days or weeks or much longer, incurring an astronomical bill.  Add to that the fact that there was no time or option to put you on a plane back to the U.S. or wherever you came from.

 

This wasn't in the self-insure/no insurance plan, of course.  I'd rather not pay for any kind of insurance, like all of us, I'm sure,   But my crystal ball is very foggy when it comes to predicting when I'll need to use my medical insurance.  I sleep better knowing that it's there, and hopefully it will pay out when I need it.

[grin]

My understanding is that April International will not accept new customers above the age of 65. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

I'm a US citizen currently employed by a EU company. In particular it would be nice to know of any international medical insurance (non US) that will accept new customers over 65. As I am still employed I have international coverage through my employer. However it cannot be converted to a personal policy. If I retired now I would expect to pay about $700 a month total, $170 for US Medicare and another $500 or so for global (non US) coverage. Pre-existing conditions include diabetes and hypertension.

 

Is anyone aware of any international coverage policies based in Thailand that allow new customers over 65 and cover pre-existing conditions? I'm aware that a few from Europe that may fit the bill.

[Mahseer]

34 minutes ago, grin said:

My understanding is that April International will not accept new customers above the age of 65. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Incorrect. April accepts applicants up to 71st birthday. For pre existing conditions exemption only the past 5 years health record is considered. 

[EricTh]

On 2/17/2022 at 11:42 PM, CM4Me said:

Hi Mikey, I'm in a similar situation as yourself, but a bit older (77)

 

I have hospital insurance with LMG, I've elected to pay the first 100,000Tbh and with a no claim I get nearly a 50% discount

 

As amexpat said premiums increases as one ages - every 5 years

 

How much do you pay for the monthly premium?

 

[amexpat]

8 hours ago, MrBrad said:

I sleep better knowing that it's there, and hopefully it will pay out when I need it.

Sleep hopefully.

[grin]

11 hours ago, Mahseer said:

Incorrect. April accepts applicants up to 71st birthday. For pre existing conditions exemption only the past 5 years health record is considered. 

On this page April International Thailand it states "We can accept applications from people 65 years or younger." This seems to be the case for all of their Asian plans. On all of the sites I've found for April International the drop down box for your age when requesting a quote the last selection is 61 - 65 years.

 

As April International has policies that are guaranteed renewable for your lifetime I would consider signing up when I am 70 even if I am still employed but when doing searches I keep getting redirected to their April International Asia web page. I'll report back if I can find a link to get a quote for age 66 to 70.

[Mahseer]

I signed up with April France last year aged 68. I'll send you a link as to the agent I used here. 

[CM4Me]

EricTh - 45k PA

[SammyJ]

On 2/18/2022 at 6:33 AM, verticalift said:

Have a look at the”Cigna Close Care Plan”.

 

https://thaiexpatclub.com/medicalcover/health-insurance-cigna-close-plan/

I tried this application and was refused due to a few pre-exisiting conditions--into my 60"s--CIGNA is one of the few that will allow initial enrollment up to age 70, but that does not mean they will accept you.  You must complete an extensive medical declaration, and while some may not be truthful on that, you also agree to allow CIGNA full access to any previous medical records wherever they may be, and for any serious claim, they absolutely will research and deny your claim and end your policy if they find you were not truthful about any pre-exisiting conditions.  Not many of us reach our late 60's without some kind of pre-existing condition. 

 

Again, as the OP states he is 68, most ofher Thai carriers will not offer an initial policy at age 65 and over.  And also, the dream of just "cherry picking" what one wants covered does not really exist--there are some, Pacific Cross, for example that allow varying deductibles to reduce the annual premium, but you would have needed to be accepted by them before the age of 65.

[scubascuba3]

On 2/18/2022 at 8:03 AM, MrBrad said:

The way I see it, life here is too risky to be without insurance; I'm not a gambler.

You and others are gambling that your insurer will pay up for a big claim

[SammyJ]

On 2/17/2022 at 11:42 PM, CM4Me said:

Hi Mikey, I'm in a similar situation as yourself, but a bit older (77)

 

I have hospital insurance with LMG, I've elected to pay the first 100,000Tbh and with a no claim I get nearly a 50% discount

 

As amexpat said premiums increases as one ages - every 5 years

Can you share policy coverage details---because that is what is important--do they accept initial applications past the age of 65?  Do they exclude for pre-exisiting conditions?  I ask, because if an insurance carrier excludes coverage for your important medical issues, then it really is not of much use.  Do you have the name of the particular policy you purchased and the annual premium--this would help for others to decide if such a plan would be beneficial to them.  Unfortunately, i have seen many expats not really know the details of their coverage, and if you have some serious issue, it will not be of assistance to say, "My agent told me that it was covered"  you have to see it in the fine print.

[SammyJ]

On 2/18/2022 at 7:03 AM, Srikcir said:

Check with Bupa Expat International Private Medical Insurance?

https://www.bupa.com.au/health-insurance/overseas-plan-enquiry?ident=BUPAWEB

 

In Thailand,  BUPA is now Aetna and Aetna will not offer initial applications from age 65.  If what you recommend is an out of Thailand plan, then it would be interesting to see their restrictions and am assuming they exclude for pre-exisiting conditions.

[SammyJ]

On 2/18/2022 at 8:03 AM, MrBrad said:

That's cheap.  I pay almost ฿13,000 monthly for outpatient insurance, and I feel that I'm not overcharged.  The sad--but very fortunate--thing is that I've needed it only once for one night's stay in the past 13 years.  The way I see it, life here is too risky to be without insurance; I'm not a gambler.

you mean "in-patient" insurance, correct?  What company are you with?  do they exclude for pre-existing conditions?  If one started with a carrier when they were much younger, often that works out as one may not have many previous medical issues--but, unfortunately, the reality for many expats is that they come to Thailand after they have retired and are much older and are not covered by their home countries' national health program and Medicare from the US does not provide any coverage outside the US-some medicare advantage plans may offer a form of travel insurance, but it is limited.

[SammyJ]

On 2/18/2022 at 8:03 AM, MrBrad said:

That's cheap.  I pay almost ฿13,000 monthly for outpatient insurance, and I feel that I'm not overcharged.  The sad--but very fortunate--thing is that I've needed it only once for one night's stay in the past 13 years.  The way I see it, life here is too risky to be without insurance; I'm not a gambler.

you mean "in-patient" insurance, correct?  What company are you with?  do they exclude for pre-existing conditions?  If one started with a carrier when they were much younger, often that works out as one may not have many previous medical issues--but, unfortunately, the reality for many expats is that they come to Thailand after they have retired and are much older and are not covered by their home countries' national health program and Medicare from the US does not provide any coverage outside the US-some medicare advantage plans may offer a form of travel insurance, but it is limited.

[SammyJ]

On 2/18/2022 at 8:03 AM, MrBrad said:

That's cheap.  I pay almost ฿13,000 monthly for outpatient insurance, and I feel that I'm not overcharged.  The sad--but very fortunate--thing is that I've needed it only once for one night's stay in the past 13 years.  The way I see it, life here is too risky to be without insurance; I'm not a gambler.

you mean "in-patient" insurance, correct?  What company are you with?  do they exclude for pre-existing conditions?  If one started with a carrier when they were much younger, often that works out as one may not have many previous medical issues--but, unfortunately, the reality for many expats is that they come to Thailand after they have retired and are much older and are not covered by their home countries' national health program and Medicare from the US does not provide any coverage outside the US-some medicare advantage plans may offer a form of travel insurance, but it is limited.

[SammyJ]

On 2/18/2022 at 8:03 AM, MrBrad said:

That's cheap.  I pay almost ฿13,000 monthly for outpatient insurance, and I feel that I'm not overcharged.  The sad--but very fortunate--thing is that I've needed it only once for one night's stay in the past 13 years.  The way I see it, life here is too risky to be without insurance; I'm not a gambler.

you mean "in-patient" insurance, correct?  What company are you with?  do they exclude for pre-existing conditions?  If one started with a carrier when they were much younger, often that works out as one may not have many previous medical issues--but, unfortunately, the reality for many expats is that they come to Thailand after they have retired and are much older and are not covered by their home countries' national health program and Medicare from the US does not provide any coverage outside the US-some medicare advantage plans may offer a form of travel insurance, but it is limited.

[mikey88]

On 2/18/2022 at 2:42 AM, CM4Me said:

Hi Mikey, I'm in a similar situation as yourself, but a bit older (77)

 

I have hospital insurance with LMG, I've elected to pay the first 100,000Tbh and with a no claim I get nearly a 50% discount

 

As amexpat said premiums increases as one ages - every 5 years

Sorry for the delays but we have been having bad floods here (Queensland Australia)….

I’m happy to pay a large excess to keep the premiums down….does LMG guarantee to keep covering you as you age….?

[mikey88]

On 2/18/2022 at 11:03 AM, MrBrad said:

That's cheap.  I pay almost ฿13,000 monthly for outpatient insurance, and I feel that I'm not overcharged.  The sad--but very fortunate--thing is that I've needed it only once for one night's stay in the past 13 years.  The way I see it, life here is too risky to be without insurance; I'm not a gambler.

Can you comment on your age and what company you are with….and do they guarantee to cover you for life…?

[MrBrad]

12 hours ago, mikey88 said:

Can you comment on your age and what company you are with….and do they guarantee to cover you for life…?

To answer your questions, I'm 72. The company is Medical Administrators International (AMI) based in France.  AAI insurance brokers here are the sales agents.  And, no, there's no coverage for life (unless I die soon).  Coverage for me ends on December 31 in the year that I turn 75.

[JimTripper]

Try Pacific Cross. They seemed good about it if your grand fathered in early. Who knows what the premiums would be though.

[SammyJ]

On 2/18/2022 at 9:30 AM, VirgoSG said:

I have been with AXA International for over 20 years.  You can take a look here https://www.axaglobalhealthcare.com/en/

I have inpatient / day-patient cover only, with an annual excess of GBP2,000
I am covered anywhere in the world (except US, but you can add this if you like), and it includes emergency evacuation if local care is deemed inadequate, and the claim limit is GBP1 million per policy year .

I am very happy with the terms of the cover, and what they have paid for over the years in HK, Singapore, Thailand, UK.  Hospitals such as Bumrungrad have direct billing arrangements with the insurer and have on occasions handled the claims for me and billed AXA direct.  Their telephone customer service is very good relating to claims or to policy admin.

My guess is at your age the same cover that I have would cost about GBP4,000 annually.

If you want any more info, personal message me

AXA does not offer initial policies to those 65 and older and does exclude for pre-exisiting conditions--if y have been with them so long, then normally not a problem--insurance companies love to insure the young and healthy.

[pj123]

I'm with Globality, a Luxembourg based insurer. They will cover you up to 99. https://www.globality-health.com/

For 68 year old zero deductible OP only premium is 10,000 THB/month

 

They have a two year moratorium for pre existing conditions. If you have no treatment or symptoms for two years of cover they will include the pre existing condition. No treatment includes any consultation with a medical professional. So from what I understand, just visiting your doctor for a follow up on that condition and he says you are 100% ok no treatment required; this would break the moratorium.