Health Insurance quotes

[Patanawet]

I have decided i need a cheap (?) insurance.
I send advertisers my details with specific things I definitely do not need (e.g. international cover, repatriation of corpse etc. not needed).
They send me back pages and pages of options to sort through.
Is there an agent that simplifies things for my old brain?

[scubascuba3]

you need to compete the doc with a fine tooth comb otherwise you'll get a claim denied later

[Sheryl]

There are brokers, and you should get through a broker, but you still need to do due diligence and make your own decisions.

 

Health insurance is not at all cheap. Accepting a deductible (excess) will reduce premiums somewhat, so consider how much you can afford to pay out of pocket (now and for the rest of your life, as you may nto be able to decrease deductible later).

 

There are distinct disadvantages to getting a Thai issued policy as opposed to an internationally issued expat policy (especially if you plan to remain permanently in Thailand) and that is the first decision you need to make.  Second decision, as above, is how much deductible you can afford.

 

Third is whether to get full package or just inpatient cover, almost everyone opts for the latter asuit virtually doubles cost to include outpatient.

 

How old are you? Do you have any pre-existing health conditions?

[Shop mak]

Here you go

 

https://www.aainsure.net/

 

 

[Patanawet]

29 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

you need to compete the doc with a fine tooth comb otherwise you'll get a claim denied later

 

11 minutes ago, Shop mak said:

Here you go

 

https://www.aainsure.net/

 

 

Thanks Mak, trying it now.

[Patanawet]

32 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

you need to compete the doc with a fine tooth comb otherwise you'll get a claim denied later

Thanks That's certainly true.
From past experience over the years, insurance companies have 2 aims in life 
1) to get premiums out of customers and:

2) to find ways to deny claims.

[Patanawet]

20 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

There are brokers, and you should get through a broker,

Thanks Sheryl, words of wisdom.
I've lived here as a P.R. for 20 years.  Would only go back to the U.K. for NHS treatment.

My big worry would be  declaring Diabetes 2 (well under control) (and I would declare it) .
Would an insurance company, in the future,  blame anything from ingrowing toenail or heart attack or stroke etc. etc. back to the diabetes in order to refuse pay-out?

[4MyEgo]

14 minutes ago, Patanawet said:

Would an insurance company, in the future,  blame anything from ingrowing toenail or heart attack or stroke etc. etc. back to the diabetes in order to refuse pay-out?

That could possibly be the case, even if you disclosed (which you would) about your diabetes.

 

Be forewarned, policies increase annually and then every 5 year age bracket, and especially as I found out when the insurer changed the underwriter.

 

In all fairness, I had a pre-existing condition from 2008, well under control and it was an option for me to have and pay extra as I did.

 

In the 4 years that I paid the insurer, my premium started at 70,000 odd baht for a 58 year old, then shot up to 150,000 baht by the last year, the excuse was they changed underwriters, could well be the case.

 

I now self insure as I couldn't find any insurer wanting to cover my pre-existing condition from 2008 with no issues since, annual check up, blood tests done on my own accord, etc etc.

 

I had zero claims and was covered for inpatient emergency costs only.

 

As mentioned, I self insure now as I have always had the funds to do so but wanted to protect those funds, that said, I have built a little nest egg of 500,000 baht in a side account in those 2 years since and continue to add 250,000 baht per annum to it which includes the families policy which I cancelled as well.

 

In the event of a major issue, will deal with it then, if no event then all and good for money back in my pocket.

 

Best of luck, been where you are coming from and it just got to expensive for me and of course the insurer didn't have any excess/waiver for me to reduce my premium.

[KannikaP]

39 minutes ago, Patanawet said:

Would only go back to the U.K. for NHS treatment.

For which you would have to pay 150% of the cost as you are not a resident, although if you entered as a refugee you'd get it free.

Edited March 27, 2023 by KannikaP

[Sheryl]

4 hours ago, Patanawet said:

Thanks Sheryl, words of wisdom.
I've lived here as a P.R. for 20 years.  Would only go back to the U.K. for NHS treatment.

My big worry would be  declaring Diabetes 2 (well under control) (and I would declare it) .
Would an insurance company, in the future,  blame anything from ingrowing toenail or heart attack or stroke etc. etc. back to the diabetes in order to refuse pay-out?

Many would refuse to cover a  diabetic, period. Especially Thai companies.

 

More chance with an  international policy but most  twould either apply premium loading or exclusions which woukd lijely  include at minimjm kidney failure and all types of cardiovascular disease (heart disease, stroje, peripheral vascular disease). Because as a diabetic -- even a well conttolled one -- you are at above averafe  risk of all the above. 

 

Again -- how old ard you? Most insurers will not newly accept after age 65. 

[simon43]

5 hours ago, KannikaP said:

For which you would have to pay 150% of the cost as you are not a resident, although if you entered as a refugee you'd get it free.

If you go back to the UK and declare that you intend to remain in the UK, then NHS treatment is free immediately.  I returned to the UK (after 21 years living abroad) in February for prostate cancer diagnosis and possible treatment.  I declared my circumstances to my new GP and the hospital where I'm having treatment and all accepted me without questions.  Since returning to the UK, I am well into my cancer diagnosis (biopsy a few days ago).  I also have been receiving free NHS prescriptions (antibiotics etc) since I'm over 60 years old, plus free eye test and cheap glasses at Vision Express, plus free Covid, flu and pneumonia vaccinations (I have a minor lung issue for many years), plus free colon cancer blood in poop test.....

 

As I explained in another thread, my return was hastened by the refusal of my private health insurance to cover the cost of my prostate diagnosis and treatment.  That international company refused to cover the costs because I had failed to declare my slightly enlarged prostate when I signed up to the health cover many years ago (I only knew about this BPH when a Thai doctor told me this after a DRE).  No written diagnosis was ever given and no medication was needed at that time.  Although BPH is an ailment in the prostate, it has zero relevance to prostate cancer.  Nevertheless, this was the reason why my insurance company rejected my claim and also cancelled my insurance cover immediately!

 

I am currently going through the process of claiming financial damages through the insurance ombudsman, but I will not be surprised if the ombusman sides with the insurance company.

 

Therefore, I would strongly suggest that if you do apply for medical insurance, that you disclose every single ailment or condition that you might have had in your life, on the basis that no matter how minor that ailment might have been, your failure to disclose it could be a reason to reject any future claim.  (Your insurance company might laugh at your list of bunion, benign mole removal, cosmetic minor surgery, broken arm 20 years ago etc etc, but at least they cannot claim that you hid these details from them!).

 

 

[mania]

7 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

As mentioned, I self insure now as I have always had the funds to do so but wanted to protect those funds, that said, I have built a little nest egg of 500,000 baht in a side account in those 2 years since and continue to add 250,000 baht per annum to it which includes the families policy which I cancelled as well.

 

In the event of a major issue, will deal with it then, if no event then all and good for money back in my pocket.

 

This always sounds pretty good & in some case is the only option due to age or pre-existing problems etc

 

But & it is a big BUT....These days 500k does not cover much of any major problems. Something like three million baht may be ok but..

 

The other thing is unlike insurance after you use your nest egg for a major problem or down payment on one....it is gone

For many it may not be easy to replenish it quickly

 

 

 

[scubascuba3]

3 hours ago, mania said:

This always sounds pretty good & in some case is the only option due to age or pre-existing problems etc

 

But & it is a big BUT....These days 500k does not cover much of any major problems. Something like three million baht may be ok but..

 

The other thing is unlike insurance after you use your nest egg for a major problem or down payment on one....it is gone

For many it may not be easy to replenish it quickly

 

 

 

This is true but if the insurers deny the claim you need to find the money anyway and remember you need to self insure for excluded pre-existing conditions

[jerrymahoney]

36 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

This is true but if the insurers deny the claim you need to find the money anyway and remember you need to self insure for excluded pre-existing conditions

If. You make it sound more like 'when'.

 

As someone recently commented, people are reluctant to come forward with positive experiences lest they be labeled a 'shill'.

Edited March 27, 2023 by jerrymahoney

[4MyEgo]

7 hours ago, mania said:

This always sounds pretty good & in some case is the only option due to age or pre-existing problems etc

 

But & it is a big BUT....These days 500k does not cover much of any major problems. Something like three million baht may be ok but..

 

The other thing is unlike insurance after you use your nest egg for a major problem or down payment on one....it is gone

For many it may not be easy to replenish it quickly

 

 

 

Agree, however but when I saw my premium double in 4 years after no claims and my families premiums going up, I said to myself, you know what, I am fortunate enough to have money saved up to back me (nest egg) and yes, if a major problem it is gone.

 

The above said, one has to make a decision, i.e. from where I saw things, be extorted, e.g. 70,000 baht to 150,000 baht in 4 years, no claims, age 61, no issues with pre-existing condition since it happened in 2008 with annual check ups and blood tests at my expense for my peace of mind.

 

Young enough to put that 150,000 baht a side annually, plus the families 100,000 baht a year, suffice to say in 2 years 500,000 baht put aside, no issues vs the insurer getting it and upping it annually, and if no issues in 6 more years that's 3 million put aside and will continue to build on it.

 

Better in my pocket than theirs, that said, I found the increases to be unfair, but that is the game apparently, different to the motor vehicle industry where they encourage you to continue with no claim bonus discounts annually for good drivers, currently 60% no claim bonuses on my annual policy.

 

At the end of the day, it is what it is and no point in crying over spilt milk, also have other options, government army and or university hospitals if it is going to cost too much and not wanting to depart with funds to go to a private hospital, i.e. unless it's real bad of course, and then you have the option of returning home to use either NHS or Medicare if you still qualify and are able to travel, and of course if I depart when that insurance nest egg has built up to whatever amount it has built up to at that time of my departure, the family get it as opposed to the insurer.

 

Tough call, no rights, no wrongs, just depends if you want to part with the increases every year.

[mania]

1 hour ago, 4MyEgo said:

Agree, however but when I saw my premium double in 4 years after no claims and my families premiums going up, I said to myself, you know what, I am fortunate enough to have money saved up to back me (nest egg) and yes, if a major problem it is gone.

I hear ya !

 

I agree it is terrible how these insurance companies take monies as in your case when risk is low & they profit.

 

Then when risk grows a bit they try to jack the rates an unreasonable amount. I mean I thought that is why you benefit from being with a company for awhile.

They see you are in good health & have paid many premiums over the years so it is not like they have not already profited

 

Yet as you say doubled in four years is robbery

 

 

[jerrymahoney]

1 hour ago, 4MyEgo said:

Tough call, no rights, no wrongs, just depends if you want to part with the increases every year.

In part, not a tough call for me: I can afford annual premiums but I would not readily be able to come up with a self-pay 1 million baht lump sum 

[4MyEgo]

5 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

In part, not a tough call for me: I can afford annual premiums but I would not readily be able to come up with a self-pay 1 million baht lump sum 

I think if you were in my position, e.g. your insurer upped your premiums to just over double in 4 years, you might think twice, regardless if you have the (nest egg) as I do to back yourself up.

 

It is no different to me than buying a product, ok, it goes up annually due to CPI, inflation etc, but you have to draw a line when you feel the product is getting expensive, suffice to say, with Covid I as everyone else saw products go up, especially imported products, now I could afford to buy them at whatever increase they went up to, but I do draw a line, regardless if it's health insurance of a pack of chips, eventually the food costs came back down, some even went to below what they were selling for pre-Covid, but not health insurance.

 

So not a tough call for me, I am happy with my decision, no grudges against the insurer, their out there to make profits, some of us can afford to not contribute to their profiteering when we feel it's getting too expensive and decide self insuring is the way to go forward, having funds to back us up in case an event happens to come by in the interim while the funds put aside build up.

[jonesthepost]

11 hours ago, simon43 said:

If you go back to the UK and declare that you intend to remain in the UK, then NHS treatment is free immediately.  I returned to the UK (after 21 years living abroad) in February for prostate cancer diagnosis and possible treatment.  I declared my circumstances to my new GP and the hospital where I'm having treatment and all accepted me without questions.  Since returning to the UK, I am well into my cancer diagnosis (biopsy a few days ago).  I also have been receiving free NHS prescriptions (antibiotics etc) since I'm over 60 years old, plus free eye test and cheap glasses at Vision Express, plus free Covid, flu and pneumonia vaccinations (I have a minor lung issue for many years), plus free colon cancer blood in poop test.....

 

As I explained in another thread, my return was hastened by the refusal of my private health insurance to cover the cost of my prostate diagnosis and treatment.  That international company refused to cover the costs because I had failed to declare my slightly enlarged prostate when I signed up to the health cover many years ago (I only knew about this BPH when a Thai doctor told me this after a DRE).  No written diagnosis was ever given and no medication was needed at that time.  Although BPH is an ailment in the prostate, it has zero relevance to prostate cancer.  Nevertheless, this was the reason why my insurance company rejected my claim and also cancelled my insurance cover immediately!

 

I am currently going through the process of claiming financial damages through the insurance ombudsman, but I will not be surprised if the ombusman sides with the insurance company.

 

Therefore, I would strongly suggest that if you do apply for medical insurance, that you disclose every single ailment or condition that you might have had in your life, on the basis that no matter how minor that ailment might have been, your failure to disclose it could be a reason to reject any future claim.  (Your insurance company might laugh at your list of bunion, benign mole removal, cosmetic minor surgery, broken arm 20 years ago etc etc, but at least they cannot claim that you hid these details from them!).

 

 

If you return to UK yes you will get free treatment but you will join the large waiting list on the NHS, also a wait to get an appionment with  a GP.

[mokwit]

12 hours ago, simon43 said:

If you go back to the UK and declare that you intend to remain in the UK, then NHS treatment is free immediately.  I returned to the UK (after 21 years living abroad) in February for prostate cancer diagnosis and possible treatment.  I declared my circumstances to my new GP and the hospital where I'm having treatment and all accepted me without questions. 

As far as I can tell, if you intend to "settle" in the UK then treatment is free immediately.

 

From NHS guidelines:

"Do they intend to remain in the UK for 6 months?

If a person intends to remain in the UK for a significant period, then it is likely they are here for a settled purpose.

Evidence the patient may have (this list is not exhaustive):

• contract of employment
• tenancy agreement
• evidence of mortgage repayments or of being in the process of purchasing a property
• evidence of utility/and or council tax bill payment
• evidence a child is enrolled in a school"

 

However it may be pot luck as to how much proof is required by individual NHS locations/overseas visitors officer/GP's WRT to "settle".

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/help-for-nhs-to-recover-costs-of-care-from-visitors-and-migrants/settled-purpose-tool

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by mokwit

[jerrymahoney]

45 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I think if you were in my position,

I was stating my position.

[mokwit]

Self insurance may be fine for a single operation, but extended stays in hospital are going to be very expensive. I am not sure to what extent you can buy reliable  coverage for that. I was mulling this before events overtook me.

 

I am also looking at going back to the UK as I may be very ill for a long time and that will deplete funds even in a Thai Govt hospital - assuming you can get a bed.

Edited March 28, 2023 by mokwit

[bkk6060]

Pacific Prime is a broker with several options.  You can go to their offices in Bangkok for a personal quote or online.

[simon43]

1 hour ago, jonesthepost said:

If you return to UK yes you will get free treatment but you will join the large waiting list on the NHS, also a wait to get an appionment with  a GP.

When I returned to the UK, I registered with a GP on Thursday, had my appointment with the GP the following Monday and got referred to the hospital for cancer tests. The hospital called me on Tuesday and I had my first meeting with the specialist the same week on Thursday...... Since then I have had almost weekly appointments at the hospital (handing over my MRI scan data from Bumrungrad, sorting out a UTI several times which delayed the biopsy, and then the biopsy last Saturday). The delays have been quite reasonable.

[simon43]

[quote]

However it may be pot luck as to how much proof is required by individual NHS locations/overseas visitors officer/GP's WRT to "settle".

[/quote]

 

Indeed.  In my case, absolutely no proof has ever been requested, neither from the GP with whom I registered, nor with the hospital.  I stated that I have been living overseas for 21 years and have now returned to the UK.  No-one questioned me whatsoever about this, other than an interest in what life was like in Myanmar and had things changed in the UK.

 

contract of employment - I have none (I am self-employed, teaching online)

tenancy agreement - I have none (I am staying in a hotel)

evidence of mortgage repayments or of being in the process of purchasing a property - nope!

evidence of utility/and or council tax bill payment - nope!

evidence a child is enrolled in a school" - nope!

 

Free NHS treatment is dependent on UK residency (more than 183 days/year in the UK).  For this current year, although I have not yet been in the UK for 183 days, that will be the case later this year.  I have also spent longer in the UK this year than overseas.

 

Anyway, this is off-topic!

[mokwit]

1 minute ago, simon43 said:

Anyway, this is off-topic!

Only sorta, as many peoples insurance is going back to the UK.

[scubascuba3]

One of the other issues with insurers is they do little checking when people apply for insurance, but when making a claim there the digging really starts, really you want to know when kicking off insurance exactly what you aren't covered for

 

 

 

 

 

[Sheryl]

49 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

One of the other issues with insurers is they do little checking when people apply for insurance, but when making a claim there the digging really starts, really you want to know when kicking off insurance exactly what you aren't covered for

 

 

 

 

 

True of many Thai insurers (though not all.)

 

International insurers more often  do full medical underwriting. You know from the start what will and won't be covered as long as you filled out the health history honestly and in full. 

[Sheryl]

4 hours ago, mokwit said:

Only sorta, as many peoples insurance is going back to the UK.

The problem with that is that, when the tiem comes, they may be too ill to travel. 

[HampiK]

5 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Pacific Prime is a broker with several options.  You can go to their offices in Bangkok for a personal quote or online.

I am customer of Pacific Prime, but before they had the bangkok office. 

But I guess most person here us AA broker when I read the insurance thread of the last few years.