Health Insurance

[zzSleepyJohn]

...

Alternatively if you're expecting to be in Thailand long term and any hospital treatment you need is likely to be in Thailand, where costs are a lot less, then consider using a Thai based insurance.

...

But what is no gamble is the fact that medical insurance is commercial business with quite expensive overheads, and statistically they will make money out of their customers.

If you were to put aside and invest as savings the equivalent of medical insurance insurance premiums over a period of several years, then the chances are that those savings would more than cover your hospital costs. But that's not guaranteed. It's still a gamble!

In our case my wife and I compromise and hedge our bets with a modest local cover from Thai Life. They've just recently signed me up for extended cover from age 65 to 70. I know they wouldn't fly us to America for treatment even in a life and death situation, but I also know I'm not a multi-billionaire able to afford the premiums for that sort of cover. Yer pays yer money and takes yer choice!

+ SJ

I'm not a zillionaire either.

If I went the self-insurance route, what do you think would be a sensible amount to put aside keeping in mind the sort of premiums I would have paid to a commercial insurance, and the fact I'm over 60 - though in good health. I'd probably go on putting aside the amount indefinitely, but for curiosity what sort of lump sum - if I did reach it - would be a safe enough level at which to stop?

Given, as you said yourself, that all this is a gamble and there are no guarantees.

Well if you put aside say 20K baht per person each year, which is of the same order as you'd be paying for a modest medical and life cover, then in 5 or 6 years you'd have enough to cover the cost of a few typical hospital visits. Before you're admitted to a hospital bed, they show you a book with pictures of all the different standards or rooms and their different prices, so they actually operate rather like a hotel. A super-deluxe room costs you super-deluxe money of course, so your choice of room can have quite a big effect on the cost of your stay.

Now whether super-deluxe residents get better medical treatment than the plebs is a moot point. They shouldn't, of course, but then "money does talk"!

+ SJ

[ballbreaker]

...

Alternatively if you're expecting to be in Thailand long term and any hospital treatment you need is likely to be in Thailand, where costs are a lot less, then consider using a Thai based insurance.

...

But what is no gamble is the fact that medical insurance is commercial business with quite expensive overheads, and statistically they will make money out of their customers.

If you were to put aside and invest as savings the equivalent of medical insurance insurance premiums over a period of several years, then the chances are that those savings would more than cover your hospital costs. But that's not guaranteed. It's still a gamble!

In our case my wife and I compromise and hedge our bets with a modest local cover from Thai Life. They've just recently signed me up for extended cover from age 65 to 70. I know they wouldn't fly us to America for treatment even in a life and death situation, but I also know I'm not a multi-billionaire able to afford the premiums for that sort of cover. Yer pays yer money and takes yer choice!

+ SJ

I'm not a zillionaire either.

If I went the self-insurance route, what do you think would be a sensible amount to put aside keeping in mind the sort of premiums I would have paid to a commercial insurance, and the fact I'm over 60 - though in good health. I'd probably go on putting aside the amount indefinitely, but for curiosity what sort of lump sum - if I did reach it - would be a safe enough level at which to stop?

Given, as you said yourself, that all this is a gamble and there are no guarantees.

Well if you put aside say 20K baht per person each year, which is of the same order as you'd be paying for a modest medical and life cover, then in 5 or 6 years you'd have enough to cover the cost of a few typical hospital visits. Before you're admitted to a hospital bed, they show you a book with pictures of all the different standards or rooms and their different prices, so they actually operate rather like a hotel. A super-deluxe room costs you super-deluxe money of course, so your choice of room can have quite a big effect on the cost of your stay.

Now whether super-deluxe residents get better medical treatment than the plebs is a moot point. They shouldn't, of course, but then "money does talk"!

+ SJ

I think anyone that has lived in LOS for any time can verify that medical cost have been going up and will continue to go up. That being said I think it is better to get a major medical plan and pay as you go on the rest. Trying to set aside say 20k per year for limited time of 5 or 6 years will only bite you in the end. Major medical plans are 20-40k baht a year and if you can't afford that you shouldn't be here.

[tonydabbs]

...

Alternatively if you're expecting to be in Thailand long term and any hospital treatment you need is likely to be in Thailand, where costs are a lot less, then consider using a Thai based insurance.

...

But what is no gamble is the fact that medical insurance is commercial business with quite expensive overheads, and statistically they will make money out of their customers.

If you were to put aside and invest as savings the equivalent of medical insurance insurance premiums over a period of several years, then the chances are that those savings would more than cover your hospital costs. But that's not guaranteed. It's still a gamble!

In our case my wife and I compromise and hedge our bets with a modest local cover from Thai Life. They've just recently signed me up for extended cover from age 65 to 70. I know they wouldn't fly us to America for treatment even in a life and death situation, but I also know I'm not a multi-billionaire able to afford the premiums for that sort of cover. Yer pays yer money and takes yer choice!

+ SJ

I'm not a zillionaire either.

If I went the self-insurance route, what do you think would be a sensible amount to put aside keeping in mind the sort of premiums I would have paid to a commercial insurance, and the fact I'm over 60 - though in good health. I'd probably go on putting aside the amount indefinitely, but for curiosity what sort of lump sum - if I did reach it - would be a safe enough level at which to stop?

Given, as you said yourself, that all this is a gamble and there are no guarantees.

Well if you put aside say 20K baht per person each year, which is of the same order as you'd be paying for a modest medical and life cover, then in 5 or 6 years you'd have enough to cover the cost of a few typical hospital visits. Before you're admitted to a hospital bed, they show you a book with pictures of all the different standards or rooms and their different prices, so they actually operate rather like a hotel. A super-deluxe room costs you super-deluxe money of course, so your choice of room can have quite a big effect on the cost of your stay.

Now whether super-deluxe residents get better medical treatment than the plebs is a moot point. They shouldn't, of course, but then "money does talk"!

+ SJ

I think anyone that has lived in LOS for any time can verify that medical cost have been going up and will continue to go up. That being said I think it is better to get a major medical plan and pay as you go on the rest. Trying to set aside say 20k per year for limited time of 5 or 6 years will only bite you in the end. Major medical plans are 20-40k baht a year and if you can't afford that you shouldn't be here.

What Major Medical plans do you recommend? Where can you get them?

[jimbeam1]

I am in the process of getting health insurance.

I went along for the medical, and gave them all my medical notes from UK.

I am on medication for High Blood Pressure, so no cover for that, fine.

They said i am a little overweight, fine.

They will not give me cover because my notes say that i have had a heart condition since i was a child, not true.

Nor will they give me cover, because i have lived in Thailand less than six months.

I can argue about the Heart Condition, but is living in Thailand less than six months, reason to refuse cover?

Are all companies the same, in this respect?

BTW They said "Come back in October, and we will give you cover"

Also, while i'm here, can anyone recommend a good company.

It sounds like you tried to buy health insurance from a life insurance company. If you had gone to a real health insurance company like AXA, BUPA, LMG, MSIG, NZI, PIH or THI, all good companies, you wouldn't have had that problem. If you are 60 or older, though, LMG will require a physical. The is no six month waiting period and health insurance companies don't require work permits. Life insurance companies do because of the life insurance.

I dont know where you are from but my wife and I use PPP International Health plan...we organised it before we left the UK

Hello john45. How much did you pay for health care?

jbi

[egeefay]

I am surprised at how cheap health insurance is in Thailand

I am 61 years old . My wife is 58. We live in the States and are self employed.

We pay about $8000 a year for health insurance.

They insurance company doesn't pay for anything until either of us has paid out $5500 in medical bills out of our own pockets.

After that they kick in about 80% on most things.

So basically, I have to pay over $13,500 (475,000 baht) before my health insurance starts to cover any costs.

Last year my wife had to have her pacemaker replaced.

It costs us just about $5,500 for the operation.

So my insurance company didn't have to pay a dime. We paid it all

In the US we have the worlds most expensive healthcare system. We are number one when it comes to costs.

But we are rank 37th out of 200 countries by the WHO when it comes to quality of care.

If you are from the States and living in Thailand....stay there!

Edited August 11, 2007 by egeefay