Medical insurance for American Expat

[charleskerins]

Good evening-  Coming over for 3-9 months  need to but some Insurance last visit I purchased GeoBlue   looking for something less expensive .    Thanks

[ezzra]

A whole host of more details about the policy buyer needed to recommend a policy, such as age, known ailments, working or retired and most of all' the budget...

[charleskerins]

12 minutes ago, ezzra said:

A whole host of more details about the policy buyer needed to recommend a policy, such as age, known ailments, working or retired and most of all' the budget...

70 retired   high blood pressure       on a pension  just looked at some quotes -shocked 

[Skipalongcassidy]

Health insurance will run between $2500 to $3500 for basic coverage... not much more than you are paying for part B medicare

[mania]

20 minutes ago, charleskerins said:

70 retired   high blood pressure       on a pension  just looked at some quotes -shocked 

I'm a couple years younger but just bought IMG 

 

You can try their online quotes free

 

Seems like  its pretty good coverage at a fair price

 

https://www.imglobal.com/travel-medical-insurance

[SammyJ]

2 hours ago, charleskerins said:

Good evening-  Coming over for 3-9 months  need to but some Insurance last visit I purchased GeoBlue   looking for something less expensive .    Thanks

Yes, you might be able to buy some Travel Insurance, not regular health insurance, but some travel insurance has limitations on the length of time they will cover you-- or else it becomes more like health insurance--and most travel insurance will also have stipulations on pre-existing conditions.  Of course, you may well know, coming from the US, that Medicare makes very clear that they will provide NO coverage at all--not even emergency coverage when traveling--if you are outside the US.  They advise getting travel insurance, which unfortunately, very few older Americans do, as they do not realize Medicare's restrictions.

In Thailand, most regular health insurance will not offer new policies to anyone over 65 or over--and the few that say they might, most often will reject an application after reviewing one's medical history, and seeing one's pre-existing conditions.  Many think Thailand must have inexpensive medical coverage--paying for typical outpatient stuff, overall pretty inexpensive, but comprehensive medical insurance for better quality inpatient coverage can be costly--still inexpensive compared to the US--but many find it still outside their budget and end up self-insuring.

[Srikcir]

Read limitations carefully. Some will not cover pre-existing conditions, motorbike accidents, etc. 

[Liverpool Lou]

11 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Read limitations carefully. Some will not cover pre-existing conditions, motorbike accidents, etc. 

I've never come across any medical/health insurance providers (that's what he's asking about) that exempts claims for the treatment of injuries  resulting from motorcycle accidents.  Do you know of any?

[charleskerins]

11 hours ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

Health insurance will run between $2500 to $3500 for basic coverage... not much more than you are paying for part B medicare

Per year -that's what  I thought  the quotes i got were 2,000 per month.  I did not elect part B yet  .Please elaborate.

[charleskerins]

9 hours ago, SammyJ said:

Yes, you might be able to buy some Travel Insurance, not regular health insurance, but some travel insurance has limitations on the length of time they will cover you-- or else it becomes more like health insurance--and most travel insurance will also have stipulations on pre-existing conditions.  Of course, you may well know, coming from the US, that Medicare makes very clear that they will provide NO coverage at all--not even emergency coverage when traveling--if you are outside the US.  They advise getting travel insurance, which unfortunately, very few older Americans do, as they do not realize Medicare's restrictions.

In Thailand, most regular health insurance will not offer new policies to anyone over 65 or over--and the few that say they might, most often will reject an application after reviewing one's medical history, and seeing one's pre-existing conditions.  Many think Thailand must have inexpensive medical coverage--paying for typical outpatient stuff, overall pretty inexpensive, but comprehensive medical insurance for better quality inpatient coverage can be costly--still inexpensive compared to the US--but many find it still outside their budget and end up self-insuring.

Sammy j you are correct actually seems like it would be cheaper to leave Thailand every 6 months and then reenter   with travel insurance -thoughts?   Would having a Thai wife help any -just asking.

[charleskerins]

11 hours ago, mania said:

I'm a couple years younger but just bought IMG 

 

You can try their online quotes free

 

Seems like  its pretty good coverage at a fair price

 

https://www.imglobal.com/travel-medical-insurance

Thanks -I will give it a look .May I ask what your monthly premium is?

[Srikcir]

3 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

I've never come across any medical/health insurance providers (that's what he's asking about) that exempts claims for the treatment of injuries  resulting from motorcycle accidents.  Do you know of any?

Seems common with travel health insurance.

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

5 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

I've never come across any medical/health insurance providers (that's what he's asking about) that exempts claims for the treatment of injuries  resultiow of any?

Expand  

Seems common with travel health insurance.

He's not wanting travel insurance!  And it's travel insurance, not "travel health insurance".

Edited September 23, 2023 by Liverpool Lou

[mudcat]

Going the other way (back to th U.S. for a visit where I wanted cover for initial treatment and repatriation) I ended up using a Thai company's travel plan (MSIG).  I appreciated reading in their terms and conditions a definition of pre-existing conditions:

 

Pre-existing Conditions means 
Physical conditions of the Insured as follows:
1. In case of insurance for a Single Trip and for annual Open Policy, it shall mean the disease
(including complications), symptom or abnormality occurred to the Insured within twenty-four (24)
months preceding the effective date of this Policy with sufficient indication for a person to seek
diagnosis or treatment or for a physician to provide diagnosis or treatment;
2. In case of insurance for Annual Trip, it shall mean the disease (including complications), symptom
or abnormality occurred to the Insured within twenty-four (24) months preceding the effective date
of this Policy with sufficient indication for a person to seek diagnosis or treatment or for a physician
to provide diagnosis or treatment and medical conditions for which the Insured has claimed during
a previous trip or medical conditions for which the Insured has sought treatment or diagnosis within
twelve (12) months before the trip. Such conditions shall be considered pre-existing conditions for
subsequent trip.

 

Although this policy is only available for residents reading the definition gave me assurance that a long term condition (in my case cholesrerol) that is under control through medication is not a pre-existing condition.  Other plans required having one's medical history being reviewed by an underwriter.

[Skipalongcassidy]

13 hours ago, charleskerins said:

Per year -that's what  I thought  the quotes i got were 2,000 per month.  I did not elect part B yet  .Please elaborate.

 Part B Medicare is only good in the USA... it will not cover you in Thailand... I was using it as a reference figure about the price of insurance being too high... double check that $2000 a month figure... that's higher than any private plan that I have ever encountered anywhere... maybe it was a typo and should have been $200 a month or $2000 a year... I am in my late 70"s and pay $3000 a year for decent coverage here in Thailand.

[jcmj]

Where did you find insurance for around 3,000 dollars after 70 years old? Mine went up to 550,000 baht, so I’m now self insured. Also they don’t cover pre existing conditions on any policy I’ve seen, or they will just pay a small portion for that. 

[charleskerins]

20 hours ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

 Part B Medicare is only good in the USA... it will not cover you in Thailand... I was using it as a reference figure about the price of insurance being too high... double check that $2000 a month figure... that's higher than any private plan that I have ever encountered anywhere... maybe it was a typo and should have been $200 a month or $2000 a year... I am in my late 70"s and pay $3000 a year for decent coverage here in Thailand.

I don't think the 2000 a month was a typo  ,please share where you found insurance for 3000 a year 

Thanks

[Skipalongcassidy]

1 hour ago, charleskerins said:

I don't think the 2000 a month was a typo  ,please share where you found insurance for 3000 a year 

Thanks

PM sent

[SammyJ]

On 9/23/2023 at 3:03 PM, Liverpool Lou said:

I've never come across any medical/health insurance providers (that's what he's asking about) that exempts claims for the treatment of injuries  resulting from motorcycle accidents.  Do you know of any?

While i am not the original poster of that information, but i  don't think most medical health insurance will do that, but i think some travel insurance may exclude that, knowing that many tourists want to try their hands at riding motorbikes or scooters while on holiday, and it leads to frequent accidents.

 

Don't know a comprehensive health insurance company that does not exclude pre-existing conditions--how they treat them may vary--most travel insurance also, if you read the fine print, also have pre-existing conditions exclusions--they are more for accident, injury, etc while traveling.

[SammyJ]

5 hours ago, charleskerins said:

I don't think the 2000 a month was a typo  ,please share where you found insurance for 3000 a year 

Thanks

I would also like to see the policy of any plan that will cover someone in their 70's--would be interested to see the plan benefits and restrictions--it just doesn't seem realistic for quality comprehensive coverage--some expat friends here have had coverage for many years with a Thai company, and the company will continue to provide coverage past age 65, but often the annual premiums increase beyond affordability for many.  Some believe that their carrier has promised them certain annual costs, but every policy i have seen contains a caveat that allows companies to increase premiums based on medical costs inflation and utilization.

[SammyJ]

5 hours ago, charleskerins said:

I don't think the 2000 a month was a typo  ,please share where you found insurance for 3000 a year 

Thanks

3000 dollars--over 100,000 baht--still would love to see carrier name and plan name,  It might of benefit to others--I am assuming that you were covered by this carrier prior to the age of 65?