Latest developments and discussion of recent events in the Ukraine War

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, gk10012001 said:

So what do you do for health care?  You mention California so I assume you are a US citizen.  I have been to Thailand many times and am well aware of the decent health care available as pay as you go or even with some Thai health insurance plans, but what age are you?  Are you over 65 and eligible for US Medicare?  If you don't start it you incur a 10 % increase in premiums each year you don't sign up but sign up later.  Health insurance for aged foreigners in Thailand is very expensive and in many cases not even available.   And how do you plan really significant health issues, surgery, cancer, etc.?  Are you insured?

No. I don't like health insurance companies. I consider them to be a mafia and I stopped my plan about 10 years ago after it was consistently going up 20% per year, enough is enough, not a single claim and still insane increases. I self-insure and healthcare costs are reasonable enough in Thailand that I'm not worried about it. Had minor heart issues lately and paid out of pocket. If something very serious happens like cancer I will try something extreme like fasting. I would never do chemo, and if fasting doesn't work I'm okay. I've had a good life.

 

An anecdote about the US health care mafia. 

 

A good friend of mine got in a bad motorcycle accident some time ago. He almost lost his leg. He got his first of 11 operations at Bangkok Hospital Samui. It costs him over a million baht. They wanted to do a second procedure. They quoted him 1,400,000 baht. He decided to transfer to Bangkok. He was quoted 460,000 baht for the same procedure, at a top private hospital there. The surgeon told him that he worked at a public hospital too, and could do the same operation there, for alot less money. He told him he would get him a quote. In the interim, my friend called a good friend of his, in San Diego, who is an orthopedic surgeon. Since my friend is a retired chiropractor, he knew all the terminology, and explained what he needed, and asked for the best price. His friend called him back the next day, and quoted him $960,000, with cash discounts! The local surgeon here got back to him, and told him he could do it for 46,000 baht. He transferred, and they did all the rest of his procedures. So, 1,400,000 at Bangkok Hospital, 460,000 at Vejthani Hospital, and 46,000 at the public hospital, with an excellent surgeon. vs. 32,000,000 baht in the US. Again, no complaints from this peanut gallery.

[Puccini]

On 10/17/2024 at 1:27 PM, Upnotover said:

Indeed, but you didn't really read the question.

 

The OP did not write "...leave to live in another country..." but from what you now write it seems that we were meant to understand it that way. Is that it?