How much do you pay for health insurance?

[rudi49jr]

I was browsing the cost of expat health insurance in Thailand and was rather shocked how much it costs: if I want insurance for myself and my Thai girlfriend, prices seem to start at around $500-$600 a month. This is almost double of what I would pay for health insurance in my home country.

I would love to hear what kind of insurance other members of this forum have and how much they pay for that. I’m going to be 67 years old, by the way.

[greeneking]

It is too expensive. The hospitals are too expensive. Last time I used one the staff were numerous and generous with their time. The vast spaces were chilled so that I felt too cold. In the Hot Season. 

The room I stayed in was about 40 Sq. m.

If the hospitals were more budget oriented the insurance premiums could be too. I want to insure my health, but I do not need to live in luxury while I am treated.

Government hospital is too much the other way. Something in the middle please.

 

[scubascuba3]

Looking at 250k+ baht a year in 70s for good insurance, not the cheap rubbish

[BritManToo]

Nothing, I'm nearly 69.

I only have insurance require by government dictat.

[saakura]

18 minutes ago, greeneking said:

It is too expensive. The hospitals are too expensive. Last time I used one the staff were numerous and generous with their time. The vast spaces were chilled so that I felt too cold. In the Hot Season. 

The room I stayed in was about 40 Sq. m.

If the hospitals were more budget oriented the insurance premiums could be too. I want to insure my health, but I do not need to live in luxury while I am treated.

Government hospital is too much the other way. Something in the middle please.

 

And the hospitals will have Starbucks, Au Bon Pain and other branded shops, beauty salon, restaurants, valet parking, giant TV screens in various locations, flower shops, etc. Many hospitals also have wellness center (aka massage service, cosmetic surgery etc.).

[Lacessit]

I have private health insurance in Australia. At my age, and with the pre-existing conditions I have, no insurer in Thailand would even offer to insure me. I self-insure.

 

Based on several experiences here, I would say the Thai public hospital system is superior to the corresponding Australian public system. Quite inexpensive, I'm sure a Thai national in an Australian public hospital would pay a lot more.

 

No doubt the cost escalates as procedures needed become more complex.

[mogandave]

The Thai Social is B432 per month if you qualify. 

 

 

[Airalee]

1 hour ago, rudi49jr said:

I was browsing the cost of expat health insurance in Thailand and was rather shocked how much it costs: if I want insurance for myself and my Thai girlfriend, prices seem to start at around $500-$600 a month. This is almost double of what I would pay for health insurance in my home country.

I would love to hear what kind of insurance other members of this forum have and how much they pay for that. I’m going to be 67 years old, by the way.

Need more information.…such as deductible.

 

What is your “home country”?   I’m guessing it’s not the US because it would cost a lot more than your secret home country.  

 

Why would your Thai girlfriend need insurance?  Mine is on the “social insurance” plan and pays ฿432 per month.  This is for people who are not working.  There is no deductible and is limited to the hospital that she chooses.  She can change her choice of hospital during the sign up period that is once per year.  Last year, the window for people to change was from December 16, 2023 until March 31, 2024.

 

Not all hospitals are on the program.  There are 97 private hospitals in Thailand that are on the program.  

 

The “fancy” hospitals are not on the program.

 

If there is a particular surgery/service/procedure that is not available at her hospital of choice, they will refer her to another hospital.  Either one of the other private hospital or one of the tertiary/quartinary government hospitals.

 

I have a ฿300,000 deductible so I pay cash for most of my care.  The money I save on the cost of insurance covers all the medical care I use.  I keep insurance only for the big stuff….knock on wood.

[rudi49jr]

3 minutes ago, mogandave said:

The Thai Social is B432 per month if you qualify. 

 

 

Do you know how/where I can find out if I qualify?

[mogandave]

1 minute ago, rudi49jr said:

Do you know how/where I can find out if I qualify?

You get it working in Thailand. 

 

Just use the government hospitals, many of them are great, and they like paying customers. 

 

Where are you? 

 

I see my liver doctor at Chula, and it is pretty cheap. 

[rudi49jr]

1 minute ago, Airalee said:

Need more information.…such as deductible.

 

What is your “home country”?   I’m guessing it’s not the US because it would cost a lot more than your secret home country.  

 

Why would your Thai girlfriend need insurance?  Mine is on the “social insurance” plan and pays ฿432 per month.  This is for people who are not working.  There is no deductible and is limited to the hospital that she chooses.  She can change her choice of hospital during the sign up period that is once per year.  Last year, the window for people to change was from December 16, 2023 until March 31, 2024.

 

Not all hospitals are on the program.  There are 97 private hospitals in Thailand that are on the program.  

 

The “fancy” hospitals are not on the program.

 

If there is a particular surgery/service/procedure that is not available at her hospital of choice, they will refer her to another hospital.  Either one of the other private hospital or one of the tertiary/quartinary government hospitals.

 

I have a ฿300,000 deductible so I pay cash for most of my care.  The money I save on the cost of insurance covers all the medical care I use.  I keep insurance only for the big stuff….knock on wood.

First off, thanks for taking the time to write this lengthy reply, I really appreciate that.

 

I am Dutch. I pay about €200 (about 7,300 baht) a month here for health insurance, and quite a comprehensive one at that. I wish I could keep that insurance, but unfortunately that is not possible when I move to Thailand. 

[rudi49jr]

7 minutes ago, mogandave said:

You get it working in Thailand. 

 

Just use the government hospitals, many of them are great, and they like paying customers. 

 

Where are you? 

 

I see my liver doctor at Chula, and it is pretty cheap. 

I will not be working in Thailand, going to move there next year when I retire. The plan is to live on Koh Chang.

[rudi49jr]

1 minute ago, rudi49jr said:

First off, thanks for taking the time to write this lengthy reply, I really appreciate that.

 

I am Dutch. I pay about €200 (about 7,300 baht) a month here for health insurance, and quite a comprehensive one at that. I wish I could keep that insurance, but unfortunately that is not possible when I move to Thailand. 

PS: I don’t have any medical/health issues, not yet anyway. So maybe go without insurance and use government hospital when something does happen?

[mogandave]

Just now, rudi49jr said:

I will not be working in Thailand, going to move there next year when I retire. The plan is to live on Koh Chang.

Do you have insurance in your home country?

 

If you’re reasonably healthy, and you use government hospitals, I think a million baht in country, including you visa account is enough for emergencies. 

[mogandave]

2 minutes ago, rudi49jr said:

PS: I don’t have any medical/health issues, not yet anyway. So maybe go without insurance and use government hospital when something does happen?

Make sure have money,

[rudi49jr]

4 minutes ago, mogandave said:

Do you have insurance in your home country?

 

If you’re reasonably healthy, and you use government hospitals, I think a million baht in country, including you visa account is enough for emergencies. 

I have very good health insurance here in The Netherlands, but unfortunately I can not keep that when I move to Thailand.

[JBChiangRai]

I self-insure, but I would strongly recommend that anyone contemplating taking out insurance checks them out on Trustpilot etc.

[Airalee]

2 minutes ago, rudi49jr said:

PS: I don’t have any medical/health issues, not yet anyway. So maybe go without insurance and use government hospital when something does happen?

Government hospitals, if you go the cheap route….long time waiting to see a doctor….seem to be ok.   Having a Thai girlfriend to help navigate the system would be essential if you can’t speak a decent amount of Thai.  
 

Chulalongkorn has a “special” clinic that I have used and I thought it would save me money over the private hospital that I go to (Vichaiyut)…but it was actually more expensive and also less convenient.

 

The doctors that I have seen at Vichaiyut and Chula also work at the “top” hospitals such as Bumrungrad and charge higher prices.  They have no problem with me seeing them at the less expensive clinics and don’t view me as any kind of “cheapskate”

 

I’m only 56 now but would be hesitant to live on an Island in case I needed to be quickly transported to a hospital on the mainland in an emergency situation.  Perhaps someone who lives on an island can comment on this because maybe my fears are unfounded.

[Mason45]

I stopped paying health insurance several years ago. Now as I'm 80 yo I gave my wife special instructions. The main thing is should I be diagnosed with a life threatening disease tell the doctor to hit me with pain killers and let me die in peace. Why pay exorbitant fees to get treated and die several months later. I still walk 90 minutes daily at a brisk pace and I'm careful what I eat, to me that is my health insurance.

[KhunLA]

Never paid for private health insurance.  Only had one employer paid coverage, for 13 of ~30 years of working in USA.  Only needed health insurance  for OJI (on job injuries), back issues.

 

Never had or needed insurance after stopped working or during retirement in TH.   One oops over 2 yrs ago here, minor procedure and 12 ish hours in ICU, at govt hosp., all in, ~220k THB.

 

Continue to self insure, and wife knows, at 70, DNR.

 

No known family health issues, aside from self induced cancers & stroke.  A bunch of chain smoking alkys.  Skipped my generation, and siblings all healthy at 65, 71 & 77 yrs old.  Parents crapped out at 69 & 74.

 

Think I'm way ahead on the financial curve of paid health insurance.   At a low $300 USD  a month, times 12, times 24 years = $86,400 / ฿3M

 

Pretty sure I can't get that sick, or would pay for a couple crap years to go.

Edited 51 minutes ago by KhunLA

[ModdaPunk]

No insurance.

[JontS]

56 minutes ago, rudi49jr said:

PS: I don’t have any medical/health issues, not yet anyway. So maybe go without insurance and use government hospital when something does happen?

This is the route that I am planning for in my retirement next year

[bkk6060]

Always get a laugh from the ¨self insureres¨.  Funny how they never say what they have stashed in their account for such emergencies.  100,000 b is not self insured.  2 or 3 million is a good start.

[Ralf001]

I pay Bt.750 a month.

[Yellowtail]

3 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Always get a laugh from the ¨self insureres¨.  Funny how they never say what they have stashed in their account for such emergencies.  100,000 b is not self insured.  2 or 3 million is a good start.

I can put over three million on a credit card. And I told my wife if I die on the table, don't pay it. 

 

 

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, rudi49jr said:

I was browsing the cost of expat health insurance in Thailand and was rather shocked how much it costs: if I want insurance for myself and my Thai girlfriend, prices seem to start at around $500-$600 a month. This is almost double of what I would pay for health insurance in my home country.

I would love to hear what kind of insurance other members of this forum have and how much they pay for that. I’m going to be 67 years old, by the way.

 

For me, about the same age with a 100,000 baht deductible and no out-patient, about 75,000 baht/year = $180/month

[richard_smith237]

15 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

I pay Bt.750 a month.

 

For 750 baht a month... your insurance pays all costs, inpatient and out patient, including all your medication ?

 

 

(I note that in another thread, you posted that you get your medication from a Hospital directly because a) you can only get that type of medication directly from a hospital, and b) your insurance pays for it...

 

For 750 baht per month - I'm sure many want to know what insurance company that is, because its an outstanding deal !!!! 

 

I can't get decent insurance for less than 100,000 baht per year !!! and thats inpatient only.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

18 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

25 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Always get a laugh from the ¨self insureres¨.  Funny how they never say what they have stashed in their account for such emergencies.  100,000 b is not self insured.  2 or 3 million is a good start.

I can put over three million on a credit card. And I told my wife if I die on the table, don't pay it. 

 

So...  just last month... had knee issues.. 

 

Needed an MRI...   had to pay for it as soon as I finished.

Need an operation, had to pay for it as soon as I finished.

 

Both paid for by credit card, about 300k baht in total...   then claimed of insurance.

 

So...  Your 'clever' plan might work in the event of death where you can avoid payment of a credit card, but what happens if they keep you alive, or if ongoing treatment is needed... Say a knee replacement, or something worse ???

 

You can't off-put paying your credit card inevitably....

 

Thus: back to bkk6060's comment...  

 

 

Edited 13 minutes ago by richard_smith237

[Yellowtail]

If you want cost effective insurance, you have to have no preexisting conditions and a high deductible. 

 

I loved the insurance I had up until five years ago, but it is just too expensive since I retired, 

 

I have SS medical in Thailand Medicare in the US. I pay for everything out of pocket now. That said, you have to have the funds to do it. If your waiting for your check each month, it's not for you. 

[phetphet]

My last invoice to cover 2024 was $4814 in-patient only. 

.I expect it to jump this year as I had a motorbike accident. Very expensive, but what can you do? They have you by the balls if you want decent cover, and at 66 age is against me.