Any tips dealing with health insurance agents

[global expat]

I bought my first private insurance for the first time in May last year . The agent only presented me with one “basic” plan, which was the most expensive option available.  Upon checking the provider’s website yesterday, I discovered significantly cheaper plans.  This experience reinforces my belief that prioritizing commission over customer needs is unethical.

  Is it morally right for insurance agents and brokers to exclusively promote the most expensive plans, withholding information about more affordable options?  

 

I do not trust them. How can I protect myself from potentially unethical agents in the future?

[NumbNut]

Luigi Mangione has a few tips for you

[scubascuba3]

Next time do thorough research before signing up

[global expat]

6 hours ago, NumbNut said:

 

I agree man. You cannot trust these people. 

 

What do you look for when shopping for health insurance? 

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

An insurance agent's primary duty is to his or her principal, the insurance company. Agents have no obligation to provide advice. They often only know the features of the insurance product or products that their principal offers and cannot provide options from other insurers and can only explain the features of the products they sell.

 

Under the law of agency, the principal of an independent insurance broker is their client, not the insurer. The broker will therefore have an obligation to act in the interest of the person seeking insurance coverage. Brokers can provide options from several insurers and can explain differences in coverage and claims-paying attitudes.

 

I would suggest finding an independent insurance broker that has distribution agreements with several insurers and ask that broker to provide quotes after discussing your specific needs and objectives. A good broker will be able to give you guidance and options.

 

Good luck.

[NumbNut]

2 hours ago, global expat said:

I agree man. You cannot trust these people. 

 

What do you look for when shopping for health insurance? 

I'm not insured, no plans to get insured either.

 

I've been very fortunate with my health up to now, so I reckon anything that comes up should be easily taken care of with a minimum of fuss and NO insurance agencies involved at all.

 

Good luck with your search 

[global expat]

@Etaoin Shrdlu who are good brokers you recommend? But are brokers commission driven too? They might give us plans that will give them commission. 

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

4 hours ago, global expat said:

@Etaoin Shrdlu who are good brokers you recommend? But are brokers commission driven too? They might give us plans that will give them commission. 

 

Insurance companies in Thailand compensate their distribution systems, both their own agency systems and independent insurance brokerage companies, by commission. It isn't going to be possible for the personal lines insurance buyer to do much about this.

 

Mitigating this is the fact that there isn't much variance in the commission levels paid by different insurers for the same line of coverage. Plus, there isn't anything preventing a client from discussing commission levels with their broker when reviewing options.

 

The insurance brokerage industry has changed a lot since my day. There are a lot of new players and many of them are involved in personal lines insurance. Perhaps other AN members can provide suggestions based upon their recent experience.

 

 

 

 

 

[baansgr]

On 2/11/2025 at 7:43 AM, global expat said:

I bought my first private insurance for the first time in May last year . The agent only presented me with one “basic” plan, which was the most expensive option available.  Upon checking the provider’s website yesterday, I discovered significantly cheaper plans.  This experience reinforces my belief that prioritizing commission over customer needs is unethical.

  Is it morally right for insurance agents and brokers to exclusively promote the most expensive plans, withholding information about more affordable options?  

 

I do not trust them. How can I protect myself from potentially unethical agents in the future?

Go direct.ro the insurance company and buy the plan you want however, keep in mind the agent will still get his 30% commission regardless....and yes this is the way it works 

[newbee2022]

On 2/11/2025 at 7:43 AM, global expat said:

I bought my first private insurance for the first time in May last year . The agent only presented me with one “basic” plan, which was the most expensive option available.  Upon checking the provider’s website yesterday, I discovered significantly cheaper plans.  This experience reinforces my belief that prioritizing commission over customer needs is unethical.

  Is it morally right for insurance agents and brokers to exclusively promote the most expensive plans, withholding information about more affordable options?  

 

I do not trust them. How can I protect myself from potentially unethical agents in the future?

Go always to the insurer's website. Agent's income is created by commissions. Better to sign without any agent directly with the insurance company 

[hereforgood]

I had an issue with a agent selling insurance but it wasn't trying to be sold to me. Here's the background. I worked and was on the Thai social scheme paid taxes and got my medical with the government hospital that I was registered with which was in Sriracha. I had a lot of work done at that hospital including a double hip replacement and I never had to pay one baht out of pocket. Thai government picked up the whole bill and they continue to do so. So I knew another employee that was in the same position that I was in with another company and he had the government insurance also. But he made an appointment with an insurance broker upon the broker pressuring him about needing really good insurance. Well I explained to him what I had went through and how good that government insurance is despite what many think. The agent told him it really isn't that good and doesn't cover everything. Well I was told that not only does it cover everything but if my government hospital can't do a procedure that I need they will send me to a private hospital that can and I will still be covered for that 100%. So don't let the insurance people try to push you into something you don't need or don't want ask for every option.

[WDSmart]

Don't cough at lot while filling out your application... 

[scorecard]

On 2/11/2025 at 11:34 AM, scubascuba3 said:

Next time do thorough research before signing up

Including go to the insurance coy website and check what policies / levels are available.

 

And call the insurance company and double check the fine points of the coverage / what is not covered etc. Yes a pain but worth the effort.

 

And check if the agent is approved to sell by the insurance company.

 

Don't accept comments from the agent like:

- 'Customers are not allowed to have copies of the actual policies'.

- 'Customers are not allowed to telephone the HO of the insurance company'.

- 'Customers are not allowed to have receipts from payments made for policies'. 

etc...

 

My Thai son discovered his new wife was paying for a health insurance police for her very old mother. Costing a fortune, paid by the month. Son's wife had no policy document and no receipts for the many payments she had made direct to the agent.

 

Son insisted that the agent come to his condo to explain. Agent demanded a 5,000Baht fee to come to his condo. 

 

Son refused to pay the 5,000Baht fee and threatened to call the police The meeting happened and the agent mentioned the 3 bullet points above (customers not allowed .....). 

 

Son did some research and discovered the health insurance company was (in Thailand) a joint venture between a very large Thai bank and a very big famous insurance company from Europe.

 

Son called the Thai bank and got no answers.

 

Son sent an email to the insurance coy in Europe (Denmark) and instantly got a phone call from Denmark asking him to share full details.

 

Bottom line: Insurance company from Denmark immediately cancelled the joint venture, the Thai bank refunded all the premiums paid, agent dismissed and forced to refund all commissions she had received to the bank.

 

Agent now works for a Thai health insurance company. 

 

[JBChiangRai]

Another tip is check your insurance company on Trustpilot especially the bad reviews, at least one insurance company operating in Thailand appears to have paid a review agency to boost their ratings, with obvious errors like praising the wrong product.

[scubascuba3]

Get confirmations in writing from the insurance company, worthless from the broker, any court case is usually between the customer and insurance company

[OneMoreFarang]

A long time ago in a country far away I was an insurance agent.

One important rule for us was: Tell the truth - but maybe not the whole truth.

If we would not tell the truth that could have bad consequences for our job and working with insurance companies.

Not telling the whole truth had no consequences.

 

You should ask questions, a lot of questions.

And maybe you should ask the agent if you can record your meeting. Then the agent will think twice before he lies.

You could ask i.e. if what the agent suggested is the only option. Are there other policies? Are there options that you pay the first x amount by yourself. Ask!

 

And in most cases talk with several agents and compare.

 

And, if you are not 100% healthy, then make sure to answer all the questions in the application form correctly. Don't let anything out! Maybe the agent will tell you that hospital visit 10 years ago was not really important, or that ear infection last year. But if you don't mention it, and they you have to go to the hospital the next year, then maybe the insurance will look for things which you didn't tell them. And depending on what they found they won't pay.

Obviously, we all want to be insured and don't pay anything extra. But the most important part is not just that you are insured, but that the insurance actually pays if you need them. And for that they should not have a reason not to pay.

 

Lots of agents are only interested in (high) commissions. Other are fair. It's difficult to tell them apart.

I can recommend one agent in Bangkok who I know for 20 years. If you are interested, PM me.

 

 

[scottiejohn]

33 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

One important rule for us was: Tell the truth - but maybe not the whole truth.

The talk I was taught was to upsell as much as possible without telling a provable lie!

Same same but different!

[scottiejohn]

35 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

You could ask i.e. if what the agent suggested is the only option. Are there other policies? Are there options that you pay the first x amount by yourself. Ask!

Another, maybe strange question to some, is to ask that Agent what other agencies in the local area that he recommends and can you quote him to them!

[OneMoreFarang]

10 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Another, maybe strange question to some, is to ask that Agent what other agencies in the local area that he recommends and can you quote him to them!

 

Not sure about that.

But obviously we can ask an agent how his offer is compared to others out there. He should know his competition and he should know if they are cheaper, better, whatever. 

[1FinickyOne]

The bigger question is what are you covered for and will they easily pay out or will you have to fight for your money?