Declined Insurance (heart Issues...not)

[ChouDoufu]

I was recently turned down for health coverage due to my 'past history.' I'm looking for affordable

basic health insurance. Single, male, age 45.

Apparently 'heart issues' are a big red flag for underwriters, regardless of what the issue is, or whether

it has been resolved.

I had a valve replacement last january, due to endocarditis when i was younger. it's been fixed, i'm

fully recovered, and this is a disease that is not chronic. okay, i had high cholesterol, but that's

been controlled for years. am taking a statin drug for cholesterol, but no anti-coagulants. no

other medications.

I asked about a "no heart-related condition" exclusion rider, but was basically told i'm not insurable

due to past history in conjuction with lifestyle and habits. apparently healthy people who cycle

daily, run marathons, neither smoke nor drink nor take drugs, are poor risks.

Just looking for basic coverage, nothing fancy. don't need a lot of extras. something that will cover

me if hit by a bus or get appendicitis. major medical emergency type stuff.

[JoePai]

I was recently turned down for health coverage due to my 'past history.' I'm looking for affordable

basic health insurance. Single, male, age 45.

Apparently 'heart issues' are a big red flag for underwriters, regardless of what the issue is, or whether

it has been resolved.

I had a valve replacement last january, due to endocarditis when i was younger. it's been fixed, i'm

fully recovered, and this is a disease that is not chronic. okay, i had high cholesterol, but that's

been controlled for years. am taking a statin drug for cholesterol, but no anti-coagulants. no

other medications.

I asked about a "no heart-related condition" exclusion rider, but was basically told i'm not insurable

due to past history in conjuction with lifestyle and habits. apparently healthy people who cycle

daily, run marathons, neither smoke nor drink nor take drugs, are poor risks.

Just looking for basic coverage, nothing fancy. don't need a lot of extras. something that will cover

me if hit by a bus or get appendicitis. major medical emergency type stuff.

I would think you have no chance of getting insurance in Thailand - have you tried your home country ?

[ChouDoufu]

Not a chance. At least not until Obama and the socialists have their evil way!

[Jingthing]

Not a chance. At least not until Obama and the socialists have their evil way!

Yeah, I know, people who need health care having a way to get health care is totally evil. Just like puppies.

Edited October 9, 2009 by Jingthing

[ChouDoufu]

puppies aren't evil. (they're delicious!)

now cats, they're EVIL. and they're not of this world.

they have no eyebrows.

never trust an alien without eyebrows.

[offset]

I have high cholesterol and got insurance they just excluded heart problems from my cover but they had to talk to the underwriters first it might also depend on if you are looking for cheap insurance or not

[Jingthing]

This is really a serious issue, jokes notwithstanding.

[ChouDoufu]

<br />I have high cholesterol and got insurance they just excluded heart problems from my cover but they had to talk to the underwriters first it might also depend on if you are looking for cheap insurance or not<br />

<br /><br /><br />

would you mind sending me a pm, let me know which company you went with?

[Jingthing]

I want to know also. Why not a public M?

[samran]

I want to know also. Why not a public M?

you seem to be a bit of a guru on this stuff..

I'd think it would be worth signing up for Thai social security and paying the voluntary 400 and whatever baht per month it is. Is this something people can do? At the very least it is a safety net, and you have an assigned hospital?

[bazmlb]

You cant join the Government social fund if your name is on the company register.

[Jingthing]

I want to know also. Why not a public M?

you seem to be a bit of a guru on this stuff..

I'd think it would be worth signing up for Thai social security and paying the voluntary 400 and whatever baht per month it is. Is this something people can do? At the very least it is a safety net, and you have an assigned hospital?

Not a guru at all. I am very familiar with how health insurance companies operate in the US (avoiding people who will need services) and it seems the same sorry game in Thailand. While you can't blame them from a pure profit point of view, it puts so many people in a real pickle.

Edited October 9, 2009 by Jingthing

[samran]

You cant join the Government social fund if your name is on the company register.

ok thanks...didn't realise that was the case.

[ChouDoufu]

it's not avoiding people who will need services in this case. not if they considered the individual situation,

rather than simply flagging anyone who has, or had, a heart issue.

in my case, i'm no more likely to have a heart problem than anyone else, less likely in fact given the amount

of testing and attention given that part of my koerper. i had a bad valve, it was replaced. the end.

what's annoying is that they never bothered to ask for further information. automatic denial.

and what's the bs about habits and lifestyle?

[AsiaCheese]

Right -- this is presumably going straight against the ThaiVisa-associated health insurance business, but I was in a (sort-of) rush to get health insurance cover before a big birthday hit. Got all sorts of quotes, read the fine print, and was amazed at how much of a Wild West there is a) inhowfar insurance companies can fix any which rules whatsoever, apparently without much gov't regulations interfering, and b ) in the premium game -- very steep prices and at the same time indiviual category maximums on up to and including nurse cost per day.

The one insurance I finally found isn't even in Thailand (has a representative, or rather broker, office in Jomtien) and is called Health Care International from England. They're specialized in insuring expats, and I found the perfect fit for me -- inpatient cover up to US$ 0.5mio/case for a yearly premium of ~US$ 700, with the first US$2k coming out of my pocket (which is fine with me -- I'm interested in having cover for major things that would seriously ruin my financial day). I might mention that the premium mentioned is for 60-year-olds. They do have exclusions, but it looks as though pretty much anything "semi-ancient" (= last 5 years) can go under a 2-year moratorium, after which there's normal cover for it.

Write me a PM if you're interested in details of the company's or broker's address/email (the latter speak English and German, aside from Thai).

Edited October 11, 2009 by AsiaCheese

[jazzbo]

I'm interested in having cover for major things that would seriously ruin my financial day

Kuhn Cheese -- Have they actually issued the policy or are the underwriters still looking at it? When the underwriters decide to decline, they never tell you the reason why.

[AsiaCheese]

I'm interested in having cover for major things that would seriously ruin my financial day

Kuhn Cheese -- Have they actually issued the policy or are the underwriters still looking at it? When the underwriters decide to decline, they never tell you the reason why.

I actually have got confirmation of cover by HCI, and the paper package is said to be on its way. Well, takes time -- GB is a long way away

[jazzbo]

Good then. They seem to have worldwide coverage including, if you so choose, full coverage in the USA.

[ChouDoufu]

just received approval of coverage by healthcare international.

due to heart surgery in january, they have added a 5-year moratorium on cardiovascular ailments.

this is heaps better than the sponsors coverage that i would have.....had they not denied me coverage.

there are no limitations on travel, i believe with lmg i could only be out of thailand for a certain number of days.

it's portable, when i tire of living here, i can move to vietnam or laos and continue the same policy.

i'm covered for limited travel back to the usa.