Do You Pay For Medical Insurance In Los?

[jackr]

Picking up on ProThaiExpat's post in the "AIA.... scam?" thread, I wonder how many agree and do as he suggests -  i.e. don't pay premiums to a scheme and use the money to save for that rainy day when you might need medical services? To narrow this down a bit, I'm thinking particularly of single adults - i.e. without having a family to consider.

In Thailand, the cost of excellent medical care is so reasonable that you will have a sizeable fund available to you if you just bank the premium in a health account.

I was quoted 12k per month from Sun Alliance for world wide coverage and it seemed high to me.

That was three years ago and you can do the math on how much I have saved by self insuring as I am quite healthy and have always been so.

My guess is that if you saved the AIA premium for just two years, you would have enough to pay for even tripple bypass surgery in Thailand.

Insurance is sold by fear. Coming from the west where the medical costs are so expensive, having a medical problem is catostrophic and must be insured against, but that is not the case in Thailand. in my opinion.

From recent experience of paying 10k per person for ONE night in hospital in Koh Samui following a bike accident; I gotta say contact BUPA Thailand and pay the premium. Let's face it, who's actually gona save the money you mention anyway??

Unfortunately, Bupa will only pay 50% of motorbike-related accidents though and there are one or two other restrictions.

[ProThaiExpat]

Insurance policies, by their very nature, are one paragraph of coverage and four or five pages of exclusions. What does that tell you?

The poster who speaks of 10kBaht for a hospital visit for a motorbike accident is right on.

That amount is about one month's premium. How many similar accidents are reasonably expected to occur in a year? By my calculations, he is ahead by 100k Baht or so for this year, if he wasn't insured.

I used to justify my expensive mortgaged homes by the "forced savings" argument, and while I never lost a dime on re-sale and profited much by doing so, ie. re-sale every three years or less, I have since learned that as an adult, if I need an insurance company to "bill" me every month or I won't be able to put away the premium, I am in trouble.

Most banks will be happy to set up an automatic withdrawal to savings arrangement, so you don't have to even think about the "premium" going to savings monthly.

I was first introduced to "self-insurance" early in my career, which is a concept employed by most large business firms and major employers.

I worked for one huge retailer that just payed every liability loss out of current operating expenses, re-insuring only the largest of losses.

When I first came to Thailand, I did try to get Bupa, but was turned down because of age. Thus I clearly demonstrated, at that time the western induced concept of "fear" relief regarding the uncertainty of future health related costs.

I am comfortable with self-insurance now, but acknowledge that had health insurance been available to me then, I would have bought it, due largely to the "fear" factor and would be mindlessly paying monthly premiums even now, so much for the insurance "hype".

We shouldn't be surprised regarding the information "out there" regarding major medical emergencies, however in actual number, quite few when one considers the general population numbers. T.V. shows such as ER just compound the notion that we are all in imminent danger of suffering a cataostrophic illness or injury.

Take the issue of homeowners insurance. I bought it for a lifetime and never made a claim. I was insured for disability insurance my my business and never made a claim. Sure, I can think of someone who collected, but on the whole, I have not known many who ever became disabled from work. Accident insurance is another "no-brainer'. Not particularly expensive, but we all know why it is cheap, because there are so few claims.

With a cement house with rare visitors, why do I need homeowner's in Thailand. Burglary is a possibility, but if you have ever seen how insurance companies depreciate the value of anything insured before paying out, you will appreciate why insurance companies are the most profitable and richest companies in the word.

It is a clearly a risk/benefit/cost equation we are dealing with here. If the risk here in Thailand is no higher than in the west and the cost is substantially cheaper, self insurance is a viable option that one should consider based on personal experience with one's health and your own gene pool.

Edited June 9, 2005 by ProThaiExpat

[BlackJack]

BUPA and others only pay up to 50% on bike related accidents

Picking up on ProThaiExpat's post in the "AIA.... scam?" thread, I wonder how many agree and do as he suggests -  i.e. don't pay premiums to a scheme and use the money to save for that rainy day when you might need medical services? To narrow this down a bit, I'm thinking particularly of single adults - i.e. without having a family to consider.

In Thailand, the cost of excellent medical care is so reasonable that you will have a sizeable fund available to you if you just bank the premium in a health account.

I was quoted 12k per month from Sun Alliance for world wide coverage and it seemed high to me.

That was three years ago and you can do the math on how much I have saved by self insuring as I am quite healthy and have always been so.

My guess is that if you saved the AIA premium for just two years, you would have enough to pay for even tripple bypass surgery in Thailand.

Insurance is sold by fear. Coming from the west where the medical costs are so expensive, having a medical problem is catostrophic and must be insured against, but that is not the case in Thailand. in my opinion.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

From recent experience of paying 10k per person for ONE night in hospital in Koh Samui following a bike accident; I gotta say contact BUPA Thailand and pay the premium. Let's face it, who's actually gona save the money you mention anyway??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[BlackJack]

heres some numbers for you

a friend 47 YO had a heart attack -

hospital bill close on 1 million baht - ICU - complications - extended stay

for top hospital in patient costs of 1 milion baht with

ThaiHealth 22,000 baht approx per year

BUPA 33,000 baht approx per year

so the logic is that you need to take the edge of the big bill should it arrive one day

and it will - nothing surer

just walking on the pavement here is dangerous - so take the gamble

we punk do ya feel lucky

[UncleDonald]

Health insurance may be mostly a bogus marker for the hope, comfort, and general sense of meaning that seems so absent in contemporary life and which may be sometimes felt acutely here in the far reaches of the empire. At least in America, business and politics have joined forces to create a fraudulent, expensive, and sloppily run system that generates more misery than it cures. Fortunately good medical service can be obtained in Bangkok at about 20 percent of the price in the US, and the error rate may be even a bit lower. Self-funding is the way to go.

Uncle suggests that the search for comforting and reliable relationships, avoidance of motorcycles, along with deposit of ones hopes in areas other than personal longevity is the Rx for most of us.

[hughden]

I was insured with BUPA through my company when working in BKK. When I retired I had a letter from BUPA telling me I could continue my cover with them, and quoted me an outrageous premium. I think this was an international rate which they quoted everyone.

Went to BUPA locally and was quoted a substantially lower figure, and they agreed to pay for treatment I was receiving under the previous policy ("no exclusions").

So if you are coming to LOS and currently have health insurance, maybe worth checking local rates and coverage from the same company (if represented here).

[Firefan]

I use www.goodhealthworldwide.com - not that cheap ($100/mth with a $100 deductable. Inpatient+out patient).

The have very few exclusions. They include all dangerous sports and even aids which is rare in most health insurances I have seen.

To anybody that travels a lot, the local health insurances, OR self insuring can be a very dangerous decision. An evacuation and brain surgery in Singapore not to mention in EU/USA can easily reach $150k.

If one only stays in Thailand (maybe with some visa runs to cheap countries) the local insurances looks ok cover wise (as long as one pick enough cover).

I insure, not hoping that I will "earn my money back" but to ensure that sickness/accident will not cause me a dramatic financial blow (should I survive ) leaving me bankrupt.

Cheers!

Edited September 15, 2005 by Firefan

[think_too_mut]

Just found out.

My company pays 29,9350B per month for my baby's and my gf's health insurance. Now they are in BKK but they could be anywhere in the world.

I am not feeling lucky(other than somebody else pays). It's health.

[Spaniel]

A poster noted that BUPA will not insure anyone over 65. They will if you take out a policy before you turn 62 and continue with them. I did what several posters recommended for the past 10 years. Did without insurance and saved on the preimiums but when I turned 61 in July I took out a 2 million bhat policy with BUPA that cost around B40,000 p/y. Since I didn't need any hospital time I figure I'm pretty much ahead but it's a gamble.

[BlackJack]

Just found out.

My company pays 29,9350B per month for my baby's and my gf's health insurance. Now they are in BKK but they could be anywhere in the world.

I am not feeling lucky(other than somebody else pays). It's health.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i dont believe a company would be paying this per month

its outrageous

[think_too_mut]

Just found out.

My company pays 29,9350B per month for my baby's and my gf's health insurance. Now they are in BKK but they could be anywhere in the world.

I am not feeling lucky(other than somebody else pays). It's health.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i dont believe a company would be paying this per month

its outrageous

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Try some online quote and you easily get 500-600US$ per month, in Thailand, and probably less cover with excess.

See this post: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...ndpost&p=452882

Edited September 19, 2005 by think_too_mut

[brianbrain]

EDIT

I just tried to search for Prakan Sangkhom as mentioned by Charles and Austen. Couldn't find anything to tell me about eligibility, costs and benefits. Any pointers?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Full details here:

http://www.sso.go.th/eng/services_en/social_en.html

[Nam Kao]

>>>From recent experience of paying 10k per person for ONE night in hospital in Koh Samui following a bike accident; I gotta say contact BUPA Thailand and pay the premium.

Peter BUPA doesnt cover motorcy accidents, i hope you were on a pedal bike

[briley]

>>>From recent experience of paying 10k per person for ONE night in hospital in Koh Samui following a bike accident; I gotta say contact BUPA Thailand and pay the premium.

Doesn't the motorbike insurance cover up to --- was it 10K or 100K automatically?

[BlackJack]

>>>From recent experience of paying 10k per person for ONE night in hospital in Koh Samui following a bike accident; I gotta say contact BUPA Thailand and pay the premium.

Doesn't the motorbike insurance cover up to --- was it 10K or 100K automatically?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

the insurance is half payout from the insurer and possibly half from the bike insurance or whom ever hit you

[think_too_mut]

Just found out.

My company pays 29,9350B per month for my baby's and my gf's health insurance. Now they are in BKK but they could be anywhere in the world.

I am not feeling lucky(other than somebody else pays). It's health.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i dont believe a company would be paying this per month

its outrageous

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just did an online quota with one of advertisers.

Full coverage (did not go into details but says dental and pregnancy) for 3 ppl in Thailand is 415US$ per month.

Excess is 80US$.

That's interesting - we pay first 80$. That means, except preganancy and delivery, nothing so far would have ever been refunded back to us.

Even in expensive hospitals ordinary bills for most things one would need (baby care, vaccines) are hardly over 2000B. There were bills almost every month (400-1500B) and I made about 30K in 1500-2000B installments an that was all refunded.

If we dig into details, it may turn even for pregnancy when it is covered the couple must be married and both join the fund the same day and then 1 year nothing pregnancy related would be covered.

Theoretically, in my case, it would have cost us 70K baht per year and almost 2 years before the pregnancy related services are covered...and then, we could get up to 60K baht back from 140K we will have paid in insurance.

The bill was for delivery (cesarean section) and 3 days single room (with rip off included) - 120K and it could not get more expensive than that. Had I been with a local insurer, I would have gotten nothing.

In fact, they would not let me in into the policy even if I wanted to pay: we were not married.

They would but I could not buy pregnancy coverage.

[danone]

regarding Pragan Sang Kom, perhaps someone can help me out:

I have a work permit here, as a correspondent, which does not require to be employed by a company here.

but the officials at Pragan Sang Kom insist that membership with their insurance is only possible being employed by a local company.

I would not mind to pay my and the company's part ...

is there a way for me to be covered under Pragan Sang Kom?

many thanks for any feedback.

[scotsman]

If you have some cash reserves then medical insurance is not necessary in Thailand.

Agree... however even if one could afford several back to back open heart surgeries without even checking the passbook balance, there's still the issue of a higher level of service given to those with insurance coverage (and most importantly that little plastic insurance card that they get from your wallet while you're unconscious at the hospital because Somchai the truck driver decided to have three Red Bulls today instead of two and smash into your car). I have one in my wallet and another laminated and hanging from my rear view mirror.

Your insurance card will work a lot better than a handwritten note that says "trust me, I have the cash."

:)If you have first class insurance on your car then there is medical insurance in that to help you is there not?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[evadgib]

As your aware, medical costs are pretty low here but not cheap anymore with recent price increases certainly at some of the top private hospitals. As an example, I paid about 120,000 baht for a 4 night stay in Bumrungrad including 3 doctors fees but no surgery.

Anyone in Pattaya/Samui/Phuket can expect to pay a considerable sum for ANY hospital treatment. BUPA has too many 'get-out' clauses IMO but the policy offered by Royal & Sun alliance seems ok.

Those opting to play 'russian roulette' may think again once they realise that an average bill for a week in hospital is around THB 300k