Insurance For Living/working In Thailand

[keightzee]

Hi im back in Thailand this April and may end up working at some point.

If i where to work this would invalidate my current travel insurance policy so i would be looking to get some kind of cover for the following:

Serious Accident/Death Compensation

Hospital Treatment/Emergency Dental Treatment

Personal Liability/Legal Cover

Repatriation Cover

Maybee this is comprehensive cover i dont know the criterias........?

I wouldnt want cover for assets (got non ha) or cash (carry small amounts keep rest in the bank) or prescriptions (cheap enough) i simply want an insurance policy that will cover me for the basic fundamentals while away.

Could anybody give me an indication of what i would be looking at price wise approx for say 1 years cover?

Or even tell me if i haven't taken enough things into consideration.......?

I'm 23, healthy, with no medical history.

I know the guys at ThaiVisa have a broker at hand but its always nice to get a few prices and advice from a few sources.

Cheers

[torrenova]

You need inpatient insurance for sure if you end up working.

You don't really need dental (treatment is cheap), or outpatient (premiums make it daft) or liability (for what ?) or even repatriation (if you're dead you're dead) but inpatient can rack up bills fairly quickly.

I'd get as many sources as you can, get a grip for what the limits cover and at what premiums. Maybe make a spreadsheet up as comparisons are really hard. Do you need cover only for Thailand ? You can buy trip insurance from Thailand to other countries if your medical is Thai only. No need to pay for cover in Singapore if you never go there ! I'm guessing cost is a factor.

Try to get a feel for just how much you require. No good having a Bt10,000,000 limit if all the sub sections have a Bt100,000 limit and likely treatment is Bt1,000,000 etc. Most likely reason for ending up in hospital at your age has got to be accident, so broken bones, impact injuries, head injuries, ICU stuff is going to figure much more than cancer treatments etc.

Beware expat policies. They average the risk and are only value for those at the higher age range.

The other important thing to look at is direct payment. Not much point having great insurance if you have to pay first and then claim back but you are cash poor and left lying on a hospital bed with your brain hanging out because some pen pusher wants payment and they are scared to phone up someone to authorise it (read another post this week for this actual issue). You really need some direct payment options as accidents are where you are likely to need the insurance.

There are a couple of company websites which will run through a quote with you online. Search the threads here for some, I cannot remember them all.

Just remember though that the end of the day, you may well be incapacitated and Somchai insurance won't give a dam_n if you die on a trolley because he has nothing to lose. Others, with a greater reputation, have more to lose, but they can have their own problems. All you can do is to try to work the best deal you can.

[keightzee]

You need inpatient insurance for sure if you end up working.

You don't really need dental (treatment is cheap), or outpatient (premiums make it daft) or liability (for what ?) or even repatriation (if you're dead you're dead) but inpatient can rack up bills fairly quickly.

I'd get as many sources as you can, get a grip for what the limits cover and at what premiums. Maybe make a spreadsheet up as comparisons are really hard. Do you need cover only for Thailand ? You can buy trip insurance from Thailand to other countries if your medical is Thai only. No need to pay for cover in Singapore if you never go there ! I'm guessing cost is a factor.

Try to get a feel for just how much you require. No good having a Bt10,000,000 limit if all the sub sections have a Bt100,000 limit and likely treatment is Bt1,000,000 etc. Most likely reason for ending up in hospital at your age has got to be accident, so broken bones, impact injuries, head injuries, ICU stuff is going to figure much more than cancer treatments etc.

Beware expat policies. They average the risk and are only value for those at the higher age range.

The other important thing to look at is direct payment. Not much point having great insurance if you have to pay first and then claim back but you are cash poor and left lying on a hospital bed with your brain hanging out because some pen pusher wants payment and they are scared to phone up someone to authorise it (read another post this week for this actual issue). You really need some direct payment options as accidents are where you are likely to need the insurance.

There are a couple of company websites which will run through a quote with you online. Search the threads here for some, I cannot remember them all.

Just remember though that the end of the day, you may well be incapacitated and Somchai insurance won't give a dam_n if you die on a trolley because he has nothing to lose. Others, with a greater reputation, have more to lose, but they can have their own problems. All you can do is to try to work the best deal you can.

Thanks for the reply.

Yes you make alot of points that have crossed my mind.

Particuarly the excess payments upfront before treatment.

In reality i do only need cover for inpatient treatment as a result of an accident.

If i developed anything major i think i would be heading home and making use of the NHS (I've put enough in it after all).

The reason why i mentioned repatriation was i wouldnt want me mum and dad footing the bill to get me home.

As for the liability side of things whilst i would like to think i do no harm i would like some cover perticuarly for legal assistance as i wouldnt have the money to pay legal bills if they got on the hefty side.

I will try and do some more looking through the forum.

Cheers

[keightzee]

dont know what happened there ha.

EDIT Lord knows, I deleted six dupe posts, Crossy

[phuketrichard]

BUPA; Platinum is the best and not costly at all

[stingray]

BUPA; Platinum is the best and not costly at all

I use this one:

http://www.swissinsuranceonline.com

They are not expesive and they are worldwide, not only Thailand. I don't know, it's maybe me, but i always trust a European Insurer more than a local one.

[aussiebebe]

Hi keightzee, I've worked in Bangkok for three years and my plan has always had three components.

1) I've maintained a private policy with BUPA which covers only in-patients and repatriation. I've never made a claim on this policy so can't say much about it.

2) In addition, my employer has always put me on their group policy with Thai insurance company which covers in- and out- patients,

3) as I'm working, I've been on the Social Security program which has been fine for outpatients visits. For Social Security, a very small monthly fee is payable and there's a designated hospital to use if you're sick.

I've used the Thai insurance (better care) and SS a handful of times for out-patients (flu, nausea etc), and never paid anything.

So keightzee, if you plan to work, you should consider these options; you can, like I have done, buy a cheaper private package, if you are covered in other areas. For example, there's no need for my BUPA to cover out-patients as I'm on my employers group policy and SS, which on the other hand, won't themselves cover repatriation if anything serious happens!

Good luck!

[thaiericsweden]

The company I work with, represents 8 health insurance companies.

We broker all types of insurance but specialize in health insurance.

I can email you more info, I'll send you a pm with my email address.

International health insurance companies:

1. Higher overall benefit limits, anywhere up to 2 million USD.

2. Most companies have no traveling restrictions except for the USA. You are covered for everything except Pre-Existing Medical Conditions, anywhere in the world including Medical Evacuation costs.

3. All International companies adjust their premiums annually to compensate for continually changing medical costs and worldwide inflation. For well managed health insurance companies, this adjustment can range anywhere from Zero to 10%. For poorly managed companies, the increase can easily reach as high as 25%.

4. The cheapest plan from any International company will pay for a normal private room in any hospital in the world. There are usually no limits for the room rates, just as long as the room rate is comparable to other hospitals in the same area.

5. International Health Insurance plans will pay ALL In-Patient expenses as long as they have been sent an invoice beforehand. It is important that you contact the insurance company before being admitted to the hospital and to make sure the hospital sends invoices to the insurance company to avoid unnecessary delays.

6. As long as you continue to pay the premiums before the due date, you are guaranteed renewal of your annual policy, Certain Insurance companies have limits on the maximum renewal age; others have no limits.

Local Health Insurances:

1. Cheaper overall premiums with corresponding lower coverage limits. Health cover benefits are very generous when compared to premiums charged.

2. Many plans include a range of sub-limits to costs of treatment, such as Surgeons Fees, Hospital General Expenses, Room and Board, Ambulance….etc.

3. Premium rates do not reflect the actual cost of insuring persons at each age group because premium rates are not adjusted annually to compensate for changing medical costs and inflation.

4. Renewal Premium rates are not guaranteed. If you are a healthy person with no claims, you can expect to pay the same premiums as other persons in your age group. If you are sick and have claims that have cost the insurance company money, your renewal premiums will be loaded by a percentage based on the size of the claims incurred by the Insurance Company. These loadings can range anywhere from 10% to 100% and are applied each year as a factor to the basic premium you pay. In later years, these loadings are compounded for each significant claim paid by the Insurance Co.

5. Renewal of your Local Health Insurance is not automatic. The policy is year by year. If the Insurance Company decides not to renew your policy, they have the right to refuse renewal. This is allowed by the Office of Insurance Commission.

6. Local Health Insurance companies include a 30 day waiting period at the start of the policy for illness claims. There is no waiting period for Accident claims. There is also a 6 month waiting period for 10 medical conditions.

7. Local Health Insurances have time limits on travel outside of Thailand; some companies limit you to 90 days travel each year.