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Posted

Hi, now that I have reached the ripe old age of 71 years I am no longer eligible for cover with BUPA Thailand. I didn't join before I was 60 years old.

They suggested I contact BUPA international for a quote, this I have done and had a mini stroke when they quoted £4700.

I have shopped around and found a health care International (UK) will cover me (without a medical) for approx, £2000.

Has anyone had any dealings with Healthcare International, of there any pitfalls or problems with the company I would appreciate any feedback.

I hope this info is useful for other aged expats residing here.

Cheers

  • 4 weeks later...
  • 5 weeks later...
Posted

The insurance company has accepted you for cover, but that doesn't mean you are fully covered.

It really depends on the type of policy you have; full medical underwriting or a moratorium underwriting policy.

1. Full medical underwriting policies

a. The majority of health insurers use this method for screening applicants.

b. Medical underwriting requires applicants to honestly disclose all their pre-existing medical conditions.

c. Underwriters will review applications and propose the exclusion wording for the customer to accept.

d. Only in some cases, can exclusion wording be revised at start of policy.

e. Exclusion wording has to be agreed on at the start of the policy, there is very little chance of changing this in the future.

f. Changes to exclusions have to be accompanied by medical reports that are acceptable to the underwriters. There is no guarantee that exclusions will be deleted or changed.

2. Moratorium underwriting policies

a. With moratorium underwriting, after 2 years of continuous cover, some pre-existing medical conditions will become eligible for benefit.

b. Many pre-existing conditions will never be covered by a moratorium policy, such as;

i. Diabetes.

ii. Hypertension (raised blood pressure).

iii. Hyperlipidemia (raised cholesterol levels).

iv. Ischemic heart disease.

v. Cancer.

vi. Thyroid disease.

vii. Auto-immune disorders.

viii. Arthritis.

c. For a particular condition to be covered, it is required that in the first 2 continuous years of the policy;

i. You did not have to consult any doctor for medical treatment,

ii. Or take any medication,

iii. Or suffer any symptoms for that medical condition,

iv. Or suffer symptoms for any related condition.

At your age, I strongly advise you to have a medical check-up ASAP.

Below, are my notes on medical check-ups:

1. Any applicant aged 40 or more should agree to a voluntary medical check-up.

2. Applicants under the age of 40 do not need to take a check-up, but it is always recommended.

3. Check-up results do not have to be sent to the insurance company or broker. The customer keeps the results and only refers to them if there is a claim dispute.

4. Check-ups can be done at any hospital.

5. Check-ups are a valuable tool in helping the customer when there is a dispute in a claim with the insurance company in the first year of the policy.

a. Hypothetical situation. The customer is treated by a doctor that makes a mistake in diagnosis of the customer's medical condition.

b. If the doctor mistakenly declares the medical condition is pre-dating the start-date of the policy, the insurance company has to deny payment of the claim based on the medical information provided.

c. If the customer has the results of a medical check-up (taken at the start of the policy) and these results dispute the mistaken diagnosis of the treating doctor, the customer has a good chance the insurance company will agree to a second doctor's diagnosis to review the claim and pay.

6. The positive benefits of a check-up far outweigh the negative aspects. Annual check-ups are a part of normal healthy life. Early detection of a medical condition is always to the benefit of that person.

7. Avoiding medical check-ups will not help the customer. Check-up or no check-up; if the customer has a pre-existing medical condition, even if there is no medical record at a hospital, the insurance company has to rely on the results of the treating doctor to state when this condition was present. You are relying on the treating doctor to asses you condition. The treating doctor has to make an educated guess to when this condition first manifested itself. The doctor can easily make a mistake. A medical check-up eliminates the chance of a mistake.

8. It is next to impossible for a claim to be paid because of a combination of mistakes;

a. The customer was honestly and completely unaware of this pre-existing condition.

b. The treating doctor misdiagnoses when the medical condition first manifested itself.

c. The consulting doctor of the insurance company concurs with the misdiagnosis of the treating doctor.

d. Brokers that do not recommend medical check-ups to customers are misleading the customer into thinking a hidden (hidden from the broker and insurance company) pre-existing condition will be covered by insurance in the future.

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