A Travel/Health Insurance For A Foreign Patient In Thailand Traveling To Australia For A Treatment?

[zaza]

Hi,

One of my family has an auto immune disease, there was a huge contradiction in the diagnoses of her condition in the high-end hospitals in Bangkok. Actually, she has lost all hope of identifying her illness here, and she is totally devastated of how her health is/was declining over the passing year.

We are not Thais nor Australians, she has no current health insurance to cover her expenses in Thailand, nor abroad.

Now, she has an opportunity to travel for Australia, she had contacted a very worldwide famous doctor in Sydney , who has scheduled several procedure for her in December like :

a FNA, ultrasound for her goiter , a comprehensive medical examination , and other depending medical tests/treatments that she might advised to have while undergoing these procedures. Thus, we are now very concerned and worried that this "medical" trip might cause her a lot, adding to it the outpatient fees for hospital/doctor visits and medications. The rough figures of the expected expenses would be around 7-10k Australian dollar.

Is there a health/travel insurance that we could buy that would cover part of these expenses ? in this short time ? which one do you suggest? will it be better to buy a travel insurance or a health insurance? with her already exciting health condition , can she find a decent and accountable insurance company that would give us a good deal?

Please, forgive my ignorance in this issue, I've never had any adequate information or knowledge about Travel/ Health insurance issue.

Thanks in Advance for your kind advice and recommendation.

Cheers!

[samran]

You will not get any insurance to cover pre-exising conditions.

In this case, I'm not sure what the ins and outs of the insurance industry are, but even though the condition is not identified, it is unlikely that it will be covered, given that there is 'something' there.

By all means get travel insurance to cover the potential for accidents and unforseen (and unrelated) medical treatment, but that is the best you'll get.

In terms of nationality, this can still be important. You said you are neither Thai or Australian. What nationality is your realative? Australia has a number of reciprocal agreements with many countries which provide access to the Australian health care system. These are mainly western EU countries + New Zealand.

http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/migrants/visitors/index.jsp

[zaza]

You will not get any insurance to cover pre-exising conditions.

In this case, I'm not sure what the ins and outs of the insurance industry are, but even though the condition is not identified, it is unlikely that it will be covered, given that there is 'something' there.

By all means get travel insurance to cover the potential for accidents and unforseen (and unrelated) medical treatment, but that is the best you'll get.

In terms of nationality, this can still be important. You said you are neither Thai or Australian. What nationality is your realative? Australia has a number of reciprocal agreements with many countries which provide access to the Australian health care system. These are mainly western EU countries + New Zealand.

http://www.medicarea...itors/index.jsp

Thanks a lot for your kind response.

She is an Iraqi national. I guess there is no way to get an insurance for her in this case

[Firefan]

Hi zaza,

Yes - they way private health insurance (be that travel or normal health plans) work is as Samran says. They will not cover things that are pre-existing.

Would she get free (and good level) treatment in Iraq? If so that might be a better way to go about it. Cheers!

[sbk]

Hi Zaza just saw this, sorry to hear about your family member --very sad news. My sister has MS so I do understand.

Unfortunately insurance companies will not cover pre-existing conditions but I had a thought, maybe you could contact the doctor and let him know of your circumstances, often doctors will be able to waive certain fees. Not much help as it will still end up costing a fortune but its worth a try.

good luck to your family member, hon, hope it works out.