Best Health Insurance

[genobkk]

I have Bupa 2 million THB per illness. I am 43 and they want 33,000 to renew. I know Bupa has lots of exclusions and was hoping some other insurance did not. I have never used the hospital never stayed in a hospital in m life so no existing conditions that I know of. I was looking at Thai health or AXA. I would like a lower yearly cost 33,000 is a bit high for my age. just looking for ideas and what company may give more real coverage at a lower cost. I have talked with the Thai Visa agent but they seem not willing to talk about the exclusions and what company has less. I have thought about changing for a few years now but end up just keeping Bupa. is 6,000 per day for room enough to stay in the good hospitals? ok hope to find out some info I only have tell Jan 20th to renew my Bupa so any info would be great.

[kamalabob2]

I bought "Thai Health Insurance" through a Phuket Insurance broker in 2005. In 2007 the broker advised me due to cost/benefit changes that BUPA Thailand would be better given my age, my wife's age and my daughter's age. I've since paid 3 annual premiums to BUPA. Twice we received the 10% "no claims" rebate check direct from BUPA with help from our insurance Broker. I vividly recall a bill for over 49,000 baht for my wife to have TESTS, no operation, no overnight stay, NOT a private room, at Bumrungrad Hospital in 2006. In 2009 I had a sudden, unplanned for minor operation at a medium priced excellent hospital called Bangkok Christian Hospital. 100% of the procedure was paid direct by BUPA with no "run around" on the billing at discharge. There was a minor follow up treatment for this minor operation and as per this policy BUPA Platinum 2 million, I paid the fee direct to the hospital for the follow up procedure, and I sent the medical certificate and paid invoice in the mail to BUPA and they promptly sent me a check for the full amount.

At Bumrungrad a private room was not in the category my wife's "Thai Health Insurance Plan", but for treatment both she and I have had overnight at Bangkok Christian Hospital we could stay in any room in the BUPA 2 million baht plan. 6000 baht for some hospitals is fantastic, not so at other hospitals.

However the cost of the hospital room is but a SMALL part of your hospital bill. I've attached 2 pages. The first from a Hospital Web page and the 2nd the actual hospital bill. It is "all the other things", especially the Physician fees, that make me realize why BUPA has been a wise choice for our family. Even "Up Country" in an inexpensive private hospital with 1000 baht rooms, the hospital bill can have 25,000 baht in other fees in a day.

You can see the fees for the "rooms" and for "procedures" on many of the famous Thai Hospital web sites. They will also give you a quote via e-mail on some procedures. In my particular case I had a sudden pain, was examined and then had an operation the next morning which solved the problem. One night in the hospital and a bill just under 50,000 baht. This was not a serious or long operation and not at a HiSo or expensive hospital.

BUPA is a well known company in Thailand and the hospital did not flinch on my admittance to promptly start the process as BUPA was easy for them to contact and obtain authorization for treatment. My insurance broker has made me aware that the hospital staff obtaining prompt authorization is crucial to avoiding delays in treatment and/or disputes at discharge.

Both times at Bangkok Christian Hospital the admittance staff pulled out the VIP room photos first once they knew what policy we carried. My wife stayed at a normal private room and it was also excellent with nurses not sleeping like a Government hospital I have visited.

[genobkk]

I bought "Thai Health Insurance" through a Phuket Insurance broker in 2005. In 2007 the broker advised me due to cost/benefit changes that BUPA Thailand would be better given my age, my wife's age and my daughter's age. I've since paid 3 annual premiums to BUPA. Twice we received the 10% "no claims" rebate check direct from BUPA with help from our insurance Broker. I vividly recall a bill for over 49,000 baht for my wife to have TESTS, no operation, no overnight stay, NOT a private room, at Bumrungrad Hospital in 2006. In 2009 I had a sudden, unplanned for minor operation at a medium priced excellent hospital called Bangkok Christian Hospital. 100% of the procedure was paid direct by BUPA with no "run around" on the billing at discharge. There was a minor follow up treatment for this minor operation and as per this policy BUPA Platinum 2 million, I paid the fee direct to the hospital for the follow up procedure, and I sent the medical certificate and paid invoice in the mail to BUPA and they promptly sent me a check for the full amount.

At Bumrungrad a private room was not in the category my wife's "Thai Health Insurance Plan", but for treatment both she and I have had overnight at Bangkok Christian Hospital we could stay in any room in the BUPA 2 million baht plan. 6000 baht for some hospitals is fantastic, not so at other hospitals.

However the cost of the hospital room is but a SMALL part of your hospital bill. I've attached 2 pages. The first from a Hospital Web page and the 2nd the actual hospital bill. It is "all the other things", especially the Physician fees, that make me realize why BUPA has been a wise choice for our family. Even "Up Country" in an inexpensive private hospital with 1000 baht rooms, the hospital bill can have 25,000 baht in other fees in a day.

You can see the fees for the "rooms" and for "procedures" on many of the famous Thai Hospital web sites. They will also give you a quote via e-mail on some procedures. In my particular case I had a sudden pain, was examined and then had an operation the next morning which solved the problem. One night in the hospital and a bill just under 50,000 baht. This was not a serious or long operation and not at a HiSo or expensive hospital.

BUPA is a well known company in Thailand and the hospital did not flinch on my admittance to promptly start the process as BUPA was easy for them to contact and obtain authorization for treatment. My insurance broker has made me aware that the hospital staff obtaining prompt authorization is crucial to avoiding delays in treatment and/or disputes at discharge.

Both times at Bangkok Christian Hospital the admittance staff pulled out the VIP room photos first once they knew what policy we carried. My wife stayed at a normal private room and it was also excellent with nurses not sleeping like a Government hospital I have visited.

thanks for the info. I went to BCH for a cold and the price with everything was about 2K and yes I think it is more of a medium priced private hospital. after looking at other plans I am leaning toward keeping Bupa, but i notice they do not cover anything for the Kidney, diallases or anything when some others do. the room for the 2 million Bupa is 8,000 THB per day. yes I prefer to pay for good treatment rather then waste the money on a VIP room, but I never even been overnight in any hospital before and even thugh I have been in Thailand for 10 years the thought of it is a bit scary due to my very bad Thai and that most nurse speak very little english. Thanks for your input The money I would save depends on the company. I see with AXA it is 23,000 for about 1 million and 5,000 per day for the room, with Thai Health it is 27,000 per year for 1.2 million and 6,000 per room, if I lower my Bupa plan it would be 29,000 for 1 million, with my current 2 million plain it is 32,000 saving 10,000 per ear sounds good, saveing 3,000 or 4,000 really is not much to save. this stuff drives me crazy on what to do to switch or not to switch LOL I will make up my mind on Monday or Tuesday next week.. yes I never got my check for this year, the 10 percent check I am suppose to get, I got it in years pas. I was in the USA around the time I should have got that check so I need to check and see what is up with that.

[negreanu]

Keep Bupa. Its the most reliable easiest to use and best cover and competitive price.

[jfchandler]

You ought to check out the LMG Mega series coverage, which has a 5 million per episode, 20 million baht lifetime cover, 8,000 per night inpatient, and choice to include or not include outpatient coverage... It also has fewer exclusions compared to the comparable BUPA plan. Also includes direct billing from the hospital to the insurance company in most cases...

[Tanaka]

You ought to check out the LMG Mega series coverage, which has a 5 million per episode, 20 million baht lifetime cover, 8,000 per night inpatient, and choice to include or not include outpatient coverage... It also has fewer exclusions compared to the comparable BUPA plan. Also includes direct billing from the hospital to the insurance company in most cases...

A very good alternative. The downside is a premium in excess of 50.000B for OP'a age.

[jfchandler]

No, I believe that's not correct...

The LMG Maxi Care policy annual premium for a 41 to 45 year old is 44,125 baht. That's the 5M baht per incident, 20M baht lifetime, 8,000 baht per hospital night policy I posted on above. That includes 100% inpatient coverage and no-deductible outpatient coverage.

Removing outpatient coverage is a 20% discount deduction from that amount. And if someone wanted to accept a 40,000 baht annual deductible, then there'd be another 25% discount off the annual premium.

I'm pulling those figures directly from the LMG 2010 policy guide and brochure.

[ursandro]

Keep Bupa. Its the most reliable easiest to use and best cover and competitive price.

They told me AIA is a good one, and I'm actually looking for an insurance now. Does anybody have any experience with them?

[jfchandler]

I've never understood that AIA had a particularly good reputation for expat medical insurance here...

When people talk about decent insurers here, it's usually including LMG, BUPA and AXA....in no particular order of priority.

[topthai]

Why making an insurance?? I did Bupa for my wife. After the first probleme she had ( lucky only hemoroide), they paid 2 bill, somethething like 10 000 bath and they said they will not pay anything anymore for it.

They should of course also do like that for any big health probleme too and let people die. I allredy saw a post about bupa stop paying for costly hearth problemes. If it's your familly you should hate them for ever, not surprising if one day somebody come at them office with a big gun...