Health Insurance Cancellation Problem

[poppysdad]

Hope I'm in the right forum for this problem. For the past 2 and a bit years I've had health insurance by a French company called April International (I'm British) but like many I've had to amend my budget in recent times and considering the cost of health Insurance for us both we decided not to renew on Jan 1st this year.

This company however has its own ideas on the subject of not renewing with them almost making it impossible to do so without jumping through some ludicrous hoops. As a Brit it has always been normal practice that if you didn't pay your next due premium wether by accident or design for just about any type of insurance whatsoever you simply were not covered anymore and policy considered cancelled. It seems the same in Holland and Spain as talking about it to expats from those countries it is the same there. This French company however will only let you cancel if you notify them at least 2 months before renewal by registered letter. If you wish to cancel mid term they want an official certificate stating that you have returned to your own country or have taken out alternative policy with another company. This was all news to me, of course our agent insists he gave me all this info (which he would wouldn't he) and I insist he didn't (which some will say I would wouldn't I). We got our renewal figure on Xmas Eve and we decided it had become unaffordable and didn't pay the policy which incidentally our agent expected us to go to our bank, exchange Bahts for US dollars and then transfer the payment to France all at our cost (what he does to earn his commission is a mystery to me).

Anyway bottom line is they refuse to let me cancel this policy despite my telling them I cannot afford it, that I no longer want it despite numerous emails between us and them simply pointing out their terms and conditions of which I am totally unaware never having been given them. I most certainly do not recall ever having sighned any contract with them but they simply refuse to accept the situation. One email I did get from the customer services dept. did say sorry to hear of my position and if I sent them a registered letter stating my position then they would cancel, this I did and then they refused to accept it.

Just received another email from them simply pointing out terms and condition to not renew to which I simply sent them a reply saying as far as I'm concerned the matter is now closed. What is the worst they can actually do, its a French company, I'm a Brit and live in Thailand?

[bunnaag]

Stop correspondence and payment and wait what they are going to do.I do not think they can do much except the contract was made in thailand and the representative is going to sue you but this is doubtful.

[InterestedObserver]

What do you expect this French insurance company to do to you, a Brit living in Thailand, other than not honor the medical coverage?

[InterestedObserver]

Stop correspondence and payment and wait what they are going to do.I do not think they can do much except the contract was made in thailand and the representative is going to sue you but this is doubtful.

The OP has/had no contract directly with the Thai representative insurance agent, how is the agent going to sue in a Thai court and for what other than this lost commission.

[Sheryl]

It sounds like the rules are related to French health care system requirements for mandatory health insurance, hence the provision that you have either returned to your own country or insured elsewhere. It does not sound like it has anything to do with their trying to force you to stay with them, rather they are enforcing national regulations but have somehow missed or not factored in the fact that you are not living in France.

I suggest you send a letter of cancellation stating that you have returned to your own country, that should do it. A stretch of the truth in the literal sense but not in the essence of what matters, which is that you have left (or in your case were perhaps never living in) France

[poppysdad]

It sounds like the rules are related to French health care system requirements for mandatory health insurance, hence the provision that you have either returned to your own country or insured elsewhere. It does not sound like it has anything to do with their trying to force you to stay with them, rather they are enforcing national regulations but have somehow missed or not factored in the fact that you are not living in France.

I suggest you send a letter of cancellation stating that you have returned to your own country, that should do it. A stretch of the truth in the literal sense but not in the essence of what matters, which is that you have left (or in your case were perhaps never living in) France

Just had an email from the insurance company saying that not having the funds to pay for the next years premiums is not enough reason to not pay for something that I believe expired on 31st December 2010, so now tell me they can send in debt collectors - should I be worried, could they actually send or use a local Thai debt collector to collect this premium?

[FBN]

Move to insurance forum for better coverage..

[ThaivisaInsurance]

With April ( and many other companies) one does need to give notice at least 2 months for cancellations. As you mentioned this is standard practice across many European countries and one must be aware countries have different rules/laws.

However saying that, it is impossible for April for bring to someonet to court for this while you are living in Thailand. Bottom line : the whole story ends if you do not contact them and ignore all correspondence - your so called Agent should have helped you on this !