If you are interested to cover only the expenses in a hospital this plan may find your interest: http://healthcareint...edicalIndex.php

You have to select "Emercency+" and the appropriated age bracket.

Selecting different ages you can compare the premiums when you get older.

AFAIK there is no age limit once you have a contract.

But be warned: for each case you have to pay the first US$ 2000 by yourself. So it covers only the risk of serious treatment - for a lower premium.

I looked at the link, and everything looked great until I noticed their policy for Dread/Chronic diseases "including cancer, heart disease and HIV/Aids"--$20,000 max lifetime.

http://www.healthcar...-comparison.pdf

Seems like they say they'll cover you up to $500,000 and then they exclude all of the most likely things that will cost that much. Shame on them. To paraphrase them "We will cover you but not for anything 'dread.' In other words give us your money and if anything really bad happens, it was nice knowing you. "Sorry sir, but that's a chronic disease. Call us when you get a nice disease."

Dont forget that health insurance is a business, it plays on your fears. No one reads the small print ( if we can see it at our age) and you can bet that there are get outs and optional interpretations to be found that will enable there to be a no pay out. At the last resort there can aslo be a review where the goal posts suddenly change and you re cast adrift in the next few months............"nice doing business with you."

My impressions with insurance companies that I have dealt with are that they are almost to man a bunch of cheats and liars and they also lie to Ombudsmen to as I found out by accident.

My wife and children all use the free government hospital.

I do too, I have to pay but it's cheap as chips, no need for expensive insurance.

Is this a recent change of policy?, I thought the Thais paid too and only emergency cases were free. A tragic case in our Moo last year concerned a middle aged women who died because her family could not raise 38K Baht for a certain operation that would have saved her life.

For the last 7 years I have my wife on a BUPA policy, its up for renewal, if she is entitled now to free treatment,maybe cancel it!.

No. this is not new. The Universal Coverage Scheme dates back to 2001 and the 10-Year Assessment has just been completed.

http://www.hisro.or....p?name=research

http://www.mediafire...34j4466jvsmxap7

There is a 1330 telephone hotline to report cases where patients are denied treatment. I imagine though that your wife may be reluctant to return to the queues of the public scheme after BUPA.