Has Anyone Ever Used Img For Expat Health Insurance?

[thepanom]

I also had a very bad experience with LMG, have now April expat, so far only good news about them, have a claim once myself, no problem at all.

[pj123]

I have used Seven Corners worldwide Insurance for the past 5 years, they are excellent, I never had any problems with them and they rates are very reasonable They have many plans to choice from. Long and short term plans. You can also include the USA and Canada, but then the rate will go up.

For Thailand I use the Reside plan.

The most interesting Plan is called Reside Prime, and Reside. Enclose is a link that you can get a quote and you can purchase from the site.

https://www.sevencor...surance/HG75SSK

http://www.sevencorn...veguide/HG75SSK

Hope this helps,

Kevin

I am also looking for a new health insurance policy. Had a look at Seven Corners and was concerned that the cover in Thailand is provided by Tramont Insurance who I have never heard of and are based in the British Virgin Islands. Not very reassuring.

[futurespeter]

I also had a very bad experience with LMG, have now April expat, so far only good news about them, have a claim once myself, no problem at all.

Bad news regarding "April": 2012 premiums did increase 25%, 2013 premium increase 30%, 2013 limited cover in country of nationality: "April" reduced temporary cover in home country only in the event of accident.

[ubonrthai]

Anyone else have any comments on IMG? I've met several people recently with one of their policies but nobody ever claims anything so can't really comment on their service.

[ubonrthai]

Also looking at ACS if anyone has any recent experience.

[Thighlander]

I've been using IMG and buying blocks of four to six months. Never made a claim, so it's hard to judge, but I don't see them on the rip-off reports, and I think having recourse in the US is a good thing.

[Bpuumike]

 

I received a PM from a fellow member introducing me to a company named AA Insurance brokers that offer a plan from ACS / Allianz that is specifically designed for Southeast Asian countries (& Taiwan?) below:

Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam

You must be based in the above countries only, although it does cover emergency services for up to 7 weeks if traveling elsewhere and to be honest the coverage and premium costs seem pretty decent.

Still checking on a few more points, but looks like this may end up being the best option.

Still also waiting on some feedback from some other policies and companies as well and will advise more details once received.

Do you know how to contact AA brokers. Their online forms only return '404 Error', same with their offices.

Thanks in advance.

[MJCM]

Do you know how to contact AA brokers. Their online forms only return '404 Error', same with their offices.

Thanks in advance.

Send them an email: [email protected]

[Bpuumike]

 

Do you know how to contact AA brokers. Their online forms only return '404 Error', same with their offices.

Thanks in advance.

Send them an email: [email protected]

Many thanks for the quick reply. I'll email them now.

[wernerfreitag]

Just had my first claim with ACS about 3 weeks ago. I asked the medical advisors in HongKong via email to quarantee for a knee surgery in ChiangMai. They want to be informed 10 days in advance, I had only 4 days left. I sent the doctors cost estimate and the MRI report and got approval within 1 day.

Interesting to add: The accounting department at the hospital was not really well organized.They found out about the quaranteed cost only at the day I left the hospital. Needless to say that I mentioned the quarantee several times while checking in.

The hospital cost got up by approx. 40% after that ( within 2 hours ). I refused to sign the bill and after some discussion they offered a big discount.............................Greed or disorganized or both?

[stevenl]

Just had my first claim with ACS about 3 weeks ago. I asked the medical advisors in HongKong via email to quarantee for a knee surgery in ChiangMai. They want to be informed 10 days in advance, I had only 4 days left. I sent the doctors cost estimate and the MRI report and got approval within 1 day.

Interesting to add: The accounting department at the hospital was not really well organized.They found out about the quaranteed cost only at the day I left the hospital. Needless to say that I mentioned the quarantee several times while checking in.

The hospital cost got up by approx. 40% after that ( within 2 hours ). I refused to sign the bill and after some discussion they offered a big discount.............................Greed or disorganized or both?

SOP, based on the US health care system. Insurers pay more than people who pay themselves.

[DepDavid]

In short, I have used LMG for 3 years and have had no issues until I had to make a claim, which they did not honour so I will be looking elsewhere in 2013. I am lucky that it was only a few hundred dollars, so lesson learnt.

Giving this a bit of a bump....which company did you end up with? I am in process of doing research now, Bupa is looking good although premium a bit more than what was mentioned 3 years ago....naturally. However, it is still 10% of the cost of insurance in the USA for my age. Thanks for any helpful input!

[NanLaew]

Just had my first claim with ACS about 3 weeks ago. I asked the medical advisors in HongKong via email to quarantee for a knee surgery in ChiangMai. They want to be informed 10 days in advance, I had only 4 days left. I sent the doctors cost estimate and the MRI report and got approval within 1 day.

Interesting to add: The accounting department at the hospital was not really well organized.They found out about the quaranteed cost only at the day I left the hospital. Needless to say that I mentioned the quarantee several times while checking in.

The hospital cost got up by approx. 40% after that ( within 2 hours ). I refused to sign the bill and after some discussion they offered a big discount.............................Greed or disorganized or both?

SOP, based on the US health care system. Insurers pay more than people who pay themselves.

Yes, this markup was mentioned on another, recent thread where a TV'er was being hustled for extra charges after he had signed off. It seems that is normal here as well as in the US.

What is the patient supposed to be signing off exactly? If it a list of procedures, treatments, medications, lodging and other related items provided by the hospital, then that would seem logical. However, asking a patient to sign off on actual invoicing, billing and charges seems strange to me. In the above post, wernerfreitag refused to sign, argued the costs and negotiated a discount. This is on behalf of his insurance carrier? I thought that it is up to the insurer to do battle with the hospital if they think they are getting hosed. I haven't any experience yet with a major medical intervention but I would hope that if hospital had already agreed to what was indeed covered, then there's little for the patient to do apart from get sorted and get well soon. Do some hospitals back load other non-sanctioned procedures, tests and charges onto the patient leaving the onus on the patient to check if it is covered? I wouldn't be surprised if they did but not just in Thailand either.

Sorry for going a bit off topic.

[meltingpot2015]

On 1/18/2014 at 11:46 AM, Thighlander said:

I've been using IMG and buying blocks of four to six months. Never made a claim, so it's hard to judge, but I don't see them on the rip-off reports, and I think having recourse in the US is a good thing.

If purchasing health insurance through a broker, does it matter where they are based?

 

For example, if I buy an IMG GLobal fusion policy through a broker based in Malaysia (I'm Brit currently living in Malaysia), and there is a dispute, is my recourse in Malaysia or US?

[topt]

3 hours ago, meltingpot2015 said:

If purchasing health insurance through a broker, does it matter where they are based?

 

For example, if I buy an IMG GLobal fusion policy through a broker based in Malaysia (I'm Brit currently living in Malaysia), and there is a dispute, is my recourse in Malaysia or US?

Apart from replying to a 5 year old comment......

First off I would find a recommended broker.

Then check the small print in the Ts and Cs of the policy you are interested in. Will probably depend if it is a localised Malaysian/SE Asia or "International" policy.

[meltingpot2015]

7 hours ago, topt said:

Apart from replying to a 5 year old comment......

First off I would find a recommended broker.

Then check the small print in the Ts and Cs of the policy you are interested in. Will probably depend if it is a localised Malaysian/SE Asia or "International" policy.

the passage of time wouldn't really change the response to my original question:

 

Quote

If purchasing health insurance through a broker, does it matter where they are based?

i.e. if there is any issue, do I resolve it in Malaysia (where the broker is based) or in US (where the insurer is based)

 

Re.

Quote

Will probably depend if it is a localised Malaysian/SE Asia or "International" policy.

IMG Global Fusion do not do 'localised Malaysian' only policies. They cover 3 areas:

• Area 1 Europe
• Area 2 Worldwide, excluding USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan
• Area 3 Worldwide

I sense the clue is in the title. IMG Global.

[topt]

26 minutes ago, meltingpot2015 said:

the passage of time wouldn't really change the response to my original question:

 

i.e. if there is any issue, do I resolve it in Malaysia (where the broker is based) or in US (where the insurer is based)

 

Re.

IMG Global Fusion do not do 'localised Malaysian' only policies. They cover 3 areas:

• Area 1 Europe
• Area 2 Worldwide, excluding USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan
• Area 3 Worldwide

I sense the clue is in the title. IMG Global.

Seems like you have all the answers at your finger tips so carry on.............  

[meltingpot2015]

It's a minefield out there. I've been at it since February this year. Every time I come close, something crops up. E.g I was so close to buying the A+ Easycare plan (focusing on South East Asia). On their website they say we have freedom to move. This is one of the features that attracted me. I've been in touch with them both directly and trying to buy the policy through a broker called Pacific Prime.

 

I've had so many phone calls and emails with broker and email exchanges with A+ themselves. Broker has been quite good coming back to me with responses. However, one thing I noticed with both is that if you ask them a lot of question together, they may only answer some questions (particularly if they don't have the answer to hand). I think they do this in the hope that you may just leave it at that or you'd forget ever asking the question.

 

To give you an example, the A+ Easycare plan benefits table just says 'full refund' for local ambulance charges. So i enquire about this from Pacific prime. they quote me a passage from the terms:

Quote

 

2.1.3.3.3. Local ambulance to the nearest hospital

 

Reimbursement of the Reasonable and Customary charges incurred for necessary domestic ambulance services (inclusive of attendant) to and/or from the hospital of confinement.

 

So I ask them, what happens if I'm unconscious and someone calls a private ambulance, would this be covered. Agent quotes the policy wording above at me again and says she has contacted insurer to confirm.

 

She received reply from insurer and says:

Quote

 

Please be noted that the private ambulance with attendants is covered with below conditions included :

1. The cost is URC (Usual Reasonable and Customary).

2. From an accident field to the hospital under emergency condition .

3. For the hospital transfer purpose.

4. There is no limitations according to the benefit table."

 

.......

 

To summarize, the ambulance will be covered when the cost is proved to be medically necessary and needed from the insured.

 

THen I'm confused about what 'medically necessary' is so ask her about that. I tell her, it would be useful if she can give examples of what would be covered and what would not be covered, and give two examples of my own. e.g. if I'm involved in an accident and am not conscious, would this be considered medically necessary, whilst cutting your finger while cooking, and there is no blood loss so as to endanger life that would not be classed as medically necessary?.

 

She's now got back to me with the following:

Quote

 

Medically needed: a person was in a car accident, is transported to a hospital and needs a blood transfusion on the way there to be stabilized, It should be covered because it is needed.

 

Not medically needed: a person is given air supply on the way to the hospital after a car accident but does not need it to be stabilized, the insurer will not cover it.

 

The A Plus benefit table just says 'full cover' (without any monetary limit) for many things (e.g. Ambulance, also emergency evacuation). But when you do a bit of digging the exclusions come out of the woodwork.

 

I've also been dealing with brokerfish (who I believe are based in Malaysia - not quite sure). They are the ones that recommended IMG global fusion based on 'Value for money'. When I asked them who came 2nd/3rd. They dodged my question and said it's because IMG have 24/7 multilingual support, claim response time is good, provide out of area cover for 30 days (not included with many other insurers).

 

I wrote back and said their (brokerfish's) own website says A pLus also provided 24/7 365 days multilingual support. Also, my research has found that A plus cover actually includes taiwan, which IMG Area2 does not cover(only as part of out of area emergency cover for 30 days). I've not received a reply as yet.

 

After three months of searching I'm really starting to wonder if genuine expat health insurance providers/brokers/salespersons (or indeed the right policy) are rare as hens teeth.