I'M Different Than Most Posters: Question About Health Insurance

[DerekAbroad]

I'm a young (27) and healthy American male, single, no preexisting conditions, and I plan on staying here for a few years. I don't have healthcare back home. I just got here, so I'm not working yet. I live in Chiang Mai and will eventually teach English. I don't party, drink, mess around with hookers. I have an active and healthy lifestyle.

I ride a motorbike, though I'm not careless or reckless. I want insurance just in case I get sick or injured. I don't want high out of pocket expenses because the cash reserves I brought with me are limited and I'm not employed at the moment to replenish them. A friend of mine recently had a $2000 hospital bill because he had stomach problems and dangerously high fever and they didn't know what was wrong. I would like to avoid surprises like this by having insurance.

I looked into BUPA Platinum. Any opinions based on experience? Alternatives?

I hear outpatient is inexpensive here, so don't worry about coverage. What's the range in baht for outpatient visits? I'm near Chiang Mai RAM, so would probably go there. Also, heard good things about them.

Thanks ahead for the valuable input.

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[kamalabob2]

My wife and I have had BUPA platinum 2 million baht plan INPATIENT for four years. We bought it through an excellent broker in Phuket who sent us via e-mail, several health plans to consider. BUPA has "contracts" with many of the better private hospitals in Thailand, where if you pay attention, will direct pay the hospital for emergency or other inpatient procedures. Earlier this month my wife was in severe pain and we went to the a private hospital in Surin Province which had a Doctor for her issue who could see her in a timely fashion. We agreed that more tests were needed and she spent the night. I went to the billing department and it seems this 10 story hospital did not have a contract with BUPA. My broker walked me though the procedure, I was able to pay the bill upon her discharge and frankly the paperwork and on line form you fill out, print and mail to BUPA CLAIMS in Bangkok were not a challenge. 8 days later the full amount of her bill was deposited into my Bangkok Bank savings account, minus the very insignificant bank transfer fee. No run around, no phone calls, no waiting for a check in the mail, we just followed the instructions.

So not only has BUPA paid all our hospital bills at the "direct bill, have a contract" more famous hospitals, I have seen how BUPA will promptly pay me back if we have treatment at a private (or Government) hospital that is not part of the BUPA system. BUPA, in my four years experience has been professional, never once jerked me around in anyway on a claim. Even though the Surin hospital did not have a contract with BUPA they handed me a completed BUPA form for the claim, and "it is not their first rodeo" those women in hospital billing give you all the signed and stamped paperwork to make a correct insurance claim. EMS takes one day for the claim to arrive at the BUPA claims department in Bangkok and I recall you can walk into some BUPA offices with your claim if you elect to do so. BUPA Platinum does cover you fully for a motorbike accident, but will only pay 50% of the death benefit if you are on a motorbike as I read the coverage. Your age will enable you to obtain excellent inpatient health coverage in Thailand for a fair price. A private hospital in Thailand does not care if you are 27 or 77 when they tally a bill for treatment.

I'm not so sure I recall the box for "active and healthy lifestyle" on the BUPA application, but they did take note of pre existing conditions, etc.. It does not cost you a single baht more to buy health insurance through a bilingual LICENSED insurance broker, one who might even be a native English speaker. But it sure is handy to phone that broker with a question and realize the broker does in fact understand your question.

[howzat]

I have Platinum 5 million and recently cancelled the OPD which has saved me about Baht45,00 per year. Can get a lot of OPD for 45,000 Baht.

Been with them for 10 years and now am very senior citizen but they renew policy every year even though am past the sell by date.

No probs with them. No 1.

[madmitch]

Shop around. Use a broker to help. As a healthy 27 year old coverage will not be too expensive. You'll find most of the people on here moaning about insurance costs are 45 and over! Come back in twenty years and have your gripe.

[DerekAbroad]

Wow, thanks for all the input. I knew most people on here are pt in the same age bracket as me, so I didn't know how similar/different our cases would be (I was leaning towards different). Also, being American, I can't just go home for free insurance.

Thanks again. Now to find a bilingual broker....

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[Durabike]

BUPA Platinum is good, I suggest you to get insured as early as possible, otherwise BUPA will not pay for your pre-existing diseases.