Health Insurance

[Captor]

Hello everyone

I was thinking of buying a health insurance for my thai girlfriend. But I haven´t any clue what companies there are "out there" and which ones are good or bad.

And also what we should think about when buying that. So any tip would be appreciated a lot about that subject.

Thanks in advance

Best Regards

Captor

[StreetCowboy]

BUPA

PPP

AXA

That internet thingy has all the details.

I'm just going to get in-patient cover since i reckon I can cover outpatient stuff out of current income, but I suppose its possible the insurance companies might save you money on average because they get better rates or cash back from the hospitals (that's speculation on my part).

SC

[Captor]

Thank you very much, StreetCowboy

I will for sure check closer on that internet thing

[StreetCowboy]

Thank you very much, StreetCowboy

I will for sure check closer on that internet thing

Those are all foreign brands. It's likely there will be more cost-effective local brands available that dont give, for example, the overseas coverage, but I don't have access to them.

SC

[VintageTQ]

I would contact e-insurethailand.com , they are brokers who have an office in bangkok and offer advice for expats. Very helpful and all at no extra cost to yourself.

And no, i do not have any association with them whatsoever, just talking from my own experience in purchasing insurance through them.

[Captor]

OK, thank you both, I will check them as well.

[davesnothere]

As a qualified guide maybe, I'm new here myself... I purchased coverage for a 35 year old girl through Kbank which cost approximately 4200 baht for 12 months plus I also picked up accident and sickness benefits for which for which I paid a further 2000 baht.... A rough guide maybe, it was a convienient purchase to make at the time without doing too much research.

[jingjoe8]

As a qualified guide maybe, I'm new here myself... I purchased coverage for a 35 year old girl through Kbank which cost approximately 4200 baht for 12 months plus I also picked up accident and sickness benefits for which for which I paid a further 2000 baht.... A rough guide maybe, it was a convienient purchase to make at the time without doing too much research.

I looked at that too,but if you read into it you only covered for 50 000bht coverage,the larger amount depending on policy is for death

I covered my ex with acs a french company 500 000 usd coverage for all in hospital care for around 16000bht,includes cancer treatment and private room hopsital coverage enough for any medical situation,best to use a broker who can get you in on a group coverage

[Rsquared]

My wife and I are signed up with AIA and are covered for accidents, cancer (yes there is a separate section for it), illness, they also have many individual categories, dental and private room etc. For the two of us is 29,000 Baht per year for 20 years, then after that free cover until the age of 99.

Sounds a lot, but after some good information from CaptainMurgatroyd, who was forced to return to the UK and find work, because his wife became ill and they were not covered, all his finances were eaten up by medical expenses.

I don't like insurance companies of any sort. I find them a necessary evil, but I have heard from many sources that AIA is one of the best here in LOS.

[JoePai]

Suggest using the sponsors - AA Insurance Brokers as they seem the best for service and have several offices in Thailand - ask for Peter

[davesnothere]

As a qualified guide maybe, I'm new here myself... I purchased coverage for a 35 year old girl through Kbank which cost approximately 4200 baht for 12 months plus I also picked up accident and sickness benefits for which for which I paid a further 2000 baht.... A rough guide maybe, it was a convienient purchase to make at the time without doing too much research.

I looked at that too,but if you read into it you only covered for 50 000bht coverage,the larger amount depending on policy is for death

I covered my ex with acs a french company 500 000 usd coverage for all in hospital care for around 16000bht,includes cancer treatment and private room hopsital coverage enough for any medical situation,best to use a broker who can get you in on a group coverage

Thank you for the future reference

[Captor]

As a qualified guide maybe, I'm new here myself... I purchased coverage for a 35 year old girl through Kbank which cost approximately 4200 baht for 12 months plus I also picked up accident and sickness benefits for which for which I paid a further 2000 baht.... A rough guide maybe, it was a convienient purchase to make at the time without doing too much research.

I looked at that too,but if you read into it you only covered for 50 000bht coverage,the larger amount depending on policy is for death

I covered my ex with acs a french company 500 000 usd coverage for all in hospital care for around 16000bht,includes cancer treatment and private room hopsital coverage enough for any medical situation,best to use a broker who can get you in on a group coverage

Jingjoe, so how much did you pay for that?

[Captor]

My wife and I are signed up with AIA and are covered for accidents, cancer (yes there is a separate section for it), illness, they also have many individual categories, dental and private room etc. For the two of us is 29,000 Baht per year for 20 years, then after that free cover until the age of 99.

Sounds a lot, but after some good information from CaptainMurgatroyd, who was forced to return to the UK and find work, because his wife became ill and they were not covered, all his finances were eaten up by medical expenses.

I don't like insurance companies of any sort. I find them a necessary evil, but I have heard from many sources that AIA is one of the best here in LOS.

Thank you very much, Rsquared, very helpful information. I will ask them as well.

[Pib]

You probably know it, but just to be sure, the thai gf already has health coverage under the "free" Thailand national health program which goes by the names of 30 baht program, gold program, etc. And although there are no doubt valid horror stories, the program also provides descent coverage. Heck, at this very moment my Thai wife's mom is receiving hospital care for a toe she broke Tuesday morning....a bad break with bone punching through the skin...plenty of blood. Took to the hospital emergency on Tuesday morning, had surgery on the toe mid day Tuesday, staying in a private room, and will hopefully be released this weekend once the doctor feels pretty sure the wound has healed enough that infection is not likely.

Now this hospital stay, surgery, medications, etc., will be totally free except we decide to have her stay in the private room at 600 baht a day (nice room, TV, air con, frig, etc). Now if we have just let her stay in the hospital ward it would have been totally free, except maybe for a 30 baht charge I think they just started charging again after years of not charging it. And several years ago she had major back surgery, in the hospital for two weeks, once again could have been totally free except we opted to pay for a private room that was only 400 baht a day back then.

Edited October 4, 2012 by Pib

[Captor]

Hi Pib

Thank you for your excellent posting. Yes, I know about the thai health program. I fact it is very good considering it is almost for free.

However, my girlfriend has low blodpressure and and sometimes it happens that she is down on 40 and then she has to come to hospital. Not so often though thank god.

But last time she choosed the government hospital here in Ratchaburi and because of the low pressure the doctor did´nt want her to stay in a private room without nurses

around most of the time. So he placed her back into a big room with maybe 20-30 beds. So that the nurses more easy could keep an eye on her. And in this big room she

could see many strange things and also there was made surgeries on other patients in that room in front of everyone.

So I was thinking that should she not need to see when feeling ill anyway... So that is why I now are looking into a insurance and private care.

She has been here in private hospital before and I payed for that. It was not very expensive for 2-3 nights but if staying maybe a week or more an insurance maybe is not so bad after all.

But OK, if the price for insurance is expensive like 40-70 000 then I will considering to not take that.

It is onlu when she has problem with the blodpressure she can´t have a private room. But if something else happens I guess she can have that. And that is not so expensive.

For 40-70000 B we can have many overnights at the hospital:-)

Regarding the quality of the doctors I sometimes think they are better in government hospitals because they have much more experience than in Private ones.

Except maybe the big private hospitals in Bangkok maybe. They have for sure good doctors. But about Ratchaburi...I don´t know about that.

[Pib]

Hopefully you'll find some fairly priced insurance, but as you probably now it seems health insurance in Thailand has a bad reputation for not covering pre-existing conditions....sometimes never covering the pre-existing condition and other times a two year wait is required before coverage for that condition would begin. Just be sure to checkout that angle when evaluating the policy fine print.

And I know what you mean about some hospitals, especially out in the provinces. The mother-in-law's two hospital visits/surgeries I mentioned were/are being treated in a Ratchaburi province govt hospital...fortunately, the mother-in-law has had the same doctor (a.k.a., a bone doctor as he commonly referred to) for both her back surgery and toe surgery. It's not uncommon for many doctors and nurses in Thailand to work at two or three hospitals, both private and government. And some of the doctors also have clinics on the side which they open for a few hours in the evening and/or on weekends....they definitely put in some l....o.....n.....g hours. And an OB/GYN doctor my wife sees works at Thonburi and Sirijai hospitals (both private hospitals) here in Bangkok and also lectures at medical training colleges...workaholic that doctor is. And I have another in-law who is a nurse and works at two hospitals...one govt and one private.

Cheers...and good luck in the insurance hunt for the GF....and just to re-mention, beware of the pre-existing condition fine print.

[Captor]

Dear Pib

Thanks again for your nice postings. Yes, after checking this issue now for only 4-5 days i begin to realize it is a dirty business (same as many other businesses in Thailand:-)).

Well we will try to do our best and keep eyes open about the fineprint in the conditions. And also as someone said in the thread: Check out what the insurance company NOT

covers.

Also I will talk to some thai people I know. Maybe they know more about the fineprints.

[madmitch]

Hi Pib

Thank you for your excellent posting. Yes, I know about the thai health program. I fact it is very good considering it is almost for free.

However, my girlfriend has low blodpressure and and sometimes it happens that she is down on 40 and then she has to come to hospital. Not so often though thank god.

But last time she choosed the government hospital here in Ratchaburi and because of the low pressure the doctor did´nt want her to stay in a private room without nurses

around most of the time. So he placed her back into a big room with maybe 20-30 beds. So that the nurses more easy could keep an eye on her. And in this big room she

could see many strange things and also there was made surgeries on other patients in that room in front of everyone.

So I was thinking that should she not need to see when feeling ill anyway... So that is why I now are looking into a insurance and private care.

She has been here in private hospital before and I payed for that. It was not very expensive for 2-3 nights but if staying maybe a week or more an insurance maybe is not so bad after all.

But OK, if the price for insurance is expensive like 40-70 000 then I will considering to not take that.

It is onlu when she has problem with the blodpressure she can´t have a private room. But if something else happens I guess she can have that. And that is not so expensive.

For 40-70000 B we can have many overnights at the hospital:-)

Regarding the quality of the doctors I sometimes think they are better in government hospitals because they have much more experience than in Private ones.

Except maybe the big private hospitals in Bangkok maybe. They have for sure good doctors. But about Ratchaburi...I don´t know about that.

You have one major problem here and that is the pre-existing condition clause.

Your GF has a low blood pressure problem. You will have to declare this and and claims relating to this condition will be excluded.

So, if that is your main reason for wanting a private health insurance then I have to suggest that you don't waste your money.

[Captor]

No that is not the main reason, but one of them. Are you sure it will be excluded? I am not so sure about that. I have read some were that some companies

exclude that for 6 months or another for 12 or 24 months. After that it is included. But, i am not sure and we will check that carefully so we take the company with the best conditions.

Thanks for you posting, madmitch, it is definitive worth to mention because this health insurance thing is not easy to look through.

[Pib]

As mentioned in by VintageTQ in post #5 "e-insureThailand" lists quite a few health insurance plans. And if you first go to the Link on their website, then click the health insurance company links, then the Terms and Conditions link for each policy you can see what is covered and what is not, to include the part about pre-existing conditions. And just to focus in on the type pre-existing condition policy wording commonly used, go to paragraph 23 of this BUPA policy Link to read their pre-existing conditions policy.

[tinfoilhat]

BUPA

PPP

AXA

That internet thingy has all the details.

I'm just going to get in-patient cover since i reckon I can cover outpatient stuff out of current income, but I suppose its possible the insurance companies might save you money on average because they get better rates or cash back from the hospitals (that's speculation on my part).

SC

i would speculate the insurance companies are not going to improve your rates. their payment cycles are generally so protracted that they usually hit the insurance companies for every penny they can get.

the hospitals are no fan of companies like bupa, but they recognize them as a necessary evil.

[Captor]

As mentioned in by VintageTQ in post #5 "e-insureThailand" lists quite a few health insurance plans. And if you first go to the Link on their website, then click the health insurance company links, then the Terms and Conditions link for each policy you can see what is covered and what is not, to include the part about pre-existing conditions. And just to focus in on the type pre-existing condition policy wording commonly used, go to paragraph 23 of this BUPA policy Link to read their pre-existing conditions policy.

Thanks again Pib! You really have a lot of knowledge in this minefield. I really appreciate it,