Insurance Options For Thai National With Chronic Disease

[pistachios]

Hello,

My girlfriend has been diagnosed with an incurable disease that requires frequent monitoring and relatively expensive medication.

The doctor who diagnosed her is a very good doctor from a top hospital in bangkok. The visit for the diagnostic itself cost 20,000 thb, and we got a discount price thanks to a family member working in that hospital. Since we are living in phuket this doctor advised her to go to bangkok hospital phuket for the recurent monitoring visits (every 3 months at the moment). I just want the best for her so using government hospital is not an option. Many tests will be required to be done at probably 20,000 thb as well. Including medicine, I estimate the yearly cost to be arount 100,000thb and that is only if the condition remains stable.

Is there anyway to lessen the financial burden?

She is presently working in a pharmacy, but she tells me her insurance only covers "accidents" or such.

On a strict financial point of view, I don't see why any insurance company would agree to cover her knowing her condition, but I'm not familiar at all with the health insurance business.

Thank you for your answers.

[JoePai]

You are correct, no insurance company will pick up her bills. Sorry but the time to buy insurance is before any problem not after !

[stevenl]

Sounds like her employer does not have health insurance for staff but only accident insurance.

But even in that case, she will fall under the 30 Baht health care scheme, so treatment at a government hospital is going to be free. The doctors working at BPH also work at the government hospitals, so while the surroundings may not be so nice and the service sub par, the quality of care will be good at the government hospitals.

You may want to check out the newly opened government hospital, do a check on the Phuket forum in the news section on that.

And you're right, no insurance company will accept a new cover on a house that is already on fire, but she may be able to get a coverage with exclusion of this condition, depending of course on the condition.

Edited November 4, 2012 by stevenl

[Pormax]

Sorry about your girlfriend's condition and the burden this is to you both, not talking about financial but emotionally. Must be very hard.

I have to agree with the other reply. No insurance Company will be even a tiny bit interested.

Insurance is a business to make money. From you and your girlfriend they will 100% lose money

All insurance Companies have clauses where they will not cover for illnesses, problems that one has prior to taking out the policy.

Sorry not the answer you want but I expect you anticipated this.

Hope that she can go into remission or a cure is found.

[pistachios]

That's not what I wanted to hear. Thanks for the kind words anyway.

I guess being quiet about her condition to the insurance and get a diagnostic 2 years later once she is covered is not really an option, isn't it?

[canopus1969]

No a very silly idea – insurance companies can and do check and if they found out she could be in even more trouble

[stevenl]

That's not what I wanted to hear. Thanks for the kind words anyway.

I guess being quiet about her condition to the insurance and get a diagnostic 2 years later once she is covered is not really an option, isn't it?

It is an options, but a very silly one IMO. They will find out, so it will only work against you/her.

[citizen33]

One thing that may be worth doing is double checking that your girlfriend isn't already enrolled in the Social Security Scheme (bprakan sangkhom) through her employment, and - if she isn't - trying to get the employer to sign her up for the scheme and deduct the small monthly contribution required. Look under the Social Security Knowledge heading here for how members register:

http://www.sso.go.th.../eng/index.html

The SSS provides slightly better coverage for some conditions than the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) that is open to other Thais. The SSS member can normally choose his/her main provider from a short list which includes both public and private hospitals. As the SSS is a public insurance scheme there is no ban on pre-existing conditions.

Under both the SSS and the UCS it is often possible to make a top-up payment for a private room or other extras, which would result in more comfortable care at a lower price than treatment as a private patient.

Otherwise for Rolls Royce treatment you will have to pay the price.

Edited November 7, 2012 by citizen33