Health Care In Thailand

[CaptHaddock]

Did the OP price the surgery at a Thai government hospital? Govt hospitals will treat foreigners and they are pretty cheap. I understand that military hospitals are accessible to foreigners, also.

It may be advisable for foreigners in Thailand to have health insurance, but for people who don't Thailand is one of the best places to be. Way better than the USA for sure.

[Pakboong]

Unfortunately the reality is that there are all too many expats that choose to spend their income on beer for example rather than health cover and then expect their friends to bail them out when they get ill.

If someone has enough savings to pay for their hospital bill and doesn't need insurance then fair play to them.

its unfortunate that the elder expats cannot get health insurance but is it to harsh to suggest that this is something that should have been considered at an earlier juncture?

You're forgetting that the reasons you can't get meaningful cover are both AGE and preexisting conditions. You could have such preexisting conditions in your 20's. A younger retiree even at 50 is much more likely to have some though, so your judgment would not apply to all people without insurance, only those who EVER had a chance to purchase meaningful cover in Thailand.

Jinthing, I don't agree with your exclusion of people without a change to purchase cover. Those people - if they would have really prepared their move to Thailand - would have realized that they will not be able to get insurance BEFORE they come here... and then I would either expect them to have sufficient emergency funds to be "self-insured" (I know, pretty stupid expression as you never know what will happen) - or then again accept the risk that they might die without getting help and then not complain about it, because they would know that this is the way it works in Thailand.

It is very rare that the dead complain.

[cooked]

At least a few "normal" comments besides the bickering of two nagging women...

If Smokie36 and Jingthing would read each other's comments, they would find out that they both have their points. Most important is the point of Sheryl: "No one should be here without either self-insuring or some type of health insurance"

Anybody who does not think about health care - where ever he lives - is plain stupid and putting his head in the sand (point of smokie36)

Insurance in Thailand is excluding any pre-existing conditions (unlike i.e. mandatory health insurance in Switzerland), difficult to get when older and getting very expensive the older you get, thus might not cover your problems (point of Jingthing)

Their are people living in Thailand (and Iknow some of those) who do neither have any emergency funds nor can afford health insurance, as they live on minimum income and can hardly fulfill the financial Visa requirements. For those people, their is not much more to do than decide to either die in Thailand because of lack of treatment or try to go back home and relay on the medical social systems back home (if any is available)...

But these people - in my opinion - did their first mistake when they obviously did not do their math before coming to live in Thailand or they did do their math and accept all the risks coming with living on minimum income... and then we could go back to NeverSure and his thoughts about the balcony...

A good and sensible post. Cheers!

Edit: Was just a bit of debate....nothing unhealthy in that from time to time.

Meaning you are sober now?

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[FunFon]

Most important is the point of Sheryl: "No one should be here without either self-insuring or some type of health insurance"

Anybody who does not think about health care - where ever he lives - is plain stupid and putting his head in the sand (point of smokie36)

And I am very strongly disagreeing with these assertions. People have lived for millions of years without good medical care, it's not a necessity of life like air, food and drinking water.

Trying to turn decent health care into a universal right/obligation is to me over-interference in the individual's right to choose. Take it to the extreme, some could try to argue that Internet access is now so fundamental to modern life that it should be provided as a subsidised utility for all, even those living thousands of km off the grid, and that everyone should share in the cost of providing this.

As long as the person is fully aware of the risks they are taking, and willing to suffer the consequences - including having to choose between dying a possibly long and painful death without care or committing suicide - then I see nothing wrong with that.

They do of course give up the right to complain to the world about the situation that they have brought upon themselves.

[Jingthing]

...

They do of course give up the right to complain to the world about the situation that they have brought upon themselves.

I don't completely agree, coming from the horror show of health care access, the USA.

Supposing a person is both uninsurable AND needs health care costing ten millions dollars, yet doesn't have the slightest chance of having that ten million dollars. I think that person has every right to complain that the system is set up so that money trumps human life.

Edited March 18, 2013 by Jingthing

[Garysenior67]

What good is insurance or self coverage if you suffer a heart attack or stroke and have no means to get to a competent source of treatment expeditiously? You will probably die or become a Thai vegetable. Money and insurance will be moot, will it not?

[chiangmaikelly]

What good is insurance or self coverage if you suffer a heart attack or stroke and have no means to get to a competent source of treatment expeditiously? You will probably die or become a Thai vegetable. Money and insurance will be moot, will it not?

They have people in Thailand who will stay with for a very reasonable fee and make sure you are never alone and transport you to a hospital.

[smokie36]

Most important is the point of Sheryl: "No one should be here without either self-insuring or some type of health insurance"Anybody who does not think about health care - where ever he lives - is plain stupid and putting his head in the sand (point of smokie36)And I am very strongly disagreeing with these assertions. People have lived for millions of years without good medical care, it's not a necessity of life like air, food and drinking water.Trying to turn decent health care into a universal right/obligation is to me over-interference in the individual's right to choose. Take it to the extreme, some could try to argue that Internet access is now so fundamental to modern life that it should be provided as a subsidised utility for all, even those living thousands of km off the grid, and that everyone should share in the cost of providing this.As long as the person is fully aware of the risks they are taking, and willing to suffer the consequences - including having to choose between dying a possibly long and painful death without care or committing suicide - then I see nothing wrong with that.They do of course give up the right to complain to the world about the situation that they have brought upon themselves.

I agree with that right to choose.

Trouble is people turning up at Government hospitals needing treatment they have no way of paying for.

This will eventually lead to tougher regulations in the future for us younger folks looking to retire in Thailand.

And no cooked....I am not drunk....simply have a different opinion on this matter to your own.

Cheers and thanks to JT and Sheryl for some good and informative posts.

[StevenHeidbriderSr]

I had to comment here.

Both my wife and I have pre-existing conditions. Health Insurance is OUT of the question because of cost vs NO Coverage for why we would need it anyway.

My plan is $1000.USD or less and we get our care here BUT if its more we will make a determination of whats more cost effective. My wife has Medicare Coverage in the USA and would fly back stay with family and get her care.

If I have to do the same I fly to the Philippines and get my care at the VA Hospital there.

A 2nd plan is also needed with sufficient monies to cover Emergency costs if your 1st plan is untenable.

Edited April 5, 2013 by StevenHeidbriderSr

[Sheryl]

I had to comment here.

Both my wife and I have pre-existing conditions. Health Insurance is OUT of the question because of cost vs NO Coverage for why we would need it anyway.

My plan is $1000.USD or less and we get our care here BUT if its more we will make a determination of whats more cost effective. My wife has Medicare Coverage in the USA and would fly back stay with family and get her care.

If I have to do the same I fly to the Philippines and get my care at the VA Hospital there.

A 2nd plan is also needed with sufficient monies to cover Emergency costs if your 1st plan is untenable.

Nowadays US $1000 doesn't cover much, even at a Government Hospital. I'd suggest you make that at more like $3,000.

And then of course need the funds for medical evacuation as well as for any catastrophic health care needs that can't be delayed. As an indication, a heart attack can set you back about $10-15K at a private hospital and $4 - 8K at a government hospital. Serious trauma from a car accident the same or more....easily up to $50K in a government hospital if neurosurgery and stay in ICU required and that's just to get to the point of being stable enough to travel elsewhere.

For people taking the self-insure route I recommend no less than 2 mill baht, preferrably 5. Or 2 in a readily liquidated account and another 3 in perhaps a fixed deposit.

[StevenHeidbriderSr]

I had to comment here.

Both my wife and I have pre-existing conditions. Health Insurance is OUT of the question because of cost vs NO Coverage for why we would need it anyway.

My plan is $1000.USD or less and we get our care here BUT if its more we will make a determination of whats more cost effective. My wife has Medicare Coverage in the USA and would fly back stay with family and get her care.

If I have to do the same I fly to the Philippines and get my care at the VA Hospital there.

A 2nd plan is also needed with sufficient monies to cover Emergency costs if your 1st plan is untenable.

Nowadays US $1000 doesn't cover much, even at a Government Hospital. I'd suggest you make that at more like $3,000.

And then of course need the funds for medical evacuation as well as for any catastrophic health care needs that can't be delayed. As an indication, a heart attack can set you back about $10-15K at a private hospital and $4 - 8K at a government hospital. Serious trauma from a car accident the same or more....easily up to $50K in a government hospital if neurosurgery and stay in ICU required and that's just to get to the point of being stable enough to travel elsewhere.

For people taking the self-insure route I recommend no less than 2 mill baht, preferrably 5. Or 2 in a readily liquidated account and another 3 in perhaps a fixed deposit.

Where I live if I or my wife have a heart attack we are gonna live or die by Gods grace because no Med will get to us in time.

I have funds to medevac us if needed. And choose to utilize what I have already paid for in sweat and blood as far as expensive needed care.

It also seems that someone on this forum has either a business interest to push Health Insurance here OR Is realizing that for the Monies They spent on Health Insurance thus far have been an expensive mistake and are really just Angry at themselves not others.