Farang husbands no longer covered under the civil servants' medical scheme?

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Additional post advising people over 60 to buy insurance is misleading as it can't be done. So the forum should try to come up with suggestions for people who not insured. The BS I hear so often is oh, when I get sick I will go home and the government will take care of me. This is a fools paradise as you may not be able to get home let alone home someone there to take care of you while you wait in a long queue for government coverage. Open your brain a little and prepare for you first stroke. By the way, a typical Thai funeral with Lao Khao and hog slopping is about 100,000 Baht so please deposit this for your graduation. No one wants to pay for saying good by to you. Don't tell us you don't have the money to pay for your own funeral.

Most of the world doesn't have insurance.

Most of the world has never insured anything in their life.

Please don't think the only way is the American way.

[Saan]

Could there be a difference in the civil servants health scheme for those whose wives work for the federal government to those who work for provincial governments. My wife is adamant that her boss told her that as of July 1 I am no longer covered.

Of course she won't go back and query him as GOD has spoken and he must not be challenged.

If I am still covered it now becomes a delicate matter as my medical invoices, in the past, went through him.

How can I circumvent him?

Contact the hopital or the agency that carries out the health scheme for civil servants directly.

Or the government information line: 1111 Thai and English, they will connect you with the relevant agency.

Thanks Mario, I will do that.

[DonaldBattles]

A fools paradise is one who thinks that when he gets sick inThailand someone else is going to pay the hospital bill for him. Most retirees in Thailand are over 65 and are subject to many different problems that require hospitalization to take care of them. if you think this logic is American then you should try something better.

My statements are meant to try to help people deal with their health issues. After 30 years as a businessman Thailand I have done my best to help people who have problems both Thai and westerners. However, it looks like some people think I am a bigot so I shall sign off to satisfy them. However, you need 100,000 Baht deposited to bury you so forget about health insurance and sickness where you can't pay.

My last response to bigots.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

A fools paradise is one who thinks that when he gets sick inThailand someone else is going to pay the hospital bill for him. Most retirees in Thailand are over 65 and are subject to many different problems that require hospitalization to take care of them. if you think this logic is American then you should try something better.

Getting sick in Thailand is God's way of saying 'come on up'.

Who are we to try and change that.

[Saan]

To pick up where NancyL left off in #55 above, the reality is that not everyone has a few million baht squirreled away. It is very sobering to really understand how expensive medically the last few months of life can be. Ruinously so. And younger people with chronic illnesses requiring expensive extensive treatment are also extremely vulnerable.

There appear to be a lot of foreigners living in basic poverty here who are a burden to themselves, friends, and, increasingly, Thailand. No wonder that all the ministries now apparently have developed a consensus that foreigners must have health insurance, as recently reported in the news we can not quote on TV. Goodness only knows how that will turn out, but it does indicate that many in Thailand are getting fed up with so many foreigners with problems and few funds who land here.

Do people in such distressful circumstances belong in Thailand? My guess is that a huge proportion (not counting refugees from bordering countries) come from countries with social services to provide for them. A cynic might say that Thailand seems to have some sort of hospitality muse, mimicking the American Statue of Liberty: "Send me your aged, lame and lazy --- and a few losers and horny drunks, too --- and I will comfort them!"

Many answer that what individuals want to do is their business. Some disparage what they call the western "nanny countries." But what happens if they need a nanny here? And many do. Freedom of choice, independence, liberty to do what you please is all well and good, but isn't there also social responsibility, a responsibility to the group, as well?

Are asking who does belong in Thailand? Are you saying that the old, less than wealthy economic refugees have no place here - that they are not assets in a tourist city like Chiang Mai and should be pushed out? Is that your argument? Then what are you doing here? Maybe you just came for the climate. Or is it that you believe that only the 'wealthy' economic migrants belong here? Just like you.

Who are you to make these decisions. It is not up to you, it is for the Thai Government to decide who belongs and who doesn't. Such smugness.

[NancyL]

OK, here's an "actionable" suggestion for those of us over age 60 or 65 -- get an accident-insurance policy. Some of the banks offer them and you don't even have to be a customer of the bank. I think private insurance agencies offer them, too. I know of one bank policy that will cover people up to age 100. The cost is very low, like around 5000 baht per year.

Yes, the policy only covers accidents and not if you're driving or riding on a motorcycle. Also, the upper pay-out limits are somewhat low -- like 60,000 baht for a broken bone. But that would have gone a long way for some of the oldsters I know who were "knocked down" by a tuk-tuk or motorcycle while walking on a sidewalk or crossing a street.

Frankly, I don't think these people were "knocked down", but rather a vehicle brushed up against them, they lost their balance and they fell. Oh yeah, I know one guy who tripped over his cat at home and another who "forgot" about the just delivered Tops groceries on the floor when he lost power. And I didn't get too specific with the guy who said he had "vertigo" in the bathroom while using the toilet one evening. In every case, we're talking about a hip fracture and stay at Room 4, Male Ortho Ward 2 at Suan Dok hospital, with a minimum bill of 80,000 baht. Anyway, accidents are a leading cause of hospitalizations among the elderly, even those who don't want to admit they're "elderly".

Edited July 2, 2013 by NancyL

[cooked]

A fools paradise is one who thinks that when he gets sick inThailand someone else is going to pay the hospital bill for him. Most retirees in Thailand are over 65 and are subject to many different problems that require hospitalization to take care of them. if you think this logic is American then you should try something better.

My statements are meant to try to help people deal with their health issues. After 30 years as a businessman Thailand I have done my best to help people who have problems both Thai and westerners. However, it looks like some people think I am a bigot so I shall sign off to satisfy them. However, you need 100,000 Baht deposited to bury you so forget about health insurance and sickness where you can't pay.

My last response to bigots.

I generally don't answer posts like this.

Additional post advising people over 60 to buy insurance is misleading as it can't be done. So the forum should try to come up with suggestions for people who not insured. The BS I hear so often is oh, when I get sick I will go home and the government will take care of me. This is a fools paradise as you may not be able to get home let alone home someone there to take care of you while you wait in a long queue for government coverage. Open your brain a little and prepare for you first stroke. By the way, a typical Thai funeral with Lao Khao and hog slopping is about 100,000 Baht so please deposit this for your graduation. No one wants to pay for saying good by to you. Don't tell us you don't have the money to pay for your own funeral.

If you would take the trouble to look around you would find out that the insurance company that I mentioned above will insure you up until one month before your 65th birthday. The cheap option I have gone for is for emergencies, I also have an insurance agent that will look after me.at such time. The BS about going home is very much a possibility in my particular case. http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss_news/Switzerland:_We_look_after_our_own.html?cid=32898472.

It has been suggested many times on this forum that self insurance is the way to go if possible, you won't find yourself priced out of the possibility of insuring for another year, and the 'preconditions trap' won't be a worry. Many people tend to worry about this stuff at around 70 or so and find out that they can no longer start saving for rainy days.

[fcgprg]

If you can only be insured to a maximum of 75 years of age .Does that mean that everyone aged over 75 would have to leave the country no matter how long you had lived here and family connections here.

[Phrafarang]

Went to the hospital yesterday, handed in my refill prescription and then went to the pay booth, gave the girl my medical card, she typed the number into the computer then gave me my card back and stamped the return slip, no problems. I asked her about the government stopping free healthcare for the families of government workers and she said that they had been told nothing about this and as far as the hospital was concerned all free medical cards for the families of government staff, including foreign husbands, were still valid. So, hopefully, the OP's wife was misinformed.

[Saan]

Went to the hospital yesterday, handed in my refill prescription and then went to the pay booth, gave the girl my medical card, she typed the number into the computer then gave me my card back and stamped the return slip, no problems. I asked her about the government stopping free healthcare for the families of government workers and she said that they had been told nothing about this and as far as the hospital was concerned all free medical cards for the families of government staff, including foreign husbands, were still valid. So, hopefully, the OP's wife was misinformed.

Thanks for that, I suspect her boss may be playing games with her for his own reasons.

[AAInsuranceBrokers]

Additional post advising people over 60 to buy insurance is misleading as it can't be done. So the forum should try to come up with suggestions for people who not insured. The BS I hear so often is oh, when I get sick I will go home and the government will take care of me. This is a fools paradise as you may not be able to get home let alone home someone there to take care of you while you wait in a long queue for government coverage. Open your brain a little and prepare for you first stroke. By the way, a typical Thai funeral with Lao Khao and hog slopping is about 100,000 Baht so please deposit this for your graduation. No one wants to pay for saying good by to you. Don't tell us you don't have the money to pay for your own funeral.

What is misleading is saying people over 60 cannot get medical insurance – as they can !

There are several plans for up to 65 (who will then insure for life) and a few for over 65’s

Please talk to your Broker or the Thai Visa sponsor HERE

[market trader]

If you can only be insured to a maximum of 75 years of age .Does that mean that everyone aged over 75 would have to leave the country no matter how long you had lived here and family connections here.

Perhaps. And when you return to your home country you find that they don't want you either.

[fcgprg]

If you can only be insured to a maximum of 75 years of age .Does that mean that everyone aged over 75 would have to leave the country no matter how long you had lived here and family connections here.

Perhaps. And when you return to your home country you find that they don't want you either.

I will never need to return to my home country ,but what about the people that would or will ?.

[mattincm]

My wife is also a government employee (federal), I used the system just a couple of weeks ago with no problem at all. I am assuming that local and federal government workers are all under the one scheme.

[worgeordie]

Went for my appointment at the local Government hospital today,

a bit apprehensive,regarding the Govt stopping free treatment for

Farangs, but everything was as usual,friendly helpful nurses,Doctor

you could talk to (as opposed to Western Drs who think they are Gods),

excellent service all round,did the tests,got my pills and another appointment

for 2 months time.

regards Worgeordie