73 yrs. Any chance for a decent health insurance?

[FiftyTwo]

I am 63 gave up paying crazy prices if I am ill I go to the Government hospital just because they are not expensive does not say they are not good at there job from what I am told when the doctors have finished there shift they then go to the Bangkok hospital a couple of miles away to earn a little extra. I do have accident insurance as I believe there is more chance of having an accident than just falling sick I would how ever still use my local Government hospital have done for the last 8 years with no complaints

Couldn't agree more. I am a month off 73 & never had the need for medical insurance.

I do have accident insurance though, but that does not include a motorcycle accident. Almost cut my ankle off with a power tool a couple of years ago. The locals bundled me in the back of a rusty old pickup & took me to the local hospital. They x-rayed by ankle, found I had a cracked bone, so as well as stitching up the wound they put a half plaster caste on it & re-dressed the wound ever day for 3 weeks in out-patients.

All up, got a bill for 300B.

Bangkok bank do accident insurance, 2500bht per year for 30kbht medical coverage per accident.

Includes m/c accidents. Just show the card at the hospital and they deal with the claim, you pay nothing.

PA 1st Senior for the over 65s (slightly more expensive, but better cover for broken bones)

http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBank/PersonalBanking/BuildYourWealth/Bancassurance/Pages/PA1st.aspx

Edited September 15, 2013 by FiftyTwo

[guzzi850m2]

I am also a bit worried about the health insurance issue, I have Int. health insurance now but I am only 51 so not too expensive yet but it goes up and up the older you are getting.

I am considering when retiring at about 65 years of age to move my address back to Denmark and thus get covered from there from the free public system (which off-course will not pay anything for treatment in Thailand).

So if I get cancer I will have to go back to DK and get treatment for free.

Is it possible to have a health insurance issued by the Thai Government and thus be covered for treatment on public hospitals?

Maybe have an accident insurance too? They are not that expensive.

Edited September 15, 2013 by guzzi850m2

[stevenl]

I am 63 gave up paying crazy prices if I am ill I go to the Government hospital just because they are not expensive does not say they are not good at there job from what I am told when the doctors have finished there shift they then go to the Bangkok hospital a couple of miles away to earn a little extra. I do have accident insurance as I believe there is more chance of having an accident than just falling sick I would how ever still use my local Government hospital have done for the last 8 years with no complaints

Couldn't agree more. I am a month off 73 & never had the need for medical insurance.

I do have accident insurance though, but that does not include a motorcycle accident. Almost cut my ankle off with a power tool a couple of years ago. The locals bundled me in the back of a rusty old pickup & took me to the local hospital. They x-rayed by ankle, found I had a cracked bone, so as well as stitching up the wound they put a half plaster caste on it & re-dressed the wound ever day for 3 weeks in out-patients.

All up, got a bill for 300B.

Bangkok bank do accident insurance, 2500bht per year for 30kbht medical coverage per accident.

Includes m/c accidents. Just show the card at the hospital and they deal with the claim, you pay nothing.

PA 1st Senior for the over 65s (slightly more expensive, but better cover for broken bones)

http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBank/PersonalBanking/BuildYourWealth/Bancassurance/Pages/PA1st.aspx

Big difference between accident insurance and health insurance, especially for older people: illness is not covered.

Shame you didn't just save the $8000 premiums for the last 8 years. $64,000 would cover all but the most serious treatments in Thailand.

But you insure for the most serious treatments. Those are the ones you either have to be able to pay yourself or via insurance.

[Morden]

I am also a bit worried about the health insurance issue, I have Int. health insurance now but I am only 51 so not too expensive yet but it goes up and up the older you are getting.

I am considering when retiring at about 65 years of age to move my address back to Denmark and thus get covered from there from the free public system (which off-course will not pay anything for treatment in Thailand).

So if I get cancer I will have to go back to DK and get treatment for free.

Is it possible to have a health insurance issued by the Thai Government and thus be covered for treatment on public hospitals?

Maybe have an accident insurance too? They are not that expensive.

Health insurance inevitably becomes more expensive with advancing age. The bills get bigger and there may well be more of them. You have the choice between insurance and self-funding.

You, as you say, can return home but you may be there for quite a ling time. Are you prepared to give up what you have here for many months?

[Morden]

Stevenl, absolutely right. Accident insurance isn't sufficient.

Yes, it's the serious issues that are important. A broken arm costs little in the way of treatment.

There's another point about insurance. The company will ensure that the treatment is appropriate and give you the benefit of the knowledge of the doctor that it employs. Pay for treatment yourself and you may be given some that's not necessary. You would be on your own with no advice and possibly paying too much from your own pocket.

[OldSalty]

Morden, in a way I get the impression you are working for the health insurance industrie, because you are not really honest. I had an international health insurance and part of the policy was, that I was only allowed to go to certain hospitals, there was nothing like a no-claim bonus, the premium was going up and up and up, whether used or not. Insurance companies are profit making organisations and I will accept that. They will keep their costs down to a minimum and their profits to a maximum, so certain risks they will not take and not insure. You can get a snow damage insurance in Thailand very easily, but ask people who live in an area that is almost annually flooded if they can get a flood damage insurance and you will only find very few. Insurance companies just don't like to take risks and they have so called risk management department, who will make the decission for you. I better pay cash and make my own decission and look for my interest myself.

[Morden]

Morden, in a way I get the impression you are working for the health insurance industrie, because you are not really honest. I had an international health insurance and part of the policy was, that I was only allowed to go to certain hospitals, there was nothing like a no-claim bonus, the premium was going up and up and up, whether used or not. Insurance companies are profit making organisations and I will accept that. They will keep their costs down to a minimum and their profits to a maximum, so certain risks they will not take and not insure. You can get a snow damage insurance in Thailand very easily, but ask people who live in an area that is almost annually flooded if they can get a flood damage insurance and you will only find very few. Insurance companies just don't like to take risks and they have so called risk management department, who will make the decission for you. I better pay cash and make my own decission and look for my interest myself.

I'm retired and never worked in health insurance. I hope that answers your point.

I happen to believe that good health insurance is important to me here. Those who disagree about the wisdom of insuring are welcome to their own views.

[thaibeachlovers]

Just out of interest, have any of you guys who rely on savings ever enquired into the cost of cancer treatment. It would be interesting to know how your nest eggs measure up to whatever the figure might be.

For those that never had cancer, personally, I'd rather let nature take it's course ( with sufficient morphine to take the pain away ) than go through the hell on earth of treatment again. Sometimes it's really not worth it.

[lopburi3]

A previous flame and reply removed.

[cooked]

I am also a bit worried about the health insurance issue, I have Int. health insurance now but I am only 51 so not too expensive yet but it goes up and up the older you are getting.

I am considering when retiring at about 65 years of age to move my address back to Denmark and thus get covered from there from the free public system (which off-course will not pay anything for treatment in Thailand).

So if I get cancer I will have to go back to DK and get treatment for free.

Is it possible to have a health insurance issued by the Thai Government and thus be covered for treatment on public hospitals?

Maybe have an accident insurance too? They are not that expensive.

Health insurance inevitably becomes more expensive with advancing age. The bills get bigger and there may well be more of them. You have the choice between insurance and self-funding.

You, as you say, can return home but you may be there for quite a ling time. Are you prepared to give up what you have here for many months?

An airline may not be ready to transport a visibly ill person on a long trip. I think there is a repatriation assurance available, but most of these are connected with travel insurance. Is it legal for you to maintain an address in Denmark? I am thinking of doing the same thing v v Switzerland but am a bit nervous about not answering official communications that land in my letter box. I also wonder how I would manage getting a visa for my wife when I am ill as well as who would look after my family here.

My gripe with these insurances is that they charge more for old people than for young ones; some solidarity between age groups, meaning that you pay the same premiums throughout your life.

[thaibeachlovers]

I am also a bit worried about the health insurance issue, I have Int. health insurance now but I am only 51 so not too expensive yet but it goes up and up the older you are getting.

I am considering when retiring at about 65 years of age to move my address back to Denmark and thus get covered from there from the free public system (which off-course will not pay anything for treatment in Thailand).

So if I get cancer I will have to go back to DK and get treatment for free.

Is it possible to have a health insurance issued by the Thai Government and thus be covered for treatment on public hospitals?

Maybe have an accident insurance too? They are not that expensive.

Health insurance inevitably becomes more expensive with advancing age. The bills get bigger and there may well be more of them. You have the choice between insurance and self-funding.

You, as you say, can return home but you may be there for quite a ling time. Are you prepared to give up what you have here for many months?

An airline may not be ready to transport a visibly ill person on a long trip. I think there is a repatriation assurance available, but most of these are connected with travel insurance. Is it legal for you to maintain an address in Denmark? I am thinking of doing the same thing v v Switzerland but am a bit nervous about not answering official communications that land in my letter box. I also wonder how I would manage getting a visa for my wife when I am ill as well as who would look after my family here.

My gripe with these insurances is that they charge more for old people than for young ones; some solidarity between age groups, meaning that you pay the same premiums throughout your life.

You seem to forget that insurance companies are in it to make money, not as a charity. Once people are over about 60, their incidence of ill health increases dramatically.

There is an "equal" health insurance in most expats home country though. It's the public health service, though obviously one has to be living there to access it.

[stevenl]

My gripe with these insurances is that they charge more for old people than for young ones; some solidarity between age groups, meaning that you pay the same premiums throughout your life.

If the insurance company were to charge the same premium for young and old all young would go to another insurance company where their premiums would be less, simply because the are a better risk.

Don't blame the insurance companies, blame society for not carrying this solidarity

[Phuket electrician]

That would be 'they are lower risk then?'

Edited September 15, 2013 by Phuket electrician

[stevenl]

That would be 'they are lower risk then?'

For an insurance company a better risk.

[guzzi850m2]

I am also a bit worried about the health insurance issue, I have Int. health insurance now but I am only 51 so not too expensive yet but it goes up and up the older you are getting.

I am considering when retiring at about 65 years of age to move my address back to Denmark and thus get covered from there from the free public system (which off-course will not pay anything for treatment in Thailand).

So if I get cancer I will have to go back to DK and get treatment for free.

Is it possible to have a health insurance issued by the Thai Government and thus be covered for treatment on public hospitals?

Maybe have an accident insurance too? They are not that expensive.

Health insurance inevitably becomes more expensive with advancing age. The bills get bigger and there may well be more of them. You have the choice between insurance and self-funding.

You, as you say, can return home but you may be there for quite a ling time. Are you prepared to give up what you have here for many months?

An airline may not be ready to transport a visibly ill person on a long trip. I think there is a repatriation assurance available, but most of these are connected with travel insurance. Is it legal for you to maintain an address in Denmark? I am thinking of doing the same thing v v Switzerland but am a bit nervous about not answering official communications that land in my letter box. I also wonder how I would manage getting a visa for my wife when I am ill as well as who would look after my family here.

My gripe with these insurances is that they charge more for old people than for young ones; some solidarity between age groups, meaning that you pay the same premiums throughout your life.

Well in most cancer cases, you will not die overnight so in maybe 90% of the time you will have time to fly home.

So if you end up in hospital in ICU in Thailand you are not likely to go anywhere, just make sure it's public hospital, heard it can be 100k baht per night at some private hospitals, can quickly force your wife to sell the house for paying the bill.

I don't know if I am allowed to stay full time in Thailand with a adr in DK, I don't see why not but will check that out when I turn 60.

In these modern times with almost everything done via the I-net, you can do banking and so on from there, maybe have your address with a family member and they can forward snail mail to you via the I-net.

Off-course they will increase the premium the older you are getting, nobody wanted to make a life policy for the Apollo Astronauts when they flew to the moon and back, too risky.

[stevenl]

I am also a bit worried about the health insurance issue, I have Int. health insurance now but I am only 51 so not too expensive yet but it goes up and up the older you are getting.

I am considering when retiring at about 65 years of age to move my address back to Denmark and thus get covered from there from the free public system (which off-course will not pay anything for treatment in Thailand).

So if I get cancer I will have to go back to DK and get treatment for free.

Is it possible to have a health insurance issued by the Thai Government and thus be covered for treatment on public hospitals?

Maybe have an accident insurance too? They are not that expensive.

Health insurance inevitably becomes more expensive with advancing age. The bills get bigger and there may well be more of them. You have the choice between insurance and self-funding.

You, as you say, can return home but you may be there for quite a ling time. Are you prepared to give up what you have here for many months?

An airline may not be ready to transport a visibly ill person on a long trip. I think there is a repatriation assurance available, but most of these are connected with travel insurance. Is it legal for you to maintain an address in Denmark? I am thinking of doing the same thing v v Switzerland but am a bit nervous about not answering official communications that land in my letter box. I also wonder how I would manage getting a visa for my wife when I am ill as well as who would look after my family here.

My gripe with these insurances is that they charge more for old people than for young ones; some solidarity between age groups, meaning that you pay the same premiums throughout your life.

Well in most cancer cases, you will not die overnight so in maybe 90% of the time you will have time to fly home.

So if you end up in hospital in ICU in Thailand you are not likely to go anywhere, just make sure it's public hospital, heard it can be 100k baht per night at some private hospitals, can quickly force your wife to sell the house for paying the bill.

I don't know if I am allowed to stay full time in Thailand with a adr in DK, I don't see why not but will check that out when I turn 60.

In these modern times with almost everything done via the I-net, you can do banking and so on from there, maybe have your address with a family member and they can forward snail mail to you via the I-net.

Off-course they will increase the premium the older you are getting, nobody wanted to make a life policy for the Apollo Astronauts when they flew to the moon and back, too risky.

Time to fly may not be the issue, but if you're not well the airline can refuse you.

[guzzi850m2]

Time to fly may not be the issue, but if you're not well the airline can refuse you.

I know a fellow Dane that died recently in Denmark from leukemia.

He flew several times home for treatment, one time over 6 month on a special hospital.

He came back and told me the chances for he is fully cured was more than 60%.

Then I came home (to Thailand) after 2 month work overseas and I saw him again at the small hotel/restaurant he was managing and he looked like a doomed man (and he was sadly)

with big bags under his eyes and I could see that he was in great pain.

He again flew home for treatment and in the end, he was laying at the hospital in Denmark unconciness by nakotics to take the pain (sorry can't spell the words, but hope you get the meaning).

RIP my friend, you went much too early.

[madmitch]

OP, at your age you are generally better to stay with your current insurers. Any new policy will exclude any pre-existing conditions that would most likely be covered under your existing policy.

AA Insurance Brokers have come up with just one company willing to take on a new 73 year old customer. That shows that insurance companies are generally not willing to accept new elderly clients.

Whoever you are with, premiums will continue to rise as you get older, and that is without annual inflationary increases as well. Don't listen to the self-insurance brigade as costs can escalate out of the reach of your savings quite easily, even in Thailand.

Unless there's a very large saving and you have no pre-existing problems, I would suggest don't move. But if you do decide to change insurer, do not cancel the existing policy until you have formal acceptance from the new company or you could end up with no insurance at all. And if you cancel, the original insurers will not take you back.

[Sheryl]

I am 63 gave up paying crazy prices if I am ill I go to the Government hospital just because they are not expensive does not say they are not good at there job from what I am told when the doctors have finished there shift they then go to the Bangkok hospital a couple of miles away to earn a little extra. I do have accident insurance as I believe there is more chance of having an accident than just falling sick I would how ever still use my local Government hospital have done for the last 8 years with no complaints

Just going to a government hospital will not remove the need for insurance. Simple visits are fine, but a catastrophic illness can run into the millions of baht even at a government hospital.

If you can't or won't insufe then should self-insure by putting aside at least several million for major health expenses.

[moonseeker]

Just out of interest, have any of you guys who rely on savings ever enquired into the cost of cancer treatment. It would be interesting to know how your nest eggs measure up to whatever the figure might be.

Well, I can answer this clearly in a case study. A friend, against my advise, cancelled his top of the line Danish Health coverage @ 14'000 US$/yr. at age 67 and started putting his Premiums in a savings account. With 69 he collapsed at the pool, trouble breathing. Heavy smoker all his life. His lungs were full of fluids and he stayed in the BPH ICU on the lung machine for about 60 days until taken off, then he had to remove a large cancer growth in his lower trachea, just where it connects to the lung, done in a government hospital in Bangkok, but paid to the Professor privately. He then got chemo for his lung cancer and was in and out of BPH for 6 months until he died a miserable death. His entire savings of 7.2 Mio were gone by then! Bad luck, but certainly a very bad decision to stop being properly insured at that old age. Forgot to say, he also had taken out one of these very cheap international insurances, which needed up paying 8000 $ towards the cost after long arguments, as they determined the cancer had been growing way before he got this "emergency insurance" Proper & up to date Chemo is very hard to come by in Thailand, certainly not in a Public Hospital i.e. Chonburi and often more expensive than in Europe. MS>

[moonseeker]

Thank you to everybody. Indeed a very difficult subject and who tells me public hospitals here in Thailand are good or sufficient, have hardly had any serious issues, such as major trauma, kidney failure/dialysis/cancer/heart surgery or similar experienced or witnessed. I have seen and accompanied several such cases and I would never submit myself to the mercy of a public hospital. I have seen many good deeds in public hospitals, but for the real thing I would prefer Bangkok General, Bumrungrad, Wattanasot or just fly Downunder or back to Europe. If you don't believe me, spend a day watching "the traffic" at the Chonburi cancer hospital. Best of luck and health to all. MS>

[thaibeachlovers]

I am 63 gave up paying crazy prices if I am ill I go to the Government hospital just because they are not expensive does not say they are not good at there job from what I am told when the doctors have finished there shift they then go to the Bangkok hospital a couple of miles away to earn a little extra. I do have accident insurance as I believe there is more chance of having an accident than just falling sick I would how ever still use my local Government hospital have done for the last 8 years with no complaints

Just going to a government hospital will not remove the need for insurance. Simple visits are fine, but a catastrophic illness can run into the millions of baht even at a government hospital.

If you can't or won't insufe then should self-insure by putting aside at least several million for major health expenses.

You think all us frangs have "several million" to spare?

Once I get past the affordable age it's either home for me, or a razorblade in the wallet.

[thaibeachlovers]

Just out of interest, have any of you guys who rely on savings ever enquired into the cost of cancer treatment. It would be interesting to know how your nest eggs measure up to whatever the figure might be.

Well, I can answer this clearly in a case study. A friend, against my advise, cancelled his top of the line Danish Health coverage @ 14'000 US$/yr. at age 67 and started putting his Premiums in a savings account. With 69 he collapsed at the pool, trouble breathing. Heavy smoker all his life. His lungs were full of fluids and he stayed in the BPH ICU on the lung machine for about 60 days until taken off, then he had to remove a large cancer growth in his lower trachea, just where it connects to the lung, done in a government hospital in Bangkok, but paid to the Professor privately. He then got chemo for his lung cancer and was in and out of BPH for 6 months until he died a miserable death. His entire savings of 7.2 Mio were gone by then! Bad luck, but certainly a very bad decision to stop being properly insured at that old age. Forgot to say, he also had taken out one of these very cheap international insurances, which needed up paying 8000 $ towards the cost after long arguments, as they determined the cancer had been growing way before he got this "emergency insurance" Proper & up to date Chemo is very hard to come by in Thailand, certainly not in a Public Hospital i.e. Chonburi and often more expensive than in Europe. MS>

In another thread on this subject some time ago, I asked an old fella that said he couldn't afford to be insured anymore what he would do. His reply "live very carefully".

[stevenl]

I am 63 gave up paying crazy prices if I am ill I go to the Government hospital just because they are not expensive does not say they are not good at there job from what I am told when the doctors have finished there shift they then go to the Bangkok hospital a couple of miles away to earn a little extra. I do have accident insurance as I believe there is more chance of having an accident than just falling sick I would how ever still use my local Government hospital have done for the last 8 years with no complaints

Just going to a government hospital will not remove the need for insurance. Simple visits are fine, but a catastrophic illness can run into the millions of baht even at a government hospital.

If you can't or won't insufe then should self-insure by putting aside at least several million for major health expenses.

You think all us frangs have "several million" to spare?

Once I get past the affordable age it's either home for me, or a razorblade in the wallet.

I don't think that is fair comment.

[guzzi850m2]

There been a lot of doomsday post here, including one from myself.

I know 2 other Danes that died peacefully in their sleep and didn't have any medical issues before it happened.

One of them was a hard living man, smoking and drinking all his life and he owned a small bar on Phuket so he lived his dream for almost 10 years before it was over.

One never know when/how one will die, we can only hope it happens quick.

[Morden]

I wonder how many of those who make no advance provision for big medical bills have full insurance on their vehicles.

[nong38]

Why not put the $ 8000 on a bank account and use for medical cost if needed, if no cast in 2 years you can go to hospital (government) long time for $ 16000

Its called self insurance and thats what I do because the older you get the more premiums go up until they dump you as a bad risk.

I read a report recently which was critical of this type of insurer, it basically said there are 5 big insurance groups in the world, they keep premiums higher than they should be because they can, they do not work in your interests.

[jcnbkk]

I like the idea of banking your $8000. Medical costs here are much more reasonable than in the West, and that 8k would go a long way. Most policies either won't take you or else charge you greatly for any pre-existing condition, and make that condition an exclusion in your policy.

But, what do any of us know? All you can do to find out is ask a few agents.

It might go a long way but it might not go all the way. I'm looking for Thai or Itnl. insurance since my US insurer does cover anything other than emergency care. Now I'm wondering about the new Affordable Care Act...

[chris2004]

Just out of interest, have any of you guys who rely on savings ever enquired into the cost of cancer treatment. It would be interesting to know how your nest eggs measure up to whatever the figure might be.

For those that never had cancer, personally, I'd rather let nature take it's course ( with sufficient morphine to take the pain away ) than go through the hell on earth of treatment again. Sometimes it's really not worth it.

Agreed. It seems that very few people survive cancer anyway. You spend big money, go through a lot of hardship and still end up dead. All the money (or insurance) in the world doesn't help (look at Steve Jobs) etc).

[rsokolowski]

Just out of interest, have any of you guys who rely on savings ever enquired into the cost of cancer treatment. It would be interesting to know how your nest eggs measure up to whatever the figure might be.

For those that never had cancer, personally, I'd rather let nature take it's course ( with sufficient morphine to take the pain away ) than go through the hell on earth of treatment again. Sometimes it's really not worth it.

A good friend of mine in the USA is a breast cancer survivor. She said the same thing, she would not go through the cancer treatment (chemo and radiation) again and would rather let nature take it's course.