Health Insurance for Foreigners in Chiang Mai

[Thighlander]

I saw a new site: www.nowcompare.com It gives a dozen or so different quotes. It doesn't cover Americans, and it occurred to me that is what may be causing tension on these insurance threads. Nationality plays a big role? Why, I'm not sure. But, no matter who you are..as is the case with these companies, if you exclude or minimize coverage in the US; it's a lot cheaper. But for us Americans, who don't need coverage in America; we seem to be able to get better prices than those form the UK, OZ, Canada.....and again that's just my observation. It looks like adding outpatient coverage nearly doubles your premium, and since you can see a specialist here for 300 thb; that would be a good place to cut costs. If you were in a country, where it cost 125 usd to see a Dermatologist; then it's a different story. I checked the Thai Life website, and it seemed like a lot of stuff to sort through, and seems more similar to BuPa. While Blue Cross maybe the most widely recognized in the World....a few years ago in UTH; the main hospital AEK, was requiring Bupa customers to pay upfront.....And as others have said....we hate insurance companies, etc., but we really don't have a choice, and that's not an excuse to be bare.

[beau thai]

I had a friend who was very senior in BUPA many years ago and he left them to start a new company. to encourage people to self-insure by putting money aside each month in stock related low risk investments.

He pointed out that BUPA employ over 4000 staff- cost equivalent over 3 billion baht at a quick estimate.

Of course, the customer ultimately pays all the staff admin, premises, advertising-and claims.

So he figured if people start young enough, it was better to set up their own medical fund.

More difficult for oldies of course, but as has been pointed out here , most can pay the usually low cost thai outpatient stuff from income.

But maybe we need our own fund from monthly savings into a separate,designated bank account (or market linked fund) 'for medical costs' to try to avoid the distress Nancy highlights for very old farang here without the wherewithal to meet their costs.

An alternative to doing nothing (except praying!!), or paying high premiums to insurers and hoping the small print doesnt exclude payout when needed.

[evenstevens]

I

An alternative to doing nothing (except praying!!), or paying high premiums to insurers and hoping the small print doesnt exclude payout when needed.

absoulately brilliant stuff

[NancyL]

I had a friend who was very senior in BUPA many years ago and he left them to start a new company. to encourage people to self-insure by putting money aside each month in stock related low risk investments.

I believe most people call this "saving for your retirement" -- something that everyone should start doing at an early age. It's amazing how much you can amass when you set aside a little every month and put it into stock-related low-risk investments. In the U.S. it's called "dollar cost averaging"

[elektrified]

I had a friend who was very senior in BUPA many years ago and he left them to start a new company. to encourage people to self-insure by putting money aside each month in stock related low risk investments.

I believe most people call this "saving for your retirement" -- something that everyone should start doing at an early age. It's amazing how much you can amass when you set aside a little every month and put it into stock-related low-risk investments. In the U.S. it's called "dollar cost averaging"

Right. I did this starting in 1982 or thereabouts. By 1995 I had more than enough to live for the rest of my life in Thailand very comfortably. Then suddenly, I had one crisis after another (family illness, industry collapsed, foreclosure, lawsuit, etc., etc.). Over US $600,000.00 was suddenly wiped out. Then, I had to start all over again. Then the tech stock boom....and collapse. Happens in life. Nothing is for certain.

[evenstevens]

I had a friend who was very senior in BUPA many years ago and he left them to start a new company. to encourage people to self-insure by putting money aside each month in stock related low risk investments.

I believe most people call this "saving for your retirement" -- something that everyone should start doing at an early age. It's amazing how much you can amass when you set aside a little every month and put it into stock-related low-risk investments. In the U.S. it's called "dollar cost averaging"

nancy baby get in the real world

as for myself 2 messy divorces took care of my early nest eggs, sure i am not alone in this capacity

thats the way it goes , in one hand and out the other, is my motto on money

have a good nite

[Loptr]

Thanks again, Thailander. Next time I mail a letter I will take into consideration the annual profits of the carrier.

"We the people, in order to form a more perfect union, turn big profits,...." No that's not how it goes, is it?

======

On topic; one option when the premium/payout ratio gets too ridiculous and you're in good health is to just carry accident insurance.

I figure I'm much more likely to need treatment for traffic related or other accidents than for disease.

Comments?

You get what you pay for... Bet you never heard that one before...

[NancyL]

I had a friend who was very senior in BUPA many years ago and he left them to start a new company. to encourage people to self-insure by putting money aside each month in stock related low risk investments.

I believe most people call this "saving for your retirement" -- something that everyone should start doing at an early age. It's amazing how much you can amass when you set aside a little every month and put it into stock-related low-risk investments. In the U.S. it's called "dollar cost averaging"

nancy baby get in the real world

as for myself 2 messy divorces took care of my early nest eggs, sure i am not alone in this capacity

thats the way it goes , in one hand and out the other, is my motto on money

have a good nite

Oh yes, I'm very much in the real world. I guess I was being a little sarcastic with the concept that a big Bupa executive left the company to spread the gospel about "saving toward retirement", like he'd discovered the cure for cancer or invented perpetual motion or something. Of course life gets in the way. That's the danger of having a nest egg just sitting there, waiting to be cracked instead of hatched.

[amexpat]

Thanks again, Thailander. Next time I mail a letter I will take into consideration the annual profits of the carrier.

"We the people, in order to form a more perfect union, turn big profits,...." No that's not how it goes, is it?

======

On topic; one option when the premium/payout ratio gets too ridiculous and you're in good health is to just carry accident insurance.

I figure I'm much more likely to need treatment for traffic related or other accidents than for disease.

Comments?

You get what you pay for... Bet you never heard that one before...

Yes, I've heard that one far too many times. And it's true except when it isn't, which is very often.

A lot of people find, upon filing a claim with their insurance, that what they get isn't what they paid for.

[Dante99]

They did not get what they thought they paid for, the problem was they did not look closely enough to learn what they were buying. Insurance policies of all types are a bitch to fully understand.

[beau thai]

I had a friend who was very senior in BUPA many years ago and he left them to start a new company. to encourage people to self-insure by putting money aside each month in stock related low risk investments.

I believe most people call this "saving for your retirement" -- something that everyone should start doing at an early age. It's amazing how much you can amass when you set aside a little every month and put it into stock-related low-risk investments. In the U.S. it's called "dollar cost averaging"

nancy baby get in the real world

as for myself 2 messy divorces took care of my early nest eggs, sure i am not alone in this capacity

thats the way it goes , in one hand and out the other, is my motto on money

have a good nite

Oh yes, I'm very much in the real world. I guess I was being a little sarcastic with the concept that a big Bupa executive left the company to spread the gospel about "saving toward retirement", like he'd discovered the cure for cancer or invented perpetual motion or something. Of course life gets in the way. That's the danger of having a nest egg just sitting there, waiting to be cracked instead of hatched.

Interesting rephrasing of my post Nancy - were you a tabloid journalist in a past life?!

Didnt think I suggested my pal had seen the light on the road to Damascus - he merely took on board the insurers high costs and initiated an alternative.

Maybe in US 'saving for retirement and medical costs' is commonly lumped together. In UK most save for retirement and very,very few

save for medical -maybe as they rely on an increasingly overburdened, stretched NHS. So they are often left with a very long wait for an op that could dramatically improve their quality of life and could queue-jump if they have saved the cash to fund private care. That's all. Nothing earth shattering I agree..

[Thighlander]

I had a friend who was very senior in BUPA many years ago and he left them to start a new company. to encourage people to self-insure by putting money aside each month in stock related low risk investments.

He pointed out that BUPA employ over 4000 staff- cost equivalent over 3 billion baht at a quick estimate.

Of course, the customer ultimately pays all the staff admin, premises, advertising-and claims.

So he figured if people start young enough, it was better to set up their own medical fund.

More difficult for oldies of course, but as has been pointed out here , most can pay the usually low cost thai outpatient stuff from income.

But maybe we need our own fund from monthly savings into a separate,designated bank account (or market linked fund) 'for medical costs' to try to avoid the distress Nancy highlights for very old farang here without the wherewithal to meet their costs.

An alternative to doing nothing (except praying!!), or paying high premiums to insurers and hoping the small print doesnt exclude payout when needed.

better check your Maff. 200,000 x 4000=800 million.....but it's still a lot. I used to live near BC Arizona HQ.....it was by my local Post Office. At any given time there would be about 20 BC employees, all 30 KG overweight, puffing away on ciggies in front of the building. I was thinking no wonder my premiums were through the roof. And I agree with another poster about long contracts.....reputable, honest businesses do not need 90 page contracts. or 500 in some cases. Same goes for company financial statements. My Mcdonalds report was about 16 glossy pages, with a coupon for a free burger. Wachovia Bank's Annual report looked more like the DC White Pages.....guess which company failed, and cheated a lot of people along the way? I was offered a teaching job a few weeks ago...24 page contract filled with ambiguities. I told them to stick it.

[Johpa]

I had a friend who was very senior in BUPA many years ago and he left them to start a new company. to encourage people to self-insure by putting money aside each month in stock related low risk investments.

I believe most people call this "saving for your retirement" -- something that everyone should start doing at an early age. It's amazing how much you can amass when you set aside a little every month and put it into stock-related low-risk investments. In the U.S. it's called "dollar cost averaging"

In the US I call it American delusionalism In the US the average person can save for retirement but few can also save for the actual medical expenses involved with a long term disease such as cancer. I have saved for retirement, have always provided my family with adequate health insurance. But my retirement savings will be entirely wiped out by my impending medical expenses here in the US, and that is with insurance. Just one recent example, a bone marrow biopsy that was billed to my insurance to the tune of $8k. And the most laughable aspect is that if their proposed hellacious treatement regimen does not work on me for the additional few extended promised years of life, then there are no refunds. The bottom line is that there is no way for someone who earns close to a median income in the US to be able to both save for retirement and save for future medical costs without some amazing luck in the stock market, and that does not happen with low-risk investments.

[beau thai]

I had a friend who was very senior in BUPA many years ago and he left them to start a new company. to encourage people to self-insure by putting money aside each month in stock related low risk investments.

He pointed out that BUPA employ over 4000 staff- cost equivalent over 3 billion baht at a quick estimate.

Of course, the customer ultimately pays all the staff admin, premises, advertising-and claims.

So he figured if people start young enough, it was better to set up their own medical fund.

More difficult for oldies of course, but as has been pointed out here , most can pay the usually low cost thai outpatient stuff from income.

But maybe we need our own fund from monthly savings into a separate,designated bank account (or market linked fund) 'for medical costs' to try to avoid the distress Nancy highlights for very old farang here without the wherewithal to meet their costs.

An alternative to doing nothing (except praying!!), or paying high premiums to insurers and hoping the small print doesnt exclude payout when needed.

better check your Maff. 200,000 x 4000=800 million.....but it's still a lot. I used to live near BC Arizona HQ.....it was by my local Post Office. At any given time there would be about 20 BC employees, all 30 KG overweight, puffing away on ciggies in front of the building. I was thinking no wonder my premiums were through the roof. And I agree with another poster about long contracts.....reputable, honest businesses do not need 90 page contracts. or 500 in some cases. Same goes for company financial statements. My Mcdonalds report was about 16 glossy pages, with a coupon for a free burger. Wachovia Bank's Annual report looked more like the DC White Pages.....guess which company failed, and cheated a lot of people along the way? I was offered a teaching job a few weeks ago...24 page contract filled with ambiguities. I told them to stick it.

better check your Maff. 200,000 x 4000=800 million

My maff or yours?? where do you get 200k?? Mine was based on staff costs of ave 15k gbp x 55bht= 825k. Right or not?

I agree about contracts though. I like Nordstrom's one pager staff handbook-just encourages employees to use their commonsense. And if they dont have any i guess they shouldnt be hired. But off topic now...

[Sandman77]

Try to contact tat on the website for apply this insurance

But the email link not work

What is the email adress of tat?

Can this insurance also apply on nonimigrate o visa for how long?

[Thighlander]

I had a friend who was very senior in BUPA many years ago and he left them to start a new company. to encourage people to self-insure by putting money aside each month in stock related low risk investments.

He pointed out that BUPA employ over 4000 staff- cost equivalent over 3 billion baht at a quick estimate.

Of course, the customer ultimately pays all the staff admin, premises, advertising-and claims.

So he figured if people start young enough, it was better to set up their own medical fund.

More difficult for oldies of course, but as has been pointed out here , most can pay the usually low cost thai outpatient stuff from income.

But maybe we need our own fund from monthly savings into a separate,designated bank account (or market linked fund) 'for medical costs' to try to avoid the distress Nancy highlights for very old farang here without the wherewithal to meet their costs.

An alternative to doing nothing (except praying!!), or paying high premiums to insurers and hoping the small print doesnt exclude payout when needed.

better check your Maff. 200,000 x 4000=800 million.....but it's still a lot. I used to live near BC Arizona HQ.....it was by my local Post Office. At any given time there would be about 20 BC employees, all 30 KG overweight, puffing away on ciggies in front of the building. I was thinking no wonder my premiums were through the roof. And I agree with another poster about long contracts.....reputable, honest businesses do not need 90 page contracts. or 500 in some cases. Same goes for company financial statements. My Mcdonalds report was about 16 glossy pages, with a coupon for a free burger. Wachovia Bank's Annual report looked more like the DC White Pages.....guess which company failed, and cheated a lot of people along the way? I was offered a teaching job a few weeks ago...24 page contract filled with ambiguities. I told them to stick it.

better check your Maff. 200,000 x 4000=800 million

My maff or yours?? where do you get 200k?? Mine was based on staff costs of ave 15k gbp x 55bht= 825k. Right or not?

I agree about contracts though. I like Nordstrom's one pager staff handbook-just encourages employees to use their commonsense. And if they dont have any i guess they shouldnt be hired. But off topic now...

You must be talking about BuPa in the UK......Since you stated thb, I figured you meant Thailand...I was estimating an employee, fully burdened, would cost them 200K thb in Thailand. BTW, I though the UK had free healthcare...what's BuPa doing there? I like the Nordstroms story, though. A good example.

[NancyL]

I had a friend who was very senior in BUPA many years ago and he left them to start a new company. to encourage people to self-insure by putting money aside each month in stock related low risk investments.

I believe most people call this "saving for your retirement" -- something that everyone should start doing at an early age. It's amazing how much you can amass when you set aside a little every month and put it into stock-related low-risk investments. In the U.S. it's called "dollar cost averaging"

In the US I call it American delusionalism In the US the average person can save for retirement but few can also save for the actual medical expenses involved with a long term disease such as cancer. I have saved for retirement, have always provided my family with adequate health insurance. But my retirement savings will be entirely wiped out by my impending medical expenses here in the US, and that is with insurance. Just one recent example, a bone marrow biopsy that was billed to my insurance to the tune of $8k. And the most laughable aspect is that if their proposed hellacious treatement regimen does not work on me for the additional few extended promised years of life, then there are no refunds. The bottom line is that there is no way for someone who earns close to a median income in the US to be able to both save for retirement and save for future medical costs without some amazing luck in the stock market, and that does not happen with low-risk investments.

Ah, but if you spend a lifetime saving toward retirement and them come to Thailand, you'll find those health care savings go much, much further. $8000 (250,000 baht) would go a long way to seeing you thru an entire cancer treatment program. Please don't get me started on pain management, palliative care and end-of-life-management. This is one area where Thailand is two generations W-A-Y behind the west, unfortunately.

[beau thai]

I had a friend who was very senior in BUPA many years ago and he left them to start a new company. to encourage people to self-insure by putting money aside each month in stock related low risk investments.

He pointed out that BUPA employ over 4000 staff- cost equivalent over 3 billion baht at a quick estimate.

Of course, the customer ultimately pays all the staff admin, premises, advertising-and claims.

So he figured if people start young enough, it was better to set up their own medical fund.

More difficult for oldies of course, but as has been pointed out here , most can pay the usually low cost thai outpatient stuff from income.

But maybe we need our own fund from monthly savings into a separate,designated bank account (or market linked fund) 'for medical costs' to try to avoid the distress Nancy highlights for very old farang here without the wherewithal to meet their costs.

An alternative to doing nothing (except praying!!), or paying high premiums to insurers and hoping the small print doesnt exclude payout when needed.

better check your Maff. 200,000 x 4000=800 million.....but it's still a lot. I used to live near BC Arizona HQ.....it was by my local Post Office. At any given time there would be about 20 BC employees, all 30 KG overweight, puffing away on ciggies in front of the building. I was thinking no wonder my premiums were through the roof. And I agree with another poster about long contracts.....reputable, honest businesses do not need 90 page contracts. or 500 in some cases. Same goes for company financial statements. My Mcdonalds report was about 16 glossy pages, with a coupon for a free burger. Wachovia Bank's Annual report looked more like the DC White Pages.....guess which company failed, and cheated a lot of people along the way? I was offered a teaching job a few weeks ago...24 page contract filled with ambiguities. I told them to stick it.

better check your Maff. 200,000 x 4000=800 million

My maff or yours?? where do you get 200k?? Mine was based on staff costs of ave 15k gbp x 55bht= 825k. Right or not?

I agree about contracts though. I like Nordstrom's one pager staff handbook-just encourages employees to use their commonsense. And if they dont have any i guess they shouldnt be hired. But off topic now...

You must be talking about BuPa in the UK......Since you stated thb, I figured you meant Thailand...I was estimating an employee, fully burdened, would cost them 200K thb in Thailand. BTW, I though the UK had free healthcare...what's BuPa doing there? I like the Nordstroms story, though. A good example.

British United Provident Association is a uk organisation and I only translated their uk costs to baht as I (mistakenly!) thought it might be more meaningful! The private health sector in UK is booming and it's a fairly standard employee perk for the fortunate minority

The UK NHS is free but has many limitations caused by funding restrictions and poor management. So fertile ground for Private health.

Be interesting to see how Obamacare turns out- a very worthy idea in my view but very very hard to deliver well.

[Diplomatico]

The news article describes the insurance to be for "foreign visitors", thus it may not be applicable (likely not) to people on annual extensions who are more like residents than visitors. It is further described as "Travel Insurance" which indicates short term. Also the quoted price would be doubtful for an annual policy.

Thus it is doubtful that this new policy will help many of those in need in Chiang Mai. Possible but doubtful.

It may be advisable to close this until details are available to determine its applicability rather than just have another thread based on speculation/wild assed guessing, particularly since the OP is mostly just rehashing history in his largely troll topic.

And here is it....6900 thb per annum for the lowest level coverage. Provides up to 1M thb in "medical expenses due to accident and sickness".

http://www.tourismthailand.org/ThailandTravelShield/

[NancyL]

This looks like it's intended for "in bound tourists" who stay a max of 60 days. Interesting that they do offer "annual cover", but it still plainly says that it covers maximum of 60 days per trip. I don't think it's intended for people with non-immigrant O visas with annual marriage/retirement extensions.

Also the upper age is 70.

Still, a very good plan for tourists. They'd be well advised to purchase it.

Edited July 28, 2014 by NancyL

[Mapguy]

This thread has taken a wrong but understandable turn. The basic OP question has nothing to do with travel insurance. Seems that this point is dodged.

Yes, I agree with NancyL, the aforementioned policy definitely does look like it is intended for "inbound tourists..." It is absolutely not for long-stay elderly denizens of Thailand. Please do not get confused on that point.

The firms offerring the insurance are offerring a policy for tourists in Thailand. I have not done all the homework, but I suggest that the price to cover one country (Thailand) is not very economicall at all, so I do not agree that NancyL's recommendation to buy this policy is a very good idea. In addition, you will note that the policy restrictions are basically compatible with immigration requirements for out-of-country-obtained tourist visas. There are more basically identical competitive travel policy insurers at similar costs (usually determined by age cohort) covering practically all countries (Libya and Syria, et cetra not on the list) which you wish to visit. Just check it out.

A travel insurance policy is NOT the answer for long-stay foreigners who are worried about health insurance in Thailand. Better to read the obvious not-so-fine print. So, if anyone tries to "con the system" like they con the basic Thai immigration policy, then don't be surprised if you get you rear parts in a ringer. Of course, you could call NancyL !

Well, don't call NancyL on everything. She does not always have the answer, or an anwer you would like!

Many farang who post here seem to have just enough to buy access to ThaiVisa and enough for a cheap rent and mama noodles, and many are in Thailand without valid passports or visas for donkey's years. They generally hail from countries with national health care and other social suppport systems. Face it! There is no safety net for them in Thailand.

And why, might we ask, should Thailand support such people when it has comparatively very limited resources to those homelands of most distraught farang (as well as some Japanese) who have mistakenly believed that they could live here "on the cheap" --- and "someone" will take care of thm when they have not been responsible for themselves.

Edited July 28, 2014 by Mapguy

[JAFO]

Just out today in WSJ....

The medical bills that hit retirees hardest

July 28, 2014, 12:58 PM ET

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By Glenn Ruffenach

If you’re trying to estimate health-care expenses in retirement, a new report from theKaiser Family Foundation highlights some important numbers.

iStockPhoto Hospital visits mean big out-of-pocket bills for retirees.

Medical bills in later life can put even the sturdiest of nest eggs at risk. A study released in June by Fidelity Benefits Consulting estimated that a 65-year-old couple retiring in 2014 will need an average of $220,000 (in today’s dollars) to cover medical expenses throughout retirement. What’s more, that figure doesn’t account for over-the-counter medications, most dental services and long-term care.

As such, if you’re assembling a budget for life after the office, getting a good handle on possible health-care bills is essential. That’s where Kaiser, a nonprofit that specializes in health policy analysis, can help.

Kaiser’s new report, “How Much Is Enough,” takes a close look at out-of-pocket spending among Medicare beneficiaries. More specifically, the study “explores which types of services account for a relatively large share of out-of-pocket spending, which groups of beneficiaries are especially hard hit by high out-of-pocket costs for services and premiums, and trends in out-of-pocket spending on services and premiums.”

Among the highlights:

The basics. Medicare beneficiaries in 2010 (the most recent year of data available) spent an average of $4,734 out of their own pockets for health care. The single biggest chunk – 42% – went to premiums for Medicare and supplemental insurance. Not surprisingly, spending rises with age: Individuals age 85 and older spent about three times as much, on average, than individuals age 65 to 74 – $5,962 vs. $1,926, respectively.

Health matters. In short, staying fit in later life saves you money. According to Kaiser, average out-of-pocket spending on services by beneficiaries in poor self-reported health was 2.5 times greater than among beneficiaries who said they were in excellent health.

Big spenders. Certain groups – including older women, individuals in long-term-care facilities, those with Alzheimer’s disease, and beneficiaries who were hospitalized – are most likely to wind up in the category of “high out-of-pocket spenders.” Average total out-of-pocket spending was $11,530 among the top quartile of Medicare beneficiaries – and $19,236 among the top decile.

Hospital stays. And speaking of hospitalized beneficiaries: Readmissions are costly. Patients with a hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge spent about $1,200 more on services than those with only a single inpatient stay in 2010: $5,687 vs. $4,475, respectively, on average.

[Diplomatico]

The article below states that Thailand is considering a tourist tax to help cover the cost of unpaid medical bills for foreigners....and also states that:

"There has also been discussion about the introduction of compulsory travel insurance for tourists entering the country - another idea proposed to help resolve the problem of unpaid hospital bills - but this has yet to be implemented."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/10397041/Thailand-may-introduce-tourist-tax.html

[NancyL]

My. my Mapguy, you certainly were posting late.

It's my understanding that it's difficult for tourists to purchase travel insurance now given that Thailand is under military rule. If that's the case, then wouldn't the TAT policy be a good option, even though it does just cover one country?

From time-to-time I receive calls from the nice nurses and social workers at Suan Dok hospital about tourists in need of assistance. Not often, usually they call me about elderly resident expats, but sometimes it's tourists. It's always refreshing to discover a tourist who actually had the foresight to purchase travel insurance. Those policies do pay and they do get people back home when they have problems.

Oh, as an aside Mapguy, you really do need to get out more and mingle with the newer expats retiring to Chiang Mai. It isn't the same crowd as 2007. Many more expat/expat couples. More women on their own -- women who had successful careers and have resources -- not women who spent a lifetime living on the edge, rattling around the world as backpacking English teacher. Men who had businesses and yes, maybe a failed marriage, but are still on cordial terms with their wife and kids. It's been a real treat for me to assume the presidency of the CM Expats Club a few months ago and to get to meet the new, incoming retirees. It's an impressive group.

Edited July 29, 2014 by NancyL

[haybilly]

Having browsed through this thread in the hope of finding a pointer to a good, reasonably priced, Thai health Insurance provider--I am still in the dark.

Could anyone provide a short list of suitable companies and a rough idea of their worth, in real terms?

If this has been covered already--please just point to the post.

[Thighlander]

I string together travel medical policies that can range from 5 to 364 days, with www.hcc.com. HCC is a US company that trades on the NYSE. It has a market capitalization of 5 billion usd, and annual sales of 3 billion usd. I'm on a long stay visa. My agent is well aware that I am not a tourist. I pay about 100 per month for 250 deductible and 1 million USD in coverage. I went to Ram for a dental emergency on Friday evening, and was able to get excellent care for zero out of pocket. Age and nationality play into it big. Not seeking care in the US is also a big factor. Pre-exiting conditions have other limits.

It's not cheap, but it's a lot less than the US. Some here won't be happy until they have a cradle to grave socialized medicine system here, where they are getting all the care, and not paying their fair share of costs. It just isn't going to happen. If you are 80, and have to lie every year about your income at the US Consulate, to get your extension, you should probably go back to America, because care for those over 65 is quite cheap, and covers long term illnesses, care, etc..Last I heard the Medicare system won't be insolvent until 2030, Social Security 2033. Enjoy it while you can. But please don't post information on here about these companies that care for people who are over here for years as missionaries, teachers, students, or retirees. I think getting medical advice from a Brit is like getting marriage counseling from a Mormon (polygamist).

[elektrified]

Having browsed through this thread in the hope of finding a pointer to a good, reasonably priced, Thai health Insurance provider--I am still in the dark.

Could anyone provide a short list of suitable companies and a rough idea of their worth, in real terms?

If this has been covered already--please just point to the post.

Over the years my family has had policies with AXA, Ayudhya Alliance C.P., and Thai Health. We've never had a single problem with any of them. Put in claims to Allianz about 8 or 9 times over the last 5 years (child) and they paid 100% every time and never raised the premiums even once. Filed two claims with AXA and they paid about 95%. Filed my first claim with Thai Health recently. As I expected since my policy is not that good due to low coverage, I was liable for about 18% of the hospital bill. But they paid the other 82% of the bill before I left the hospital on a Sunday. The only increases I have had over the years are increases posted by age bracket. As we get older, premiums do go up.

Insurance companies are overall very good in Thailand. Keep in mind the attitude is different here. In the West we are taught to only file claims as a last resort (catastrophic) otherwise our polices could be cancelled or our premiums raised. Thais see it differently. They are paying for health insurance and expect to get something for their money when they are hospitalized. It's a big business here. Reps from the companies will often show up and visit you in the hospital to be sure you are comfortable.

Rough idea of their worth? I dunno. Check the investor page of their websites for stock info, market cap, etc.

[Lizard2010]

This looks like it's intended for "in bound tourists" who stay a max of 60 days. Interesting that they do offer "annual cover", but it still plainly says that it covers maximum of 60 days per trip. I don't think it's intended for people with non-immigrant O visas with annual marriage/retirement extensions.

Also the upper age is 70.

Still, a very good plan for tourists. They'd be well advised to purchase it.

Its a pity that there is not any medical Cover for over 65 retired people.

Pity that the latest medical scheme was abandoned for foreigners

[Oscar2]

Its a pity that there is not any medical Cover for over 65 retired people.

Pity that the latest medical scheme was abandoned for foreigners

you can thank one C.M. foreigner in particular for that. he paid 2200 Bath and then turned right around and filed over 100,000 Bath worth of claims, leaving the folks at Nakornping Hospital in utter disbelief. did he ever come back to make some payments on his bill as requested? no he did not. he together with another farang who also filed a large claim were collectively the straw that broke the camel's back of the plan.

Edited July 29, 2014 by Oscar2

[JAFO]

Its sad that health insurance panic and complaining is already slowly taking over threads in other countries. Westerners sure worry a lot and seem to be quite sick all the time or is it a product of being addicted? In the US this issue is constantly in the media, consuming peoples lives and stressing people out. Ironic in some ways that people will stress themselves until sick over medical coverage. People in the US have become guinea pigs for pharmaceutical companies. Then they move abroad to get away from high medical costs only to complain shortly after they cannot afford it or cant get the "Drugs" they need. I am confused.

I agree with one poster, Live in TL until 65. If you run out of money and become ill, move back to the US and jump on the medicare train.

Edited July 29, 2014 by JAFO