Expat and Thai wife need health insurance

[DoDoey]

Hello Mates,

Me and the Thai wife are about to move to Thailand for an indefinite period, probably a year or two. I'm 48, and don't plan on working, and my Thai wife is 42 and will be going to school. I'm planning on taking a year long Thai language course, and getting an education visa good for a one year stay. Here are my questions, but first let me apologize if these answers are apparent and easily found on the forum.

1. My wife is a Thai citizen, and I know she is covered under SS, but are there plans available for Thais that give them better coverage?
2. I've researched BUPA through TV, but find their prices a little high. Can someone recommend a broker or insurance provider that will get back to me in a timely manner? I've tried AA, but they have not replied to query after 5 days.
3. My wife and I are both US citizens, my wife has dual citizenship, and may travel back to the US for a month or two and will need coverage. What do Expats do in this case? Most policies I've seen online don't offer coverage while traveling in the US.

FYI, we arrive on July 17th, 2014, so time if of the essence.

Thank you,

DoDoey.

[stevenl]

1. SS has a very complete coverage, but you may want to check some private insurers for 'luxuries',like cover for a more luxurious hospital, private room and things like that.

2. Bupa Thailand is one of the cheapest options.

3. If she does not have any insurance in the US she'll need travel insurance (i.e. if you want coverage of course).Just make sure USA is covered.

[citizen33]

Is the OP sure about the Thai SS coverage? That term does not simply mean entitlement to public healthcare (which might be via the universal coverage scheme run by the National Health Security Office - NHSO), and would imply that the wife had worked in an occupation where she was enrolled in the SS scheme run by the Social Security Organisation (SSO) and also had maintained her contributions since leaving. As Steven1 says, coverage under the SSS isn't bad and you can in fact still pay to upgrade the room if desired. It doesn't cover the spouse (OP) however.

Edited July 13, 2014 by citizen33

[DoDoey]

Is the OP sure about the Thai SS coverage? That term does not simply mean entitlement to public healthcare (which might be via the universal coverage scheme run by the National Health Security Office - NHSO), and would imply that the wife had worked in an occupation where she was enrolled in the SS scheme run by the Social Security Organisation (SSO) and also had maintained her contributions since leaving. As Steven1 says, coverage under the SSS isn't bad and you can in fact still pay to upgrade the room if desired. It doesn't cover the spouse (OP) however.

I am not sure about SS coverage. The public health system is what I'm referring to. Can you please tell me a little about the NHSO coverage?

For myself, I'll probably be going with CignaGlobal, any comments on that?

Edited July 14, 2014 by DoDoey

[Pralaad]

Global solidor http://www.globalinsurancethailand.com/

AA insurance brokers http://www.aainsure.net/

[AAInsuranceBrokers]

DoDoey

Apologies for not answering your inquiry but having checked we cannot find your email. May I ask you to email me direct and I will answer personally ?

[email protected]

Thank you

[umbanda]

By my own experience..

Your wife can update her SS here and get the card to use Government facilities....Cost about 2400THB/year. Private companies like BUPA and AIA offers plans to upgrade benefits for people under SS benefits starting at 8000THB/year

SS individual benefits do not cover spouse. If your wife will work here, her new job health insurance may do it.

You only can get Thai SS if you have a Work Permit and under 60 years old.

You can look for insurance with Thai private companies after living here permanentely more than 6 months with a NO visa.

Will not cover you outside the country.

[Upnotover]

My wife (Thai) has AXA in/outpatient cover (Thailand only) at THB28K/year. Used it once for a 2 day/1night stay at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, no issues with that and bill paid by AXA directly.

I have AXA Wordwide (inc.Thailand, excl. USA) Inpatient cover at THB80K/year. Not used it (thankfully).

[Pib]

Is the OP sure about the Thai SS coverage? That term does not simply mean entitlement to public healthcare (which might be via the universal coverage scheme run by the National Health Security Office - NHSO), and would imply that the wife had worked in an occupation where she was enrolled in the SS scheme run by the Social Security Organisation (SSO) and also had maintained her contributions since leaving. As Steven1 says, coverage under the SSS isn't bad and you can in fact still pay to upgrade the room if desired. It doesn't cover the spouse (OP) however.

I am not sure about SS coverage. The public health system is what I'm referring to. Can you please tell me a little about the NHSO coverage?

For myself, I'll probably be going with CignaGlobal, any comments on that?

The public health care system is commonly called the "30 baht program" because it only charged 30 baht for any hospital visit. There is a separate Social Security medication system for people who work in Thailand, a separate govt workers medical program, and a military health care program.

Here's a link to the National Health Security Office that describes the 30 baht program. which covers the majority of Thais...way more than the other govt programs combined. Now the link will make the program sound great and in fact the medical care is practically free, but getting this care can result in long waits at a govt hospitals as private hospitals are not part of the program except for some short term emergency care....and the level of medical care can vary greatly from govt hospital to govt hospital. Many Thais who can afford health care don't take advantage of the program or only use it for "major/long term" health problems which are very costly. But bottom line, your Thai wife has medical coverage once in Thailand...farangs are not covered under this program...you will need to have private medical insurance.

[Pralaad]

My wife (Thai) has AXA in/outpatient cover (Thailand only) at THB28K/year. Used it once for a 2 day/1night stay at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, no issues with that and bill paid by AXA directly.

I have AXA Wordwide (inc.Thailand, excl. USA) Inpatient cover at THB80K/year. Not used it (thankfully).

80 000 per year ? Jesus, how old are you, 100?

[lostinisaan]

Please page me, you can get an insurance for 1,200 baht/month

Dear Mods, I hope it's allowed to post a link here.

http://www.fwd.co.th/pages/about/keyachieve.aspx

In Thai:

http://www.fwd.co.th/pages/about/keyachieve.aspx

Sorry, just found out that it's not working for US citizens. I'm very sorry.

Edited July 19, 2014 by lostinisaan

[stevenl]

Please page me, you can get an insurance for 1,200 baht/month

Dear Mods, I hope it's allowed to post a link here.

http://www.fwd.co.th/pages/about/keyachieve.aspx

In Thai:

http://www.fwd.co.th/pages/about/keyachieve.aspx

Sorry, just found out that it's not working for US citizens. I'm very sorry.

Seems to be life insurance and/or personal accident, not health.

[Pib]

Please page me, you can get an insurance for 1,200 baht/month

Dear Mods, I hope it's allowed to post a link here.

http://www.fwd.co.th/pages/about/keyachieve.aspx

In Thai:

http://www.fwd.co.th/pages/about/keyachieve.aspx

Sorry, just found out that it's not working for US citizens. I'm very sorry.

Seems to be life insurance and/or personal accident, not health.

From looking at the site they do have health medical coverage....look under Products...then Rider for Health & Accident where a couple of health/medical coverage plans are listed.

[citizen33]

I am not sure about SS coverage. The public health system is what I'm referring to. Can you please tell me a little about the NHSO coverage?

As Pib says, coverage under the 30 baht scheme (AKA the universal coverage scheme) is in theory comprehensive, but can be patchy in practice. At the same time, the programme does have a substantial budget and does deliver many high-cost, sophisticated treatments. For a recent assessment by international observers look at this:

http://uhcforward.org/sites/uhcforward.org/files/book018.pdf

It is not strictly speaking true to say that the private sector is only involved in limited emergency care. The local financial units in the system - the contracting units for primary care (which receive money from the NHSO to distribute to the local provider network) - can be in either the public or private sector, though there are not as many CUPs linked to private facilities as there were at the start of the scheme. Secondary care hospitals in the scheme can also be private or public, though again some private hospitals have been put off by the use of diagnosis related group (DRG) payments subject to a global budget cap. To counter this the NHSO started to reimburse hospitals for certain priority specialties according to an uncapped schedule of fees. Many private hospitals participate through that arrangement. Entry to such hospitals does however depend on referral from a service unit within the CUP (i.e. involves primary care 'gatekeeping'), and there are suggestions that this is where some patients find their access to the system blocked. So PIB is right to say that many Thai people make alternative arrangements at least some of the time. It is also usually possible to pay extra for a single room even when being treated under the UCS.

By the way, the scheme open to Westerners mentioned by another poster is a different scheme for foreign migrant workers that some expats were wrongly allowed to join - so it is not a real solution. There have been discussions about establishing a new scheme for expats, but I think that went on the backburner when the political problems started to lead to divisions within the MoPH. Some in the conservative faction now in charge don't seem keen on this idea.

Edited July 26, 2014 by citizen33

[Naam]

My wife (Thai) has AXA in/outpatient cover (Thailand only) at THB28K/year. Used it once for a 2 day/1night stay at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, no issues with that and bill paid by AXA directly.

I have AXA Wordwide (inc.Thailand, excl. USA) Inpatient cover at THB80K/year. Not used it (thankfully).

80 000 per year ? Jesus, how old are you, 100?

Jesus, how much do you know about health insurance with international coverage?

[Upnotover]

My wife (Thai) has AXA in/outpatient cover (Thailand only) at THB28K/year. Used it once for a 2 day/1night stay at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, no issues with that and bill paid by AXA directly.

I have AXA Wordwide (inc.Thailand, excl. USA) Inpatient cover at THB80K/year. Not used it (thankfully).

80 000 per year ? Jesus, how old are you, 100?

Jesus, how much do you know about health insurance with international coverage?

Just as a follow up, my wife today came out of hospital after an operation (follow on to the a/m event) and the THB 118K bill was paid in full by AXA, no dramas. Great service from from AXA and, dare I mention, Bangkok Hospital Pattaya. Somewhat wondering about her premium for the next year but hey, live for the day.

[Overcome]

By my own experience..

Your wife can update her SS here and get the card to use Government facilities....Cost about 2400THB/year. Private companies like BUPA and AIA offers plans to upgrade benefits for people under SS benefits starting at 8000THB/year

SS individual benefits do not cover spouse. If your wife will work here, her new job health insurance may do it.

You only can get Thai SS if you have a Work Permit and under 60 years old.

You can look for insurance with Thai private companies after living here permanentely more than 6 months with a NO visa.

Will not cover you outside the country.

Edited October 31, 2014 by Overcome

[PacificCrossInsurance]

By my own experience..

Your wife can update her SS here and get the card to use Government facilities....Cost about 2400THB/year. Private companies like BUPA and AIA offers plans to upgrade benefits for people under SS benefits starting at 8000THB/year

SS individual benefits do not cover spouse. If your wife will work here, her new job health insurance may do it.

You only can get Thai SS if you have a Work Permit and under 60 years old.

You can look for insurance with Thai private companies after living here permanentely more than 6 months with a NO visa.

Will not cover you outside the country.

There are some slight inaccuracies in this comment:

- Private health insurance in Thailand is offered with no reference to an expat's visa type or status ... there is no restriction on how long the applicant has lived in Thailand (many expats arrange their health cover in advance of relocating to Thailand so they are covered from Day One) ... and there is no requirement for 'permanent' residency which is a relatively meaningless concept ... 'current residence' is what is normally required

- The idea that Thai based health insurance plans do not provide any cover outside Thailand is quite incorrect. All Pacific Cross Health Insurance plans, for example, offer worldwide 24/7 emergency coverage

- There is a difference between the type of coverage offered by registered health insurance companies (like BUPA Thailand, Thai Health, AXA Thailand, Pacific Cross Health Insurance, NZI etc) which are full private medical insurance plans designed as health insurance and the health-related riders that are attached to life insurance policies offered by companies such as AIA, which are typically of a more restricted basis of scope and coverage

Best get advice from a Thai registered broker (offshore brokers who are by law not allowed to offer the products from Thai registered insurers are likely to give you advice that suits what they want to sell you and not what you actually need) or contact one of the health insurance companies directly for information and advice.

[MFW09]

I have had good service from my broker in Bangkok regarding to my Health Insurance. I can pass his details over to you.Steve

[MFW09]

Mr brokers details are www.tigonconsultancy.com. Send him your details and he will get back to you quickly. I have been with him near 7 yrs and no hassles.

[canopus1969]

Mr brokers details are www.tigonconsultancy.com. Send him your details and he will get back to you quickly. I have been with him near 7 yrs and no hassles.

Unfortunately these are Financial Consultants who also offer insurance products - best to stick to a true insurance broker who does not offer 'offer' other services. Try the sponsors, AA insurance brokers as they have been with Thai Visa many years and have a good reputation and reliability from my experience (and looking at the forum many others are also happy)

[MisterprakanBroker]

Be sure to check us out we offer Worldwide Affordable Insurance. We usually do not cover treatment in the US but for emergencies you are covered anywhere in the world.

Website: www.misterprakan.com

or contact me directly : [email protected]

Have a good day!