Major Medical Insurance

[ev1lchris]

I'm looking for a major medical plan that is not too expensive.

I emailed BUPA and got quotes online but what they offer me is entirely different than on their website.

[Sheryl]

I think you need to specify what you mean by "major medical". In Thailand, policies are either inpatient only or inpatient plus outpatient. Inclusion of OPD dramatically raises rates and is usually not worth it as the maximum coverage provided doesn't much exceed what you pay in additional premium...and most inpatient only policies will also cover outpatient surgical procedures.

In either case, there will be an overall limit per episode. You want preferrably 5 million baht, not less than 2 million (BUPA Platinum plan is thus the only one to consider in the case of BUPA - be aware that if the cap is only 2 million you may have to be treated in/transferred to a government hospital for anything really catastrophic)). You may have to specifically ask for these as both BUPA and other Thai plans tend to publicize low level coverage plans for some reason.

Also be aware that regulation of the health insurance industry in Thailand is much looser than in the West. They can, at will, drop you or raise your rates (beyond the normal increases that occur with any policy according to age) if you have had claims for things they think change your risk profile. This risk can be avoided by getting s policy issued from a Western country in which cases the regulations of the issuing country apply. A number of large companies provide plans aimed at expats. Suggest using an insurance broker to get a good idea of how these all compare. Level of coverage is never a problem with internationally issued policies, even the lowest end will be more than ample for care in Thailand. Premiums will be higher than Thai based policies (but for much higher levels of coverage) but there are options for deductibles and initial copays that can bring them down to a comparable premium.