Medical advice and health insurance for expats

[PacificCrossInsurance]

Medical advice and health insurance for expats in Thailand

As an expat, finding the right health insurance for you and your family can represent a big challenge. In Thailand, you will be responsible for the cost of any treatment you receive and it is necessary to provide proof that you can cover the cost beforehand. Therefore it is especially important that you ensure that you are adequately covered for any medical eventuality.

Many companies are presently licensed to sell medical cover to the expatriate population in Thailand. Among the largest, most reputable and foreigner friendly is Pacific Cross Health Insurance PCL. , members of the Pacific Cross Group of Companies, which was first established as a specialist Asian based health insurance provider and administration entity in 1957. The first of its kind in Asia.

With a service centre recently opened in Pattaya, and further customer support centres opening in Phuket, Hua Hin and Hat Yai in 2016, Pacific Cross has positioned itself as a customer centric health insurer for Thai and foreigner alike.

Standards of private care in Thailand are excellent for the expatriate community and the quality of medical treatment available is generally considered more than adequate by western standards. However, the process of health care provision may not be the same as what you get at home, when relocating to this country permanently.

Does healthcare in Thailand suffer from a shortage of general practitioners? Most doctors are specialists. This can be a problem because they tend to diagnose and treat within the parameters of their speciality. Also, the patient may be suffering from medical conditions that may or may not be associated with their primary health problems. Perhaps it would be better if they were assessed by a general physician. Some hospitals do have general physicians or family doctors, so consult friends within the expat community, speak to Pacific Cross or contact nearby hospitals to find out.

It is common that doctors do not have a single place of work. Their work schedules take them far and wide. This can be particularly awkward when arranging appointments or requiring urgent information, but the silver lining to this, is if it is not an emergency, and you are trying to book a a specific doctor for a procedure, you will find that your doctor can be found at a different hospital at a very different cost for the same procedure.

In your home country your local general practitioner will have your medical records at hand, if you go to different hospitals or if you have not submitted your medial history from your home country, they will not be up to date. Keep a copy of your reports and medication at hand so you or partner/friend can share the information with your doctor in the case of an emergency.

Insurance protection is of paramount importance with more and more expatriates choosing to take out private health insurance. As is often the case, some hospitals offer a broader range of facilities than others and may be better placed to deal with major emergencies. Overall, the private sector has four times the number of beds per patient than the state sector, and much shorter waiting times. There are over 470 private hospitals with excellent medical facilities in Thailand.

Pacific Cross Health Insurance have a 24-hour helpline and are able to offer the best advice and suggest those specializing in your relevant area. Peace of mind achieved with a simple email or phone call.

Call us for further information – we care!

Tel: 02 401 9189

Email your enquiry to [email protected]

Website: www.pacificcrosshealth.com