Thai insurance for Thai people

[Walter Travolta]

I am hoping someone has a Thai wife or girlfriend who has health insurance. My girlfriend is a bit paranoid about her daughter becoming seriously ill or even dying.

Her daughter is 3 years old. She already has insurance for herself through Kasikorn bank and told me she will bé taking out a separate policy for her daughter. I asked her if she needed to take out a separate policy, or could she add her daughter to her own policy and possibly save some baht. I know in the UK you can have a policy that covers the whole family.

Does anyone know if this can be done in Thailand?

[Sheryl]

Thai nationals already have universal health care coverage, for free. If her daughter becomes ill, she will get free care and I assure you that your GF already knows this.

Are you sure you are not confusing life insurance with health insurance?

[inbangkok]

BUPA has a private insurance policy for Thai nationals only that exclude a few of the big international hospitals like Bumrungrad, BNH, etc. But they still cover a host of other private hospital options.

[Walter Travolta]

Thai nationals already have universal health care coverage, for free. If her daughter becomes ill, she will get free care and I assure you that your GF already knows this.

Are you sure you are not confusing life insurance with health insurance?

Hi Sheryl good to meet you.

Sometimes we get lost in translation but I will explain as per the impression I am under.

Her daughter lives with the gran in surat thani and I believe she can only use standard hospital but she wants better care for her as in private hospital. She also mentioned that with the policy she was talking about, the daughter would get a sum of money when she reaches 15 as well as receiving free private medical care.

She also told me it was around 1500b a month which I thought was quite high for Thailand but I have no experience with such policies.

By her mentioning a lump sum, I now believe it would be a life insurance policy with medical care included?

I hope I have provided enough information but if not please let me know what else you need.

One question, when you said her daughter gets free medical care, is that only in a standard hospital? Not somewhere like Bangkok hospital chain?

[Chuckles78]

Thai nationals already have universal health care coverage, for free. If her daughter becomes ill, she will get free care and I assure you that your GF already knows this.

Are you sure you are not confusing life insurance with health insurance?

Hi Sheryl good to meet you.

Sometimes we get lost in translation but I will explain as per the impression I am under.

Her daughter lives with the gran in surat thani and I believe she can only use standard hospital but she wants better care for her as in private hospital. She also mentioned that with the policy she was talking about, the daughter would get a sum of money when she reaches 15 as well as receiving free private medical care.

She also told me it was around 1500b a month which I thought was quite high for Thailand but I have no experience with such policies.

By her mentioning a lump sum, I now believe it would be a life insurance policy with medical care included?

I hope I have provided enough information but if not please let me know what else you need.

One question, when you said her daughter gets free medical care, is that only in a standard hospital? Not somewhere like Bangkok hospital chain?

I'm also looking at the insurance option for my kids and whether they even need it.

We have 3 hospitals here in Hua Hin, Bangkok Hospital and San Paulo Hospital (both private) and public Hua Hin Hospital.

During the last few years my kids have been in private and public hospitals (mainly checkups, vaccines only one emergency when my son needed stitches). We feel we got better care and treatment from the public hospital.

My expat friends here also prefer to visit the public hospital even though they have insurance.

Same up North in Udon. We also feel there in the past we got better service from the hospital in Nongbulampho rather than the Bangkok Hospital.

Edited February 12, 2016 by Chuckles78

[Walter Travolta]

Cheers chuckles!! My issue is confusing enough without you adding to it. Try starting your own topic seeing as your issue has some differences to mine? Or at least ask your question once mine has been answered?

Hijacker

[Sheryl]

Thai nationals already have universal health care coverage, for free. If her daughter becomes ill, she will get free care and I assure you that your GF already knows this.

Are you sure you are not confusing life insurance with health insurance?

Hi Sheryl good to meet you.

Sometimes we get lost in translation but I will explain as per the impression I am under.

Her daughter lives with the gran in surat thani and I believe she can only use standard hospital but she wants better care for her as in private hospital. She also mentioned that with the policy she was talking about, the daughter would get a sum of money when she reaches 15 as well as receiving free private medical care.

She also told me it was around 1500b a month which I thought was quite high for Thailand but I have no experience with such policies.

By her mentioning a lump sum, I now believe it would be a life insurance policy with medical care included?

I hope I have provided enough information but if not please let me know what else you need.

One question, when you said her daughter gets free medical care, is that only in a standard hospital? Not somewhere like Bangkok hospital chain?

Free care only at government hospitals, specifically the government hospital responsible for the location where she is listed in a tabian ban (or higher level one that they refer her to).

Private hospitals are not necessarily "better" and most especially not so upcountry.

The medical coverage included in bank issued policies is usually not worth much. Very, very low coverage caps (completely forget about using it at expensive private hospitals) and some are also limited to hospitalization for accidental injuries.

Suggest you help your GF read the small print.

[Walter Travolta]

Thai nationals already have universal health care coverage, for free. If her daughter becomes ill, she will get free care and I assure you that your GF already knows this.

Are you sure you are not confusing life insurance with health insurance?

Hi Sheryl good to meet you.

Sometimes we get lost in translation but I will explain as per the impression I am under.

Her daughter lives with the gran in surat thani and I believe she can only use standard hospital but she wants better care for her as in private hospital. She also mentioned that with the policy she was talking about, the daughter would get a sum of money when she reaches 15 as well as receiving free private medical care.

She also told me it was around 1500b a month which I thought was quite high for Thailand but I have no experience with such policies.

By her mentioning a lump sum, I now believe it would be a life insurance policy with medical care included?

I hope I have provided enough information but if not please let me know what else you need.

One question, when you said her daughter gets free medical care, is that only in a standard hospital? Not somewhere like Bangkok hospital chain?

Free care only at government hospitals, specifically the government hospital responsible for the location where she is listed in a tabian ban (or higher level one that they refer her to).

Private hospitals are not necessarily "better" and most especially not so upcountry.

The medical coverage included in bank issued policies is usually not worth much. Very, very low coverage caps (completely forget about using it at expensive private hospitals) and some are also limited to hospitalization for accidental injuries.

Suggest you help your GF read the small print.

will do Sheryl thanks. However you have raised another question. If the 3 year old lives in ST which she does, but (and I need confirmation of this), if she is registered in Petchabun, will a government hospital in ST charge for any treatment/attention?

Thanks again

[Sheryl]

In an emergency the child can get free treatment at any govt hospital (tho it is often necessary to call the HMSO hotline and have them run interference (and they will, most effectively). But for non-emergencies would have to travel back to province where registeted.

If the child will be staying in ST should change registration.

The govt hosp in ST town is a regional center and good capacities, receives referrals from neigjboring provinces.

[Sheryl]

Btw 18,000 baht a year is quite low for an insurance premium unless she is extremely young. Adds to my suspicion that the policy has unrealistically low cap.

Would normally be at least double that for any policy worth having (more if older)

[Chuckles78]

Cheers chuckles!! My issue is confusing enough without you adding to it. Try starting your own topic seeing as your issue has some differences to mine? Or at least ask your question once mine has been answered?

Hijacker

Geee try and help someone out and get bitten.

I offered my opinion to you about the quailty of care offered by public hospitals compared to private since you were asking about "better care".

Please ignore if this is too confusing.

Edited February 12, 2016 by Chuckles78

[Sheryl]

Peace, please.

[Walter Travolta]

Cheers chuckles!! My issue is confusing enough without you adding to it. Try starting your own topic seeing as your issue has some differences to mine? Or at least ask your question once mine has been answered?

Hijacker

Geee try and help someone out and get bitten.

I offered my opinion to you about the quailty of care offered by public hospitals compared to private since you were asking about "better care".

Please ignore if this is too confusing.

Yes it is confusing! If you read once again my OP, then read your reply, it really has nothing to do with my question? I appreciate you saying you were trying to be helpful if that was your intention. But your reply only had the comparison of children?

I was asking about policies, you clearly did not offer anything about policies, you spoke about hua hin and udon thani which have no relevance to me whatsoever.

To the mods . . . I'm not trying to cause friction in any shape or form, but I will not be patronised by someone who is clearly mistaken.

[Sheryl]

Please give it a rest.

He was responding to the issue of private hospitals being "better" .

[Issangeorge]

Walter, you mentioned in the previous post prior to Chuckles, that your GF wants better care than public. "Her daughter lives with the gran in surat thani and I believe she can only use standard hospital but she wants better care for her as in private hospital." Chuckles was not trying to hijack your thread, he was just trying to point out to you that public care can be just as good if not better than private. This is especially true in places like Suratthani, the private hospitals all use the same doctors as the public, and charge tourist prices. Your wife's daughter probably does not need a private policy. The one your wife has from the bank is probably an insurance policy with health care as an aside. It actually may only be an accident policy.

[Chuckles78]

Cheers chuckles!! My issue is confusing enough without you adding to it. Try starting your own topic seeing as your issue has some differences to mine? Or at least ask your question once mine has been answered?

Hijacker

Geee try and help someone out and get bitten.

I offered my opinion to you about the quailty of care offered by public hospitals compared to private since you were asking about "better care".

Please ignore if this is too confusing.

Yes it is confusing! If you read once again my OP, then read your reply, it really has nothing to do with my question? I appreciate you saying you were trying to be helpful if that was your intention. But your reply only had the comparison of children?

I was asking about policies, you clearly did not offer anything about policies, you spoke about hua hin and udon thani which have no relevance to me whatsoever.

To the mods . . . I'm not trying to cause friction in any shape or form, but I will not be patronised by someone who is clearly mistaken.

This was the start of your post:

"I am hoping someone has a Thai wife or girlfriend who has health insurance. My girlfriend is a bit paranoid about her daughter becoming seriously ill or even dying. Her daughter is 3 years old. Her daughter is 3 years old. She already has insurance for herself through Kasikorn bank and told me she will bé taking out a separate policy for her daughter."

Yes my reply was about children as that was what your question was based around!? Also my wife and three children are Thai and one of the kids is nearly the same age as that of your girlfriends kid.

So my advice was to politely inform you (just as the other poster above did "Sheryl") that private hospitals are not necessarily of higher quality (to which i included some examples around Thailand.

Anyway, perhaps you should be seeking a insurance broker to solve your issues, that's what I will be doing anyway.

I'm unsubscribing from this ungrateful thread. Ciao.

Edited February 13, 2016 by Chuckles78

[Walter Travolta]

Very selective. The 1st part of my OP which you have quoted is me setting the scene, laying out the facts in anticipation for my question. The part you have opted not to highlight (which is the crux of the question) is where I ask if it is possible to have a joint policy for her and her daughter to save money rather than have 2 separate policies.

For example . . . a guy in the UK has insurance for which he pays £60 per month. He gets married and has a child. He adds his wife and child to the policy and this now costs £100 per month.

I wanted to know if this can be done in LOS.

Sheryl advised me that her daughter does not need a policy as she is entitled to free hospital care. I will pass this information to my GF and then its up to her.

Thanks again.

[Sheryl]

Not just her child. She also can get free care and I am sure she knows this. The crux may be her (inaccurate IMO) belief that care in a private hospital will be "better". Also she likely misunderstands what the bank insurance policy will actually cover.

[PocoLoco]

If a Thai national suffers from a severe auto-immune illness like SLE and wants to have health insurance, will the existing disease be covered or not?

I'm from a country where pre-existing illness can't be excluded by the health insurance, so i'm wondering how it works in Thailand, same model as in the USA?

[inbangkok]

If a Thai national suffers from a severe auto-immune illness like SLE and wants to have health insurance, will the existing disease be covered or not?

I'm from a country where pre-existing illness can't be excluded by the health insurance, so i'm wondering how it works in Thailand, same model as in the USA?

Private insurance in Thailand does not cover pre existing conditions. If a Thai national has a serious illness, they can pay at any private hospital, or seek treatment through the government hospital connected to their social security. Insurance in the USA only recently.... A few years ago... Began covering for pre existing conditions due to a new law governing health care reform being signed into law.

[Walter Travolta]

I think I am correct in saying that in the UK a policy taken out after an ailment has occurred, does not cover said ailment.

Although I stand to be corrected

[Sheryl]

Anywhere in the world an individual private policy will exclude pre-existing conditions.

Group policies however might not. And both the Thai Social System and rhe "30 baht" AKA "gold card" systems do not exclude. They also have no caps.

Since the government provides universal coverage it is very, very rare for Thais tp take out private policies. Which in turn is one reason they tend not to be very good deals. Very small pool of insured people.

Even if a Thai had a private policy, if they developed a chronic illness the company would likely cancel the policy or increase the rates so high that same result. Regulation of health insurance in Thailand is weak and allows this.