Medical insurance for Thai wife

[Alphim]

Good day,

I would like to ask if anybody can recommend a medical insurance scheme/company for my Thai national wife.

Many thanks.

[lostinisaan]

All Thais are covered thru the 30 baht "scheme". It's only for the particular area where they're registered, but it's not that bad.

Any hospital visit, regardless how serious the problem is costs 30 baht only.

Edited July 28, 2016 by lostinisaan

[pontious]

You could also die waiting in the queue - if you can afford it and as it is your wife get insurance. Suggest looking on the Insurance forum.

Edited July 28, 2016 by pontious

[Bredbury Blue]

http://www.azay.co.th/en/default.aspx Allianz Ayudhya

My wife who is an agent for Allianz (she sells the insurance packages) reckons in Bkk these days a night in hospital will cost you b5k for the room and b15k to b20k for the medical addons per night.

If you want to discuss with my wife or would like my wife to call your wife (or meet if Bkk area) then send me a personal message.

[Sheryl]

Your wife is highly unlikely to "die in the queue". The national health system in Thailand is actually quite good. As with all national health systems, there are long waits except in emergencies, but the needed care does come through eventually, and true emergencies are dealt with promptly.

Mortality rates have gone down dramatically in Thailand since the universal health coverage was introduced.

Note however that the system requires that care be gotten at the government hospital responsible for the locality where the person is registered in a tabian ban. This means that people living in urban areas/within an ampur muang fare much better than those living in outlying areas who must use a community hospital as their first point of care. The system will pay for care at higher levels if the initial hospital refers, but community (district) hospitals in Thailand vary greatly in how good they are and how quick to provide a letter of referral...and it will also depend on how obvious the need for referral is to them. If someone comes in with massive trauma obviously requiring surgery they will refer instantly, but someone with say a fever, or a chronic disease, or non-specific pain, that doesn't respond to initial treatment will often have a long wait with a lot of "shot gun" symptomatic treatments before they get referred. Specifically asking for a letter of referral can help move things along in such cases.

People who are employed in the formal private sector are covered under the national Social Security scheme; this also provides free treatment but there is a choice of hospitals.

I suggest first of all finding out which scheme your wife is under and which hospital applies, before thinking of paying for private insurance.The government health coverage (Social Security or the so-called "30 baht" scheme - not all hospitals bother to collect the 30 baht) covers both inpatient and outpatient care; the cost of private insurance that includes outpatient is prohibitive and usually not worth it, and the only reasons for getting private inpatient insurance for a Thai national would be if (1) it was desired to use private hospitals (which do NOT necessarily, or even usually, equate to better medical care, in fact often the opposite especially upcountry) and/or (2) the hospital which covers the are they live in is a community hospital of poor quality and it is not feasible to get listed in a tabian ban in the nearest provincial capital.

[harrry]

The best insurance for your wife would be get her somehow a job in the formal employment sector that qualifies for the Social Security scheme. If she holds it for a period she can leave and then retain the benifits by paying the contributions herself. The returns for this are high. Access to lower leval privae hospitals free and also retirement benifits.

[Kered]

We have found BUPA to be very good value and unlike many Thai insurances it provides full cover within the limit of the policy and covers for life. On the one occasion that we have made a claim it was promptly settled in full.

[bizader]

Bought AXA Health Insurance (packaged with PA) yesterday for THB 25,000 / year. It covers medical expenses (IPD) up to THB 6m / year and includes OPD with a maximum limit of THB 35,000 / year. Loss of life benefit THB 500,000. International cover for emergency treatment.