Thai health insurance

[SignUp]

I was talking with my thai girlfriend which doesnt have health insurance. She says that its expensive and doesnt cover much if accident happen.

 

Is that true? What health insurance would be ok and is it possible for me to get for her?

 

 

[swissie]

All Thai Citizens are covered by now called the 30 Bht health scheme. Includes medication and hospitalization. State Hospitals, but not private Hospitals.

If she is Thai, she must know about it.

Cheers.

[tonray]

If she works at a decent job, she can also get coverage thru her employer

[Sheryl]

Above are correct. There is universal health care coverage in Thailand, Thai citizens have no need of private insurance.

 

The universal coverage system has 3 channels:

 

- Civil Service Social Security System - covers all government civil servants and their spouses and dependents. There is a monthly payroll deduction for this.

 

- Private sector Social Security - covers everyone employed in the formal private sector if the business has more than X employees. Employee only, not their family. There is a monthly payroll deduction for this.  It is mandatory, though not unknown for businesses to try to weasel out of enrolling employees. The only exceptions to the requirement under the law are private schools (don't ask me why) and very small businesses with less than X employees. Foreigners are also eligible for this if legally employed. Thais and foreigners alike can maintain this coverage for life once they have been under it for 13 months provided they continue to make the monthly payments. It is by far the most inexpensive way for foreigners  to get comprehensive health insurance in Thailand.

 

- The "gold card" or "30 baht" or "universal scheme" (different terms for the same thing) - covers everyone else (Thai citizen) not covered by one of the above.

 

So all Thais have coverage and they all know it. HOWEVER,  the coverage iis only for the hospital they are registered at. Under the two SS schemes there is a choice of hospitals to select from, all in the general vicinity of the place of employment. Under the 3rd scheme, it is the hospital which under the Thai health system is responsible for the catchment area where they live, usually defined as where they are listed in a tabian ban (house registration book; all Thais are listed in one somewhere) or to a higher level facility that the hospital refers them to - which will be a common occurrence if the hospital in question is a community (district) hospital rather than provincial level one, as will be the case with people residing outside the Ampur.

 

This is where it gets complicated, because a large number of Thais do not physically live in the place where they are listed in a tabian baan - which is why there is a massive movement of people all over the place prior to elections, they are going to their "home" province to vote. Especially in big cities, many of the Thais there are listed in a tabian baan back in a rural area which could be quite far away. They still have full health care cover, but they have to travel back to the province where they are listed as residing to access it, unless it is an emergency in which case they are covered at any government hospital.  Because each hospital receives a per capita payment from the government based on the number of people registered at it (and from SS ditto), they do not like to provide free care to people registered elsewhere and may ask for payment. If it was truly an emergency, a simple call the the Health Security Office hotline will resolve this.

 

It is also possible to change one's tabian baan listing though a bit of red tape is involved. It is well worth doing if one will be residing long term elsewhere.

 

SO: Your TG has health cover, though not in the form of private insurance, already. However she might have to travel back to her home province to avail of it unless in an emergency....and obviously for small matters that is not worth the time and trouble. She can arrange to be registered at a nearby hospital if she changes her tabian baan registration but that is worth doing only if she expects to be where she is (same city/town at least) for at least a few years to come.

 

Not saying this is the case in your situation, but quite common for Thais   to try to get $ by claiming it is needed for health care from boyfriends not aware that there is universal health care coverage in Thailand. More than a few farangs have been duped into shelling out large amounts of money accordingly.

[TerryLH]

"- Civil Service Social Security System - covers all government civil servants and their spouses and dependents. There is a monthly payroll deduction for this."

 

In addition to Civil Servants, State Enterprise employees also have coverage.

It also covers the employees parents.

The government employee coverage I'm familiar with has no monthly fee.

 

 

 

"HOWEVER,  the coverage iis only for the hospital they are registered at. Under the two SS schemes there is a choice of hospitals to select from, all in the general vicinity of the place of employment."

 

Some private hospitals are available for the Social Security system.  

Some places will have more choices than others.  Once a year you can elect to change the hospital you are assigned to - if where you want to go is available.

 

I know I can use any government hospital or clinic, plus a limited (yearly baht amount) use of private hospitals.