what do you do if you are too old to get insurance?

[jhwest]

Hi Folks and pleased the posting programme now fixed.

 

1/ Health Insurance in Thailand   2/ Expats living here covered in the UK for emergencies NHS  3/   Thai  local Government Hospital Clinic Card.

 

1/ The first is about the Health Insurance with Companies in Thailand, with head offices overseas.

Yes the quotes for this insurance is very large indeed, with quotes for emergency cover being quoted as much as 200 to over 300 pound a month.

Nevertheless, there are local based insurers, who provide cover and yes  the quotes are lower and I have or my Thai Family been trying a few times now to get me on  their Thai policy, without success so far and do find this staggering in that one is the provider of most things.

Yes, have heard of people obtaining insurance from these mega large International Companies and just wonder those who have had treatment and any problems with settling.

 

2/ The second is regarding the good ole  UK NHS and  yes before the last General Election the so called Coalition Government was seriously thinking of restoring the NHS cover to expats to be able to receive free medical insurance, as is what we have paid in to for many over 40 or 50 years, but naturally when the Bill was passed, they conveniently forgot the expats, but put in clauses for refugees , who can claim for zero contributions (supposed to have had to wait 6 months???) and quietly slipped through a bill, as only they could do on many things.

I have been trying for information on the inter net and have asked friends in the UK and yes difficult to get a proper answer, even when Googling it.

Should there be an emergency would the NHS cover this and provide  initial cover and one is deemed not ordinarily resident of the UK and then did see that expats would have to pay 150 per cent more, than those deemed to be residents of the UK.

For Instance, they were quoting a hip operation (since when did the NHS start charging for this) but were quoting a figure, to which was added the 150 per cent. may come in to effect. 

 

3/  Yes I have a local hospital card  and gives an OPD No and the name of the Government Hospital and a number and the headings in green and my understanding is that they would provide and not sure basic cover and was wondering if anyone has had any experience of this.

I have indeed gone twice for very minor elements and a small cost entailed.

Does this card provide for anything, other the minor care or do they also cover an emergency.

Sometimes as in the case of everything it depends on the policy of the hospital and also I do hear if someone has relatives  who work for the hospital and sometimes cover is extended for a premium???

Yes my Thai wife had to fight for this card and yes had worked for the 2 local schools also.

Thanks anyone who might be helpful on this very very important topic

 

Edited September 23, 2016 by jhwest

[jhwest]

Adhd 15

 

Yes indeed agree with you, but yes I find the more honest one is and yes we would get charged 150 per cent and yes like many others and yourself got charged NI  contributions for decades upon decades.

Yes never mind if one is British born and raised and paid all your taxes and NI, but illegals ane people flooding in to good ole UK, get free cover for absolutely ZERO  contributions.

It is the same principle regarding our Frozen State Pensions and actually t is blatant thieving on behalf of many  Governments over time.

 

and we supposed to be in the 22nd Century, not the 17th Century.

Edited September 23, 2016 by jhwest
Well sorry Folks and adhd post 15 Realise shoud have hit the quote button. Must be my age lol

[Sheryl]

4 hours ago, jhwest said:

Hi Folks and pleased the posting programme now fixed.

 

1/ Health Insurance in Thailand   2/ Expats living here covered in the UK for emergencies NHS  3/   Thai  local Government Hospital Clinic Card.

 

1/ The first is about the Health Insurance with Companies in Thailand, with head offices overseas.

Yes the quotes for this insurance is very large indeed, with quotes for emergency cover being quoted as much as 200 to over 300 pound a month.

Nevertheless, there are local based insurers, who provide cover and yes  the quotes are lower and I have or my Thai Family been trying a few times now to get me on  their Thai policy, without success so far and do find this staggering in that one is the provider of most things.

Yes, have heard of people obtaining insurance from these mega large International Companies and just wonder those who have had treatment and any problems with settling.

 

2/ The second is regarding the good ole  UK NHS and  yes before the last General Election the so called Coalition Government was seriously thinking of restoring the NHS cover to expats to be able to receive free medical insurance, as is what we have paid in to for many over 40 or 50 years, but naturally when the Bill was passed, they conveniently forgot the expats, but put in clauses for refugees , who can claim for zero contributions (supposed to have had to wait 6 months???) and quietly slipped through a bill, as only they could do on many things.

I have been trying for information on the inter net and have asked friends in the UK and yes difficult to get a proper answer, even when Googling it.

Should there be an emergency would the NHS cover this and provide  initial cover and one is deemed not ordinarily resident of the UK and then did see that expats would have to pay 150 per cent more, than those deemed to be residents of the UK.

For Instance, they were quoting a hip operation (since when did the NHS start charging for this) but were quoting a figure, to which was added the 150 per cent. may come in to effect. 

 

3/  Yes I have a local hospital card  and gives an OPD No and the name of the Government Hospital and a number and the headings in green and my understanding is that they would provide and not sure basic cover and was wondering if anyone has had any experience of this.

I have indeed gone twice for very minor elements and a small cost entailed.

Does this card provide for anything, other the minor care or do they also cover an emergency.

Sometimes as in the case of everything it depends on the policy of the hospital and also I do hear if someone has relatives  who work for the hospital and sometimes cover is extended for a premium???

Yes my Thai wife had to fight for this card and yes had worked for the 2 local schools also.

Thanks anyone who might be helpful on this very very important topic

 

 

1/ - Thai based insurance companies indeed usually do not enroll older people. European based companies (which may or may not have offices in Thailand) often will.  Premium costs can be substantially reduced if you (1) opt only for inpatient cover and (2) accept an excess or copay or combination of both. And yes, there have been TV members with such insurance and directly paid hospital bills. We had a member recently with over 3 million in medical expenses (2 major specialized operations and ICU stay), paid by the company direct to the hospital with no problem.

 

2/ - My understanding is that emergency care will be provided but to get anything else, be it in the UK or Australia, you have to demonstrate that you have permanently settled back in the country.( Some people do seem to get around this by maintaining a UK address and checking in with their GP during annual trips back home) A hip operation would npt be considered an emergency, BTW, and the sort of thing that is, would be such that you would be unfit to fly back to the UK for it.

 

3/ As has been explained in another thread, this card has nothing to do with payment of costs. It is just registration at the hospital, giving you a patient number linked to your medical records.  The hospital will certainly treat you (up to their level of capacity) but will also certainly expect to be paid. Fees for outpatient things and short simple hospitalizations are very affordable at government hospitals, but it is quite possible to rack up bills in excess of a million baht for a catastrophic illness or accident. (Odds are the hospital you are registered at would have to refer you to higher level hospitals for that sort of thing after initially stabilizing you).

 

At the time you were employed at local schools they should have deducted Social Security payments from you monthly and enrolled you in that system but sounds like they did not. Nothing can be doen about that now and the fact that you worked in schools in the past does not give you any special entitlement with regard to health care costs.