Health insurance Cigna or MSH Asia Care Plus

[BangNa28]

I'm currently considering a move to Thailand via spouse extension of stay in early 2017.

 

I'm interested whether anyone can offer any advice or experience of the health insurance plans Cigna-Global Silver or MSH Asia Care Plus #?

I'm particularly interested in whether they offer coverage past the age of 70 and how their premiums increase, especially after 60. Any advice on alternate insurers also welcome.

 

Thanks

[tonray]

Did you ask the companies themselves if they offer coverage past the age of 70 ? 

 

BUPA is a local option with a 10% premium refund each year you do not file a claim.

[Sheryl]

BUPA will not enroll people aged over 65, and guarantees lifetime renewal only if you enroll before age 60.

 

Cigna will allow enrollment up to age 100, and guarantees lifetime cover regardless of age at enrollment.

 

MSH Asia Care allows enrollment only up to age 64. Lifetime cover thereafter.

 

Not sure what Asia Care Plus is? All I know of are Asia Care Vital,  Asia Care Harmony and Asia Care Optimum.

 

All of these (and all other policies) increase premiums with age. Some do the increases annually, some do it in 5 year brackets (in which case the rise when you move from one bracket to another is quite a jolt!). Not so easy to figure out if they differ in the % increase. You would do well to work through a broker.

 

 

[BangNa28]

Thanks Sheryl - I'll refer on to a broker for some more information

[pj123]

Have a look at Globality. Luxembourg based, part of the large German insurance Group, Munich Re. 

http://www.globality-health.com/en/yougenio/globality-yougenio-world.html

I just applied for their Essential Policy, no OPD but they do cover OPD and in patient for cancer care which is what I need,

Two year moratorium for pre-existing conditions. They cover up to 99 years old. Monthly premium for 60 year old is £132. 70 years is £323. Also direct settlement with hospitals and guaranteed renewal. No nasty small print saying they will increase your premium on renewal if you have had previous claims under the policy. 

[Sheryl]

...No nasty small print saying they will increase your premium on renewal if you have had previous claims under the policy. 

Does the policy specifically say that they will not do this?

[pj123]

No. Is there a policy which does? What they do say:

 

"Charging premiums

The insurance premium depends on the state of health

of the insured person (at the time an application is being

accepted by us), the individual premium according to the

current table of premiums and the age of an insured person

on the first day of the insurance year...... If the beginning of a new insurance

year involves increasing the age band, we will change the

premium according to the new age band.

 

Adjustment of costs/premiums

We are entitled to pass on to you all increases in statutory

charges, dues or taxes or similar payments.

We may further review all premium levels. We will inform

you in writing about any premium change at least three

months before the beginning of the next insurance year.

The change will then apply from the beginning of the next

insurance year."

 

If I understand correctly, a renewal is not an application. So the state of health of the policy holder is only an issue when you first apply

Globality_YouGenio_World_GCI_GB_20130412_r.pdf

Edited December 1, 2016 by pj123

[KittenKong]

1 hour ago, pj123 said:

"We may further review all premium levels."

 

I think this means that they can (and probably will) make any increases they care to for whatever reason they think fit.

 

In this respect they are like all other insurance companies I have ever heard of: the more you are likely to make a claim the more they are likely to charge you. Just because a company will cover you to age 99 or whatever doesn't mean that they have to do it at the same price you were paying when you were 50. So premiums will probably just get higher and higher the older you get, until such time as they are so high that you cant afford them and you cancel anyway. This is what they want.

[pj123]

3 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

I think this means that they can (and probably will) make any increases they care to for whatever reason they think fit.

 

In this respect they are like all other insurance companies I have ever heard of: the more you are likely to make a claim the more they are likely to charge you. Just because a company will cover you to age 99 or whatever doesn't mean that they have to do it at the same price you were paying when you were 50. So premiums will probably just get higher and higher the older you get, until such time as they are so high that you cant afford them and you cancel anyway. This is what they want.

 

I disagree. They advise they may increase "all premium levels" which is totally different to "we may increase YOUR premium level". Annual increases in premium levels across the board can be expected from all insurance companies. Globality is no different.

 

Of course "premiums will get higher the older you get" See my earlier post above where I advised "monthly premium for 60 year old is £132. 70 years is £323" 

[Sheryl]

 

I disagree. They advise they may increase "all premium levels" which is totally different to "we may increase YOUR premium level". Annual increases in premium levels across the board can be expected from all insurance companies. Globality is no different.

 

Of course "premiums will get higher the older you get" See my earlier post above where I advised "monthly premium for 60 year old is £132. 70 years is £323" 

Exactly. All insurers reserve the right to make across the board hikes to the premium table based on inflation (specific to medical costs). SOME insurance policies also give them the right to raise an individual person's rates, as high as they like, independent of age related increases, based on that petson's claims history or change in "risk profile". This basically enables them to force ill people to drop their policies and is to be avoided at all costs.

The wording of the Globality policy appears to say they will not do this, though it would be well to get that verified with them.

[siam2007]

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Exactly. All insurers reserve the right to make across the board hikes to the premium table based on inflation (specific to medical costs). SOME insurance policies also give them the right to raise an individual person's rates, as high as they like, independent of age related increases, based on that petson's claims history or change in "risk profile". This basically enables them to force ill people to drop their policies and is to be avoided at all costs.

The wording of the Globality policy appears to say they will not do this, though it would be well to get that verified with them.

 

Did you choose CIGNA now ?

From going through many brochures I tend to sign up with them too, as their conditions and the small print seems most reasonable of all offers I came across. Plus their "in-patient only" plans are very reasonable

[stevenl]

22 hours ago, pj123 said:

Have a look at Globality. Luxembourg based, part of the large German insurance Group, Munich Re. 

http://www.globality-health.com/en/yougenio/globality-yougenio-world.html

I just applied for their Essential Policy, no OPD but they do cover OPD and in patient for cancer care which is what I need,

Two year moratorium for pre-existing conditions. They cover up to 99 years old. Monthly premium for 60 year old is £132. 70 years is £323. Also direct settlement with hospitals and guaranteed renewal. No nasty small print saying they will increase your premium on renewal if you have had previous claims under the policy. 

It does say on their website " Only available to inbound (country of residence) and outbound (country of habitual residence) clients of Germany. ".

[pj123]

On 02/12/2016 at 5:15 AM, stevenl said:

It does say on their website " Only available to inbound (country of residence) and outbound (country of habitual residence) clients of Germany. ".

 

I spoke to their sales office in Europe and they had no objections to covering a UK national living in Thailand. 

 

 

[Sheryl]

I think they have more than one product, the German-only thing likely a specific one.

[Catie777]

I've got a Thai insurance for a year for 5660 THB , covering 150,000 THB. They offer quite a lot of options for any price range. Just in case +6600035213. 

[HampiK]

54 minutes ago, Catie777 said:

I've got a Thai insurance for a year for 5660 THB , covering 150,000 THB. They offer quite a lot of options for any price range. Just in case +6600035213. 

Sorry, but for 150'000 baht i not need an insurance. If there is a real emergency, this would not even cover the basic costs.

Below 5 million I would not even consider an Insurance. What if you have an accident, where a car hit you badly and you will be brought to a private hospital, because you were not able to speak. 3 days later you wake up and they tell you, that you have to pay till now 500'000... good luck with the 150'000 baht insurance