Asking advice re health insurance

[Chicksaw]

I am thinking of doubling up on my somewhat meager company insurance. I am middle-aged, pretty healthy with only minor chronic issues (a skin condition and borderline high cholesterol and high uric acid which were diagnosed years ago and under control with topical creams, statins, allopurinol, resp.).

 

So I am thinking only of the rogue bus scenario and getting just hospitalization and major medical coverage. Makes sense? Am I missing something? Thanks.

[4MyEgo]

As long as your aware they won't cover you for any pre-existing conditions, that and your premium goes up every 5 years, e.g. 51-56 year of age, at 57 up it goes.

 

I have a couple of pre-existing conditions that no one will cover me for, so rather than pay 61,000 baht for a medium range cover, I opted to self insure as a few expats do, and when the S hits the fan, I would just have to break open my piggy bank, its a numbers game I dare say.

[siam2007]

there are several topics running regarding this, SHERYL started such a thread a few months ago and a lot of interesting posts were made.

As it happens, I have bookmarked it and here you go:

 

 

[StefanBBK]

Makes sense. Checked if you can find an accident insurance?

[Chicksaw]

Thanks for the replies. I've got two more questions:

(1) Bupa Hospitalization and Major Medical insurance won't reimburse me for treatment for preexisting conditions. Fine, I am happy to pay for my own routine daily medication. However, here's my question: Say I suffer something that may or may not be a consequence of an existing condition can they refuse to cover? E.g., if I have a heart issue will they try to duck out of covering by saying that's because you had high cholesterol? Which is hard to prove either way (and, technically, now I don't have high cholesterol because of the meds I take).

 

(2) Self-insurance is interesting (4MyEgo, thanks for the suggestion). But how exactly does it work? Do you just put aside a sum like a million baht for a medical contingency and not touch it? Next question is how does the hospital know this if you are incapacitated? E.g., if I have a Bupa card on me they'll presumably go ahead and give me the care I need knowing they're going to get paid. But self-insurance?