Bupha Insurance

[Vespa]

Would like some feedback regarding Bupha.

Good, Bad , Rip-Off - whatever ....

Share your experience please

[bl2]

My travel/health insurance expires this week, and have been looking at Bupa......any comments/recommendations would be appreciated.

[MiG16]

depends on the package you buy ofcourse in terms of what you get...but service is good.

[wpcoe]

I've been a BUPA customer for a few years now. In general, they are efficient and make hospital check-out procedures fairly painless ... the hospital contacts BUPA for approval and then you only pay for what is in excess of your coverage.

However, they are clearly a for-profit business. They will access ALL of your previous medical records, even prior to your BUPA coverage and at any hospitals in Thailand you've used in the past, before AND AFTER settling a claim. (You may be asked to reimburse them for a claim they pay prior to completing their research but subsequently find it was not covered.)

I had surgery to correct a deviated septum at BNH hospital, and BUPA denied the claim since I was treated at Bumrungrad several years earlier for a sinus infection. It took LOTS of effort on my part, including pursuading the doctor at Bumrungrad to amend the medical transcripts there, to convince the insurance adjustors at BUPA to cover the claim. BUPA is VERY serious about the "previous existing conditions" clause that you sign a waiver for upon application.

Keep your initial BUPA application date in mind any time you see a doctor for a chronic condition. NEVER tell them, "Oh, I've suffered this off and on for years."

Overall, I'm satisfied with BUPA, but am ever aware of how thorough they investigate insurance claims. However, now that I've been reading ThaiVisa.com I've seen referrals to competing insurance companies who charge much less than BUPA. Try a forum search for threads about insurance coverage. I choose to stay with BUPA now that I have several years of coverage, since if I changed to a new insurer, THEIR pre-existing condition coverage would exclude everything now so conveniently documented by BUPA.

[Vespa]

I've been a BUPA customer for a few years now. In general, they are efficient and make hospital check-out procedures fairly painless ... the hospital contacts BUPA for approval and then you only pay for what is in excess of your coverage.

However, they are clearly a for-profit business. They will access ALL of your previous medical records, even prior to your BUPA coverage and at any hospitals in Thailand you've used in the past, before AND AFTER settling a claim. (You may be asked to reimburse them for a claim they pay prior to completing their research but subsequently find it was not covered.)

I had surgery to correct a deviated septum at BNH hospital, and BUPA denied the claim since I was treated at Bumrungrad several years earlier for a sinus infection. It took LOTS of effort on my part, including pursuading the doctor at Bumrungrad to amend the medical transcripts there, to convince the insurance adjustors at BUPA to cover the claim. BUPA is VERY serious about the "previous existing conditions" clause that you sign a waiver for upon application.

Keep your initial BUPA application date in mind any time you see a doctor for a chronic condition. NEVER tell them, "Oh, I've suffered this off and on for years."

Overall, I'm satisfied with BUPA, but am ever aware of how thorough they investigate insurance claims. However, now that I've been reading ThaiVisa.com I've seen referrals to competing insurance companies who charge much less than BUPA. Try a forum search for threads about insurance coverage. I choose to stay with BUPA now that I have several years of coverage, since if I changed to a new insurer, THEIR pre-existing condition coverage would exclude everything now so conveniently documented by BUPA.

Do you receive the 10% reduction on your membership renewal ?

I had gone so far to question the hospital billing depts. who they find the best ins. company and was told 2 out 3 times BUPA.

[wpcoe]

Do you receive the 10% reduction on your membership renewal ?

Not sure, as I don't know what the "published rates" were. I don't recall any discount being mentioned, but the whole renewal process was very low key -- no pressure to upgrade to more expensive package, although I did upgrade my outpatient coverage. And, any condition that pre-exists the outpatient upgrade only gets covered at the pre-upgrade level. <sigh...>

[Tywais]

Do you receive the 10% reduction on your membership renewal ?

I've had Bupa for about 4 years now but can not comment on their claims response since I have not had to use it. But a few weeks after I renew I get a 10% refund check from them for not filing claims.

[endure]

Are we talking about BUPA Thailand or BUPA International?

[1Lucky]

i used bupa for a couple of years - the main thing I really disliked about them was how bureaucratic they are when you initially take out the coverage. Expect a few questionaires then if you have indicated that you have ever had anything wrong - plenty of supplementary questionaires and letters. Then they will send you areas of your coverage that they will not cover you for because there is a chance you may have it in future. With me they pretty much excluded anything that I was likely to suffer from in future which made the insurance of very limited value. If you've never suffered from anything in the past then maybe it might be of more value to you.

Lucky

[Vespa]

Are we talking about BUPA Thailand or BUPA International?

BUPA Thailand , sorry I was not explicit enough.