Do Health and Insurance Concerns Reduce Your Enjoyment of Retirement in Thailand?

[NancyL]

3 hours ago, teddog said:

Me? I'm not bothered not of an age to bother, unconscious they want to keep me in a hospital until bill paid,  they will get sick of me before I get sick of them unconscious ?you (or me) knows nothing about anything..on ventilator/traction..so what  times nearly up, bloody insurance, it's just a racket anyway, can pull the rug up at any time  and they do

Lord, oh lord, I hope you don't live in Chiang Mai. People like you with this attitude are part of the reason I'm moving to Malaysia to go to a country that actually enforces its retirement visa rules.  Once I started to do Lanna Care Net,  I found I couldn't simply stop.  I couldn't say no, I can't say no I can't help to the gov't hospitals or the Consulates.  How can you when there is an old man in need in the hospital?

[al007]

2 hours ago, NancyL said:

Lord, oh lord, I hope you don't live in Chiang Mai. People like you with this attitude are part of the reason I'm moving to Malaysia to go to a country that actually enforces its retirement visa rules.  Once I started to do Lanna Care Net,  I found I couldn't simply stop.  I couldn't say no, I can't say no I can't help to the gov't hospitals or the Consulates.  How can you when there is an old man in need in the hospital?

Nancy a very interesting post, maybe I read too much into it, what you do also is very caring, and must also be stressful

 

I wish you well on your move to Malaysia

 

You make some interesting observations, which I interpret; as follows many who have these financial problems re medical probably are also not fully able to comply with the retirement rules proper financial requirements.

 

Hence should not be here in any case, and if people are living hand to mouth, they should not live in Thailand but if from the UK. they should go back to where the UK govt will pick up the bits, when the sh** hits the fan

 

Many of these people are very irresponsible, I believe; and only have them selves to blame

 

I do not know Teddog but believe he to be a survivor and will look after himself regardless, at least he has thought about it all

 

Be Lucky and Keep Smiling

[NancyL]

Sorry, I was being a little overly dramatic in my response to Teddog.    We've assisted several people like him recently with Lanna Care Net and it's been very stressful.  In truth, many of these men do meet the financial requirement for a retirement visa, but have kept their financial management very tightly controlled so that when they become disabled, no one can help them.  And their "plans" of going to India or returning to their home country go up in smoke because they aren't fit to travel, or even use their computer to do internet banking and get money into Thailand to pay for a private hospital.

 

One of the requirements of the MM2H 10 year visa for Malaysia is that the applicant has to deposit a large sum of money in a Malaysian bank and have a health insurance policy. The money on deposit has to remain on deposit and can only be withdrawn with permission from Malaysian Immigration for certain specified purposes -- like paying medical bills.  

 

I would imagine there isn't a need for an organization like LCN in popular foreign retirement areas in Malaysia.

[impulse]

18 minutes ago, NancyL said:

I would imagine there isn't a need for an organization like LCN in popular foreign retirement areas in Malaysia.

 

There's always a place for expats helping each other out no matter where you go.  I do hope you find the needs to be more rewarding and less frustrating where you're headed.  Unlike BKK, I can go for weeks without coming into contact with another foreigner in the course of everyday life in China.  So we have to make an effort to stay in touch with each other.  Or not.  Sadly, it's a DIY market because the people who do that kind of thing for a living (bar owners, bloggers, rental agents, etc) focus mostly on making money and not so much on improving quality of expat life.

 

Keep up the good work.  For your own sanity, and for those around you.  I can't tell you how much emotional energy and support I've gotten from people that probably aren't even aware they've helped me.

 

[music065]

Agree

Edited June 9, 2017 by music065

[Sheryl]

38 minutes ago, NancyL said:

.... their "plans" of going to India or returning to their home country go up in smoke because they aren't fit to travel...

 

Exactly. And this is not a far-fetched, unlikely possibility.

 

It is an extremely common scenario and a "plan" for financing emergency health care which is dependent on being able to fly to India  is not a "plan" at all. It is wishful thinking.

[teddog]

28 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

Exactly. And this is not a far-fetched, unlikely possibility.

 

It is an extremely common scenario and a "plan" for financing emergency health care which is dependent on being able to fly to India  is not a "plan" at all. It is wishful thinking.

 

It is 'wishful thinking' that any or all of these gormless sods lying in a hospital bed there in Chiang Mai could ever afford health insurance, or be offered it.....best way charter a 'plane, dump them all on it and off they go

[NancyL]

2 hours ago, teddog said:

It is 'wishful thinking' that any or all of these gormless sods lying in a hospital bed there in Chiang Mai could ever afford health insurance, or be offered it.....best way charter a 'plane, dump them all on it and off they go

Just about everyone can afford and qualifies for a Personal Accident Insurance policy and that would go a long way in reducing many of the problems we see in Chiang Mai.

 

Sheryl's right when she says that it's very expensive to fly if you're incapacitated to the point that you can't sit upright in a commercial airline seat for take-off and landing.  If you have to travel by stretcher on a commercial flight, then the airline takes out seats to accomodate a gurney and the price of travel that Sheryl quoted, $40,000 is definitely in the ballpark, esp. when you factor in the extras like the special ambulances that are qualified to bring passengers out to an aircraft, cost of a nurse or doctor to travel with you, etc.  And the cost to charter an air ambulance is much, much higher.

 

 

[simon43]

NancyL points out that it is hardly unusual to have a patient where it's known that they have funds, but no-one can access this money because the patient keeps a very tight control on those funds, and no-one knows how to access their internet banking, fund source etc.

 

So what can one do to make it easier for others to access funds that exist?  In my case, I have private medical insurance, and the document is stapled into my passport, which I carry with me always.

 

But what if some initial funds are needed to pay hospital bills?  (I have a $2,000 USD excess on my medical cover), and of course I have more than $2,000 USD in my Thai bank account.

 

For those of us who are single, who can we give Power of Attorney to, to allow withdrawal of those funds to cover initial medical costs?  Can one give PoA to the bank itself, to dispense cash to the hospital where the bank account holder is located (and unable to give permission to withdraw those funds)?

 

I'd like to think that there is a way to do this, without risk having your bank account drained (perhaps a separate account just to pay emergency bills if one is unconscious?).

 

How would this work in practice? ATM card and PIN stapled to your insurance policy??  Sounds too much of a temptation for the ambulance crew.....

Edited June 9, 2017 by simon43

[al007]

2 hours ago, NancyL said:

Just about everyone can afford and qualifies for a Personal Accident Insurance policy and that would go a long way in reducing many of the problems we see in Chiang Mai.

 

I have no wish, or intention to be negative but add some observations

 

This whole topic is not only very important but also  exceedingly complex

 

Personal accident will not cover many situations unless as a direct result of an accident

 

I am a retired Chartered Accountant, I have owned and run financial services and insurance agencies aimed at expats (20 yrs ago)

 

Does it cover breaking a leg by slipping coming out of the shower, or concussion as a result of a fall, or falling down stairs, it is possible the insurer may refuse to pay if they can show you were negligent, like leaving soap and water on the floor, or a bad carpet at the top of the stairs, NOT CUT AND DRIED

 

Maybe exclusions if driving motorbike without thai license, or alcohol in the blood

 

Many insurance companies will go to great length to avoid paying, they are not nice people

 

Six months ago I had a claim for loss of travel deposits, due to hospitalisation, from a major UK insurer, they fought like hell for six months, and not until I brought in the FSA regulator did they pay, and yes they paid in full but it was an awful experience

 

They even tried to dismiss the claim because I have no GP here in thailand, and yes my Thai address was on their records, I had a very well documented file

 

It should have been paid at day one

 

They were Immoral, unethical and nasty people, I know my rights and how to fight, it is quite likely if it were an old pensioner he would die before being paid

 

The insurance generally takes the premium without saying very much, but the claim is another story

 

I believe insurers in asia may be worse than London!!

 

What is approximate cost for 73 yr old, say either 500,000 or I,000,000 M Baht of cover

 

I believe many people might be interested, but read that small print on the proposal with great care

[al007]

There is another very similar thread running that cover much of the same