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So having an old a non-immigrant Visa will me and you need health insurance effective soon?


Yesitisdakid

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1 hour ago, Bazle said:

Assuming you mean "insure", I disagree with you. 

I looked into medical insurance and, at my age, it simply wasn't good value. The max payouts were too low, and the premiums too high. 

I decided to go down the "self insure" route (aka chancing it!) in the full knowledge I might have to come up with a sizeable sum one day. However, given the low max payouts, I might have to do that to some extent in any event. 

Exactly the conclusion and the choice of many retired expats. 

Subject was recently discussed on a Indo forum, and most came to this conclusion. Including me. A certain amount in the bank, plus credit cards.

 

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27 minutes ago, Thai Spice said:

Exactly the conclusion and the choice of many retired expats. 

Subject was recently discussed on a Indo forum, and most came to this conclusion. Including me. A certain amount in the bank, plus credit cards.

 

I can understand some wanting to chance it especially if you have no history of illness in the family etc but for me I found my options were worth the payment.

I was paying 33000 a year for health insurance through Pacific Cross, I only paid IPD (inpatient care), had an excess of the first 25000 but was covered for N and C (normal and customary) charges with maximums of 5 million a year and 20 million lifetime. Hospital room and board was well above that of the charges made by the Bangkok Hospital group and most other private hospitals. All surgical costs etc were covered and I would have been left with just the first 25000 to pay in reality.

As much as I never needed to use my insurance and I was just occasionally visiting OPD for small procedures I am glad that I was in the UK when I discovered I needed a heart valve replacement.  Now had I had that surgery in Thailand I would have been insured and only paid 25000 baht but had I not been insured the minimum amount for any heart operation where open heart surgery is included would probably be in excess of 1 million baht (just a guess but probably near) as a start from. I had no symptoms of heart issues and it was a complete surprise to me that I had a medical issue so serious.

I know many take a chance that nothing would ever happen and base their expenditure on that belief but I based my expenditure on the belief that I was ensuring I wouldn't have to suddenly make a very large pay out on something should it occurred, the very essence of what insurance is about.

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Many expats don't have a choice, if you have a pre-existing condition (think something as mundane as controlled diabetes Type 2) i have yet to see/hear of an insurer that will take you on and any that will if you're lucky will want to charge you a kings ransom and will impose all sorts of exclusions which has the effect of making it worthless.

My advice to expats is to effect insurance as a matter of urgency BEFORE any health problems become evident. Also i've had an in depth look at Thai policies and i have to say imo they're crap, the cover provided is far short of requirements, if anyone has any decent recco's i'd be interested in hearing about them for wifey, she's young and healthy at present and long may that continue, a good time for her to effect the insurance.     

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7 minutes ago, Thai Spice said:

@Pumpuynarak,

You did some research on this subject some time ago if I remember well ?  I even remember you mentionning some Belgian or Swiss broker ?

Did anything valid came out of it ?

 

Nahh see below......

12 minutes ago, Pumpuynarak said:

Also i've had an in depth look at Thai policies and i have to say imo they're crap,

The Belgian cover once investigated was'nt available to a diabetes type 2 sufferer as i fully expected. 

Edited by Pumpuynarak
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18 hours ago, Bazle said:

Assuming you mean "insure", I disagree with you. 

I looked into medical insurance and, at my age, it simply wasn't good value. The max payouts were too low, and the premiums too high. 

I decided to go down the "self insure" route (aka chancing it!) in the full knowledge I might have to come up with a sizeable sum one day. However, given the low max payouts, I might have to do that to some extent in any event. 

Yeah I did mean insure.

Well, if you have a lot of money in the bank, that's also your insurance. But many don't and have no insurance. They should be put on a flight back Home and deported. Just causes agony for friends and Family and Thai hospitals don't get their treatment fees. 

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19 hours ago, Thai Spice said:

A certain amount in the bank, plus credit cards.

Unfortunately some say this and end up with a go fund me page.  You would need some high credit limits to cover anything serious.

 

12 hours ago, Pumpuynarak said:

Many expats don't have a choice, if you have a pre-existing condition (think something as mundane as controlled diabetes Type 2) i have yet to see/hear of an insurer that will take you on and any that will if you're lucky will want to charge you a kings ransom and will impose all sorts of exclusions which has the effect of making it worthless.

Don't they just exclude the pre-existing condition and cover everything else?  I know it's a different product, but (some?) travel insurance from the UK works like that.

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23 minutes ago, KWA said:

Don't they just exclude the pre-existing condition and cover everything else?  I know it's a different product, but (some?) travel insurance from the UK works like that.

Yes agreed but the problem with a complaint such as diabetes type 2 it can affect just about anything and particularly the heart, it makes any insurance worthless.

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On 10/4/2019 at 7:52 PM, KWA said:

 

 

Don't they just exclude the pre-existing condition and cover everything else?  I know it's a different product, but (some?) travel insurance from the UK works like that.

Techically yes.

I had a stroke a few years ago and am on hypertension meds since then and for the rest off my life so anything remotely related to high blood pressure wont be covered....I also suffer from peripheral artery disease i both legs (left 90% blocked/right 70% blocked) so there aint a whole lot left of me covered !!

My work provides private health insurance but not sure how that works or what is covered.... they did not ask any  questions relating to existing conditions.

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I'm another who decided to self insure.  High blood pressure controlled by medication for nearly 30 years and the insurers won't cover heart/circulatory but won't reduce the premiums for the reduced coverage.  Plus at my age premiums are getting ridiculous. 

So I just keep a very healthy balance in a Thai bank account.  As an added bonus retirement extensions are a breeze as my balance is well over what is required.  I do send my foreign transfers to that account and make a monthly transfer from it to another account that has an ATM card for monthly expenses, because they want to see activity on the account you present for the extension.

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13 minutes ago, tko said:

I do send my foreign transfers to that account and make a monthly transfer from it to another account that has an ATM card for monthly expenses, because they want to see activity on the account you present for the extension.

It's not the first time I've read that but I don't bother and, so far, have not had it questioned. I had probably 4 transactions on the account in one year at the time of the last extension.

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4 hours ago, tko said:

I'm another who decided to self insure.  High blood pressure controlled by medication for nearly 30 years and the insurers won't cover heart/circulatory but won't reduce the premiums for the reduced coverage.  Plus at my age premiums are getting ridiculous. 

So I just keep a very healthy balance in a Thai bank account.  As an added bonus retirement extensions are a breeze as my balance is well over what is required.  I do send my foreign transfers to that account and make a monthly transfer from it to another account that has an ATM card for monthly expenses, because they want to see activity on the account you present for the extension.

Thing is, any serious condition could cost you Millions of Thai Baht. I hope your bank book's healthy, very healthy.

Been through this with a friend who had no insurance. Took money out of His ATM every day for His ICU after a heart attack. Cost fortunes and luckily His Family bailed Him out to cover a triple bypass. Around 2 Million Baht for that alone.

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5 hours ago, Thai Spice said:

They will be welcomed back and our NHS will be £Billions better off.

Oh...wait, the Guardian...LOL LOL LOL an EU funded rag.

Edited by farangme
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2 hours ago, farangme said:

Thing is, any serious condition could cost you Millions of Thai Baht. I hope your bank book's healthy, very healthy.

Been through this with a friend who had no insurance. Took money out of His ATM every day for His ICU after a heart attack. Cost fortunes and luckily His Family bailed Him out to cover a triple bypass. Around 2 Million Baht for that alone.

Yes there are plenty out there taking a chance on their health and they are probably also living on a meager pension which prevents them from doing so many more things which some here take for granted. Dental hygiene is also probably not on their list of priorities.

Having a stash for a rainy day is a good thing but that stash could easily be eroded if a medical emergency occurs.

Of course if those members here are happy with their ability to pay in case of the unexpected then good for them but many others are not thinking the same and they have no chance to pay even a small amount towards hospital costs should the worst happen.

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20 minutes ago, Horizondave said:

Yes there are plenty out there taking a chance on their health and they are probably also living on a meager pension which prevents them from doing so many more things which some here take for granted. Dental hygiene is also probably not on their list of priorities.

Having a stash for a rainy day is a good thing but that stash could easily be eroded if a medical emergency occurs.

Of course if those members here are happy with their ability to pay in case of the unexpected then good for them but many others are not thinking the same and they have no chance to pay even a small amount towards hospital costs should the worst happen.

Great post Dave. 

For me it was a worrying time, taking 40k Baht a day from my friends ATM cards to keep him alive. I was panicking but managed to contact his brother who's a rich fellow. He flew out and took over financially. 

You need about 20 million BAHT tucked away to cover all eventualities.

Edited by farangme
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20 minutes ago, Bazle said:

I think that some of you are overlooking cover limits and exclusions when thinking about insurance.

I wasn't Baz, my yearly limit was 5m baht with 20m baht total insurance cover, would cover for most things although there were still better coverage deals.  Wouldn't really be wanting to find even a small percentage of that amount so I was happy paying my premium.

My medical condition had I still been living in Thailand (which I was not aware of) would have seen me have at least a heart attack which if I had lived would have cost a mint to sort me out. I know I would have been grateful for the insurance that I had until I left Thailand.

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On 10/2/2019 at 2:54 AM, misteregg said:

Don’t really see the problem. All people should have health insurance in this country.

Disagree.  Health care is so cheap there that comprehensive insurance is a waste of money.  Also, many come from countries where they have a national insurance plan and can simply go home and get care, no need to pay for insurance twice. 

I can see limited emergency care insurance for example, and possibly cover for major medical issues like cancer.  Comprehensive health coverage in Thailand?  Naah.

I lived in Thailand for 10+ years.  Never had health insurance.  Took care of everything from the flu to major orthopedic surgery out of pocket, never remotely a problem.

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3 minutes ago, Thai Spice said:

Just see the numbers of guys who admit they cant even meet the immigrations financial requirements...

I understand this, but I also don't think everyone else should have to pay thousands of dollars per year for insurance because a few hobos can't afford to take care of themselves.  The affidavit of income should be enough to weed these guys out I would think.

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