medical insurance

[AZZZEY68 0]

How much is it roughly a guy at work is 60 years old asked me today as he is moving out there.

[Dave 21]

I just renewed mine with Thai Health . 57 years of age, 39000 baht or in UK terms 557 pounds sterling

[elef 0]

Probably more for a new insurance at that age, I guess they also ask for a medical examination first. Else I've heard 30-60 k, depending age and sex, ladies who want insurance to cover births must pay 50 k extra the first year I think.

[jacko 8,775]

The BUPA leaflets I have here show from 41k to 78k, and they jump to 46-87k at age 61. That is for 1 million hospitalization only to 5 million baht with 50k of out-patient costs. The expats club offers a group plan, 16k, for 1.0 million baht with out-patient cover, to about 22k for 1.5 million.

[AZZZEY68 0]

Il give him figures today he will keel over and die for sure im only 38 i think it will be cheaper for him to sponsor me instead,and in return i can tell him all the filth i do

[Gary 4,100]

Last January I renewed my health insurance. At age 60 it was a little less than 20,000 baht per year. It is with Liberty Mutual Group. Is it any good ?? I really don't know but I had acute appendicitis last fall and it paid all except 15 baht of the total bill. The total bill was over 48,000 baht.

[jacko 8,775]

Last January I renewed my health insurance. At age 60 it was a little less than 20,000 baht per year. It is with Liberty Mutual Group. Is it any good ?? I really don't know but I had acute appendicitis last fall and it paid all except 15 baht of the total bill. The total bill was over 48,000 baht.

Sounds to me like a good policy, with a good company.

 

Do you expect to be paying more in January 07, due to loss of 'no claims bonus'?

[Gary 4,100]

Sounds to me like a good policy, with a good company.

 

Do you expect to be paying more in January 07, due to loss of 'no claims bonus'?

The premium has been about the same the past three years. Since I am 61 now I really expect the premium will go up. The older you are the higher insurance is.

 

Some companies cancel you when you are 65 years old. According to the agent if the premiums have been paid for a few years this company won't cancel me.

[Owen` 2]

Usual caveats, guys, as regards "pre existing conditions". If you have had a heart attack, you are in a special category that insurers do not want to touch.

 

How broadly the term "pre existing conditions" is interpreted to be is dicey. I have heard of guys on hypertension medication being said to have a "pre-existing cardio vascular condition". That means no coverage for stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and a ton of other things.

 

The pre existing condition clauses are, frankly, more important than the price. You have to get past those clauses first before you would even look at price.

 

Heads up.

[Shilo 371]

Guys,

 

What say, we try to get a little more active on this topic....

 

Because to be honest, it's my concerns about health care coverage that are causing me the most grief when trying to put together a retirement plan.

 

Dave:

 

I just renewed mine with Thai Health . 57 years of age, 39000 baht or in UK terms 557 pounds sterling

 

Could you (or anyone else who uses Thai Health) tell us a little bit more about the process that you went through to get signed up for the coverage. Was there a physical, much if any talk of the ever dreaded "pre-exsiting conditions", and maybe give us a little bit of an idea of what your getting for your 39000 baht, 557 pounds sterling.... or as I think of it $1000 US .

 

 

Jacko:

 

The BUPA leaflets I have here show from 41k to 78k, and they jump to 46-87k at age 61. That is for 1 million hospitalization only to 5 million baht with 50k of out-patient costs. The expats club offers a group plan, 16k, for 1.0 million baht with out-patient cover, to about 22k for 1.5 million.

 

It seems like a lot of guys have gone the BUPA route. I seem to remember someone posting that there are several levels of coverage, at different cost, for different age groups, each with both pros and cons. Would you or any others please tell us more about this kind of policy. And I wondering, with the range in prices, it looks like the expats club plan cost about 1/3 of the indiviual price... how many guys use it.

 

 

Gary:

 

Last January I renewed my health insurance. At age 60 it was a little less than 20,000 baht per year. It is with Liberty Mutual Group. Is it any good ?? I really don't know but I had acute appendicitis last fall and it paid all except 15 baht of the total bill. The total bill was over 48,000 baht.

 

 

I would love to hear more about your policy. The price seems reasonable compared to some of the other numbers mentioned on this thread... but how much coverage do you get for the price. And isn't Liberty Mutual Group an American company? Is there any chance that the policy would give you any coverage while in the States for a visit?

 

I know that most of us can work are way through the visa issues... or at least for myself, it's not a worry. And most of us can make are own decisions on where to live, to buy or rent, working out the ins and outs of day to day living. It gets a little harder when we each try to get a handle on that all important question: How much money do I need to save before I make the big move? But as important as it is.... I don't think we are giving enough thought to the question of health insurance. If anyone can offer ANY solid info or advice, I for one would greatly appreciate it

[bigmofo 0]

How much is it roughly a guy at work is 60 years old asked me today as he is moving out there.

Try www.moneysupermarket.com they search many companies you will have to look into it more but the cover seems pretty good.For someone 60 they start from £225 up to £431 just check the various types of cover good luck.

[Owen` 2]

As I approach relevant events, I am studying the crap out of this healthcare stuff.

 

Guys, it appears to me that the huge issue is pre-existing conditions. I am hanging out on a lot of generic early retirement discussion boards. The people on those do not necessarily care about leaving the country to retire. They just want to retire.

 

Many cannot and it's because of pre-existing conditions.

 

If you are working, the group healthcare plan offered by your employer is required to NOT consider pre-existing conditions. They have to cover everyone they hire.

 

When you are not working, this requirement imposed on insurance companies disappears. They don't have to cover those illnesses you might have if related to a pre-existing condition. It gets complex inside the US because some states have "high risk pools" and some don't. Those with the HRPs cover pre-existing conditions at much increased premiums.

 

But none of this matters if you're living in LOS.

 

Apparently there is a Kaiser plan that extends to government retirees. You guys may have the problem solved for you.

 

If you're not a government retiree, then you have to do this search. Shilo is spot on this matter because inflation is what is going to determine The Number for savings for retirement and healthcare is a big part of inflation. Just remember: the search does not start at how much the premium is and how much coverage in patient and out patient a plan offers. The search begins with rules for pre-existing conditions.

 

Oh, and heads up to the brits. They are used to national insurance. They won't have that in LOS so this search for them will be even harder because the whole concept is brand new for them.

[Shilo 371]

And it's the pre-existing conditions that I can't seem to get my head around...

 

Look, as I have posted elsewhere, I am 52, have very good job with great benefits. I quit smoking about 6 months ago and I'm fat. I have only been the the hospital twice in my life and both times it was to correct a problem in my "bad" eye. I don't expect any insurance company to have to cover any expenses for that bad eye. I can count the number of times I have been to the doctor on 1 1/2 hands for basic crap like colds. I have had two complete physicals in the past 5 years and both came back with nothing to worry about. But both times the Doc said I should get off my ass once in a while and stop smoking.... otherwise, no pre-existing conditions

 

Oh and my parents were walking medical journals with every kind of health problem you could think of from the heart, to back problems, to serious diabitous (sp).

 

Ok, so here is the question: I start walking into an insurance agents office to ask about health insurance in Pattaya. What can I expect. They can contact my Doc and he'll say "everything seems fine at the moment, he comes from a sick family and he needs to lose some weight, he smoked for years but now he says he has stopped...otherwise, he's fine at the moment." What else will I be expected to do, will I need to take another physical, is there something I'm missing, could I be painted with the dreaded pre-existing conditions based on my parents poor health history.

 

I'm seriously considering that on my next trip I will walk into an agent's office and sign up for the insurance. It'll cost me a buck or three but at least I'll have it done and off of my mind. And it'll cover me while I'm in Pattaya for vacations over the next year or so till I make the move. But am I off base when I think that if I get the health insurance in Thailand while I'm still working in the states that I would then be free to walk into my doctor's office and ask for the works... let's see what if ANYTHING we can find and then get it fixed while I'm still employed and can use my work benefits.

 

Then these newly uncovered "conditions" wouldn't be "pre-existing" because they were discovered after I got the Thailand coverage.

 

.

[Owen` 2]

I quit smoking about 6 months ago and I'm fat. I have only been the the hospital twice in my life and both times it was to correct a problem in my "bad" eye.

 

My understanding of how it would work in the US (where they are probably more sensitive to such things than elsewhere) is:

 

1) Fat will mean nothing and is not a pre existing condition that precludes coverage for anything.

 

2) Smoking probably isn't either. I suspect there are insurance plans where it WOULD preclude coverage for something, but not for most insurers. They will simply jack up your premium in general because you smoke -- but they won't deny coverage of anything related to it. You'll have to ask.

 

3) The eye won't be covered. That's pre-existing.

 

Oh and my parents were walking medical journals with every kind of health problem you could think of from the heart, to back problems, to serious diabitous (sp).

 

Might raise your premium a little, but this is NOT a pre-existing condition that will deny you coverage.

 

Ok, so here is the question: I start walking into an insurance agents office to ask about health insurance in Pattaya. What can I expect.

 

You tell us after you do it.

 

What else will I be expected to do, will I need to take another physical,

 

My understanding is very few ins. companies go beyond the questionnaire. I have heard of one asking for a physical if you have not had one in a long time, but I have also heard of no such thing req'd, so it varies from ins. company to company. One thing that is important to understand is that your medical database exists. Perhaps this doesn't apply to you, but for others . . . if you lie on the questionnaire and you have a problem related to a pre-existing condition, before they send you a check to pay for your bills they will likely do research. In other words, you can think you're covered but you may not be. If you have something questionable in your history, tell them and know up front if you're to be covered. If you're not, don't do business with them -- or plan to self insure that particular matter.

 

As above, your chronically ill parents are not a pre-existing condition (unless you have some genetic disease like Huntington's -- that might be an underwriting shutdown).

 

 

I'm seriously considering that on my next trip I will walk into an agent's office and sign up for the insurance. It'll cost me a buck or three but at least I'll have it done and off of my mind. And it'll cover me while I'm in Pattaya for vacations over the next year or so till I make the move. But am I off base when I think that if I get the health insurance in Thailand while I'm still working in the states that I would then be free to walk into my doctor's office and ask for the works... let's see what if ANYTHING we can find and then get it fixed while I'm still employed and can use my work benefits.

 

Then these newly uncovered "conditions" wouldn't be "pre-existing" because they were discovered after I got the Thailand coverage.

 

Excellent thinking and you're not the first. Many generic early retirement websites have a lot of folks doing this very thing. They want to retire from their jobs, they are not sure they can get health insurance re: pre-existing condx, so they go get the policy before quitting -- being sure all pre-existing info is revealed, and THEN they go to their regular doc and find out if anything new is wrong. In the US you have to apparently be careful of this because both insurance carriers will try to claim the other one is primary -- but that won't apply to your case since one policy only covers you in Thailand.

 

Keep us posted on any new discoveries you make.

[chas 16]

I retired to Thailand 2 years ago. I was just in my 65th year. I contacted BUPA Thailand by e-mail before I came. They have a Thai website - but in English.

I told them I would be 65 by the time I got here and asked if they would still cover me or should I sign up before my 65th birthday, while I was still in the UK and under 65. They replied that as I would still be in my 65th year it would be ok - I could join when I arrived. They have an office in Pattaya on Sukhumvit Road - near the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.

Their website shows the various levels of coverage and the cost depending on age also - up to the age of 65 I think. Over 65 they just gave me a quote. I downloaded their form from the web and filled it in including previous illnesses. No medical for me but they repeated back to me on the contract the problems I had given them and said I was not covered in those areas.

One of the things I put was that I went to the hospital a few years back about a cough I had after I'd given up smoking. But everything was ok and the cough has gone now. But BUPA had it down that I wouldn't get paid for a lung problem. So they may exclude every small thing to cover themselves - rather than you!

In my first year I think I paid about 40,000baht for the top coverage. Last year I went down a level and excluded, for example, coverage for outpatient treatment. I paid just under 20,000 last year, and for 2 years on the run have had a 'no claims bonus' of about 2,000baht.

I will look at the ExPats scheme this year as a comparison. But please check for the up to date information from BUPA.

I actually had difficulty getting short-time(!) coverage for my first month here as the companies said I would not be resident in the UK. In the end I found an insurer that accepted my mailing address.

[Shilo 371]

Chas,

 

THANKS.... this is actually the kind of post that I was hoping to get. I hope others who have been through the process will take a moment to share their experiences.

 

.

[wannabeexpat 0]

I was thinking of not bothering with insurance and just investing the money instead. It would only take a few years of savings to cover most expenses as Thai medical bills sound pretty cheap anyway. You would be earning interest on the savings. I am 43 , so 30 or 40,000 a year until they either ramp up the payments or refuse to 65 would be apprximately 750,000 plus the interest earned if you never needed any treatment. Or you could pay cash for anything out of your savings. Or is this a stupid idea. I just hate insurances as they usually try to worm their way out of paying you if they can.

[Shilo 371]

I was thinking of not bothering with insurance and just investing the money instead. It would only take a few years of savings to cover most expenses as Thai medical bills sound pretty cheap anyway.  You would be earning interest on the savings. I am 43 , so 30 or 40,000 a year until they either ramp up the payments or refuse to 65 would be apprximately 750,000 plus the interest earned if you never needed any treatment. Or you could pay cash for anything out of your savings.  Or is this a stupid idea.  I just hate insurances as they usually try to worm their way out of paying you if they can.

I think the biggest issue here are time.

 

In order for this approach to work you would have to hope that you stayed healthy for at least 10-15 years to allow the money that would have gone to premiums to accumulate in your savings account. Biggest risk here is that most people don't actually stick with the plan and consistantly add those monies to their savings (something always comes up) and you are betting that you won't have a serious accident. It isn't just heart, lungs and kidneys that you have to worry about over the long term but also the legs, arms, eyes, head ect. that could be involved in an accident in the short term...

 

Personally, I would never try this approach here in the West.... and I'm not sure that I would feel comfortable taking that risk in the East either. The older you are the more risk, but being younger wouldn't elimiate the risk.

 

.

[RWB 0]

I work for a local gov't agency with good coverage here in the states. We just received a brochure from a company associated with our group life ins. that will cover us when we are over 100 miles from home. This includes Thialand. I plan on talking with a representitive about the coverage because some of the brochure is rather vague. It also covers attorneys, bail, and apparently mercs to get you out of a country when the shit hits the fan, all this at no cost. Seriously, it really does cover a lot of contingencies beyond just medical. This thread and that brochure got me off my ass and I finally made that call to our risk management people about my regular health ins. I was told that I am still covered 100% in LOS as long as I am visiting. When I move, I will no longer have the same coverage, but will have 60/40 after deductable. This is because I am permently out of area coverage and guess what, our plan doesn't have any "prefered providers" in LOS(I gotta' work on that). My insurance continues at no cost to me after I retire. Baring serious injury or catastrophic illness, I probably will not ever reach the deductable. It looks as if paying for Thai health insurance is still going to be the best for me.

 

Buddha willing and the waters don't rise, I'll be living there in about 3.5 years, or less.

[Owen` 2]

I have another tidbit.

 

Re: Saving money each year and letting it accumulate to pay for medical costs sometime in the future -- thereby self insuring.

 

In the US, an option available for people under 65 who are retiring early and have no health insurance bridge in place til 65 (when Medicare kicks in) are High Deductible Plans That Qualify for HSAs (Health Savings Accts). Only high deductible plans allow HSAs.

 

The HSA is what was described above. You save up money to pay for medical issues in the future. You do have some top end coverage, but the "high deductible" is $5,000 or $10,000 or higher. Meaning, if you go to the doc to get blood pressure pills or maybe a shot of penicillin to deal with an STD, you're paying that out of your pocket because it will not add up to $5K or $10K. But if you have a heart attack and have to be in ICU for two weeks, you will not be ruined. The insurance policy will kick in beyond $10K.

 

Now then, the HSA that covers this rolls the money over year to year and Every Contribution Is Tax Deductible. This is a nice plus. Things that are tax deductible should be thought of as having a 25-30% government subsidy on cost.

 

So this opens up a new question for investigation. Will any of these high deductible plans cover us in LOS post move. Or if they will cover for "vacation", how much time is a vacation. Maybe we move, visit the US for a week or two a year and say we are still residents of the US and merely on long vacations in LOS. Shrug.

 

My understanding is the high deductible plans still have the pre-existing conditions limits.

 

Now that I think of this, I think I'll make some phone calls tomorrow and investigate, and I'll pass along my findings.

 

Heads up, the plans differ from state to state so make sure what you want to have happen can happen in the zero tax state where you'll claim residence.

[chas 16]

Just to follow up on my post before. I had a call today from BUPA Pattaya asking if I'd got the renewal letter and was I going to renew. I haven't got the letter yet but the lady said the quote was 19,700 baht for me at 67 years. I think that's the same as last year. That for the Ruby level of cover (see their website). I asked if they would cover me after 70 years of age and the answer was no they wouldn't.

I said I was going to look at other options, but might stay with them. So if I can drag myself along I might go to the EX-Pats Club on Saturday to find out about their group sceme. I think it's with AA Insurance here in Pattaya.

I'll have to worry about 70+ when it happens. I think nobody else will