Indigent religious fanatic that does missionary work in Thailand, can't afford to get home

[LocalYokul 217]

OK, here's the story.

 

A former classmate was on FB saying he's had a heart attack and now wants to come home (from Thailand) for treatment.

At first I recommended that the cost of treatment in the LOS might be cheaper than the flight.

 

Here's his reply:

 

"the plane fare may be the same for the angioplasty but with that even a small complication can turn it into open heart surgery. It would still be covered by insurance in the states but if in Thailand I would be so far in debt I would never get out. the recovery time for angio is days, the recovery time for open heart is months."

 

 

I finally asked him why he didn't get health insurance in Thailand and he said they wouldn't offer him a policy because of a pre-existing condition.

 

 

edited for content: too much information

 

So, to sum up, he's on the bones of his ass in Thailand, but somehow thinks he will get heart surgery via insurance at home.

I have no idea how or if he maintained insurance at home, but it seems questionable, unless perhaps the ministry he's in is paying that for him at home.

Then again, if a ministry was paying, wouldn't they have set him up with the proper insurance on the ground?

Edited October 4, 2013 by LocalYokul

[LocalYokul 217]

Here's his last reply since he unfriended me:

 

"I just don't think all that kind of negativity is beneficial. One day I hope you can let it go."

 

Religion has no place in my life, you can bet your life!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUFJIJjmcx8

[MM 6,562]

Religious stuff aside, what Insurance could he use in the USA?

[nkped 1,208]

I won't buy into the theology of a medical condition as divine retribution, but I won't fault the man for a desire to be truthful.

[jacko 8,822]

Sorry, I don't buy into your rant.

Here in Thailand they do check up to see if they can get out of paying up.......pre-existing conditions obviously a main factor.

I felt so wary of 'lying on the form' and hence invalidating any possible claims...which makes the taking up of insurance asinine, I decided on a more basic policy with declared pre-existing, with the fall back of money in the bank for emergencies.

 

Many medical insurances offered in Thailand are with international companies whose tentacles reach afar!

 

I don't believe in fraud either. Jesus aside.

 

I would say he is being rather narrow minded if he thinks that small complications are so likely in Thailand, more so than travelling without prior treatment.

MM has first hand experience.

Edited October 4, 2013 by jacko

[papillon 695]

My insurance company wouldn't authorise anything until they had received my medical records from my UK Doctor to check for unreported pre existing medical conditions.

[MM 6,562]

I still want to know what insurance an apparently skint expat would have that works in the USA.

 

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4

 

[LocalYokul 217]

Well, his pre-exising condition would probably have been found out and then he'd end up paying anyway, but the whole point of his posting on FB was to ask for donations because he's too damn broke to pay the fare to fly his ass home.

 

I assume he has medical insurance at home that he's had since before the pre-exising condition.

 

We finally agreed to disagree about the religious aspect, after he unfriended me and deleted the post.

 

I'm sure he re-posted it once he had me off his radar, unless maybe he already collected enough money from his fellow religious fanatics.

 

I guess some would see him as salt of the Earth, putting in all his time doing god's work, but I just don't buy into it. He's foolish IMHO.

[LocalYokul 217]

I love this woman:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgCjO51d8jw

[papillon 695]

When I read the Thread Title I thought it was going to be about the Paedo Bible Bashers in N.W. Thailand that have set up 'Missions' and are converting the Ethnic Tribes to their flavour of Christianity.

 

Check it out on Youtube.

[MM 6,562]

I assume he has medical insurance at home that he's had since before the pre-exising condition.

 

Medical insurance in the USA is generally paid yearly or monthly, and it's not cheap...you should know that.

 

So, if he was here for any length of time, and you're saying he's short of funds, I think it's unlikely that he would be paying for health insurance he's not able to use in Thailand.

 

Really, your story, or at least your reporting of what he is saying, makes no sense.

 

Is he perhaps talking about Medicare? Or is he counting on Obamacare?

 

Help out here, because I am sure a lot of USA expats would like to know how to have angioplasty or open heart surgery covered by insurance in the USA when they (presumably) haven't been paying hundreds of dollars in premiums each month.

[teelack 9,646]

Religion aside, a very successful man once told me, "I never tell lies. There are so many lie options that I would never remember which one I used but there is only one truth". As I get older and more forgetful I realise the wisdom of this viewpoint.

[papillon 695]

Medical insurance in the USA is generally paid yearly or monthly, and it's not cheap...you should know that.

 

So, if he was here for any length of time, and you're saying he's short of funds, I think it's unlikely that he would be paying for health insurance he's not able to use in Thailand.

 

Really, your story, or at least your reporting of what he is saying, makes no sense.

 

Is he perhaps talking about Medicare? Or is he counting on Obamacare?

 

Help out here, because I am sure a lot of USA expats would like to know how to have angioplasty or open heart surgery covered by insurance in the USA when they (presumably) haven't been paying hundreds of dollars in premiums each month.

 

I think the OP busted himself in his first post.

 

None of it makes any sense.

 

I must admit, as an Englishman, I don't understand how people in the USA pay for medical care. It sounds like an almighty mess. Mix religion in with it and it's a sure recipe for disaster.

 

Could somebody from the USA please open a new thread and explain the basics of how it works and what difference 'Obama Care' makes or will make?

[LocalYokul 217]

Medical insurance in the USA is generally paid yearly or monthly, and it's not cheap...you should know that.

 

I don't really know his situation and couldn't be bothered to ask him any further. Maybe he's disillusioned or maybe somebody at home has been paying his insurance. I'm not sure if his ministry sent him from home or if he just got on a plane and winged it like I did.

Since he's got such low income, he might qualify for Medicaid/Medicare. I do not know if he's on any kind of social security disability, which would grant you Medicaid/Medicare coverage.

 

I also don't know about that, since my status as a veteran affords me free healthcare including meds.

 

 

Help out here, because I am sure a lot of USA expats would like to know how to have angioplasty or open heart surgery covered by insurance in the USA when they (presumably) haven't been paying hundreds of dollars in premiums each month.

 

Being poor can give you that, or being disabled, or of course my situation.

[LocalYokul 217]

I might add that I lamented and apologized to the guy. I was out of line to question his beliefs, and he has probably done a lot of good things for the hill tribe people up there.

[LocalYokul 217]

I don't understand how people in the USA pay for medical care.

 

Those below the poverty line don't, they just show proof of their low income and the State pays for their hospitalization.

The elderly and disabled are on Medicare or Medicaid, I can never remember the difference between the two.

[js007 795]

Prior to the advent of Obamacare, people had to figure out a way to obtain and pay for health insurance. People with "pre-existing" conditions often had trouble obtaining insurance, if they could obtain it at all, and the cost could be outrageous. Some people were lucky enough to be covered through insurance provided by their employers. The bigger the group covered that way, the better the bargaining power. People without insurance who needed emergency care could always show up at an emergency room to be treated. Hospitals have no choice but to treat people with emergencies. Everyone else ended up footing the bill for this people.

 

In any event, many younger people simply don't buy insurance, as they're mostly healthy. Today, Obamacare requires that such people buy insurance or pay a penalty "tax." Insurance companies can no longer deny people because of pre-existing conditions.

 

Sorry if this doesn't make much sense, I had to go because my pizza was done.

Edited October 4, 2013 by js007

[papillon 695]

Those below the poverty line don't, they just show proof of their low income and the State pays for their hospitalization.

The elderly and disabled are on Medicare or Medicaid, I can never remember the difference between the two.

Thanks for the explanation.

 

It makes no sense to me.

[jacko 8,822]

Well, his pre-exising condition would probably have been found out and then he'd end up paying anyway, but the whole point of his posting on FB was to ask for donations because he's too damn broke to pay the fare to fly his ass home.

 

I assume he has medical insurance at home that he's had since before the pre-exising condition.

 

We finally agreed to disagree about the religious aspect, after he unfriended me and deleted the post.

 

I'm sure he re-posted it once he had me off his radar, unless maybe he already collected enough money from his fellow religious fanatics.

 

I guess some would see him as salt of the Earth, putting in all his time doing god's work, but I just don't buy into it. He's foolish IMHO.

Plus paying for useless insurance too then....

 

I hadn't grasped that he was scrounging for donations though....

[LocalYokul 217]

I hadn't grasped that he was scrounging for donations though....

 

Yeah, I forgot to mention that in the OP.