Move to make health insurance mandatory for long-stay visas

[GMajor]

1 hour ago, The Theory said:

what will be next surprise ? 

 

Electing people that will trash that proposal right away. 

[AGareth2]

13 hours ago, vcpilot said:

How about if you work here with a wp and pay the thai social security?

This is what I am planning/hoping

[Lacessit]

Most insurance companies won't even look at anyone over 70. Either that or insurance is ruinously expensive and hedged with lots of get-out clauses. The last quote I saw was USD 12,000 per year.

If implemented, this may cause considerable distress to many, not just financially. Those with Thai wives or GF's may be forced out of Thailand, robbing the Thai family of support. The law of unintended consequences.

The only cover I really need here is if I am in a road accident, or have a stroke. Insurance companies don't tailor their offerings for individual risks.

I have top level private cover in Australia, a plane ticket away. I self-insure here, very adequately. If that is not good enough for Thai bureaucrats in their ivory towers, I will be considering my options with other countries in south-east Asia.

 

[marcusarelus]

5 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Most insurance companies won't even look at anyone over 70. Either that or insurance is ruinously expensive and hedged with lots of get-out clauses. The last quote I saw was USD 12,000 per year.

If implemented, this may cause considerable distress to many, not just financially. Those with Thai wives or GF's may be forced out of Thailand, robbing the Thai family of support. The law of unintended consequences.

The only cover I really need here is if I am in a road accident, or have a stroke. Insurance companies don't tailor their offerings for individual risks.

I have top level private cover in Australia, a plane ticket away. I self-insure here, very adequately. If that is not good enough for Thai bureaucrats in their ivory towers, I will be considering my options with other countries in south-east Asia.

I guess you haven't really checked.  I have health insurance and I'm over 70.  Not a problem.  I don't work for an insurance company so you can check it out yourself. 

[marcher]

You can get insurance at any age unlike what your comments say. I am 83 and recently clicked a company,which annoyingly pop up every day, and gave my coorect details. The only reasonable quote was around B35,000 per month, ie. B420,000/year or B6,300,000 since I have been here and had replacement knees, prostrate cancer and many other things for a fraction of this cost. I have also had practically everything going during my lifetime, ie. no payout

[cyberfarang]

9 hours ago, smedly said:

this is very specific to O-A visa and is quite frankly a good idea

 

what I would like to see is an option for expats to subscribe to an in country healthcare system similar to Thais, it would cover those on retirement extensions - why not, we live here

The reason this will never happen:

 

 

If Thailand introduced a Government medical scheme for retiree expats the authorities would be concerned that this will attract medical refugees, therefore, westerners benefiting from being able to obtain medical care cheaper than in their own countries, especially the very elderly and those already with pre-existing health issues, the government would be afraid they might be giving us something.

 

The unwritten government policy is that expats either pay over inflated premiums for medical coverage to Thai insurance companies or cash medical fees in the Thai medical private sectors or in other words it`s all about money and the max that can be extracted from Thailand expats.

 

 

[Lacessit]

3 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I guess you haven't really checked.  I have health insurance and I'm over 70.  Not a problem.  I don't work for an insurance company so you can check it out yourself. 

Do you have pre-existing conditions? Here's a list - bladder cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, benign prostatic hyperplasia, gastric reflux, hypertension. Yes , I have checked, and your comment is singularly unhelpful.

[unamazedloso]

discrimination! so i cant get health insurance because i have an underlying condition yet i have nothing back in my home country. I have everything here in thailand with my kids. So im not allowed to aee my family anymore because of deiscrimination. The reason my wife and i decided to setup life here is because i wasnt going to live solong and there would be nothing for my family back home but my wifes family is here along with proprty, houses, cars, etc.. Its all here and now i cant get any Fn visa? Where are the fine details??

[fforest1]

1 hour ago, Arkady said:

If they go ahead with this for O and A one year visas, it is hard to imagine they would not also do it for one year extensions of same. This is just a press report of a meeting on medical tourism. If anything comes of it, details will be thrashed out by Immigration under Big Joke. It could also happen for NON-B and tourist visas but unlikely for transit visas. 

 

I would hope they would also provide some way to buy into the 30 baht system which they already do for documented foreign laborers. Sadly, without an opposition or parliament, the recent tendency has been to pass laws and regulations, the ramifications of which have not been thoroughly thought through.

My friend they would rather burn down every hospital in Thailand before they let farangs get health care for 30 baht.....

[Wake Up]

15 hours ago, anterian said:

I thought that was the basic point of the 800 kBaht, to show that one could cover medical expenses. 

You dont need any money in the bank to get an O-A visa 

[vogie]

1 hour ago, The Theory said:

what will be next surprise ? 

I've heard that all bald foreigners will be expected to have an hair transplant before an extension will be issued.

[Mavideol]

1 hour ago, Rahibew said:

Those having Medicare it will not affect,,this is for people who doesn’t have any insurance at all and is a burden to Thailand’s generosity..

thailand generosity my a... I don't have insurance, go to the hospital and paid the bill.... generosity?? thai lady next to me paid 500 baht for same treatment (implant)  my wife had and we paid 9,240 baht... call it generosity but on our behalf

[HHTel]

15 hours ago, anterian said:

I thought that was the basic point of the 800 kBaht, to show that one could cover medical expenses. 

No, that  is to show you have sufficient funds to support yourself for the next year.  Some immigration offices require to see it used through the year before topping up.

[HHTel]

A recent report from insurance companies (Can't put my finger on it now) was that up to 60% of expats here are not insurable.

 

[Mavideol]

1 hour ago, jesimps said:

Yes he is, a real teacher's pet. Bet he used to rat out all his mates when he was young. This type of poster annoys me more than the authorities do. A little what the people of an occupied country must feel when they have collaborators in their midst. I'm personally self-insured. I have a goodly amount in the bank here and in my home country to pay for any sort of medical treatment. I say this, not for the benefit of the Thais who don't care, but for my fellow farang who keep saying things like "About time!" and "Make the cheap-charlies pay" etc. Some of us prefer to self-insure.

am with you all the way.... same situation here!!!  and don't want to depend on some cheap shot insurance that will argue with me when it comes to get reimbursed.... it happen before that's why decided to go self sufficient/self covered

[marcusarelus]

17 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Do you have pre-existing conditions? Here's a list - bladder cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, benign prostatic hyperplasia, gastric reflux, hypertension. Yes , I have checked, and your comment is singularly unhelpful.

You wrote, "Most insurance companies won't even look at anyone over 70."  Not only is that singularly unhelpful but it is completely untrue.  ????  I had a heart attack and have hypertension and a number of other things.  Like I said check it out and get a price.  I pay under 100,000 baht per year.

[KenKadz]

Obamacare coming to Thailand?

[giddyup]

7 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

You wrote, "Most insurance companies won't even look at anyone over 70."  Not only is that singularly unhelpful but it is completely untrue.  ????  I had a heart attack and have hypertension and a number of other things.  Like I said check it out and get a price.  I pay under 100,000 baht per year.

So, are you saying most will insure the over 70's, or just that the odd one might?

[Easy Come Easy Go]

2 hours ago, Rahibew said:

Those having Medicare it will not affect,,this is for people who doesn’t have any insurance at all and is a burden to Thailand’s generosity..

What are you talking about? If you have no insurance, you go into a hospital or doctors clinic, and pay a bill at the end of the day. How is that taking their generosity lol? 

[TKDfella]

I haven't read all the comments on this thread so what I've been told others may also know.

When my Thai wife, a Head Nurse, and I divorced I lost my automatic health coverage so it has been on my mind since then.

However, it seems that I can offer some 'ray of hope' not only to myself but other expats too. I spoke to my ex today and she tells me that Udorn General was among those who lobbied the government earlier this year, to reinstate the health cover plan for all foreigners (all ages) and if not, at least give hospitals the chance to develop their own plan. The reason, apparently, is that there have been many cases of OAP's (expats included) who have been unable to pay for treatment and embassies have denied help. My ex also says that some Thai insurance companies have already been approached to help develop health plans. So it will worth keeping an eye on this and if I hear anything else I will comment on this forum.

[marcusarelus]

6 minutes ago, giddyup said:

So, are you saying most will insure the over 70's, or just that the odd one might?

Quite a number of posts about it, the lady nurse here has posted a couple of good ones check them out.  I can only speak for myself I called a couple of agents and got insurance. 

[fullcave]

Fortunately, insurance will be available at your local imagration office for those in need.????

[giddyup]

5 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Quite a number of posts about it, the lady nurse here has posted a couple of good ones check them out.  I can only speak for myself I called a couple of agents and got insurance. 

For the over 70's I imagine any pre existing condition will either send the premiums sky high or make you uninsurable, and there's probably not too many over 70's that are in perfect health.

[Knocker33]

After being misdiagnosed twice by the money grabbing hospitals here I have no confidence in the Thai health system so if I am unwell I am on the first flight out of here.

I used to look into having health insurance here but the cover offered is pretty substandard. 

They are not going to have many foreigners here to gouge money from shortly.I think most people have had gut full of the place now

[AAArdvark]

1 minute ago, giddyup said:

For the over 70's I imagine any pre existing condition will either send the premiums sky high or make you uninsurable.

It depends on what you think is "sky high".  Read my examples on page 10.  They just won't cover those conditions.

[Retiredandhappyhere]

15 hours ago, Puccini said:

 

 

 

Patience is called for. All of the above will no doubt be covered by the following (copied from the OP????

 

 

Is that meant to reassure the over 60's, the over 70's and over 80's, many of whom live here permanently and are unable either to get cover or able to afford it?  Most probably, judging by previous Government policies, a scheme will be announced that will raise more questions than answers, leaving thousands of ex-pats in a state of limbo, wondering just where they stand. 

 

Then after months of uncertainty, a further announcement will be made covering perhaps 25% of the concerns, rather like the way in which the cancellation of certain Embassies' Income certificates was handled, when workable alternatives were left basically to be guessed at and even then open to the different interpretations by individual Immigration Offices. 

 

I think we can all understand the common-sense need for Health Insurance, but it has to be also understood that for many ex-pats, it simply is not available and special grand-fathering arrangements for them should be made to avoid what could become a mass exodus.  As many have 800,000 in Thai bank accounts on a permanent basis and also bring in a similar amount each year on which to live, on top, in many cases, of having "invested" considerable sums in properties and vehicles, one might think that the Thai authorities would be somewhat keener, in their own interests, to look after the ex-pats here, rather than, or in addition to, introducing so many measures to "lure" ever more Chinese tourists to stay for a week or two at most.    

 

Many ex-pats are supporting Thai wives, children and, to some extent, their families too, most of whom would have to be abandoned were the ex-pats forced to return to their own countries.  Would the Government take responsibility for them?

Of course not.

[marqus12]

THEY behave like stereotypical wives from Isan.

When farang bought a house and a car .. then farang can leave...
It must be this mythical Thainess !

[Joe Mcseismic]

For all those threatening to leave Thailand. Go for it. No one cares, least of all the Thais and their government and certainly not any TV posters.

[Pedrogaz]

15 hours ago, BestB said:

What are the offers from Thai insurance? Last time i checked to get equally as good cover as my International is same if not more.

 

I am in early 40's and paying around 50 000 per year, and it does not include ODP, if i was to add ODP my premium would almost double.

 

Now why on earth do i need to have ODP?, its 600-1000 per visit, why on earth would i want to have insurance which only covers 400 000 hospitalization? Thats 2-3 nights in a decent hospital with a minor surgery, any thing more serious and surgery alone is 400 000 already 

 

Now for those on NON O, insurance premiums are almost double to what i am paying, All i can see is many packing up. Not saying one should not have insurance, but this policy will hurt a few pockets

I haven't seen any coverage for 50,000 baht a year....and by age 65 you are looking at about 300K baht a year with some many exclusions you have almost no cover. 

 

I think I will probably be one of the ones to leave if this does come into effect. I may leave anyway as the never-ending  changes being made to visas and the general inconveniences caused (eg 90 days reports) are always making it harder for the faring here. They are making it very clear that they don't want farangs living here. It seems the only foreigners they want here are Chinese and Indians. Well good luck to them. There are plenty of other places in the world to retire to, some much cheaper than Thailand, and most with fewer visa hassles.

 

I have always self-insured in Thailand because I have a lot of money. If I were to get a one or two million baht bill for medical expenses it is no big deal for me. I have been here 10 years and have not spent 10,000 baht on healthcare yet, and so I have saved myself a fortune in insurance premiums. I certainly will not be taking out any insurance policy here, and if it does become required to extend my current visa I will leave. I have looked at insurance policies in the past, from BUPA and other insurers, and concluded that they are all rip-offs, i.e. very little coverage for super-large premiums. Insurers are not in the market to pay out claims but to make huge profits. 

 

You can easily buy an accident insurance for a million baht for 7000 from AIA which is what would cover most of the situations here in Thailand where farangs get big bills ie traffic accidents, pool accidents (like the recent one where she had insurance but they wouldn't pay), falls from waterfalls, balconies and the like.

 

I really wonder what is the real cost of treating uninsured farangs that don't, won't or can't pay their hospital bills....and I mean the real bills and not the farang-price, artificially inflated bill from the private hospitals. I'm sure it is is smaller that the amount that all the long stay farangs spend here pouring the economy each year.

 

I've spent about 1.5 million dollars here in the past 10 years ($300K for a house and about $100,000 a year in living expenses) so the new regulations will cost them money for the economy in my case. If there are a lot like me, they might find that the new rule actually costs them money overall.

[Nanaplaza666]

Having insurance is a good thing but i think they should start to look at the short time tourists that come first because i think thay are the ones coming without any kind of insurance and costing the country a lot of money with the motorbike accidents and jetski accidents etc etc not being able to pay their bills in my opinion expats are a lot more carefull and i think thats the only reason why they want them to pay quit a lot of money to cover the daredevils expats should have the same kind of chance as locals like the 30 baht kinds of insurances but thats my opinion