Mandatory health insurance for foreigners aged over 50 in Thailand - why it may not affect you

[Mike Teavee 1,251]

7 hours ago, haymanpl said:

Costs 46000 baht for 1 years cover for a 52 year old. Would much rather put in bank an extra 400,000 baht making it 1.2 million deposit rather than pay 46000 a year which will only increase in age.

As a 52 year old you may want to consider getting a Thailand Elite visa 1Million THB for 20 years is 50,000 pa (46,200 if you get 21 years by doing a border bounce at the end).

 

Edited May 20, 2019 by Mike Teavee

[scubascuba3 8,309]

I pay less to AETNA (BUPA), around 17k . But it does not cover cancer etc.  

For what age? what's the name of that policy?

[tingtongtourist 1,517]

11 hours ago, Cabradelmar said:

You are delusional if you think this will not apply (soon) to those holding "retirement" visas or every other type of long stay status

and risking tourism $ ??

 

Let me as you about this bright idea..

 

It is reported that Thai reccomend a policy that covers no less than 400k baht.

 

So, if people have the minimum cover and need a big Op..say 2 million...

 

The hospital get back 400k and the big bad foriegner can then run away without paying the other 1.6 million.

 

But mandatory 400k insurance will solve all the problems??

lol

come on, they are not that stupid!

[wobalt 269]

So much fuzz for nothing. I have my travel insurance from AXA for 20 euro and that is all I need


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[scubascuba3 8,309]

So much fuzz for nothing. I have my travel insurance from AXA for 20 euro and that is all I need


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It's true that Annual travel insurance should be sufficient but it usually only covers max 90 consecutive days, plus if live in Thailand would be void

[Sheryl 23,921]

I thought this article was clear and helpful, even if the rules still are not. Thanks!

However, a suggestion: should this new requirement for mandatory health insurance ever be extended to apply to extensions based on retirement, perhaps the health insurance that Thai Visa is selling (notably, right along side these articles) could also be available to the full range of retirees who've lived in Thailand for many years - - often because paying full rate for medical care in Thailand is STILL less expensive than buying insurance back home. Currently the Pacific Cross insurance Thai Visa is hawking only covers people to age 64.

The expats who will be most effected by this requirement, if applied to extensions based on retirement, are those who have retired here on a fixed income, and who have aged out of basically any insurance (affordable or otherwise) available for purchase in Thailand. So, even if financially able to buy the insurance, they can't. And, likely, have no where to go to if unable to stay in Thailand.

You do not have to buy insurance from a Thai company to have coverage in Thailand. There are international companies that sell Expatriate Health Insurance policies to people over 65, in fact some even up to age 99. This had been covered repeatedly in other threads.

Contact a broker such as aainsure.net

Even if under 65 there can be advantages to an internationally issued policy vs Thai issued policy and dollar for dollar they do not cost more, in fact the opposite.

Age per se is not a barrier. Premium costs are an issue for some (though should not be if one truly has at least 65k/month income). Bigger problem is that many older people have pre existing conditions like diabetes, heart disease etc and these do pose a barrier.

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[wobalt 269]

It's true that Annual travel insurance should be sufficient but it usually only covers max 90 consecutive days, plus if live in Thailand would be void

Depends how you manage it. You don‘t really live in Thailand as Long you have an residence permit


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[Sheryl 23,921]

It's true that Annual travel insurance should be sufficient but it usually only covers max 90 consecutive days, plus if live in Thailand would be void

Thete are policies that cover ad much as 1 year long trip at a time. But there may be requirement as to having lived in your home country for a period of time before travelling -- it is true that these policies are not intended for people permanently residing abroad. They also will not cover other than emergency care and may opt to medivac you back to your home country rather than pay for tteatment here if you ate stable enough so it really does not meet the meefs of a resident expat. It is a viable option for people spending part time hete & part time in home country though



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[ThaiBunny 3,536]

1 minute ago, wobalt said:

Depends how you manage it. You don‘t really live in Thailand as Long you have an residence permit

The policies I've reviewed recently all have clauses defining as resident as "lives 75% in his home country", "returns to his home country", etc. You'd need to read those definitions very carefully as insurance companies are always out to wriggle out of paying the insured, and residence would be a classic one if the policy itself was for a long period of time

[wobalt 269]

How they know that you don’t live in your home countryside?


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[scubascuba3 8,309]

Thete are policies that cover ad much as 1 year long trip at a time. But there may be requirement as to having lived in your home country for a period of time before travelling -- it is true that these policies are not intended for people permanently residing abroad. They also will not cover other than emergency care and may opt to medivac you back to your home country rather than pay for tteatment here if you ate stable enough so it really does not meet the meefs of a resident expat. It is a viable option for people spending part time hete & part time in home country though

 

 

 

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Yes I've been using these travel insurance policies they are commonly called "backpacker insurance" (very different to annual travel insurance) but often have an upper age limit often 49. I've seen them as much as 18 months long, i usually get 9 months, but often the policy T&Cs will say you need to be your home country (UK in my case) for 6 months before, but they don't seem to check that

 

[AYJAYDEE 4,106]

2 minutes ago, wobalt said:

How they know that you don’t live in your home countryside?


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by your record of when you came thru your home country immigration. 

[ThaiBunny 3,536]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

... but they don't seem to check that

But have you ever claimed? There's no need for them to determine if you qualify or not until you actually hit them up for money

[scubascuba3 8,309]

Depends how you manage it. You don‘t really live in Thailand as Long you have an residence permit


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If you read the t&cs they will say something on the lines of must have been in the UK for example the preceding 6 months. All they need to do is check your passport

[scubascuba3 8,309]

But have you ever claimed? There's no need for them to determine if you qualify or not until you actually hit them up for money

Yes claimed twice, both small and they checked GP pre existing conditions, for a big claim i think they'd dig even further