Mandatory health insurance for non-immigrant O-A retirement visa holders likely to take effect in July

[CH1961]

11 hours ago, Isaanbiker said:

Is it possible that westerners in the future will have to pay all the bills that can't/ couldn't be paid by all non-Thai Asians? 

No, you just have to have a health insurance for yourself. 

[jollyhangmon]

8 minutes ago, Time Traveller said:

Thai government is so stupid. If I was forced to buy insurance I don't need. Guess what? I'm going to get every little bit of medical attention I don't need, just to get my money back that I paid. Plenty of thai doctors will give you medicines not questions asked. These can then be resold for cash.

If enough people do this, then Insurance companies have to raise their premiums to cover all these unnecessary visits. 

Together we all can rort the system and destroy this stupid idea.

Bring it on!

 

... spot on sir, couldn't have put it any better!

Now, just get that medical weed on track pronto ...  

 

 

[smedly]

10 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

My original visa was Non-B  I have and do extend for one year on retirement (800K in bank method). So presumably I am classified as a 'long stay'/extension and the new rule will apply. Is this correct?

Is it an O-A ?

 

The obvious answer is - NO

[brewsterbudgen]

O-A only

And O-X visas, although these have had an insurance requirement for some time now. Both visas are purchased in the applicant's home country.

Sent from my SM-A500F using Tapatalk

[TDCNINJA]

I personally think the long-stay health insurance plans that are offered are a good deal. I'm currently processing an OA visa and will apply for one of the long stay insurance plans. 

[baansgr]

38 million OA visa holders.....coffee time

[smedly]

19 minutes ago, micmichd said:

OP says 38 million medical visits, not 38 million persons. 

Must be quite sick, these oldies, if they need medical help that often. Guess some further investigation about the health status of these retirees would be helpful. 

Interesting point

 

Any time I visit a private hospital which is possibly 2x a year - all the people waiting and walking about the hospital are either from the Middle East or Asian, the other thing I notice is that when sitting to pay my bill with cashier - I'm on my own lol

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Thirty-eight million OA visa holders last year??? What insane nonsense is this? That's more than half the total Thai population again are foreigners in country, and that's on just one visa type. The number of visa-waiver holders in Pattaya at any one time must exceed one billion at least if these figures are to be believed.

No wonder the TAT's numbers are a laughing stock if this is an example of Thai statistics.

[Surasak]

12 hours ago, Denim said:

I assume these statistics are from government hospitals.

 

With private ones unless you show the ability to pay you are not likely to pass go.

 

Certainly, when I was admitted for 4 days the waiting room was chocker with sickly looking falangs and half a dozen receptionists trying to phone overseas insurance companies to confirm the policies  were up to date and correct. Very undignified if you are on deaths door.

"Very undignified if you are on deaths door."

Maybe, but the doctors were doing their best to pull you through! ????

[MikeN]

7 minutes ago, redwhiteandblue said:

What is the source of these figures.  They are not in the original article.

They were in the original article, the Nation has edited their version but if you go to thaivisanews https://news.thaivisa.com/article/35306/mandatory-health-insurance-for-retirement-visa-holders-likely-to-take-effect-in-july it was still there as I write this.

 The Nation has obviously been told the numbers are bogus, but I bet they don’t have the intestinal fortitude to tell the government that.

[SiSePuede419]

How many foreigners didn't pay their bills because they died in the hospital.

 

Don't they make you pay before you can go? ????????????????????

[ujayujay]

So let the Exodus begin. There is no medicine against stupidity.

[wensiensheng]

1 hour ago, Peterw42 said:

All vehicles have compulsory 3rd party person insurance, PorLor Bor insurance paid when you get the annual sticker. This insurance pays out no matter what even if driver has no license, drunk etc. Your home country would have a similar compulsory coverage, in Australia for example its called CTP insurance.

I get your point though, a big accident above what the insurance pays probably does account for some of the unpaid.

Correction. All vehicles are SUPPOSED to have compulsory 3rd party insurance. How many battered pick ups going around don’t have motor tax because they would never pass the vehicle inspection and how many don’t bother with the insurance requirement? And while we are at it, how many drivers don’t have a licence?

 

maybe Bangkok has a low percentage of such vehicles/drivers, but trying living in a rural location.

[userabcd]

3 minutes ago, TDCNINJA said:

I personally think the long-stay health insurance plans that are offered are a good deal. I'm currently processing an OA visa and will apply for one of the long stay insurance plans. 

Certainly not a good deal if one is of a certain age and has several preconditions, it will be just paying an insurance company money for no benefit.

[Spike1938]

I am 81 and have health issues so no insurance company will touch me.

However, I have well over 400000 THB in a Thai bank and cover my own medical bills.
I recently had a heart stent inserted and paid the 200000+ out of pocket which, as I said, left me with a 400000++ balance.

Moreover, I have pensions that are growing that balance.

So, am I going to be deported because I don't have an actual policy?

[MellowYellow101]

It seems they don't expect the Thai people to run the numbers and do the math when they present statistics to them. 

[Denim]

1 minute ago, Surasak said:

"Very undignified if you are on deaths door."

Maybe, but the doctors were doing their best to pull you through! ????

 

Yes , and they did pull me through but I paid myself and was not one of those in the waiting room depending on a nod to proceed from an insurance company. 

[smedly]

8 minutes ago, TDCNINJA said:

I personally think the long-stay health insurance plans that are offered are a good deal. I'm currently processing an OA visa and will apply for one of the long stay insurance plans. 

well that is simply wonderful 

 

Remember to deposit Bt800k in a Thai bank and keep Bt400k of it on deposit 12 months a year ????

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Even if the 300m Baht in unpaid medical bills number is accurate - which, judging from the other stats, I doubt - that is less than US$10m p.a. Set against the relentless gathering of fees for visas, for extensions and for other services at immigration, the figure is insignificantly small.

[Surasak]

1 minute ago, Denim said:

 

Yes , and they did pull me through but I paid myself and was not one of those in the waiting room depending on a nod to proceed from an insurance company. 

Possible missunderstanding here, Demin? ... Deaths door. Pull you through????!!!!

[Mac98]

entrance fee for foreign visitors of 10 baht per year of age. Average age 40? 400 baht × 40,000,000 = 16,000,000,000. That should cover it. 

[smedly]

3 minutes ago, Spike1938 said:

I am 81 and have health issues so no insurance company will touch me.

However, I have well over 400000 THB in a Thai bank and cover my own medical bills.
I recently had a heart stent inserted and paid the 200000+ out of pocket which, as I said, left me with a 400000++ balance.

Moreover, I have pensions that are growing that balance.

So, am I going to be deported because I don't have an actual policy?

no - you don't have an O-A visa and can cover your own bills 

 

The only people that may not be able to cover their own bills living here are those who are paying agents and IO bribes to bypass the rules for 12 month extensions and don't have any money in Thailand 

[Denim]

3 minutes ago, Surasak said:

Possible missunderstanding here, Demin? ... Deaths door. Pull you through????!!!!

 

Pull me through deaths door ? No, they saved my bacon ! I live yet !

[Peterw42]

5 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

Correction. All vehicles are SUPPOSED to have compulsory 3rd party insurance. How many battered pick ups going around don’t have motor tax because they would never pass the vehicle inspection and how many don’t bother with the insurance requirement? And while we are at it, how many drivers don’t have a licence?

 

maybe Bangkok has a low percentage of such vehicles/drivers, but trying living in a rural location.

The compulsory 3rd party remains valid and pays out even if the tax/registration is un-paid, eventually when the owner goes to sell or register another vehicle they are hit with the outstanding premiums.

[dauu]

In the article that was presented in Link, this figure of 38 million does not appear anymore

[Pedrogaz]

The amount owing is peanuts......300 million baht is about US$10 million....and how much will the insurance premiums be for the 38million (sic) holders of OA visas?????

[jollyhangmon]

6 minutes ago, dauu said:

In the article that was presented in Link, this figure of 38 million does not appear anymore

 

... been replaced by some more insurance ads perhaps ...?!

Appalling leeches that lot! 

 

[masuk]

12 hours ago, Isaanbiker said:

The requirement was introduced because foreign expats have piled up unpaid medical bills of more than Bt300 million since 2016. 

 

   How many of them were direct neighbors, or generally from SEA?

 

    Watching locals subtracting 10 baht from 100 baht by using a calculator makes me think. How accurate is this statistic then? 

 

    

How accurate are ALL the statistics?    Seems like the numbers are a bit excessive.

 

[userabcd]

16 minutes ago, Spike1938 said:

I am 81 and have health issues so no insurance company will touch me.

However, I have well over 400000 THB in a Thai bank and cover my own medical bills.
I recently had a heart stent inserted and paid the 200000+ out of pocket which, as I said, left me with a 400000++ balance.

Moreover, I have pensions that are growing that balance.

So, am I going to be deported because I don't have an actual policy?

Check your visa in your passport, is it an O visa or an O-A?

[monkfish]

All vehicles have compulsory 3rd party person insurance, PorLor Bor insurance paid when you get the annual sticker. This insurance pays out no matter what even if driver has no license, drunk etc. Your home country would have a similar compulsory coverage, in Australia for example its called CTP insurance.

I get your point though, a big accident above what the insurance pays probably does account for some of the unpaid.

So when you get run over by drunk that insurance is going to cover the hospital bill right?