Thailand to demand proof of health insurance for 'risky' long-term visitors

[Teee]

10 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

Many countries in Europe requires  a travel insurance for invited thai people. No insurance, no visa. ~38% of tourists from the UK have no insurance what so ever. 

Not just Thais.

This is required for all non EU people that apply for Long Term Visa.

The £2000 Medical Insurance covers for NHS treatment of NEW illness or accident.

Any illness that is ongoing before Visa Application has to be declared and a Private Health Insurance is required showing that that person is covered for whatever the illness is.

 

As i said earlier...Thai Govt now getting inline with the rest of the world and making sure everyone is covered by their own means should they fall ill.

 

Makes good sense to me.

[whitemouse]

Has anyone been treated in Thai hospital, free of charge, according to these "human rights rules", like the article claims? I have never heard of free hospital treatment here, not once! 

[wwest5829]

3 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

Just to set the record straight, I did not say that Medicare will cover your everyday medical needs or non-emergency care while outside of the United States.

 

However, Medicare WILL in fact provide coverage overseas for emergency and urgent care (i.e.: a life threatening illness or accident requiring immediate medical attention.  That is a fact that you can corroborate by contacting Medicare or your private supplemental provider.

 

 

 

 

 

Need to cite the information source. This was my understanding, as well. but I did not test it for my heart attack in 2015.

[WaveHunter]

31 minutes ago, Bruce404 said:

WaveHunter is misinformed on the above factoid regarding Medicare coverage outside the USA or its territorial waters or in Canada between Alaska and Washington State.  See: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/travel 

Sorry but you are incorrect.  

Just to set the record straight, I did not say that Medicare will cover your everyday medical needs or non-emergency care while outside of the United States.

 

However, Medicare WILL in fact provide coverage overseas for emergency and urgent care (i.e.: a life threatening illness or accident requiring immediate medical attention).  That is a fact that you can corroborate by contacting Medicare or your private supplemental provider.

 

 

[Teee]

2 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

He said that he can't get an insurance because of his age. So no insurance, no visa.  Can't understand why he doesn't have retirement extension instead of a non O-A visa though.

Then why should Thai Govt/people pay for his ills??

Think if he has no money then why not go back to home country?

[WaveHunter]

4 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

Need to cite the information source. This was my understanding, as well. but I did not test it for my heart attack in 2015.

I'm not exactly sure if it is Medicare itself or your mandatory supplemental provider that actually provides the overseas coverage I described, but the FAQ I provided (from Blue Cross, my mandatory supplemental provider) shows it in black & white, and can easily be confirmed by contacting your provider or the Medicare Help Line.

 

[zhorik]

 

She was told she would have to pay for any treatment but when she produced her Aus passport was told she could receive emergency treatment for free due to reciprocal agreement with Australia. 

emergency treatment is free to all in the UK if it is confined to just the A&E , if hospital treatment is needed then it is charged

to non EU/EEA citizens where a reciprocal arrangement is not in force.

[wwest5829]

1 minute ago, whitemouse said:

Has anyone been treated in Thai hospital, free of charge, according to these "human rights rules", like the article claims? I have never heard of free hospital treatment here, not once! 

True, I went down on my motorbike, was treated immediately roadside and transported to the nearest local government hospital by ambulance. Wounds cleaned, bandaged, tents shot, examined by Doctors, dispensed antibiotics and the ambulance transported me home. Total cost $10.00. So, OK, not free ...

 

[illiterate]

11 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I do not have a problem requiring visitors to have health insurance; it is simply a good idea.

 

However, the quote above leaves me speechless. Are there any valid figures to show a lack of repayment? Especially by long-stayers? Generally all I hear about are tourists, not long-term stayers, who don't have insurance and end up with a 'Go fund me' page.

 

Add a few Baht tax to all plane tickets/landings, use the money to aid foreigners hurt in the Kingdom, and problem solved.

 

It doesn't need to occur like this, and thus makes me wonder what else is at play...

 

What you have said essentially you do not have a problem with a government forcing people to buy products from private companies. 

 

Insurance can be summed up as a middleman collecting fees and overhead to make your healthcare more expensive. All they do is bloat health costs and reap profits. 

 

You may not have a problem with it. Hell, you may not have a problem with denying free speech and freedom of religion. But, it does not matter, some people do have a problem with it. 

[natway09]

Cutting through all the rubbish posts on here it should be mandatory for all expats living

in the country.

In Sweden any visa issued for 2 months or more need to have a health  insurance policy

before it is approved.

There was talk of a policy underwritten by a health insurance company (that has since been sold ) that was 47,000 Bht a year or thereabouts which qualified for long stay visas.

Visitors to NZ now (even short stay) have to sign a declaration that in the event of sickness 

they will be responsible for their own care.

The screaming & yelling about having to have 800,000 Bht in the bank & guys who get agents to fuzz it should not really be living here.

[whitemouse]

8 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

True, I went down on my motorbike, was treated immediately roadside and transported to the nearest local government hospital by ambulance. Wounds cleaned, bandaged, tents shot, examined by Doctors, dispensed antibiotics and the ambulance transported me home. Total cost $10.00. So, OK, not free ...

 

 Article mentions that foreigners, who are unable to pay their hospital bills, are covered by "human right laws", and treated free of charge.

Were you treated for free, because you lacked money, or did you pay your bill?

[WaveHunter]

13 minutes ago, natway09 said:

Cutting through all the rubbish posts on here it should be mandatory for all expats living

in the country.

In Sweden any visa issued for 2 months or more need to have a health  insurance policy

before it is approved.

There was talk of a policy underwritten by a health insurance company (that has since been sold ) that was 47,000 Bht a year or thereabouts which qualified for long stay visas.

Visitors to NZ now (even short stay) have to sign a declaration that in the event of sickness 

they will be responsible for their own care.

The screaming & yelling about having to have 800,000 Bht in the bank & guys who get agents to fuzz it should not really be living here.

Most of the posts here are not "rubbish posts".  I fully agree that Expats should be responsible for their own care and not become a burden to the State, but there's a HUGE difference between being able to provide for your own care (i.e.: a Non-Thai policy or money in the bank that meets the 400,000 baht in-patient provision), and being forced to purchase medical insurance from a private Thai company.

 

I really think the private interests (and lobbying efforts) of the Thai-based insurance companies has a lot to do with this new regulation, just the same as the 800/400 rule for retirement extensions really only serves the interests of the banking industry.

 

[Vacuum]

4 hours ago, mercman24 said:

when i went my bill was 1200 baht for all the tests (gallstone) see doc twice, x ray , blood/pee. tablets

Yes, but this could not be called an emergency. More like a normal check-up which no insurance would have paid anyway.

[sambum]

11 hours ago, Soikhaonoiken said:

Some long stay ex pats will have difficulty in obtaining medical insurance or if they can it will be at a very high price... 

Plus"pre existing conditions" like high blood pressure and high cholesterol make most insurance policies pretty useless for the elderly - and at an exorbitant price!

[Max69xl]

15 minutes ago, Teee said:

Not just Thais.

This is required for all non EU people that apply for Long Term Visa.

The £2000 Medical Insurance covers for NHS treatment of NEW illness or accident.

Any illness that is ongoing before Visa Application has to be declared and a Private Health Insurance is required showing that that person is covered for whatever the illness is.

 

As i said earlier...Thai Govt now getting inline with the rest of the world and making sure everyone is covered by their own means should they fall ill.

 

Makes good sense to me.

Not only for long term visas if you are Thai (maybe even others). For every type of visa you need a travel insurance bought and paid for in Thailand before applying for the visa.

[zhorik]

This is just old news being rehashed. How convenient for Thaivisa, another round of free promotional sharing and advertising. Getting people stirred up is all the rage, take a look at the news, all they report on is stories that will outrage viewers. 

 

 

Now i am getting confused. There seems to be so many differing opinions here as to what is happening.

To be honest it would be good if one could get a definitive report on all the types of vIsa  In Thailand and Their 

Official And unofficial requirements as I understand that many local immigration offices add extras. Then this forum would be 

providing a service  as well as a forum for opinion.

[wwest5829]

59 minutes ago, kylep said:

Then they shouldn't come here and burden this good Thai government with unpaid medical bills. It's mindboggling that none of the other posters see the shamelessness of imposing the cost of their health issues upon the Kingdom's government. They fattened themselves to the extreme with obesity-causing foods back home in their countries, drank themselves drunk with cirrhosis-inducing substances and now they complain about insurance being made mandatory. Shameless to the very core.

Never fear, they are in fact leaving for more welcoming countries, I have read no posts saying that we should not pay our bills. So, let us address the issue: studies resulting in factual statistics as to who is not paying their medical bills and address accordingly. I paid the $11,000.00 hospital bill for my heart attack, stent placement, 2 additional angioplasties and a resulting ministroke. There is no way I can afford the medical insurance covering me without excluding my largest risk and that at a cost I cannot afford. So, your answer is send me packing to a more welcoming country where I can spend my 65K + per month income. This is your answer as to what is best for Thailand?

[d2b2]

You could assume that the baht figured stated is the highly inflated foreigner pricing. 

[Vacuum]

24 minutes ago, Teee said:

Then why should Thai Govt/people pay for his ills??

Think if he has no money then why not go back to home country?

According to his reply, he has 3 million in a Thai bank and a monthly income at that. Think that should cover at least a common cold at a hospital.

[Max69xl]

45 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Maybe they didn't get away, nor survived...????

Many government hospitals are still a bit naive. If you visit a private hospital they will guide you to the cashier when leaving. You won't be able to leave without paying. 

[Jimbo53]

9 hours ago, ezzra said:

So when this stupidity and paranoia ends? this government is going from the silly to the ridiculous, let the government tell us how many non-o visa holders have treated in Thai hospitals and didn't had the money to pay, numbers and figures please real figures, not made up ones, i have been here for 35 years and i don't know any long term staying foreigners  that has been treated in a hospital and got away without paying...

Correct!! I lived in Thailand for the best part of 14 years,and of the same opinion,only one person i know couldnt pay,and the hospital (Queen Sirikhit)in Sattahip still have the body..almost 2 years after his death,they would not release it to his G/F for burial until the bill was paid,(500,000Bht+ for 10 days treatment)which did not happen,as he had run out of cash after paying his previous bill. 

If you dont pay a deposit at the hospital,either prior to treatment,most hospitals will not commence/or stop treatment right away.

With the outlandish figures quoted,it looks like they have been on,and highlighted another gravy train for brown envelopes! T.I.T.

[Bruce404]

54 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

Just to set the record straight, I did not say that Medicare will cover your everyday medical needs or non-emergency care while outside of the United States.

 

However, Medicare WILL in fact provide coverage overseas for emergency and urgent care (i.e.: a life threatening illness or accident requiring immediate medical attention).  That is a fact that you can corroborate by contacting Medicare or your private supplemental provider.

 

 

 

 

 

     WaveHunter, you are referring to an optional, supplemental policy that one purchases out-of-pocket "on top of Medicare".  It is not "Medicare coverage".

     And if you read the fine print in the third answer to the third question in the larger image you posted (not quoted above), it says your supplemental policy does not apply if you move outside the private (Florida) insurer's geographic coverage areas. 

     I doubt any of those areas include Thailand, although perhaps you are not informing your private insurer in Florida that you actually live long-term or lengthy periods in Thailand, and are not just taking short vacations outside the USA.

     Do you have any experience filing a claim for emergency care in Thailand with your private "BlueMedicare HMO" insurer in Florida?  If so, please tell us about it. 

     

     You might want to read the fine print and contact your supplemental insurer to learn its definition of "temporarily outside the plan service area":

"If you receive care from an out-of-network provider without prior authorization from our plan, the care will not be covered except for emergency care, urgently needed care and dialysis services you receive while temporarily outside the plan service area."

https://medicare.websales.floridablue.com/sbu/medadv-detail/bluemedicare-hmo-mytime-4?language_content_entity=en

 

[wwest5829]

3 hours ago, NanLaew said:

You sound like the kind of responsible, registered voter who when confronted with some ill-conceived government edict back home, would have no problems on writing a letter to your local MP about it.

 

But writing your respective embassies? In Thailand? Really?

 

We are expats. Deal with it.

There certainly is enough evidence of elected representatives listening to the money interests rather than the working middle class voter. Still, I have not given up hope that the masses taking to the streets or voting cannot have an effect. So, I just sent in my Absentee Ballot. I may be an Expat but I am still a citizen and do not mind writing the letters, stirring up things and voting for what I believe to be in the best interest of the citizens, 40K Expats here in C. Mai (17K Americans). I'm thinking citizens can still make a difference if they act en masse. Colour me an optimist.

[Garbol56]

Well, this really defines the demographic which this Government is targeting " over 50 farang on long stay visa".????

[CMNightRider]

2 hours ago, Suradit69 said:

Assuming you believe that, his alleged aim is to make it great for Americans and at the same time screw everyone else, especially anyone trying to get in the US, legally or illegally. According to most of the moaners, that's what's happening here.

 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/02/business/trump-legal-immigration-h1b-visas.html

 

 

 

It appears you are attempting to compare apples to oranges.  Thai Immigration is doing all they can to make it difficult for western retirees to live in Thailand, who are financially secure.  Trump is trying to secure America's borders from criminals, terrorists, and people who don't have two nickles to rub together.

[laislica]

11 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I do not have a problem requiring visitors to have health insurance; it is simply a good idea.

 

However, the quote above leaves me speechless. Are there any valid figures to show a lack of repayment? Especially by long-stayers? Generally all I hear about are tourists, not long-term stayers, who don't have insurance and end up with a 'Go fund me' page.

 

Add a few Baht tax to all plane tickets/landings, use the money to aid foreigners hurt in the Kingdom, and problem solved.

 

It doesn't need to occur like this, and thus makes me wonder what else is at play...

 

Didn't they add a surcharge to all flights some years ago?

Then the 800,000 in the bank.

Now compulsory insurance!

 

Long term foreigners are not wanted in Thailand.

 

[GSec]

7 hours ago, tjinks said:

Although I am a US citizen I agree with the poster who said make the Thais pay in the UK & EU instead of being freeloaders.

Anytime I've ever had a visit to Bumrungrad for any reason I've always had to pay up front. I have no experience with other hospitals so can't comment on their methods of being compensated.

Nonsense...we are not politicians, last time I checked

The only recourse we have here is actually to..... stiff them hospital bills.

They started calling us names, we better rise to the occasion ????????

 

Seriously, mandatory health insurance for all long-termers was a question of time.

 

[Max69xl]

6 minutes ago, CMNightRider said:

It appears you are attempting to compare apples to oranges.  Thai Immigration is doing all they can to make it difficult for western retirees to live in Thailand, who are financially secure.  Trump is trying to secure America's borders from criminals, terrorists, and people who don't have two nickles to rub together.

So, terrorists comes from Mexico? 

[wwest5829]

37 minutes ago, whitemouse said:

 Article mentions that foreigners, who are unable to pay their hospital bills, are covered by "human right laws", and treated free of charge.

Were you treated for free, because you lacked money, or did you pay your bill?

Paid my bill but no doubt was treated as a Thai. I am clearly not Thai but comport myself as a nice guy.

[WaveHunter]

41 minutes ago, zhorik said:

To be honest it would be good if one could get a definitive report on all the types of vIsa  In Thailand and Their Official And unofficial requirements as I understand that many local immigration offices add extras. Then this forum would be providing a service  as well as a forum for opinion.

Well IMO, that's exactly what this forum provides.  Don't forget where you are.  This is Thailand, the Magic Kingdom where rules, regulations, and procedures can change almost daily with no public notice being provided by officials, where each provincial government office operates by their own unique take on those rules, regulations and procedures.

 

Unfortunately, to find what's true and factual can require wading through pages of threads, and being able to discern fact from personal opinion BUT, more often than not, you can find the answers here on ThaiVisa, if they are to be found anywhere.

 

So, I can't think of any other resource that serves these kind of needs to Expats better than right here.  Many of the members like @ubonjoe or @Sheryl for instance know more about these kind of things than Thai officials themselves and are a gold mine of useful fact-based information!