With no travel insurance, Canadian family struggles to bring injured father home from Thailand

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I had some of that, when I tried to claim they wouldn't pay.

That does not surprise me at all.

[CygnusX1]

45 minutes ago, henry2109 said:

If the unfortunate gentleman paid for his travel here by credit card. Then surely the credit card company has insurance built in.

 

45 minutes ago, henry2109 said:

This might be the case for the flight, if he has an accident on it. But hardely on everthing between the arrival and departure in Thailand. Some people often simply do not understand what is covered and not by their insurance.

If you use the card to pay for a portion of the trip, some credit cards, typically gold and platinum, include free travel insurance, which covers emergency medical treatment and repatriation to home country, for the whole duration of the holiday, usually up to 3 or 6 months.

[chilli42]

I am going to the Seychelles in March on a fishing trip.  Medical evacuation is USD$60,000 then there is the medical/hospital cost of wherever they take you.  Why would I not insurance?  Should I just wing it and hope that bad things won’t happen to me?  If travelers can’t even act in their own best interest then why should the government not step in?  If you can’t afford it then stay home.  
 

That said I do feel badly for this guy.  He never thought it would happen to him.

[Kirkster57]

This guy was living in Nanaimo, BC, Canada with his daughter. My apartment is 2 floors above them. I was in Thailand at the time this happened, but unaware of the accident.

I hope he recovers, but it doesn't look very good. I believe both his daughters are there now, in Thailand, to be with him.

 

I had bought some Health Insurance here before I left, from Pacific Blue Cross. I'm 62, a smoker, with no real health issues. My policy is good for 1 year world-wide, up to 10 million dollars. I can only leave the country for 120 days at a time, as per the policy.  It cost me $800 for 1 year....     Well worth it, considering the alternatives.

[Gudge]

1 hour ago, PEE TEE said:

Sad news hope he can get it sorted. is a fact my friend from Canada had a bad motorbike crash the Canadian government paid for his hospital expenses including out patients . he told me he was covered in the event of accidents by the government . they also paid me for taking him back and forth every day for dressing change. mabey is only certain provinces that do this . wish him best of luck to recover       

I am a Canadian and was in Bangkok Pattaya hospital and was forced to pay my bill before release. We are covered by medical but only to the amount they would pay at home and when you return you have to send all bills to them and they decide what they will pay. Many things covered in Canada are not covered in Thailand, ie ambulance, some testing + other things. First and last time traveling without insurance but over 65 you get raped and gets worse with age. Used to spend 6 months a year in Thailand but can't afford to any more. Over 25 years.

[Kirkster57]

There is a GoFundMe page set up by his daughters...   I think the cost to fly him home is now $75,000.00 Cdn.......    they are a long way off from that.

[NoshowJones]

55 minutes ago, henry2109 said:

This might be the case for the flight, if he has an accident on it. But hardely on everthing between the arrival and departure in Thailand. Some people often simply do not understand what is covered and not by their insurance.

Insurance companies go out of their way with all their small print and legal jargon to confuse us, then use it to try and find an excuse not to pay out when a claim is made.

[Peter Denis]

52 minutes ago, Prince77 said:

It starts to annoy me that there is always a mix-up between HEALTH - and TRAVEL insurance. The later has nothing to do with age or existing pre-conditions - it is a travel insurance which covers accidents and unforeseenable cases of illness.

A travel insurance costs peanuts and should be mandatory for ALL visitors / tourist in Thailand for their own benefit and safety.

 

Of course it is not meant for so called "long stay tourists".

Agree with your post, except for the last part.

In my case being on long-stay in Thailand, travel-insurance (also covering re-patriation) is a very good solution.

When in my home-country (Belgium) I am very well-covered, as good as unlimited coverage at no cost because of having contributed during my working-life.

When in Thailand > For accidents and unforeseen illnesses I took a Belgian travel-insurance policy, extremely generous in all respects and costs only 250 Euro per year, covering all your trips to a max of 6 months per trip (after that you need to be back in Belgium for 2 weeks, in order that your next trips will be covered again).

As I visit my home-country at least once a year, that suits me fine.  And for the uncovered periods when I stay longer than 6 months in Thailand, I take an on-the-fly travel-insurance from WorldNomads for the exact number of days needed.  Cheap, fast and good coverage.

 

[IssanMichael]

3 hours ago, jlwilliamsjr18 said:

Perhaps you can educate us.

"One can get "accident insurance" at the local bank for less than 2000 Bt."

I get 1m Baht accident insurance through Bangkok Insurance costs me about 3500 Baht per year and i am 73. Had to claim a couple of years ago as i fell on wet tiles and severed my ear, operation cost 85,000 Baht. Any other insurance i cannot get now as have too many conditions.

[NoBrainer]

I don't understand, he is married to a Thai, but he wants to go home. Isn't home where your wife lives? Is he just going to abandon her? And when he gets a taste of Canada's medical system, I think he will wish he stayed in Thailand.

[moe666]

3 hours ago, bluesofa said:

I wouldn't really describe falling off a ladder as a hazardous pursuit?

The majority of deaths from falls happen at 2to 4 feet, injuries 1 to 3 feet. Think about it if you are standing 2 feet above the floor on a ladder, if you are 6 feet tall your head is 8 feet above the floor.

[ubonr1971]

3 hours ago, sean420 said:

I get 6 months insurance their Square Mouth insurance company and its $200 American.Its travel insurance but it works.i sometimes get 2 months at a time and it's $60 for 2 months.

this guy needed to fork out 2000 baht for 2 months

ever tried to make a claim. let us know how good it is after this

[Letseng]

4 hours ago, friendphil said:

I BELIEVE that you're way off on the 2-3 beers per day cost of insurance.  And at that age, when I lived in Thailand, it simply was not available, at least through Thai providers, and the farang provider options that were available were simply out of reach of most farangs living in Thailand. 

Travel insurance costs us 120£/year at age 73. Not affordable? Or buy accident insurance.

[Hoppyone]

4 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Sad news, hope he recovers, but I cannot understand people that skimp out on health insurance and or travel insurance. From my calculations, it costs between 2-3 beers a day for someone that age, and yes I understand some can't get it because of their age and pre-existing conditions, but @ 66, come on, at least self insure, and at that age, if you haven't got money, you should stay in your home country as opposed to being a burden to others, harsh words, yes, but Thailand owes us nothing and we shouldn't be a burden on Thailand. No doubt I will cop some slack here for my open opinion, but it is what it is, the truth, he is now a financial burden to his family on both sides of the fence.

 

I would hate for something to happen to me which would make me a financial burden on my family, either side of the fence, so I take out medical insurance and travel insurance when I travel, sure it costs, but the burden is on me.

 

All good in a perfect world,but the big question is would he have covered by an insurance policy doing what he was doing,I’m pretty sure there would be something in fine print to protect the insurance cover as per normal 

[mushroomdave]

I'm Canadian living between Taiwan and Thailand.  I have the government insurance health plan in Taiwan but I would NEVER enter Thailand without personal coverage.  I come for 30 days next month and I bought my plan 2 months ago.  I had Canadian relatives visit twice over the last 2 yrs. and I warned them about Thailand / hospitals / driving and they told me their banks had automatic coverage or they payed next to nothing through their bank to get it.  Not sure why this guy didn't have it?  Anyone with prior knowledge as to how they drive in Thailand and not be covered makes you wonder.   

[wotsdermatter]

3 hours ago, pookiki said:

At least Canada treats its citizens better than most in having a good medical insurance for all of its people.  For those of us who have supported our own country's medical schemes through taxes,

What many people, even Canadians are not aware of is that our provincial Health Insurance plans are usually covered by a health tax that companies pay.  I can only speak for Ontario because that is where I reside after giving up on Thailand, where I lived for 20+ years.  We are covered for up to 7 months of the year being outside Ontario in another province or outside of the country.  However, we must provide the original receipts detailing the diagnoses, treatment provided, and cost, in the language of the country in which we were treated, and a certified copy in English.

 

A few months ago I posted a news report about what Premier Ford instituted.  Included in  that report was something completely new.  We used to be covered for up to 450.00 CAD a night for hospitalisation.  Ford has taken that privilege away in order to reduce the spending on medical expenses for people outside of the province and bring his budget into line by reducing such expenses.  Another nail in our coffin, so to speak.

 

The Thai government helped me make up my mind about continuing to live in Thailand when they introduced the mandatory health insurance (being 78 and with preexisting conditions which Thai insurance does not cover.  Combine that with the absurd amount they want deposited in a Thai bank so the bank can generate income for the bank by loaning out the money to others.  No way will I ever do that.  Also, it is now official as of a few months ago, that Thai medical services can charge us three times the cost that Thais pay and even more than people from neighbouring countries do.

 

As much as I would like to return, I will not do so under those conditions.  It is almost as if they forget that many ex-pats contributed a lot of money to the Thai coffers but eventually their comes backlash from the cash cow as many have used their feet to show that.

`nuf sed

[newatthis]

57 minutes ago, murraynz said:

it IS  a hazardous pursuit....im sure that in many countries, it is near the top of the list for accidents....regardless, all insurance companies will do their very best, to find a way out ,from settling a claim...

I was looking at various insurance companies a couple of years back and a large international one had an exclusion clause [well down in the list]....no coverage for injuries / accidents etc while performing manual labour. The agent said that's only for paid manual labour; but, of course, you'll never know until "the rubber hits the road."

[orchis]

3 hours ago, bluesofa said:

I wouldn't really describe falling off a ladder as a hazardous pursuit?

at 66 probably more hazardous. i had a professor who fell of a ladder in his orchard: dead.

[300sd]

I didn't read in this news article which hospital he is in. Sounds like a lot of baht per day if it is a public hospital. I also never read anything about him or the family expecting Thai people to pay. I imagine the procedure's have been paid by him or the family, and now they are possibly fleecing, I mean charging him a daily rate, a captive audience! My friend who had a motor bike accident had to pay before any work was done, and he was moved to three hospitals here in Thailand. 

 

I wish him all the best, and I hope he makes it back soon before his insurance in Canada expires. If he's out of the country longer then six months then his Canadian gov't insurance may not cover him.

 

 

[allenberg]

4 hours ago, jlwilliamsjr18 said:

Perhaps you can educate us.

"One can get "accident insurance" at the local bank for less than 2000 Bt."

Bangkok Bank plans for accident insurance (excluding anything motorbike) have yearly premiums of 1,500 baht to 5080.

[wotsdermatter]

2 hours ago, PEE TEE said:

my friend from Canada had a bad motorbike crash the Canadian government paid for his hospital expenses including out patients . he told me he was covered in the event of accidents by the government

He would not be covered by the Federal Government of Canada but the Provincial Health Insurance Plan from the province in which he lives, but there are limitations.

`nuf sed.

[saigonsunset]

I believe one should at least get an insurance that covers the transportation back home so that you can re-enter your home helath system. My German car club offers such insurances regardless of age and they also cover treatment until safe enough to being flown home. I do understand that the Thais are fed up paying the bills for foreign nationals (try getting treatment in the US without insurance) and why should they. If you are too old to get health insurance for your vacation maybe you are too old to travel?

[spoon1967]

I never wish bad luck/health on anyone and I hope this guy gets sorted.

 

I travel to Thailand 4 times a year, I'm now divorced and have a 7 year old child in Thailand, I'm 52 and have BUpa multi trip travel insurance, costs me £140 a year, 90 days limit per trip, and I'd not be without it, I also have accident cover with my Kasikorn bank, which I pay a cover charge of 500 B a year, still prefer to have Bupa though.

 

This guy should have ( as we've all said) had insurance, even if he did. he'd of been silly to say he fell off a ladder, maybe a slip on the stairs would of been a better "claim" reason, not condoning Insurance fraud of course.

 

I also feel that there's more to this story; Thai wife, aged 66..., I'm thinking he's retired in Thailand already, but not wanting the Canadian Gov to know (maybe not eligible for home health care), but that's his business.

 

Good luck to the chap anyway. 

[Melbun]

3 hours ago, pookiki said:

I certainly hope this man recovers and is able to lead a productive life afterwards. However, I am somewhat tired of the stories on this forum that make health insurance the 'panacea' for all of the problems we can encounter by illness or accident. In the case of a very serious illness or injury, insurance will only delay the inevitable - that an individual will deplete his/her life savings and live in poverty thereafter.  At least Canada treats its citizens better than most in having a good medical insurance for all of its people.  For those of us who have supported our own country's medical schemes through taxes, the obvious answer is to extend this coverage to us outside the country as well.

Oh come on man!! quote: "In the case of a very serious illness or injury, insurance will only delay the inevitable". So what are you saying ?? euthanasia ?? In case you aren't aware, hospitals are there to try and restore a very sick/injured person to good health. Simply put: everyone MUST have sufficient health / travel insurance. If you claim you can't afford it - then you can't afford to travel.

[shackleton]

seems to be getting regular news here on Thai Visa about people not having Medical or travel insurance 

we have all been through the ins and outs  of peoples reasons for not having 

but hopefully some on here will be reading this news item and 

Re-consider their options 

[Thaidream]

4 hours ago, pookiki said:

I certainly hope this man recovers and is able to lead a productive life afterwards. However, I am somewhat tired of the stories on this forum that make health insurance the 'panacea' for all of the problems we can encounter by illness or accident. In the case of a very serious illness or injury, insurance will only delay the inevitable - that an individual will deplete his/her life savings and live in poverty thereafter.  At least Canada treats its citizens better than most in having a good medical insurance for all of its people.  For those of us who have supported our own country's medical schemes through taxes, the obvious answer is to extend this coverage to us outside the country as well.

Agree completely-  Most Western countries fund their Healthcare though working citizens paying a percentage of their salary to their Governments.  These citizens should be covered no matter where they travel or reside .  Citizens have already paid into the system.

[brianthainess]

3 hours ago, thailand49 said:

Staring this year due to the high premiums for my age I've started to self fund but always have an eye out for something.

 I doubt you can ever get cover for that. ???? 

[Thian]

And this is why the Thai want ALL OF US to have healthcare insurance.....caprice??

[Chazar]

another "softening us  up for the final push/solution" thread

[smedly]

There seem to be two things going on here

 

Current treatment (being paid) and his current condition which is not so clear, I don't trust hospitals here - if they have someone in their care and are getting large sums of money by keeping him there - what incentive is there for that to stop, hospitals here are businesses when they have paying patients, health insurance or not they are getting huge sums to keep someone in situ - it is a very grey area, it would also be interesting to know what the prognosis is going forward - why are they keeping him in the hospital - is it essential that he stay there ?????? are they keeping him there just to keep the payments rolling in, if was Thai and getting free treatment - would he still be in hospital

 

The second issue is travel to his home country and is linked to the first, in the article it says "he has expressed a wish to go home", meaning that the photo from the article is somewhat misleading likely taken immediately post OP because it would seem that in his current state he is able to express wishes and talk, yes a brain bleed can be a serious injury but does not mean he has not or can not fully recover and since he is talking then that would indicate he is recovering or has recovered and is long out of danger

 

His wife lives in Thailand why does he want to go to Canada ?, it would seem that the current issue is about his current need for care and his current condition and what care he really needs which is back to my first point

 

All of these issues would quickly disappear if foreign retirees and husbands/wives were allowed to pay into the Thai Gov health system