Extension of Stay ( retirment ) & Health Insurance

[TigerandDog]

Has anybody done an extension of stay ( O-A based on retirement ) at Chiang Mai since 31 October?  

 

I've been receiving conflicting information as to whether CM are requiring health insurance when extensions are done.  If they are, and I haven't seen anybody post about it yet, what documentation is required to prove that you have health insurance?

[Sheryl]

There have been posts and they are currently requiring it.

 

When you get a policy from one of the Immigration approved companies they will issue you a certificate for immigration. That and only that is what they will accept.

 

But first doublecheck that your original visa was O-A and not O.

 

Most of the people here on retirement extensions have O not O-A. We have had threads from people going far into plans like leaving the country and coming back on a different visa etc only to have it turn out they did not have an O-A they had an O.

[MeePeeMai]

14 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Most of the people here on retirement extensions have O not O-A. We have had threads from people going far into plans like leaving the country and coming back on a different visa etc only to have it turn out they did not have an O-A they had an O.

Gosh I wish that was the case for me.  Some lucky folks there!

[TigerandDog]

53 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

There have been posts and they are currently requiring it.

 

When you get a policy from one of the Immigration approved companies they will issue you a certificate for immigration. That and only that is what they will accept.

 

But first doublecheck that your original visa was O-A and not O.

 

Most of the people here on retirement extensions have O not O-A. We have had threads from people going far into plans like leaving the country and coming back on a different visa etc only to have it turn out they did not have an O-A they had an O.

Thanks Sheryl, I'm definitely O-A.  I have a policy with Pacific Cross which I will need to upgrade before I do my next extension. Only problem is PC are saying that plans also had to be approved. I've seen nothing that says that, and Joe also said this was not the case in a pm. The problem I see is that PC may not issue the certificate because the plan I intend to upgrade to, even though it exceeds the minimum requirements of 400k IP and 40k OP, is not one that they are including in their list of plans for us to choose from. I have raised this issue with their CEO and asked him for a copy of documentation that says plans must also be approved not just the insurance company, and thus far he is burying his head in the sand. 

[Sheryl]

2 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

Thanks Sheryl, I'm definitely O-A.  I have a policy with Pacific Cross which I will need to upgrade before I do my next extension. Only problem is PC are saying that plans also had to be approved. I've seen nothing that says that, and Joe also said this was not the case in a pm. The problem I see is that PC may not issue the certificate because the plan I intend to upgrade to, even though it exceeds the minimum requirements of 400k IP and 40k OP, is not one that they are including in their list of plans for us to choose from. I have raised this issue with their CEO and asked him for a copy of documentation that says plans must also be approved not just the insurance company, and thus far he is burying his head in the sand. 

How old are you?

 

Ant pre-existing conditions?

[TigerandDog]

32 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

How old are you?

 

Ant pre-existing conditions?

69. 2 legitimate pre-existing conditions and 2 PC are treating as pre-existing even though one was something I was treated for 30 years ago and the other 6 years ago.  The norm for pre-existing conditions is anything you've been treated for in the 5 years prior to taking out the cover.

[Sheryl]

Ok. So PC really is pretty much your only option unless you shed the OA.

 

Have you applied to have the exclusions for old conditions lifted? Usually can once you've held the policy a few years.

 

PC does not underwrite their own policies. I think not allowed to by the OIC as all foreign insurabce companies operating here seem to use local insurers as underwriter. This puts them in a difficult position as they cannot answer many questions themselves but rather have to refer it to the underwriter.

[KeeTua]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

PC does not underwrite their own policies.

10:00 minutes into the interview Jamie Connell, Director of Client relationships, for Thaivisa Protect / Pacific Cross Insurance says the ThaiVisa Protect products are fully underwritten. I think that would apply to the products offered directly from Pacific Cross too.

 

forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1131260-essential-health-insurance-information-for-expats-interview/

[TigerandDog]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

Ok. So PC really is pretty much your only option unless you shed the OA.

 

Have you applied to have the exclusions for old conditions lifted? Usually can once you've held the policy a few years.

 

PC does not underwrite their own policies. I think not allowed to by the OIC as all foreign insurabce companies operating here seem to use local insurers as underwriter. This puts them in a difficult position as they cannot answer many questions themselves but rather have to refer it to the underwriter.

Jamie Connell has stated in the video interviews he's done for TV and in telephone conversations with me that the main advantage PC has over the majority of other health insurance companies is they underwrite their own policies. The one from 30 years ago ( arthroscopies to both knees to remove some loose floating cartilage ) I have to have held the policy for 3 years and with no treatment relative to that scenario before a review will be done, despite having had no further treatment since 1989.

[Sheryl]

7 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

...PC has over the majority of other health insurance companies is they underwrite their own policies.

Good to know, I stand corrected on that then.

 

I had the impression from what people were reporting that it was a different entity with whom the Sales repa/customer service folk had limited communication. 

[cnxnicho]

" Most of the people here on retirement extensions have O not O-A. We have had threads from people going far into plans like leaving the country and coming back on a different visa etc only to have it turn out they did not have an O-A they had an O "   !!

 

Just check in your passport for the first visa O or OA, not difficult !!

[Sheryl]

Actually for many people the first visa was in a different passport thet may no longer have.

 

But there will be an immigration stamp (albeit in Thai language) on one of the first few pages that gives details of the original visa. 

 

More than a few people have gotten far along in planning what to do about an OA visa that they did not in fact have.

[cnxnicho]

6 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Actually for many people the first visa was in a different passport thet may no longer have.

 

But there will be an immigration stamp (albeit in Thai language) on one of the first few pages that gives details of the original visa. 

 

More than a few people have gotten far along in planning what to do about an OA visa that they did not in fact have.

Easy why complicate things, the original visa information is always transferred to a new passport and you can always ask immigration who have details of the original visa !

[sqwakvfr]

 

“  The norm for pre-existing conditions is anything you've been treated for in the 5 years prior to taking out the cover.”

 

I have the same kind of exclusions on my Immigration Approved PC Policy.

 

My PC Policy has exclusions for an minor injury(17 years ago) and an illness(11 years) that I indicated on the Medical History form.  In the end I had physical therapy and medication only.  I hate to spend the extra money for this otherwise useless policy but “them’s the rules”.  TIT.