Over 70s in Thailand

[ifmu]

On 8/13/2020 at 11:37 AM, Tounge Thaied said:

I am 52 and have thought that I would enroll in this global emergency evacuation flight insurance program so that I could be flown back to my home country when I need a major health care emergency.

https://www.globalrescue.com/

i just talked to these people  chat   and i was VERY unhappy with our conversation ... i am 70 and they dont cover me    no prob i understand  .. what upset me was how ignorant the person i was talking to sounded ..it may work for some of u  but beware they are not the sharpest tool in the box 

 

chat post below 

Janine: Hi! How can I help you?
You: travel to thailand after virus over usa to thailand
You: are you a computer or human
Janine: Sure! I can assist you. You're chatting with a live person
Janine: We can certainly offer you our services since we do not have restrictions with nationalities
You: ask your questions .. please keep it simple for now .. just shopping around
Janine: How long usually does your travel lasts?
You: i think i will need 3.3 k usd for immigration to cover trump virus and misc .. 6 months jan 1 to july 1
You: 70 yo
You: never sick
You: med eval can be avail
Janine: Our Global Rescue membership is for medical advisory and evacuation services
Janine: It seems that you are looking for a different benefit which is not included in our services
You: not avail with u ? can u point me to correct site and thanks for alll help
Janine: Unfortunately, I am unaware of companies who may cover your immigration fees
You: this is not for imm fees this is a requirement of the thai immigration that i come into country with ins covering me if i get sick
Janine: I see. We do have Signature Travel Insurance that covers up to $100,000 worth of emergency medical bills, however it can only be purchased for 90 days per trip
Janine: Since your trip is for a full 6 months, it will not be possible
Janine: For a longer period of time, I recommend contacting our partners at IMG.  They can be reached by phone at 317-833-1777, via their website https://www.imglobal.com/, or by email [email protected].
You: can i do back to back policies ?
Janine: Back to back policies is not allowed for the Signature Travel Insurance
You: ok for the heck of it how much for 90 DAYS
You: I Can pass the info on to others on the forum and of course tell them to contact u
Janine: We are currently unable to provide any quotation as of the moment for non-U.S residents. You may try to contact us again next week for an update.
You: i did not say i was a not us resident
You: i am a us citizen why did u think i was
Janine: Apologies, what I meant was for those who are 70 years old.
You: non us citizen and age are completely different how can u mix these up ?
You: are you sure u are human .. i mean a pc would mix this up
Janine: Apologies. I misread the earlier information
You: thanks i will be sure to tell all on the thai forum how thorough and accurate this chat was .. .. i mean if this is an example your company .. i probably will not rec u to anyone

[The Fugitive]

Compulsory health care plans for all could be a lifesaver for some in case of serious accident/illness. Many ex-pats especially from UK receiving Government State Pension only of £600 per month. They live in 5,000 baht rented apartments and use agents to obtain their retirement extensions. Government hospitals provide life saving treatment firstly and then ask for payment. If further surgery/treatment is required they demand payment in advance. If not forthcoming the patient won't be treated. For their own safety they either need cover or to be in the UK.

Edited August 14, 2020 by The Fugitive

[gamini]

What's wrong with the government hospitals. The best  hospital in Thailand by far is Rama hospital in Bangkok. You have to wait your turn and it takes a long time to see a doctor and get admitted it just requires a lot of patience. You need to go with someone who speaks Thai. The doctors are honest very very capable and don't make you take a lot of medicine and unnecessary tests. Even though you have to wait a long time to see each doctor or specialist they take their time and all speak English well.Another thing I noticed was how well the Rama hospital look was equipped with the most modern state-of-the-art facilities.  I have been to this hospital five times. I was admitted and had an operation and it cost about 1/5 of what a private hospital would charge. Having one been admitted to the U.K.'s best private hospital for two weeks, the London clinic. I can assure you that the Rama was better and more professional. The cost of flying back to the UK would probably cost more than a Thai government hospital charges.
A problem with a lot of expats living here they don't bother to make Thai friends and they seem to think that they deserve better treatment than the locals.

So it's just a question of taking a Thai speaking friend with you when you go to a local government hospital. If you haven't gotten a Thai friend you shouldn't be living here.

[ifmu]

6 minutes ago, ifmu said:

i just talked to these people  chat   and i was VERY unhappy with our conversation ... i am 70 and they dont cover me    no prob i understand  .. what upset me was how ignorant the person i was talking to sounded ..it may work for some of u  but beware they are not the sharpest tool in the box 

 

chat post below 

Janine: Hi! How can I help you?
You: travel to thailand after virus over usa to thailand
You: are you a computer or human
Janine: Sure! I can assist you. You're chatting with a live person
Janine: We can certainly offer you our services since we do not have restrictions with nationalities
You: ask your questions .. please keep it simple for now .. just shopping around
Janine: How long usually does your travel lasts?
You: i think i will need 3.3 k usd for immigration to cover trump virus and misc .. 6 months jan 1 to july 1
You: 70 yo
You: never sick
You: med eval can be avail
Janine: Our Global Rescue membership is for medical advisory and evacuation services
Janine: It seems that you are looking for a different benefit which is not included in our services
You: not avail with u ? can u point me to correct site and thanks for alll help
Janine: Unfortunately, I am unaware of companies who may cover your immigration fees
You: this is not for imm fees this is a requirement of the thai immigration that i come into country with ins covering me if i get sick
Janine: I see. We do have Signature Travel Insurance that covers up to $100,000 worth of emergency medical bills, however it can only be purchased for 90 days per trip
Janine: Since your trip is for a full 6 months, it will not be possible
Janine: For a longer period of time, I recommend contacting our partners at IMG.  They can be reached by phone at 317-833-1777, via their website https://www.imglobal.com/, or by email [email protected].
You: can i do back to back policies ?
Janine: Back to back policies is not allowed for the Signature Travel Insurance
You: ok for the heck of it how much for 90 DAYS
You: I Can pass the info on to others on the forum and of course tell them to contact u
Janine: We are currently unable to provide any quotation as of the moment for non-U.S residents. You may try to contact us again next week for an update.
You: i did not say i was a not us resident
You: i am a us citizen why did u think i was
Janine: Apologies, what I meant was for those who are 70 years old.
You: non us citizen and age are completely different how can u mix these up ?
You: are you sure u are human .. i mean a pc would mix this up
Janine: Apologies. I misread the earlier information
You: thanks i will be sure to tell all on the thai forum how thorough and accurate this chat was .. .. i mean if this is an example your company .. i probably will not rec u to anyone

i contacted the imglobal site and found a number of choices  https://www.imglobal.com/img-insurance-plans   check it out this is for over 70

 

[NoshowJones]

18 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Yeah you right but insurance companies don't care, the Thai ins company I was with for 3 years said they would insure me to 85 which I thought wasn't such a bad deal.

 

At 72 they said they had changed their policy and my annual renewal was refused. 

 

Our local govt hospital is better than any govt UK hospital, I pay for treatment yeah but its cheaper than seeing a UK doctor and getting a prescription from the pharmacy. 

"At 72 they said they had changed their policy and my annual renewal was refused."

I repeat, insurance companies are the biggest crooks in the world. 

[NoshowJones]

10 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

"At 72 they said they had changed their policy and my annual renewal was refused."

I repeat, insurance companies are the biggest crooks in the world. 

Why the Saddo?? Can you name any company who is worse?

[Oldie]

18 minutes ago, gamini said:

 

So it's just a question of taking a Thai speaking friend with you when you go to a local government hospital. If you haven't gotten a Thai friend you shouldn't be living here.

Here in Pattaya you can rent them at many places. They will do many things for a service fee. If they have a good Englisch they can go with you to the hospital and translate and there will be a happy ending. 

[Deerculler]

There another alternative.

The Philippines.

There are I think 3 different visa’s.

With them you are able to joinn the PH Govt. Philhealth and pay into that.

The cost is very affordable.

It is a alternative to Thailand.

Goodluck.

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, Surasak said:

Hi Speedo, I have to pick up on your first sentence of non entitlement to NHS care for 3 months. IF, it is an emergency then NHS will treat you, in fact they will treat anyone from any country in an emergency. However, for a UK national, the hospital reserves the right to claim compensation. Some will and some won't, it depends on the hospital management. Further, while an inpatient, you may find your pension will be either withdrawn or cut considerably, again depending upon the hospital management. The same applies should you be imprisoned, your pension would definitely be withdrawn for the full term.   

Your state pension will not be cut as you will have living expenses like rent etc to pay, I do not know the situation if you are in prison, but even then you may still have rent etc to pay.

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, Chainsaw said:

Wait till you reach 70 simon43. Your premiums will rocket. I was paying around 20,000 baht p.a. for years (no pre-existing conditions) on reaching 70 I got a nice letter from the Insurance company saying my premiums were now 100,000 baht p.a. World renowned company. Happens to everybody. Sorry to burst your bubble.

 

Like I said, insurance companies are the biggest crooks of all.

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, theoldgit said:

 

I need to clarify this even further, you're right in saying that anybody can get life saving emergency treatment free at an NHS hospital, as you say that's available for anyone visiting the UK from anywhere in the world.
 

Speedo is wrong however when he states that an returning expat has to wait three months before being entitled to free NHS treatment, expats who are returning to the UK are entitled to free NHS services as soon as they arrive in the UK, though hospitals are supposed to seek proof that they are acutually returning and not just visiting.

 

It's worth reminding members that British Citizens who are not normally resident in the UK are charged 150% of the actual cost of ongoing treatment, even if they are still UK taxpayers.

What about guys who are on a state pension? No one can touch that.

[stouricks]

1 hour ago, possum1931 said:

"One of the requirements for retirement visas in Thailand is the 800K bank deposit, no doubt this is to ensure you could, if necessary pay off your hospital bill".

Yes, and then get kicked out of the country. Of course you could use an agent, that is if you are not one of the "scared of your own shadow" brigade.

Unless you are using the Monthly Deposit method, in which case you can spend the 65k down to the last satang and not have anything for hospital emergencies.

[pineapple01]

I though the English had a System called Go Fund Me that payed well.

[NoshowJones]

35 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

What about guys who are on a state pension? No one can touch that.

No one can take any money or force you to pay any debt from your state pension unless you let them, though your private pensions are another matter.

[khunPer]

On 8/13/2020 at 5:45 AM, superal said:

I would imagine there are plenty of others like me in the same position . Is there an alternative solution ?

There is the solution, the one used by non-OA visa holders, the so-called one-year retirement visa. You can find the authorized Thai insurance companies here. That insurance covers the mandatory 400k baht inpatient, and 40k baht outpatient, so not a huge annual value, and probably only enough cover for use at government hospitals; which however can be fine in certain places.

 

Some companies offers a higher coverage than the mandatory 440k baht. Some companies don't accept new insurances for persons over 70 years of age, other accepts a higer age, and at least one renewals up to 100 years; however, with a fee when passing 95 years of just over 403k baht for a 440k baht coverage, it might not be worth it...

 

One company should offer a very affordable policy with a self risk of about 200k baht, other posters have mentioned it, I'm not sure which one it is.

 

Mind you that many health insurances have various exclusions, so it's always advisable – insurance or not – to have a certain amount of easy accessable cash in case of emergency of any kind.

 

Another solution is self-insurance, i.e. have some reasonable level of accessable cash, and preferable someone trusted that also has access in case of serious emergency. What a reasonable amount is, is however relative, but I would consider an amount that equals the mandatory OA's 440k baht as minimum, preferable higher, or some other access of funds in a serious case.

 

There are various threads about self-insurance and reasonable amounts. Serious cases can cost several hundred thousand baht in public hospitals, and up to some millions in private hospitals. And as others have mentioned, compared to ongoing insurance, if you have one incident using the whole amount in your emergency account, what then? 

 

Repatriation by flight in a serious condition to for example Europe can also be extremely expensive.

 

 

Edited August 14, 2020 by khunPer

[Peter Denis]

 

3 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

On 8/13/2020 at 6:37 AM, Tounge Thaied said:

I am 52 and have thought that I would enroll in this global emergency evacuation flight insurance program so that I could be flown back to my home country when I need a major health care emergency.

https://www.globalrescue.com/

I just chatted with their rep online and he said it's only good if you have a permanent address in your home country (which I do not)

Yes, travel-insurance is considerably less expensive than regular health-insurance.

And the reason being that they don't pay for the treatment in your home-country, but only for the re-patriation to your home-country (if your condition allows you being transported).

When fully covered for high quality healthcare in your home-country at NO cost (my case), long-term travel-insurance (which includes full coverage of accidents/illnesses) is a very worthwhile solution. 

 

 

[Peter Denis]

2 hours ago, JTXR said:

I am currently in Thailand with the THB 400K long-stay insurance required for Non-Imm OA folks.  I expect that the insurance requirements for that group will be jacked up greatly (perhaps to US$ 100K?). 

If that happens, I expect I won't be able to afford it as I turn 70 next year, and I'll just have to return to my home country where I have very good coverage.  I'm already preparing myself psychologically for that eventuality.

That mandatory thai IO-approved insurance for Non Imm O-A Visa holders on a 1-year extension of stay for reason of retirement, is a scam and only the more expensive policies provide some decent coverage. 

When you have good coverage in your home-country, a decent long-term travel-insurance policy will provide high or unlimited coverage for accidents/illnesses as well as repatriation - in case of need - at no cost.  And it will cost you considerably less than the annual premium a commercial health-insurance policy will charge you.

Edited August 14, 2020 by Peter Denis

[nahkit]

On 8/13/2020 at 1:05 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

Do we all have a right to live wherever we want in this world and get medical cover for cheap or free?

Has anybody on this thread asked for that?

 

I think that as someone who has been married to a Thai for over 30 years, has children and grandchildren living here, that I should have the right to lead a normal family life, with my family.

[Peter Denis]

2 hours ago, lorbhaim said:

OP - Much same status.

77, my travel insurance ran out 5 months already.

Quoted 120k B for year to 400K B insurance.

Observed that it is a hell of good business I should get into making 10 times expected revenue.  

Estimated, by past experience, I could have saved some millions Bahts already.

 Decided: 

-  I will be my own insurance company.

-  I will do anything I can and needed maintaining and prevention steps of my health.

-   Keep away from hospital. Only private GOOD doctor sunless

indispensable. -- Sure I can end loosing on my insurance venue.????????☠️????.

Of

Did you consider subscribing to 'on the fly' travel-insurance? 
My 240 Euro annual premium regular travel-insurance (with unlimited coverage of accidents/illnesses and repatriation at no cost) only covers me for 6-month trips, after which I need to be for 2 weeks in my home-country to be covered again for my next trip.  As I normally visit my home-country once/twice a year that's of course the perfect solution for me. 

And when staying longer than 6 months in Thailand, I subscribe to on-the-fly travel insurance to cover the intermediate periods (which I obviously do now as returning  to my home-country is easy, but I won't be able to come back - so, no thank you).

[superal]

On 8/13/2020 at 12:09 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

 

 

What do you have in mind? Full coverage for 1000THB? Get real! Why should the Thailand take the risk?

If you can't afford it then you can't afford it. You are not the only person who wants something he can't afford. That's life, get used to it!

1000thb ? whats that all about .  Before you start making rude , disrespecting non constructive remarks at least take the time to get your facts right . I stated $100,000 premium .

  You say " why should Thailand take the risk ¬ because there are other countries that make that provision to non national retirees and also make a profit from the premiums . It would be a good move for all concerned if Thailand went that route .

"Something he cant afford" you say , you know nothing of my personal finances only that I state the $100k  premiums are out of my reach , that falls outside of my budget . 

This post was written to encourage others in a similar position to add there plans and ideas not for a meaningless empty disrespectful reply as yours . 

[Sheryl]

On 8/13/2020 at 12:45 PM, simon43 said:

 

 

 

Hmm, you must have a hell of a lot of pre-existing medical conditions.  More than $8,000 in premiums every month?  I'm almost 62 and pay $200 per month for a $1 million+ annual coverage.

 

Or perhaps you mean 100,000 Thai baht?

 

I assume he meant baht. If he is over 70 then 100k baht a year is indeed about what a decent policy would cost him.

 

 

[Sheryl]

12 minutes ago, superal said:

1000thb ? whats that all about .  Before you start making rude , disrespecting non constructive remarks at least take the time to get your facts right . I stated $100,000 premium .

 

 

You keep saying $100k premiums, no insurance is remotely that much. I think you mean 100K baht??

[Peter Denis]

57 minutes ago, khunPer said:

There is the solution, the one used by non-OA visa holders, the so-called one-year retirement visa. You can find the authorized Thai insurance companies here. That insurance covers the mandatory 400k baht inpatient, and 40k baht outpatient, so not a huge annual value, and probably only enough cover for use at government hospitals; which however can be fine in certain places.

...

Hi KhunPer,

I do not see the thai IO-approved health-insurance policies which are mandatory for Non O-A Visa holders when extending their annual permission to stay for reason of retirement, as a solution that can be recommended.

Most of these policies are exorbitantly expensive for the low coverage they provide.

The cheaper ones limit the coverage to 400K/40K (with a 100 or 200K deductable), which is simply ridiculous because most expats can easily afford a 200 to 400K hospital bill. 

Any health-insurance taken should be considered from the point of view of catastrophic accident/illness, which can easily run into +1.000.000 THB and more, and would devastate your life-style. 

Self-insuring imo is only worth considering if you have at least 3 million THB that can be used for that purpose.  If you don't have that kind of money, you really need to consider your options and shop around to find your Perfect Insurance Solution, that will last till 'end of your days' because being kicked out by your insurer at age 70 or 75, will make finding an alternative (much) more difficult and surely much more expensive.  

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, superal said:

1000thb ? whats that all about .  Before you start making rude , disrespecting non constructive remarks at least take the time to get your facts right . I stated $100,000 premium .

  You say " why should Thailand take the risk ¬ because there are other countries that make that provision to non national retirees and also make a profit from the premiums . It would be a good move for all concerned if Thailand went that route .

"Something he cant afford" you say , you know nothing of my personal finances only that I state the $100k  premiums are out of my reach , that falls outside of my budget . 

This post was written to encourage others in a similar position to add there plans and ideas not for a meaningless empty disrespectful reply as yours . 

You mentioned 100,000USD, you didn't say that is the premium, or for how long.

I just spoke with a friend this morning who is 69 years old and he pays for his health insurance including Thailand less than 80,000THB per year = less than 2,600USD per year.

He has a high amount which he has to pay himself but the insurance is "only" 2,600 USD per year.

So tell me are you 100 years old or have lots of preexisting conditions or why do you think you have to pay 40 times as much as my friend.

[JTXR]

2 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

When you have good coverage in your home-country, a decent long-term travel-insurance policy will provide high or unlimited coverage for accidents/illnesses as well as repatriation - in case of need - at no cost.  And it will cost you considerably less than the annual premium a commercial health-insurance policy will charge you.

The good coverage I have in my home country (USA) is Medicare.  Doesn't cover outside the US and there are no travel insurance options.  I only have the Thai government long-stay policy here because I had to get it for my extension.  In the case of a serious injury or illness, the most I could hope for from that policy would be to cover the cost (or part of the cost) of being stabilized in a government hospital then go back to the U.S.

[sandyf]

On 8/13/2020 at 11:35 AM, twocatsmac said:

 

Also, before retirement or while you’re still working increase the limit on your cards to the max, 

I don’t think it’s as easy without current employment.

I take it you haven't reached retirement.

Shortly after my 65th birthday the limits on all my credit cards, had 5 at the time, were reduced to the outstanding balance and as the balance reduced the limit was reduced until they got to about £3000.

[Peter Denis]

18 minutes ago, JTXR said:

The good coverage I have in my home country (USA) is Medicare.  Doesn't cover outside the US and there are no travel insurance options.  I only have the Thai government long-stay policy here because I had to get it for my extension.  In the case of a serious injury or illness, the most I could hope for from that policy would be to cover the cost (or part of the cost) of being stabilized in a government hospital then go back to the U.S.

You wrote > ... there are no travel insurance options - ???

There are several on-the-fly travel insurance companies, providing decent travel-insurance (including cost-free repatriation) for US citizens too.

E.g. WorldNomads > A 6-month policy for a 65-year old US citizen travelling in Thailand would cost less than 500 US $

Their website needs some tweaking if you want to know the price for a 1-year policy.  If you are beyond a certain age (I think it is 75) you won't get an automatic quote from the website but you can contact them by e-mail, as they do provide travel-insurance for all age categories.

In my experience you get a quick and to-the-point response within hours by a competent customer-service staffer.

[twocatsmac]

26 minutes ago, sandyf said:

I take it you haven't reached retirement.

Shortly after my 65th birthday the limits on all my credit cards, had 5 at the time, were reduced to the outstanding balance and as the balance reduced the limit was reduced until they got to about £3000.

I’m retired but some way off official retirement age.

You can have too many cards regardless of whether you’re using them,  then you’re viewed as a credit risk (reneging on loans etc becomes popular in older people).

 

Barclaycard are in the process of informing certain customers that their credit limit has been reviewed and is being lowered, compensation has been paid in some cases.

 

Possibly on retirement your income dropped and this was considered regarding your credit limits.

[Oldie]

43 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

You wrote > ... there are no travel insurance options - ???

There are several on-the-fly travel insurance companies, providing decent travel-insurance (including cost-free repatriation) for US citizens too.

E.g. WorldNomads > A 6-month policy for a 65-year old US citizen travelling in Thailand would cost less than 500 US $

Their website needs some tweaking if you want to know the price for a 1-year policy.  If you are beyond a certain age (I think it is 75) you won't get an automatic quote from the website but you can contact them by e-mail, as they do provide travel-insurance for all age categories.

In my experience you get a quick and to-the-point response within hours by a competent customer-service staffer.

Perhaps it is a good idea to read reviews about WorldNomads first.

[Peter Denis]

4 minutes ago, Oldie said:

Perhaps it is a good idea to read reviews about WorldNomads first.

You speak in riddles. 

I used them several times already and very easy to subscribe to an on-the-fly insurance.

Never had to make a claim, if that's what you are alluding to.