Health Insurance or Travel Insurance

[jednakropka]

Can you anyone please clarify if one needs  health insurance or travel insurance or maybe both when coming to Thailand?

People often use health and travel word interchangeably so I am little confused.

 

Edited September 29, 2020 by jednakropka

[jackdd]

You need insurance which pays for your treatment in case you have covid and covers at least 100k USD. I think it doesn't matter if it calls itself health or travel insurance.

[scubascuba3]

Travel insurance is the best option but usually the long term travel insurance from UK has a max age of 49, long term is up to 18 months, max I've bought is 9 months. 

 

Annual travel insurance has a max continuous stay of 30/45/60/90 days 

[Max69xl]

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

You need insurance which pays for your treatment in case you have covid and covers at least 100k USD. I think it doesn't matter if it calls itself health or travel insurance.

A health insurance is not same as a travel insurance which has a much higher coverage for every part in the insurance. A health insurance has a much smaller coverage for accidents and in some cases you need to pay extra for full covid-19 coverage.  

[GeKoSc]

5 hours ago, Max69xl said:

A health insurance is not same as a travel insurance which has a much higher coverage for every part in the insurance. A health insurance has a much smaller coverage for accidents and in some cases you need to pay extra for full covid-19 coverage.  

If travelling from Vietnam to Thailand where to buy the covid-19 coveridge and the travel insurance?

[jackdd]

5 hours ago, Max69xl said:

A health insurance is not same as a travel insurance which has a much higher coverage for every part in the insurance. A health insurance has a much smaller coverage for accidents and in some cases you need to pay extra for full covid-19 coverage.  

Maybe in your home country, in other countries it's different.

[topt]

16 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

but usually the long term travel insurance from UK has a max age of 49,

not sure where you get that from?

First entry in a search - https://www.staysure.co.uk/long-stay-travel-insurance/

I had World Nomads and World Wide Insure from UK and was over 50 when I took them out but I have not checked the last one recently.

[JusticeGB]

I had travel insurance with Seven Corners Travel Insurance which covered me 365 days a year for us$150,000. It was far cheaper than health insurance but only covered me for specific countries and not the UK. It could be extended 365 days at a time up to the age of 80. It also covered reparation costs to the UK on death. It didn't require a medical examination either. 

[Peter Denis]

17 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Travel insurance is the best option but usually the long term travel insurance from UK has a max age of 49, long term is up to 18 months, max I've bought is 9 months. 

 

Annual travel insurance has a max continuous stay of 30/45/60/90 days 

I am not from UK.  But for Belgian and dutch citizens travel-insurance is amazingly cheap for the high value it provides.

My annual premium is 225 Euro and it provides unlimited world-wide health-insurance (with very low deductible) and free repatriation when needed/requested.  And even more important it covers me for a period of continuous stay of 180 days (after which I need to be 2 weeks in my home-country to be eligible again for a 180-day full coverage stay abroad).

Comparing with premiums/coverage when buying travel-insurance in other countries, I cannot help feeling that fortunes are being made by the insurers there.

[4MyEgo]

17 hours ago, jednakropka said:

please clarify if one needs  health insurance or travel insurance or maybe both when coming to Thailand?

Your question comes across as an open ended one, e.g. "when one comes to Thailand", are you looking at staying in Thailand for an extended period or a short period.

 

Travel insurance will cover you for a set period, usually around 6 months at the most, although I have heard some will cover you for up to a year, that said travel insurance plans have many exclusions and of course are cheaper, and if you are staying longer than the above time frame cannot be renewed and that is when you require health insurance.

 

Health insurance is more expensive but cover you for more and is usually for long term use, e.g. 12 months renewable.

 

I would suggest that if your coming for up to 6 months go with a reputable travel insurance company, not the cheapest and READ all of the exclusions, and if you decide to stay longer take out private health insurance which can be through local brokers like AA Insurance Brokers in Thailand.

 

Either way, don't travel without insurance and don't stay here without private cover, but as the Thai's say, "up to you" or as we say; "make your bed, lay in it".

[sqwakvfr]

For the purpose of obtaining a COE(Certificate of Entry) the Los Angeles Thai Consulates states the following:

 

5 Medical insurance or letter from employer guaranteeing that the insurance company or employer will cover a minimum of 100,000 USD (or equivalent in other currencies) of medical costs incurred by the applicant in Thailand, including medical costs in the event that applicant contracts COVID-19 (The insurance must cover the whole duration of stay in Thailand).

 

Is Travel Insurance Medical Insurance?  I guess it will be up to the specific Embassy or Consulate to accept or deny any COE packet with a Travel Insurance Policy Declaration page.  If it was me I would purchase Health Insurance from a Thai based company.  

[scubascuba3]

2 hours ago, topt said:

not sure where you get that from?

First entry in a search - https://www.staysure.co.uk/long-stay-travel-insurance/

I had World Nomads and World Wide Insure from UK and was over 50 when I took them out but I have not checked the last one recently.

I used to use the comparison sites and I noticed last time I used it it went up to age 49, but it's good news if it now goes older for backpacker type insurance which is what they often call it

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, Peter Denis said:

I am not from UK.  But for Belgian and dutch citizens travel-insurance is amazingly cheap for the high value it provides.

My annual premium is 225 Euro and it provides unlimited world-wide health-insurance (with very low deductible) and free repatriation when needed/requested.  And even more important it covers me for a period of continuous stay of 180 days (after which I need to be 2 weeks in my home-country to be eligible again for a 180-day full coverage stay abroad).

Comparing with premiums/coverage when buying travel-insurance in other countries, I cannot help feeling that fortunes are being made by the insurers there.

180 days Continuous cover for annual insurance is very good, max I've ever seen in UK is 90 days. Thai value for money cover is about the worse in the world

[khunPer]

21 hours ago, jednakropka said:

People often use health and travel word interchangeably so I am little confused.

A travel insurance is what it says, a "travel insurance", it's to be used when travelling on for example holiday. This means that you will be repatriated to your "home country", i.e. from where the travel started, and the cover is often for a shorter period of time; even a so-called annual travel insurance might only cover up to 60-days per trip. There might be additional clauses and conditions in the small print.

 

If moving to Thailand you might use a travel insurance the first few month, or up to a year, but in case of accident or illness, you will be repatriated to your previous "home country".

 

A health insurance is as it says, a "health insurance". Some covers a specified area only, for example Thailand, some are "international" and covers the whole World, and some exclude for example USA due to a lower premium is charged.

 

If moving permanently to Thailand a health insurance is the correct product. You will be hospitalized and taken care of here, as it's you "home country". There might be different levels of coverage, some with a specified maximum amount per case/illness, and a specified maximum amount per year; others have unlimited case amounts, but might be limited to a total maximum. Premiums depend on coverage and age, i.e. risk for the insurance company.

 

Some health insurance companies don't accept new applicants over a certain age; some don't cover pre-existing conditions; some exclude certain illness, for example HIV/AIDS; some don't renew over a certain age, whilst others are for life, but the premiums could be sky-rocking high. Travel insurances are normally with less health conditions – but can include exclusion, read the small print – as the don't treat your accident or illness more than needed for repatriation to your home country. If you are resident here, i.e. more than 180 days a year, the travel insurance might not consider Thailand as a travelling.

 

If you have credit card with insurance, for example a Master Card Gold, that card might cover you in Thailand as long as your address registered with the card issuing bank is outside Thailand. However, when you move permenently to Thailand, but keep your former home country's bank, and credit card with travel insurance from there, you travel insurance would cover you when travelling outside of Thailand only for example back to your former home country; and in case something happens, you will be repatriated to Thailand. My Master Card travel insurance works like that...????

 

 

[Sheryl]

Whatever insurance you have, it must cover COVID and if it is a foreign policy you will need a statement to that effect. Be aware that many travel policies will now not cover COVID. Most comprehensive health insurance policies will.

 

You can but COVID-only policy pre-approved by Thai govt online here

https://covid19.tgia.org/

 

It is available to all ages up to 99 and cost does not vary by age, but does vary by country

 

Note that these policies cover only COVID, nothing else. So you need either a separate insurance cover or ample savings to cover other medical needs that could arise.

 

 

[ayahuasca]

https://safetywing.com/   safetywing now covers covid-19   and has EU170k / USD200k coverage. it's kinda like a travel insurance. NOTE their latest policy wording, and the USD$250 deductible. it's a monthly thing so you pay $40/month and it renews. It's the best thing I've found to cover my filipina assistants who are already in Thailand for shorter term. 

A couple american friends here have it too. 

 

 

Edited September 30, 2020 by ayahuasca

[Albert Zweistein]

On 9/29/2020 at 5:00 PM, GeKoSc said:

If travelling from Vietnam to Thailand where to buy the covid-19 coveridge and the travel insurance?

If I understood well you have to buy the health/$ 100,000 insurance from a Thai company.

[Peter Denis]

17 hours ago, Sheryl said:

...

You can but COVID-only policy pre-approved by Thai govt online here

https://covid19.tgia.org/

It is available to all ages up to 99 and cost does not vary by age, but does vary by country

...

 

8 hours ago, ayahuasca said:

https://safetywing.com/   safetywing now covers covid-19   and has EU170k / USD200k coverage. it's kinda like a travel insurance. NOTE their latest policy wording, and the USD$250 deductible. it's a monthly thing so you pay $40/month and it renews.

...

@Sheryl > Thanks for the info!  I made a quick check and a Thai tgia-issued policy that meets the 100K US $ coverage requirement, would cost me approx 24.000 THB for 12 months (Belgian citizen).

The https://safetywing.com/  policy (thanks @ayahuasca) is more flexible, has much higher coverage and sells for approx half of the Thai premium.

> Looks like that is a much better deal than the Thai offering, or am I missing something?

[Dmitry2222]

6 hours ago, Albert Zweistein said:

If I understood well you have to buy the health/$ 100,000 insurance from a Thai company.

I know one person who arrived with insuarence coverage from non-Thai  company. But it was few weeks ago.

[Sheryl]

5 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

 

@Sheryl > Thanks for the info!  I made a quick check and a Thai tgia-issued policy that meets the 100K US $ coverage requirement, would cost me approx 24.000 THB for 12 months (Belgian citizen).

The https://safetywing.com/  policy (thanks @ayahuasca) is more flexible, has much higher coverage and sells for approx half of the Thai premium.

> Looks like that is a much better deal than the Thai offering, or am I missing something?

If it is clear that safetywing covers COVID (and they will issue certificate to that effect) then yes, seems a better deal.

 

Should you actually get COVID though, might have some problem with the claim if asymptomatic or mild illness as that would not be considered by most western insurers as an indication for hospitalization, but Thailand imposes mandatory hospitalization on all cases, even asymptomatic. Whereas hospitalization noimatter severity is a given for Thai insurers (and might be part of why the higher premiums)

[Robin]

"> Looks like that is a much better deal than the Thai offering, or am I missing something?"

The idea is to benefit Thai companies, not to protect the tourist.

[srowndedbyh2o]

21 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Should you actually get COVID though, might have some problem with the claim if asymptomatic or mild illness as that would not be considered by most western insurers as an indication for hospitalization, but Thailand imposes mandatory hospitalization on all cases, even asymptomatic. Whereas hospitalization noimatter severity is a given for Thai insurers (and might be part of why the higher premiums)

Sheryl, thank you very much for pointing this out.

I have a very good U.S. based insurance policy that covers myself and my spouse, and includes care for covid related illness even when we are outside the U.S., however, as you pointed out, they may not cover an asymptomatic hospital admission. I gave them a call to clarify. After much research, they concluded just what you had suspected. Since in the U.S. the standard procedure for someone asymptomatic that tests positive for covid is to isolate at home, the insurance would not cover a hospital stay as long as one remained asymptomatic. However, if ones condition should change to symptomatic, then the insurance would cover any and all expenses without limit from that point forward.

That said, in order to meet Thailands conditions of entry, looks like I would need to take out a Thai covid policy at least for the minimal amount of time necessary to meet the the requirement for entry.

Edited October 2, 2020 by srowndedbyh2o
additional text

[Peter Denis]

11 minutes ago, srowndedbyh2o said:

Sheryl, thank you very much for pointing this out.

I have a very good U.S. based insurance policy that covers myself and my spouse, and includes care for covid related illness even when we are outside the U.S., however, as you pointed out, they may not cover an asymptomatic hospital admission. I gave them a call to clarify. After much research, they concluded just what you had suspected. Since in the U.S. the standard procedure for someone asymptomatic that tests positive for covid is to isolate at home, the insurance would not cover a hospital stay as long as one remained asymptomatic. However, if ones condition should change to symptomatic, then the insurance would cover any and all expenses without limit from that point forward.

That said, in order to meet Thailands conditions of entry, looks like I would need to take out a Thai covid policy at least for the minimal amount of time necessary to meet the the requirement for entry.

If your US insurance policy meets the $ US 100K coverage requirement for covid-19, there is little need to buy on top of that a similar amount Thai covid-19 insurance just to cover the costs of 'asymptomatic hospitalization' when testing positive on covid.

It might be worthwhile to look into https://thaiembdc.org/consular-services/non-immigrant-visas/non-immigrant-category-oa/

SCB Insurance provides a policy that covers covid-19 hospitalization up to 100K THB and that policy only costs 850 THB.

A combination of your US policy which meets the US 100K S coverage, and that SCB policy which covers possible hospitalization up to 100K THB, is most probably a better deal in your case.

 

 

[srowndedbyh2o]

14 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

If your US insurance policy meets the $ US 100K coverage requirement for covid-19, there is little need to buy on top of that a similar amount Thai covid-19 insurance just to cover the costs of 'asymptomatic hospitalization' when testing positive on covid.

Thanks Peter.

That insurance, if I could get it, would certainly be a less-expensive option compared to the Thai General Insurance Association covid-19  policy. U.S. Thai Consulates may well be aware of U.S. medical insurance limitations with regards to asymptomatic covid cases (?), so additional Thai coverage my be required.

I would be using the Los Angeles Thai Consulate and entering on Non-Immigrant visa Category “O”.

[unheard]

On 10/2/2020 at 11:49 AM, srowndedbyh2o said:

I have a very good U.S. based insurance policy that covers myself and my spouse, and includes care for covid related illness even when we are outside the U.S.,

Will your insurance issue a statement specifically mentioning covid19 coverage?

Most of US based insurances will refuse to give you a statement with the word "covid" written on it even if they cover it.

If your US insurance can provide you with such a statement saying that covid19 is covered for at least the minimum required amount then the consulate will accept it as a proof of the required coverage.

If there's no specific mention of covid19 on the statement then it won't be accepted and you would have to buy a third party coverage.

[unblocktheplanet]

It's a rigged game. 70+ can't buy it!

[Sheryl]

7 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

It's a rigged game. 70+ can't buy it!

Not correct. The Thai based COVID polucies are available through age 99.

 

You may be thinking of the general health insurance tequirement for O-A visa. Those policies go up only to age 75. If it is a new visa you can use a foreign policy but yoy won't be anle to do an in country extension with that.