Expat Health Insurance

[Undaunted]

For those living in Thailand I would like to recommend April Asia Expat Ins. I have been with them for 5years.
60+You need a doctors exam..Real doctor of your choice I used my internal med. Doctor at Bangkok Pattaya hospital.
Coverage for a callander year is 1 million U.S. And drops to $500,000 U.S. at 65 and above, no deductible, no waiting period, direct payment to hospital.
Coverage valid in all Asian countries as well as short stays abroad.
My premium is approx. $3,000 U.S. Per yr. can be paid in 2 installments credit cards excepted. Out patient coverage is available at extra cost.
Existing conditions are not covered.
Local Contact: AA Insurance 038-415-795
April is one of the largest Health Ins. Companys in France
I have had a claim with them they paid it in full...no questions asked...paid direct to Bkk/Pattaya hospital.

There is no age limit.can be extended after 65..Expect premiums to rise with increaes in age.

*not to be morbid F.Y.I. Thailand has inacted a version of a living will....Private hospitals have the paper work necessary you decide in case of a life ending condition what you will allow such as DO NOT RECESSITATE, PAIN MEDICATION ONLY, DO NOT FEED OR HYDRAITE, ETC.
YES THIS AS APPLICABLE FOR EXPATS AS WELL AS THAIS. I am stating this because not long ago an English friend of mine had a server stroke and was left in a vegetative condition in Chatholic run facility in Sattihip for almost 2 yrs. needless to say he left no such instructions!

Recently a group of Thai doctors challenged this act but to no avail!

[Gaybutton]

There are good medical insurance choices available. I'm happy with insurance that pays the hospital directly, without having to lay out enormous out-of-pocket money and wait for an insurance company to get around to refunding you. I don't have major money to lay out in the first place.

My preference is Cigna Global's expat insurance. Similarly priced and also pays the hospital directly after the deductible - several choices available - my deductible is all of US $375. No doctor exam required. You fill out a questionnaire. They also do not cover pre-existing conditions, although they will make some exceptions for an additional premium fee. The rest is pretty much the same as described in the post above.

Several payment options. I pay quarterly and set it up so they debit my Thai bank account when the premium is due. I don't have to do anything except to make sure I have enough money in the account.

My coverage is US $1 million per calendar year, twice as much as above. They have a list of preferred hospitals and both Bangkok-Pattaya and Bumrungrad are on their list, but you can go to any hospital you want.

You are covered anywhere in the world except your home country as long as 75% of the year is spent in your listed expat country.

If you're interested, I recommend contacting [email protected] . It may be a middle eastern name, but he is born and raised in Scotland. His service, advice, and even after sale service is excellent.

See: http://www.facebook.com/CignaGlobal/

[Undaunted]

One note... As mentioned coverage will extend to limited visits abroad....Including your country of origin.

[mahjongguy]

My policy is from Pacific Cross, formerly LMG. The coverage is similar but the premium is only 64,000 baht because it has a 40,000 baht deductible.

People have different views on having low or no deductible, but the math supports choosing high deductible / lower premiums.

[puan]

Thank you all for posts. Helpful since I am in process of reviewing my current med. insurance.

GB...Have you had any claims experience with Cigna? I have looked online and the reviews seems to be mixed.

[Gaybutton]

GB...Have you had any claims experience with Cigna?

Fortunately, not yet.

[Undaunted]

F.Y.I. April Expat insurance web site: http://en.april-international.com/globa ... e-thailand

[aussie]

There are good medical insurance choices available. I'm happy with insurance that pays the hospital directly, without having to lay out enormous out-of-pocket money and wait for an insurance company to get around to refunding you. I don't have major money to lay out in the first place.

My preference is Cigna Global's expat insurance. Similarly priced and also pays the hospital directly after the deductible - several choices available - my deductible is all of US $375. No doctor exam required. You fill out a questionnaire. They also do not cover pre-existing conditions, although they will make some exceptions for an additional premium fee. The rest is pretty much the same as described in the post above.

Several payment options. I pay quarterly and set it up so they debit my Thai bank account when the premium is due. I don't have to do anything except to make sure I have enough money in the account.

My coverage is US $1 million per calendar year, twice as much as above. They have a list of preferred hospitals and both Bangkok-Pattaya and Bumrungrad are on their list, but you can go to any hospital you want.

You are covered anywhere in the world except your home country as long as 75% of the year is spent in your listed expat country.

If you're interested, I recommend contacting [email protected] . It may be a middle eastern name, but he is born and raised in Scotland. His service, advice, and even after sale service is excellent.

See: http://www.facebook.com/CignaGlobal/

I have been researching Thai health insurance as I am considering my retirement options. Dodger's post also provided some very useful information.

http://www.gaybuttonthai.com/viewtopic. ... nce#p61022

I looked at the Facebook site of CignaGlobal from the link in in GB's post and read some very negative comments about some of their client's experiences with Cigna Health Insurance. I would not reject Cigna after reading a few negative comments until I found out if there are consistent problems with Cigna Global's service. When I look at Thai Visa com it easy to find negative comments about many major health insurance providors.

I would appreciate some current feedback from those who have had good or otherwise experiences with claims and service from their Thai health insurance providor. We do not know how reliable our insurance really is until we need to make a claim and that can be after paying considerable amounts of contributions over several years before that first claim is made.

Also, do you prefer to use and can you recommend an Insurance broker for Thai health insurance?

A quote from AA Insurance Broker's website:

"You should also remember that the insurance company is working on behalf of themselves, the broker is working on YOUR behalf. If you buy direct and they refuse to pay for a claim, who are you going to call????"

http://www.aainsure.net/insurance_faqs_thailand.html

Thank you in advance for any comments and recommendations.

[Undaunted]

As I have noted before my insurance with April was purchased through AA brokers, I had 2 claims both paid..second claim room fee disputed, AA resolved the issue to my satisfaction.

[fountainhall]

This topic comes up quite regularly and I'd like to add my two cents worth. For those without a good insurance policy before you reach 60, go out and get one now! Check the company's past history - there should be lots of material on the internet - and, most importantly, check the rates then in force for future premiums. There is little point having a policy with a low premium at 59 which is then going to soar at 60, 65 and 70, the five year bands common in most policies in my experience. They may well end up higher, but at least you will have some indication.

My own experience almost left me without any insurance at all! Since my early 40s I had an excellent policy that covered all my needs, was worldwide and had a very large maximum per year. Stupidly, I had never paid any attention to the advised future premium rates. By my late 50s I realised that I was paying way too much given that I was living in Thailand and my visits to North America were by then rare. So I met with someone recommended on virtually all the chat boards as an expert. Yet again I failed to ensure I asked the right questions! I was wrong. I was given the option of three policies, one of which seemed to fit my needs and whose premium was vastly lower than I was about to pay on the old policy. I failed to check about the company. I failed to check that the advice I was being given was based on policies issued worldwide. I screwed up, in other words!

The policy I then took out was fine for three years. Premiums were in accordance with those advised when I took out the policy. I was really happy with it. I never had to make a claim except for one small accident to my arm. Then the trouble started. The fourth year had a premium increase of 26% - despite its being in the middle of a 5-year band, Worse, it arbitrarily took out cover for five of the countries I visit quite regularly - Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. These were lumped in to the premium that covered North America. That would have added another 18% or thereabouts to the total premium.

I bit that bullet and in addition took out an annual worldwide travel policy from a London-based company that cost me only about a quarter of that extra 18% - and it also covers North America. Then the real blow. Still in the midst of a 5-year band, the next premium showed an increase of 51%. That's right - it's no mistake - 51%!! Effectively that meant an increase of around 100% in a 2-year period, reduced coverage and zero idea what I might have to pay in future. There was no possibility of my being able to afford this. Emails to the insurers and the man who advised me about this policy resulted in absolutely nothing.

Then I did what I should have done at the start. I checked. I was not aware that the man who presented me with the options was a broker for the company. Presumably that was why the only policies I was shown were from this one company. What I then found on the internet bore out my worst fears. A considerable number of law suits were out against this company. Worse, comments from policy holders told about how it attracted older prospective policy holders. Having locked them in, it increased the rates to impossible levels banking on their holders being unable to get a policy from another company. Here is one comment from yesterday -

My wife has purchased a health insurance policy from this company, and is the worst experience I've ever had with a health insurance company. It is expensive and their coverage is not good at all, you have to fight every claim in order for them to cover it! I don't recommend this health insurance company at all.

I was hugely grateful that I was still able to find another insurer prepared to take me on after a medical. The staff at this company are a joy to deal with. Even though this new policy has the usual pre-existing condition clause and I now have to pay 25% of claims, against that the annual premium is less than 20% of what I would have been paying so I am able to build up a medical fund. The name of the insurer I ditched - International Medical Group.