Medical Insurance
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Gaybutton
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Re: Medical Insurance
Yes. I saw the total. 566,000 baht - about US $16,400.gerefan wrote:Any idea how much it would have cost if you paid yourself?
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bobsaigon3
Re: Medical Insurance
Ex-pat medical insurance: To state the obvious, try to get good coverage before you develop pre-existing conditions and before you reach an age when insurance will be prohibitively expensive or simply unobtainable because of your age.
Restrictive respiratory conditions: Whether you call it chronic bronchitis, emphysema or COPD, there may come a time when air travel will not be possible, so getting on a plane to take advantage of a national health system or Medicare in your home country will not be an option. Most aircraft are pressurized to the 6,000 – 8,000 ft. level, meaning the oxygen level in the plane may not meet your needs. Travel with your own oxygen tank with enough oxygen for a 12 hour flight ? These days, airlines and/or airport security personnel have not shown themselves to be very understanding or cooperative.
Smoking: If you’re into your mid- to late fifties and still smoking you can look forward to the onset of diminished lung function and that is irreparable. There is no cure for damaged lungs. You’ll need to use a nebulizer to take bronchodilators several times a day and eventually you’ll need to be on oxygen full time. Everything will tire you out. You may not have enough strength to leave your home. And even if you’ve been hospitalized for lung problems, due to the perversity of human nature, you’ll still want to smoke, with predictable results.
As we were leaving her office recently, I told my doctor that 15 years ago I could play tennis and go bowling, but now cannot do anything. “That’s because of smoking” she said. I said, “Thank you, doctor”. Then she asked, “Are you still smoking?” and I replied, “Thank you, doctor. Bye bye”.
Restrictive respiratory conditions: Whether you call it chronic bronchitis, emphysema or COPD, there may come a time when air travel will not be possible, so getting on a plane to take advantage of a national health system or Medicare in your home country will not be an option. Most aircraft are pressurized to the 6,000 – 8,000 ft. level, meaning the oxygen level in the plane may not meet your needs. Travel with your own oxygen tank with enough oxygen for a 12 hour flight ? These days, airlines and/or airport security personnel have not shown themselves to be very understanding or cooperative.
Smoking: If you’re into your mid- to late fifties and still smoking you can look forward to the onset of diminished lung function and that is irreparable. There is no cure for damaged lungs. You’ll need to use a nebulizer to take bronchodilators several times a day and eventually you’ll need to be on oxygen full time. Everything will tire you out. You may not have enough strength to leave your home. And even if you’ve been hospitalized for lung problems, due to the perversity of human nature, you’ll still want to smoke, with predictable results.
As we were leaving her office recently, I told my doctor that 15 years ago I could play tennis and go bowling, but now cannot do anything. “That’s because of smoking” she said. I said, “Thank you, doctor”. Then she asked, “Are you still smoking?” and I replied, “Thank you, doctor. Bye bye”.
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Rin
Re: Medical Insurance
I always wondered about people who thought it was a good idea to put smoke in their lungs.bobsaigon3 wrote:“That’s because of smoking” she said.
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fountainhall
Re: Medical Insurance
My father was a 60-a-day man at a time when no-one had even thought about low tar cigarettes. He died of cancer at 72. I have no idea how much second hand smoke my siblings and I inhaled, but I remain glad that peer pressure at school pushed me into lighting up a first cigarette aged 14. I hated it and coughed till I was blue in the face. Those few puffs were my first and last!
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Gaybutton
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Re: Medical Insurance
You were lucky. In my case, those were simply my first few puffs.fountainhall wrote:Those few puffs were my first and last!
"I don't get no respect from nobody. I met the Surgeon General. He offered me a cigarette."
- Rodney Dangerfield
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fountainhall
Re: Medical Insurance
And my father was a doctor!!Gaybutton wrote:"I don't get no respect from nobody. I met the Surgeon General. He offered me a cigarette."
- Rodney Dangerfield
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Doug
Re: Medical Insurance
Again the Thais are suggesting tourists and expats have mandatory medical insurrance. As someone over 72 insurrance for me is very expensive and therefore I have stopped coming to Thailand.
I have a suggestion from my ignorant - in this matter - brain. Would this work? For those whose age and preconditions make insurrance prohibitive, could they deposit in a government account a bulk sum of money - say $4 - 5000 - to be used for emergencies. This deposit would be returned to the traveller minus a small administrative fee. Thereby the hosipitals will be assured of some money and the tourist wouldn't see his money disappearing down a hole. At 73 I would happily subscribe to this plan.
I have a suggestion from my ignorant - in this matter - brain. Would this work? For those whose age and preconditions make insurrance prohibitive, could they deposit in a government account a bulk sum of money - say $4 - 5000 - to be used for emergencies. This deposit would be returned to the traveller minus a small administrative fee. Thereby the hosipitals will be assured of some money and the tourist wouldn't see his money disappearing down a hole. At 73 I would happily subscribe to this plan.
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Undaunted
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Re: Medical Insurance
Doug you are putting the horse before the cart, much has been said and written about an extended visa and the need for foreigners to have med. ins. while in the kingdom, to date I have heard no verification of this and I live in Thailand.
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
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fountainhall
Re: Medical Insurance
I also have heard nothing!
Doug, have you checked travel insurance policies? I believe that you should be able to get a policy up at least till age 75. Since I travel a lot, mine is an annual policy covering trips up to a maximum of 90 days and medical costs are covered up to around US$1 million. But you can get far cheaper one-trip policies. My bank offers cardholders such a policy with the premium based on the number of days away.
Doug, have you checked travel insurance policies? I believe that you should be able to get a policy up at least till age 75. Since I travel a lot, mine is an annual policy covering trips up to a maximum of 90 days and medical costs are covered up to around US$1 million. But you can get far cheaper one-trip policies. My bank offers cardholders such a policy with the premium based on the number of days away.