Living in Thailand with the WRONG Health Insurance
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 เม.ย. 2024
- In today's video, I discuss the importance of having the right health insurance as an expat living in Thailand. Admitting my own mistakes, I share how I've been using inadequate travel insurance and why having proper health coverage is crucial, especially as we age. If you're planning to live in Thailand, learn from my experience, and make informed decisions about your health and well-being.
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You never know if you have good insurance until you make a claim.
That's right mate! You just never know.
Might.spend a few $ to have a attorney go over the contract.
That goes for any country.
Hey Wayne insurance is an interesting topic to manage the big risks. At nearly 70 taking a big fall in Jomtien last year was a big shock as suddenly the insurance has many fussy requirements and exclusions and want you to pay upfront and claim later. Whatever it is it needs to be easy to navigate when your sick or injured. Thanks and enjoy your city 🌞
I totally agree buddy, I hate insurance. Like you mentioned, you would need the money upfront anyway, and just hope you get a payout later. I go through uninsured months without insurance, because I hate it for that reason. But, we all do need cover when living here and getting older I think. It's one big headache, I agree mate.
I’m also safetywing living here, Do a video on when you change will be helpful
As long as you ride motorbike in Thailand, it's certainly recommended to have at least an insurance which covers you in case of an accident.
You will have a basic cover already, but it's rubbish. So yes, always good to have the CORRECT insurance for a motorbike.
You are absolutely right. I heard so many stories of various international insurance providers refusing to pay because of bs reasons. I don't trust any of them to really cover me if something goes wrong. Then again going without insurance can ruin you financially. Even though everyday issues are cheap to fix in Thailand the costs for surgeries and extended hospital stays can quickly become astronomical as well.
Really not a good situation either way.
Yes indeed. It's very important to get the Health Insurance well and truly in place as we age, especially when residing in a foreign country. Cheers Wayne 🤩
Something to think about mate. Cheers bud.
Hi Wayne, be aware that safety wing only covers you while traveling at least 100 miles from your home. Read the fine print.
Unfortunately, due to my age and preexisting conditions, I was denied a policy from several companies. Now, I just self insure and put the money a side that i would have paid for a premium. Insurance is a racket anyway. Good luck, stay healthy!
That's crazy if that's right, For a nomad Insurance!! I'll be looking into that mate, nice one. It's going in the bin now, if that's the case. I looked over most of it when I first got Safetywing, but like you mentioned, they're sneaky. I hate insurance, I'd rather insure myself also. Thanks
Self insurance is the best way in my opinion, who at the ages of over 50 haven't had some pre existing medical issues which you happened to forget when taking out a policy
I had my insurance with Pacific Cross but they cancelled it when I one day ended up at ER and needed a surgery.
Hospital treated me very bad as well and refused to help unless I paid a down payment. They had estimated the total cost of approx 300K and wanted 250K in advanced.
My intestine had twisted with blocks in at least 2 area. I had a heavy running session the day before as I was practicing for a marathon. The next morning I woke up with a huge pain.
Pacific Cross decided to cancel my insurance and refunded me for the 2 years I had paid them.
I was lucky that I had money otherwise I would have never made it.
Thanks for sharing this. Sounds like a horror story. I will look into pacific more.
One thing to keep in mind when your deciding when to start paying for health insurance is that they won't cover preexisting conditions so if, heaven forbid you became seriously ill any cover you took out would exclude covering that issue if it involves ongoing treatment.
Yes, a roll of the dice. If one has serious issues, you have to face facts and possibly return home (in case of socialized med countries). This said, a nice nest egg is not drawn down as fast living in Thailand. I need about $ 2k more/month
to live in Canada and things getting worse. Canada ranks 11th worldwide for cost of one bedroom. (Japan ranks 44th)! See Numbeo
Yes, that is a big thing to think about mate. The more I think about it , the more I don’t like insurance 😂
Its getting a health insurance you can trust in Thailand Wayne i had my medical in Udon Thani got my results which thankfully were ok and had a good chat with my Doctor and i was amazed what he told me about health insurance it was scary what he said about health insurance in Thailand and companies
That's right mate, I don't really trust any of them. I'll probably go down the self insure route.
Cate to share his insights.
Yes, this is an important topic. I noticed when getting quotes for Thai health insurance, that many of the plans you can get "in-patient only" coverage at a significantly reduced annual rate. The deductibles were reasonable too. For myself, I found a happy medium plan that covers in-patient and some outpatient with no dental or vision, no deductible for around 45,000 THB per year (I'm 59) with Pacific Cross Premier plan. Best of luck finding a good one Wayne!
Thanks for sharing Erik, a lot of people have recommended Pacific Cross. I'll have to do some more research on them and see what I want to do. Thanks mate.
I pay 1500 a month in the USA for 3 people. 49 years old. 2k deductible. It is brutal.
Wow, yes that's brutal! That's more than I spend a month.
I was 55 when my family of three moved to Thailand in 2005. we purchased an in-patient only family plan from the British co. BUPA. They sold to the US co. AETNA in 2022. Now the Thai co. Allianze has taken over. After all these years and turnovers the coverage has remained the same. There haven't been any problems with any of them paying up front. Im 74 now. We also have additional accident cover from BKK Bank. Used that one when i broke my arm in a fall 2018. Nothing out of pocket😊
That's great to hear! Thanks for sharing this info. I've been looking at using Bangkok Bank myself also.
@@WalkAboutWayne Bangkok Bnk accident insurance is not expensive and best part it works! Check out Allianze for general health coverage. They give 10% no-claim refund. We have in-patient only
The high-midrange plan.
I had Safety Wing for my 6 month trip around the world in 2022. I never had to use it but it was worth the money for the peace of mind that I would be evacuated by medical transport back to California if something big happened. That was why I bought it. I needed a minor eye procedure in Chiang Mai and I paid cash for excellent care at Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai and was reimbursed 50% from my American medical insurance.
Thanks I will check it.
It's good to hear that they paid out. 👍
hey Mate, thank you for the information, I was already trying to find out what the insurance situation is there in Thailand, but there is a lot of difference, but I will solve it haha, but again a great vid, thx buddy and uh, take it easy Wayne👌👍
It’s one big headache finding the right insurance. Hopefully I’ll find the right one soon. Cheers Rick mate 👍
Good opener to the topic, Wayne. Looking fwd to some comment testimonials.
Thanks! Me too.
Good points dude👍
Cheers mate.
Important topic mate - as you say the month to month covers may not / don’t cover everything - Take care my friend 👌👍👋🙏
Cheers Ant, mate.
In the exact same boat. Now living here, turned 50 and looking for some good inpatient cover. Read all the reviews, sounds like it’s 6 of 1, and half a dozen of the other. Will get around to it one day soon.
Yes Lee, it’s a mine field right. Nearly every cover has bad reviews. It’s just one big headache. I’m not sure what I’ll do moving forward. They all seem shady to me.
So I’m thinking of a slush fund to pay as you go. But I’ve also read that if you’re incapacitated the hospitals won’t carry out any services until you’ve paid upfront. Which of course if you’re incapacitated you can’t do. For out patient that theory works for inpatient where you’re submitted say unconscious then it gets tricky. I don’t have a huge expat support group so cannot rely on recommendations either.
Be good to see a follow up video on this or a poll perhaps, might help a few of us out in the same dilemma
Good for you Wayne! Smart to find good Health Insurance which as you know is different than travelers insurance or even accident insurance. One thing you probably know by now is Thailand is not obligated to operate on you if you can't show a method of repayment. Which is why you see so many go fund me pages in Thailand. Also those nuts who say no worries if it is something big I can always fly home to my country & get govt coverage....Ummm sorry if you are really bad your not getting on a normal airline. Lastly those that say Oh no problem Thailand is cheap medical.... Sorry they are so very wrong. Yes Thailand is cheap for diagnostics or small tests. Thailand is not cheap if you wake up in the ICU & have been or will be there a few days. Yes Thailand is cheaper than some western countries but honestly if you cant pay in your western country you will still be cared for...Again in Thailand? Sorry no .......they will triage you/stabilize you but not operate/fix you unless you show how you will repay. Good Luck Wayne & good you realize these things now 😉
A lot of if, buts, maybes and what ifs, in that lot Mike. But yes, I would agree with most of that. Everyone takes a different path with Health cover I guess. I will evaluate what's best for me going forward. Cheers Mike 👌
@@WalkAboutWayne I know right? Trust me I was no model citizen hahah I lived there with no insurance for years. In hindsight I know I was lucky 😁
In Morocco, a doctor's visit ranges from 20-40 US dollars so I don't need insurance for that. A couple of weeks ago, I fractured my skull and the bill was over 1,000 USD. I paid out of pocket but health insurance would have been handy there. NO MORE FALLS!
7:36
Hope you are ok Brian , mate .
@@WalkAboutWayne , I'm good. Thanks mate. I'm strong and healthy so a few hard knocks won't keep me down. Cheers!
They will do anything to get out of paying people. My mate cut open his foot and couldn't make a claim, the thai doctors made a right mess of his foot and it was a good job he came home. Was off work 6 months all unpaid, he had a nightmare. There was a lot of reasons why he couldn't claim. Basically it was pointless. Also having alcohol can void any insurance. When my mate rang they were looking for the first reason to void his policy and they found it.
I agree, most of these insurers will try anything to not pay. I don’t trust any of them. Hope your mate is ok now. I don’t have any worries about the quality of treatment in Thailand though.
It's a personal choose but for me I would rather invest my money into something that I can take out and spend on the treatment I think will do me the most benifit at the time, rather than buy insurance that you have to ask if you can have treatment they might deny as unnecessary but as I said it's a personal choose.
I agree buddy, I would rather cover myself. I'm still healthy for now. It's something I'll be thinking about.
Thumbs up 👍 Wayne
Cheers Mango 👍
If you drink a coffee a day, you'll keep the doctor away🎉
Never touch the stuff.
Have a bank account in Thailand bank you get accidental insurance very cheap$$$
I've got a Thai bank account. They was trying to sell me it before. Not sure how good it is though. I'll have to have a look.
Be careful with thai bank account health insurance there are 30 days waiting periods for certain things
As you know travel insurance is no good long term, people say 60K bhat is expensive, but divide that into 12 months and add it to our cheap as chip rent here and general living costs, its not expensive at all
That’s true mate, when you look at the big picture, it’s still really cheap. Will they help me in my hour of need though.
@@WalkAboutWayne that’s the million dollar question
I had Cigna comprehensive $270/month. They left Thailand 🤷🏻♂️. A lot cheaper than insurance in the states but still my biggest expense. My rent with my Thai wife was $130/month
Yes, that would be about double my rent here also 🤣
Good on ya mate.
Cheers John mate
I have a fairly sizeable savings, but still planning on finding some inpatient only insurance for sure. You never know, and if it keeps me from digging too deep into the savings it will be worth it.
I will keep searching as well Brian. A lot of research for me to do. It’s a mine field looking at insurance .
Nice video - I've been thinking the same, been living here for 2 years now but still only have travel insurance. I got some quotes for Thai Health insurance, but they were pretty steep - and confusing. I've heard some ex-pats are paying 16k a year but I was quoted more like 60k!
It’s a bit of a mine field, I don’t know where to start really. I’ll keep researching and see what I’m comfortable with. Good luck buddy.
Hi Wayne, think soon all the world will need private health insurance.what with waiting lists in the west take care wayne
You could be right Julie, it's going that way. Thanks and hope all is well with you Julie.
Talked to a guy who has insurance thru his employer in the U.S., for he and his family he pays $250 a month in a premium and has a $6000 deductible! He pays the first $6000 of any medical claim. Insuance in the U.S. is one of the biggest financial hurdles people face, and it most unaffordable if not provided thru an employer.
Yes, I agree it’s a big hurdle and an even bigger headache. It’s something I will need to research more. 👍
Pacific cross health insurance is supposed to be good
I'm hearing a lot about that one, so I'll keep it in mind.
That park looks interesting, where about is that in Chiangmai? My dog needs a change lol
Wat Ket area, over the Iron Bridge and follow the Lamphun road.
I think Pacific covers you when you are over 70 and alliance as well
I'm hearing a lot about Pacific, I will take a look.
Have you looked at used adv 150? How much are those in comparisons to aerox now? Even more comfortable.
Yes, the ADV is a great bike. A little bit more expensive but great bike for road trips.
@@WalkAboutWayne a vlog comparing them would be fun.
Hi Wayne do they catch any eatable fish in the river?
The locals fish in this river all the time and they eat the fish. Not sure I would want too though.
Pacific Cross Wayne,great company, Think I'm ten years older than you mate and I pay just under 1000 pounds a year mate, peace of mind mate though hate paying it 😂
Unfortunately Pacific Cross has quite a few bad reviews, especially in the past little while. Health insurance is a mine field, tread carefully when choosing a provider.
I might pay a attorney a fee dollars to read the contract.
Something I will look into. Cheers.
Think you will find at your age a Thai Hospital insurance policy could possibly cheaper but depending on your amount of cover than the Nomad insurance you pay for now...use a broker.
Cheers 👍
Health insurance is a business, and businesses are in business to make money, if they can get out of a claim, they will, but they are happy to take your money, tuck away money every month, it soon builds up, and treatment for most things in government hospitals is cheaper than you might think, at least you keep the money that way, instead of giving it to someone else
I agree, they're in business to make money. The more and more I think about it, the more I think self insure is the best option.
Wayne...Peter of Thailand Bound quit his insurance because of all the "yea buts". He self insures now. But many can't. Other Pattaya vloggers have talked about this..And i heard of coverrage until 80s. But still, you don't know until maybe too late. Hey buddy, no worries for you. I will be your pal, and if something bad happens to you I will just take your wallet and see what i can do. Ok?
Only cobwebs on my wallet mate 😂
Speak to your bank, Kasikorn and Bangkok bank do good deals, WRT the “big C” (not the shop) god forbid, you fly home if have any sense mate 👍🏻
Yes, Bangkok Bank seems ok, but I’ll need to do a bit more research. Cheers 👍
This IMO behind visas and COL has to be right up there as a primary consideration for even undertaking to move permanently overseas, especially as we age. The problem is when you can't afford HI say in the USA, or even COL in the USA, UK or even Australia and two of those provide free emergency care guaranteed no expense, giving that up and trusting a for profit insurance company, and let's face it its not the company its the underwriters its a damned if you do moment. Frankly, being close to blighty say in Albania, no tax on pensions and a quick flight to the UK is a good alternative. Sunny days on the Aegean Sea. Paying for the sake of something that is a false prophet is getting you nothing when you need it most.
Very good points in this comment, thanks for sharing. It is a big risk, I agree. I was looking at Albania a few years back, it was the new place where all my friends was heading. Good to know Albania is still a great place to consider.
What sucks is all the money I was forced into paying for Medicare since I was 15 will be absolutely worthless for me living in Thailand.
Sorry to hear that Charlie.
i opted out of Part B but if i get sick and am well enough to get to Guam im covered by medicare A and VA as well.
@@LRaines from what I understand, that will be covered if visiting. But if I’m living in Thailand, I’m not covered.
Health insurance.
Option one: self insure. Instead of buying health insurance from a company. Buy three or four gold bahts per year while living in Thailand on retirement visa. When you need money for hospital bill sell the gold bahts. There's no way you will used $3k USD in healthcare premiums in Thailand. Doctor consultation at a clinic is about 500 THB.
Option two: start a Thai company and paying into the Thai health insurance like the Thai people.
Option three: consider Cambodia for retirement.
Is there an option 4? 🤣
@@WalkAboutWayne Yup! Married-up to a ladyboy, mate! LoL...
Get Pacific cross and be done with it!!
Hearing lot's of bad stories about Pacific Cross. But all insurance have bad reviews I guess.
Only freed from past burdens can we take advantage of the present.
I like that Randy 👍
Dan at Vagabond Awake had a recent vlog where he interviewed an insurance guy….it may be worth seeing for health insurance considerations. That said, I changed my diet 2 years ago to a low carb vegetables, berries, beef, salmon, sardines, eggs, chicken & pork. NO SUGAR, pasta, rice, bread…AND…I walk 8 miles every other day. I lost 50lbs, got off 7 medications and had the best blood test results ever. I figured out what foods work best for me. Whenever I cheat, I am reminded how terrible I feel when I don’t eat the right foods FOR ME. It always shows up in acid reflux, poor sleep and joint pain.
Nice, I think I might have seen that vlog. It does help to keep fit and healthy, I agree.
Let us know, what kind of insurance you are getting and the cost per yr if possible Thanks
Will do 👍
Safety wing is so overrated any insurance that demands that you pay your bill then get reimbursed is not a true insurance
Yes, I agree. The whole point of insurance is not having to scramble around to pay the bill.
Hello from CA. Good points about insurance and please get it if you ride a motorcycle but don't know the brand esp if ur older. Not only accidents but dengue fever, malaria, typhoid can make you sick. I flew 2 Singapore from Bali when i had typhoid fever & was treated at a public hospital. Malaysia would be my first choice, as they speak English. Glen Eagle in KL offers excellent health check-up packages. You really need an emergency fund. Can't even imagine dealing with ins co internationally. Read the fine print.