Thai medical insurance

[Cer]

Originally Posted by cooked

You can make the same comments about all of these 'cheap' insurances to a greater or lesser extent. I have found a few insurances that have a good reputation and guarantee not to raise your premiums with age. There was Nordic for example, which was around ฿13 000 a month if I remember! I think that I will be going for 'self insurance', that is to say I put an equivalent sum of money aside every month. I also have a repatriation insurance so if I find myself unable to pay medical bills I will be flown back to Switzerland where I will get 'free' treatment. Sounds good in theory, but I can see all sorts of difficult choices that I may have to make - chronic illness versus acute, leaving my Thai family behind and being stuck in a sterile Swiss hospital .. every case is different and I have been looking at this since February. Next January I turn 65 so I have to decide soon.

With april international (APRIL International: Assurance santé expatriés, assurance voyage étranger, rapatriement et CFE) you would pay NOW (=tariff 2012 and age 61-65) for hospitalisation;

plan essentielle:€1980,- annual (€2532--€3144)
plan medium :€2268,- " (€2904--€3612)
plan extenso :€2580,- (€3324--€4092)

The second price is tariff for 66-70 and the third is tariff for above 70.!
included HIV-cancer and so on if not yet diagnosed at acceptance.

Saving 13000 baht/month ,will not bring you enough financial reserves to (financial)survive a serious accident or illness.
You still have the chance to obtain a good insurance (depending on possible pre-conditions??) at the moment and I strongly advise to do so.It brought me a lot of confidence and calmness after the sudden loss of my Dutch health insurance (new law per 01-01-2006)

[cooked]

Originally Posted by Cer

With april international (APRIL International: Assurance santé expatriés, assurance voyage étranger, rapatriement et CFE) you would pay NOW (=tariff 2012 and age 61-65) for hospitalisation;

plan essentielle:€1980,- annual (€2532--€3144)
plan medium :€2268,- " (€2904--€3612)
plan extenso :€2580,- (€3324--€4092)

The second price is tariff for 66-70 and the third is tariff for above 70.!
included HIV-cancer and so on if not yet diagnosed at acceptance.

Saving 13000 baht/month ,will not bring you enough financial reserves to (financial)survive a serious accident or illness.
You still have the chance to obtain a good insurance (depending on possible pre-conditions??) at the moment and I strongly advise to do so.It brought me a lot of confidence and calmness after the sudden loss of my Dutch health insurance (new law per 01-01-2006)

I agree that saving ฿13 000.- a month won't pay for a serious illness, so how do you think that an insurance company is going to make money on a guy that is paying ฿8 300 to ฿12 000 a month going to make money out of you? I have seen negative criticism of April on the Internet which doesn't mean anything of course.

I did mention that I have the backup of being insured to be flown home on a hospitalised plane if ever I get into a situation where I can no longer eceive adequate treatment in Thailand (meaning that I have no money).

[Cer]

Originally Posted by cooked

I agree that saving ฿13 000.- a month won't pay for a serious illness, so how do you think that an insurance company is going to make money on a guy that is paying ฿8 300 to ฿12 000 a month going to make money out of you? I have seen negative criticism of April on the Internet which doesn't mean anything of course.

I did mention that I have the backup of being insured to be flown home on a hospitalised plane if ever I get into a situation where I can no longer receive adequate treatment in Thailand (meaning that I have no money).

You need to become MEMBER of April and ,to the best of my knowledge,the company is regulated by the state (France).They only can increase the premium if the government allows so..(solidarity base).

I did contact the Bangkok hospital group (as I do know the "international insurances" manager) and he confirmed me about acceptance of both companies (IHC and April but.......they like April better because IHC always discusses and are late with the payment!!! (those were his words).

You will need an medical check up before acceptance (April) and that is reasonable.

[cooked]

Originally Posted by Cer

With april international (APRIL International: Assurance santé expatriés, assurance voyage étranger, rapatriement et CFE) you would pay NOW (=tariff 2012 and age 61-65) for hospitalisation;

plan essentielle:€1980,- annual (€2532--€3144)
plan medium :€2268,- " (€2904--€3612)
plan extenso :€2580,- (€3324--€4092)

The second price is tariff for 66-70 and the third is tariff for above 70.!
included HIV-cancer and so on if not yet diagnosed at acceptance.

Saving 13000 baht/month ,will not bring you enough financial reserves to (financial)survive a serious accident or illness.
You still have the chance to obtain a good insurance (depending on possible pre-conditions??) at the moment and I strongly advise to do so.It brought me a lot of confidence and calmness after the sudden loss of my Dutch health insurance (new law per 01-01-2006)

Thank you for your advertising. If you would care to read my post again you will see that I have the option of going back (to Switzerland) for medical treatment.
I do not have confidence (peace of mind) in any insurance company that has hidden away in its small print the fact that they reserve for themselves the right to increase the premium or actually remove your cover at any time.
The companies are there to make money and entering the age of risk brings you into an age bracket that no business in his right mind would be interested in.
April International has been bitterly criticised in the past, I don't trust any of them apart from Nordic which is very expensive + you pay the first $2500.- expenses a year.

[Cer]

Originally Posted by jerryjan

Thanks to all of you for your input. Unless I misunderstand what you are saying, there doesn't seem to be a better option than HCI. Is that what I'm reading?

I choose April for 2 main reasons I mentioned, being:
Very high premium above 70.
Limited amount for dread diseases.

HCI acceptance age till 65
April acceptance age till 70

You can read all conditions of both on the internet.

[jerryjan]

Originally Posted by Cer

You need to become MEMBER of April and ,to the best of my knowledge,the company is regulated by the state (France).They only can increase the premium if the government allows so..(solidarity base).

I did contact the Bangkok hospital group (as I do know the "international insurances" manager) and he confirmed me about acceptance of both companies (IHC and April but.......they like April better because IHC always discusses and are late with the payment!!! (those were his words).

You will need an medical check up before acceptance (April) and that is reasonable.

Thank you so much. Immediately after reading your posting, I went to the website of April International. I tried completing their application in order to get a quote but something seems to be wrong with their website. Do you know how I might be able to reach them in order to get information?

[Cer]

To the best of my knowledge:
e-mail:info@aprilmobilite.com
Tel:+33 173029393
Fax:+33 173029390
Facebook:APRIL International - Company - Paris, France | Facebook

On my email request they mailed me the full information to download: "Insurance cover for expatriates of any nationality "

I like to undeline that I don't have any commercial connection to any of both insurance companies mentioned by me.

[Thai Bigfoot]

Cer,

Can you give me information on your insurance company?

I'm about to turn 64, in good health, and, can't seem to find a provider.

Thanks.

[mikecwm]

Once you reach the age where serious health problems can be expected (80+ ?) then any insurance company is going to jack your premiums so high you will no longer be able to afford them.
You have now paid a great deal of money to them and have nothing to show for it except maybe peace of mind during the years you did not need them.
I will "self insure" by starting off with 1M Baht once I move to Thailand at 67 in 2 years and add 100,000 each year to that.
By the time I reach 80 there should be enough money in the pot to cover almost any illness.
If I die peacefully in my sleep one night then there will be money for my son and wife.
The best insurance (just as in sailing) is to keep the boat off the rocks - live a healthy life with exercise and a good diet.

[Cer]

Originally Posted by mikecwm

Once you reach the age where serious health problems can be expected (80+ ?) then any insurance company is going to jack your premiums so high you will no longer be able to afford them.
You have now paid a great deal of money to them and have nothing to show for it except maybe peace of mind during the years you did not need them.
I will "self insure" by starting off with 1M Baht once I move to Thailand at 67 in 2 years and add 100,000 each year to that.
By the time I reach 80 there should be enough money in the pot to cover almost any illness.
If I die peacefully in my sleep one night then there will be money for my son and wife.
The best insurance (just as in sailing) is to keep the boat off the rocks - live a healthy life with exercise and a good diet.

This it is very personal.
I think better safe than sorry.I would feel terrible in case our saving money would go to the hospital in stead to my wife.
Please realise that hospital/medicine costs nowadays are not too much different from those in the European countries.
As said April mobilite is not allowed to make such age increases (by law).
But as I wrote it is a personal choice.

During the last 8 years I have had many requests to help (with money) when ther was an accident (again) with farangs who didn't have the cash(enough) to cover.A sad thing.