Consider these questions when looking for health insurance in Thailand
In our last article, we discussed the different health insurance options available in Thailand. Like many other countries in the region, there is a wide variety of health insurance plans available in the country. While this is great, there is a perfect plan out there for each and every person, the problem is how there are so many different options that it can be a long process to find the right plan. To help make starting the process easier, we have created a useful infographic that covers 9 questions insurers and brokers will ask to help you find the best fitting health insurance in Thailand.
Here, we take a more in-depth look at these nine questions you should ask yourself and how they can help you start the process of finding health insurance in Thailand.
1. Do I currently have health insurance?
This might not seem like an overly important question you need to answer but it does help to provide some light on your needs. For example, if you already have health insurance provided by your company, you might feel that the coverage provided does not fully meet your needs and are looking to a plan that fills any gaps.
Answering this question can also help define why you might be looking for more coverage. For example, maybe you have adequate coverage but you find that the service offered by your existing insurer is lacking. This will help a broker better identify plans that offer more than just coverage and insurers who will be better able to meet your needs.
2. Does my employer provide me with health insurance coverage?
Historically, many expats moving to Thailand have been provided with health insurance coverage for themselves and any dependants (spouse or children) who will be moving with them. While there are companies out there that do still offer this, it is becoming exceedingly rare. Instead, we are seeing companies providing coverage just for the employee meaning you will need to secure coverage for any dependents on your own.
If your employer does indeed provide health insurance, and most will in Thailand, then it is important to know exactly who will be covered by this plan. This can, in turn, help you define who will need to be covered by any additional plans you are considering and whether you yourself need extended coverage.
Beyond that, it is important to know how your employer will provide insurance. In some cases, you will be given a stipend in place of coverage. This means you will need to find a plan yourself and can help you set a more accurate budget.
3. How old am I?
As you may already know, private health insurance plans do not offer the same premium for all people on the plan. As a general rule of thumb: The older you are, the higher the premium you will need to pay. The reason for this is that as you age, the chance of you needing not only more medical care but more costly medical care increases. For insurers, this means more risk, which they offset by having older members pay higher premiums.
When you start looking at the different plans, one of the first questions insurers will ask is how old you and the people you want to cover are. The important thing to note here is that while premiums will be higher for older people, insurers will not all charge the same premium. This means it is important to shop around when looking for plans.
4. Do I have any existing medical issues?
Aside from age, this is probably the second most important question to answer. The reason is due to the fact that almost all insurers, regardless of whether they offer local or international plans, will not cover people with pre-existing conditions – ongoing medical conditions like cancer, diabetes, etc. that you have been diagnosed with before you apply for coverage.
Some insurers will outright deny any coverage, while others will exclude any coverage for the pre-existing conditions. Others still will cover you but will attach a waiting period on the plan. This is a period that must pass where no care is needed for the specific condition before the insurer will accept claims for it.
It is important here to note down any medical conditions you and those who will be covered by the plan have. In some cases, certain conditions like a recently broken leg could be overlooked by the insurer.
5. How often do I visit the doctor?
This question is important to answer as it can help you define what type of coverage you might want to consider. For example, if you are currently healthy, have had no major medical issues in the past, and only visit the doctor once a year for a checkup, then you might not necessarily need full coverage, as you won’t really need to visit the doctor on a regular basis.
By answering this question you might also be able to figure out how your level of risk tolerance. If you feel that you might need to see the doctor more, or are not willing to risk paying for care out of pocket then a more comprehensive plan might be a good idea.
6. Do I plan to partake in activities that require extra coverage?
If you plan on traveling on a regular basis or will be doing things that put you at higher risk of injury e.g., extreme sports, it should be noted that some insurers might not cover you. For example, most insurers will not provide coverage for any injuries that come from extreme sports.
Trying to think about what you will be doing while you are covered and be sure to look at the terms and conditions of different plans. The reason for this is that insurers will tend to have differing definitions of extreme sports. Some might exclude any extreme sports while others might set specific sports and activities that will not be covered.
When it comes to traveling it should be noted that many international health insurance plans will offer some form of emergency evacuation coverage. If you are going to be going to remote areas, or countries with less than adequate medical care, it would be a good idea to consider plans that offer emergency evacuation coverage as should anything go wrong you can see the cost of getting back to Bangkok or to a location with adequate care covered.
7. Do I have a spouse or child that will need cover?
This is a good question to ask yourself as it could help define the type of plan you secure. It should be noted here that many insurers might not cover children under a certain age on individual plans, requiring instead that you add them to an existing plan.
8. What are my plans for the future?
Thailand is a fantastic country but many expats do not settle here long-term. Instead, they come for a few years then move on to another country. When considering health insurance it would be a good idea to take a minute and try to define some basic plans for the future. Namely, how long will you plan on staying in Thailand?
The reason here is that if you do plan on leaving the country in the near future you might want to consider international health coverage. Aside from plans being international in nature, many are also portable meaning you don’t have to cancel the plan and restart it when you move countries.
But don’t just look at your plans for Thailand, consider your plans for your family as well. For example, if you and your spouse are planning on having a baby at some time in the future this is an important thing to consider. The reason being that insurers will put a moratorium (period of time that must pass) of anywhere from 10 -24 months on maternity plans.
9. How soon do I need to start coverage?
Finally, consider when you want to start coverage. If you already have coverage and are looking to move providers this is an important question to consider if you want to maintain consistent coverage. Insurers will need a different amount of time for the enrollment process so knowing a specific date can help ensure that there are no issues ahead of time.
If you are looking for more advice on health insurance in Thailand, please contact Pacific Prime Thailand today.
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