Why Expat Health Insurance in Thailand is Imperative

If you are among the 200,000 foreigners who call the Land of Smiles home, it’s imperative that you’re covered by expat health insurance in Thailand. Why? Because you never know what might happen and the cost and inconvenience of not having adequate coverage can quickly add up. 

Whether you’re a single professional or family unit, having proper coverage will afford you peace of mind when living abroad in a foreign country. Irrespective of the duration of your stay, a good plan will cover you against any unforeseen medical emergencies that may arise.

Moving your life abroad requires real international health insurance, not just travel insurance. A special health insurance plan for expatriates will offer a balanced combination of benefits and premium; providing comprehensive coverage of preventative treatments, medical services and major dental treatments.

From an expatriate’s point of view, some of the most valuable benefits of a health insurance policy are as follows:

• 24/7 helpline
• Medical evacuation
• Medical repatriation
• Emergency medical treatment

Health Insurance Benefits

Health insurance is an effective tool to shield you and your family members from any unforeseen health emergency, be it an accident, development of a serious disease (i.e., cancer), injury or treatment of chronic illness, such as heart bypass surgery.

If you don’t have insurance and a situation arises you will be forced to think on your feet and find a hospital, all while stressing about the cost and level of care. With proper insurance you won’t have to worry about that, a decent insurer will have a pre-approved network of private hospitals available to you, such as Bumrungrad, BNH, Sukhumvit, Phayathai and Samitijev if you’re in Bangkok. These internationally qualified facilities offer treatment in a range of languages – English, Japanese, Arabic, Chinese, etc. – and specialists can treat any and every kind of situation with state-of-the-art equipment and techniques. The alternative is going to a public hospital, which will inevitably entail long waits, inadequate facilities and little or no English service.

Choosing a Provider & Plan 

Some of the biggest players in Thailand are Aetna, Luma Health, IntegraGlobal, AXA, Cigna, LMG, Allianz and Pacific Cross. Deciding between them will be a matter of comparing the cost (premiums and deductibles) services, benefits, customer care and so forth of their various plans. 

Typically, an expat health insurance in Thailand plan will offer a mix of the following benefits and services:

Inpatient treatment: Consultations, hospital charges, surgery and anaesthetics, therapies, maternity care and childbirth, newborn care, etc.

Outpatient treatment: Health checks, acupuncture, physiotherapy, vaccinations and immunisations, vision aids, maternity care and childbirth, etc.

Basic dental: X-rays, scale-and-polish cleaning, treating oral mucosa and gingiva, simple fillings, surgery, night guard, root-canal treatment, etc.

Major dental: Dentures, implants, orthodontic treatment, dental laboratory work and materials, treatment plan, accidental dental treatment, etc.

Medical assistance: 24-hour phone and email service, evacuation and repatriation, information on medical infrastructure, advance payment, etc.

Additional services: Return travel to your country of residence, compassionate family visit, delayed return trip, return transport, care for children, etc.