Healthcare insurance for expats
Posted by Expert_Percentage164@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 8 comments
Hi! I’m an American living in Thailand. I’m currently researching the best international healthcare insurance plan. Can anyone share their opinion & experience with the healthcare insurance you’ve chosen as you live abroad?
ShazTzu@reddit
Expat for over 20 years in Asia (living/working between Hong Kong, Vietnam and Thailand for most of the time) and I have used a specialist expat broker called Tenzing Pacific for the last decade and they have been excellent helping with everything from finding the right plan for my family, helping with claims, renewals, even help booking hospital specialist visits (there customer service team is exceptional) - really fantastic to deal with - for the insurance we use APRIL international for the last 5-6 years and also been great however the prices have gone up a lot in the last year - can contact the Tenzing team at https://ten-pac.com/get-insurance-quotes-s/ they have several offices in Thailand.
Logical-Comment-9621@reddit
I’m in Thailand as well and honestly the biggest mistake I nearly made was relying on travel insurance long term. It’s fine until it isn’t.
Ended up switching to proper expat cover (I use Regency now) and it’s just way more solid when it comes to actual claims, plus so far they have paid all of my claims in the spand of 1-3 days.
i-love-freesias@reddit
Age?
Im 70 and it makes more sense for me to save and then just pay out of pocket.
Sea-Farmer7145@reddit
Hey, this is SJ from Genki. I'll let other people reply with their recommendations, but I just wanted to give you a few suggestions for things to keep in mind regardless of which insurance company you choose.
Since you're in Thailand, traveling by motorbike is really common. Whether you rent one yourself or you ride as a passenger with a friend or on Grab, make sure that whatever insurance you sign up for covers you for riding motorbikes.
Double check if there are any restrictions (e.g., if you need to have a local license, wear a helmet, etc.). I definitely recommend wearing a helmet, but realistically, it's not always an option as a passenger on a moto taxi unless you're bringing your own with you everywhere you go.
Early_Switch1222@reddit
i cant speak to thailand specifically but i can share the dutch side since thats where i am. in the netherlands health insurance is mandatory for everyone who lives or works here, even expats. its not optional. you pick a private insurer (like zilverenkruis, cz, zilveren kruis etc) and pay around 130-160 euros/month for the basic package which covers GP visits, hospital care, prescriptions, mental health etc
there is an own risk (eigen risico) of 385 euros per year which means you pay the first 385 out of pocket before insurance kicks in for most things. GP visits are free though, thats outside the eigen risico
the thing that surprised me coming from greece is how organized it all is. you register with a huisarts (GP) who is basically the gatekeeper to everything. you cant just walk into a specialist, your GP has to refer you. annoying sometimes but the system actually works well
for your situation in thailand though yeah the other commenter is right, look at local insurers first. international plans like cigna or allianz are great for coverage across borders but they can be expensive. if youre staying put in one country a local plan might be more practical and cheaper
IvanStarokapustin@reddit
Start researching local insurers. Different country but where we are, private insurance offered by companies here are less expensive than the Axa’s and Allianz’s and do not rely on you submitting for reimbursement.
Axa and Allianz are fine to have coverage if you’re traveling for short periods. But if you’re going to be there for a while, contact a local insurance company.
Expert_Percentage164@reddit (OP)
Thank you for this information!
Catcher_Thelonious@reddit
best expat healthcare insurers site:www.reddit.com