Health Insurance

[stogie bear]

That's true and nor could a Canadian either and that's why I alluded to Mardhis probable response when faced with a serious health dilemma.

Mardhis healthy sceptisism of insurance is backed by an easy option to be able to simply go home to get himself sorted while Ziggy probably has a more impending requirement for serious medical insurance.

[mardhi]

Just to clarify my earlier comment - its pretty much as Stogie is guessing - I looked at different Insurance options and felt local coverage was relatively low for the hospitals I would use out of choice, thus leading me to think - well odds are if something happens, I am going to end up paying a fair chunk of this myself anyway - so might as well pay all of it and totally self insure.     With the Govt Insurance for employees you also get to use a nominated private hospital for treatment and its all free as one of the benefits of paying social security taxes.   So I have that option but really I would anticipate just either paying myself or if the condition allowed deciding to fly back to the UK where I would get free treatment but I dont see that as a easy to do option nor my frst choice.    

Having said that I am not anti-insurance generally - I am totally insured for vehicles and property in Thailand as well as public liability of the staff I employ. Reason being vehicle is essential and property Insurance is ridiculously cheap as is strangely enough liability insurances even with very high levels o

Cheers
Mardhi

[katoeylover]

Another way british citizens could get cover is to take out 1year "holiday" insurance, that would cover local hospital costs and repatriation if necessary.

When I lived in the states my health insurance was a one-way ticket back to the uk!

[PigDogg]

If BUPA gold is 3000 USD/year that seems high given that hospitals are not too expensive.

[Guest]

The whopper is the thing I and all expats feared in China...a car accident, and you can't go home, literally.

I had a friend who had a serious one in south China. We got him to the hospital, they wouldn't let him in until we paid cash. He got in, had some swelling in the brain, and they wanted to do surgery right then and there. NOT ! Certainly if they had, and he convalesced there a few weeks or months, it would have been big bucks.

Some bad things don't conveniently happen so that you can book a flight home and take care of it.

Like I said, no insurance is rolling the dice.

[PigDogg]

So what are the rates of some of the major plans?

Which ones do you guys recommend?

I'd only be interested in plans where I submit a card to the hospital. I don't want to fill out forms and get reimbursed even if it's somehwat more cost effective.

[TTChang]

(katoeylover @ May 20 2007,20:13) Another way british citizens could get cover is to take out 1year "holiday" insurance, that would cover local hospital costs and repatriation if necessary.  When I lived in the states my health insurance was a one-way ticket back to the uk!

That's exactly what I've being doing up to now - and it is extremely good value for the amount of trips I now take (there isnt any limitation on number).  But the maximum trip period is something to keep in mind for longer visits.   I've paid additional premium on my policy to extend this to 62 days.

When I got knocked over by a motorbike in Chiang Mai, the cover enabled me to fly home to UK in Business Class at the end of my 'trip'.  But that was 'only' a lacerated leg.   As Ziggy says, you have to think of the worst-case scenarios too, and make sure all the cover is there.  In most situations, I tend to choose 'catastrophe insurance' - but with all the smaller risks covered myself (as jadeite posted earlier)

[PigDogg]

(mardhi @ May 19 2007,15:38) I can afford to settle almost any claim myself, and basically self insure.      

Maybe NZI would suit some of our needs.  Covers just about anything with extremely high limits, but you can get a 40% discount if you choose the super high deductible plan.  Plus other discounts if no claims.  but gotta make sure i'm covered if traveling to the uSA.

NZI Coverage

NZI Premiums