International Health Insurance for you or a Thai friend.....

[travelerjim]

Hello Sawatdee Friends,

In recent weeks there have been several questions and postings regarding availability of health insurance:
1. for expats residing in Thailand;
2. for visitors to Thailand who are travelling outside their home country; and,
3. for taking a Thai friend outside Thailand to visit another country.

In response may I share that helpful information regarding International Health and Travel Insurance is available from my website:

www.tjinsurance.com (http://www.tjinsurance.com)

If you are a visitor to Thailand; or you travel anywhere in the world "outside your home country" may I recommend:

:arrow: the Diplomat International health and travel insurance policy (available for both short time and monthly travel vacations with travel coverages available for up to 12 months); or,

:arrow: the Diplomat Long Term health and travel insurance policy (renewable annually and available for terms up to 3 years); and...

Both of these policies are available to you at affordable rates.

Home country coverage is available as an option for those long term expat residents living in Thailand who may be visiting back to your home country during the year...(see policy for details).

:arrow: For the long term expat resident I do have available another International Major Medical Health Insurance policy which is renewable annually throughout your life (please pm or e-mail me for details and policy quotation).

If you or a Thai friend are traveling outside your home country or from Thailand to visit another country, the Diplomat International policy is inexpensive and provides you and/or your Thai friend with first dollar coverages after the low deductible chosen by you for health and major medical situations which may occur on the trip.

All of the policies I recommend are true International Health Insurance policies - providing major medical health insurance coverages for illness and sickness in addition to accident and repatriation benefits.

I recently responded in another thread to a question about health insurance for a Thai friend travelling outside Thailand to visit his farang friend. May I share my response with you as an example of the coverage available from my website: www.tjinsurance.com (http://www.tjinsurance.com) :

Hello Tricky Rich and Sawatdee Friends,

My best wishes for success in your developing relationship and a long life of love and happiness together for you and your Thai boyfriend.

I have travelled outside Thailand with my Thai boyfriend to China, Hong Kong and to The Netherlands, Belgium and France over the past 19 months. I have always secured an International Health and Travel Insurance policy for him in case of an accident or illness while outside of Thailand. Most Embassy's will require a minimum of US $50,000 health insurance coverage policy be issued before the Visa is issued for the Thai boyfriend.

May I recommend a visit to my website (I am an health, life and financial insurance professional in the USA and have set up this website in response to so many questions about international health insurance from my friends)....

http://tjinsurance.com/ . ...

and see for yourself how low cost an international health insurance policy can be for you to insure your Thai friend when he is outside of his home country of Thailand.

For your information...I have always chosen a higher amount of health insurance policy rather than the minimum of US$50,000 required by the Embassy - as the added cost for a US $100,000, $250,000 or $500,000 policy with a US $100.00 deductible (the policy pays 100% of the costs incurred above the $100.) is so little in comparison - and I have the peace of mind in knowing my Thai boyfriend is insured during our trip together or his travel outside Thailand.

The cost for a $500,000 DIPLOMAT INTERNATIONAL health insurance policy for my Thai boyfriend - age 22 - for our recent 15 day visit to Amsterdam, Paris and Brussels in May-June of 2005 was $46.74 for a $500,000 health insurance policy with a $100.00 deductible and 100% coverage above to $500,000(not just an accident policy - but a true major medical health and travel insurance policy issued by an American insurance company with worldwide - international customer support assistance). The costs for a $100,000 or $250,000 policy are lower. FYI - The Schengen Visa was approved and issued by The Netherlands Embassy for my Thai boyfriend.

Hope this is helpful to you and others and I invite you to look at my website for more information about policy coverages. It is easy to apply for and get immediate issuance of the policy via my website and the use of your Mastercard or Visa worldwide.

The policy is also excellent choice for Thai friends as well as farangs who are either visiting Thailand or a country outside their home country....at affordable rates and for policy periods of 15 day to 12 months with the Diplomat International policy I have available on my website - and I also have on my website another annual renewable policy I can recommend - available for resident farangs which is guaranteed renewable for up to 3 years....Diplomat Long-Term.

If you wish longer periods of coverage - annual renewable - please pm me - I have an excellent policy available from a fine international insurance company and they do consider pre-existing conditions favorably upon application and review.

:?: Please feel free to pm me with your questions...I will be pleased to reply to all.

:D Thank you again for allowing me to share this information with you and Sawatdee Forum friends.

Special thanks to those who have already visited my website and purchased International Health and Travel Insurance policy for themselves and/or for their Thai friends during the year; and,

A grateful Thank You to my good friend Wally - Webmaster of http://www.gardencentre.com.au/suneeplaza/ .

- It is Wally who has been so helpful to me in setting up and serving as Webmaster of www.tjinsurance.com (http://www.tjinsurance.com) .

Wally - I am blessed by your expertise and helpful advice; and, I am pleased to be able to make a donation to Thais4Life semi-annually each year in appreciation for your Webmaster expertise and to make a donation to Thais4Life for each insurance policy issued via my website.

A very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All !

I hope to see many of you in beautiful Thailand during the holiday season :wink:

TravelerJim
http://tjinsurance.com/ .

You can get blue cross BUPA in Thailand for a great price and its available to all nationalities. It is valid world wide

[marc11864-old]

Hi travelerjim,

I will be traveling to Thailand in the late Spring of 2006 from the United States. I'm in good health albeit I am HIV positive and currently am on the 'cocktail'.

I do think it advisable to pick up travelers health insurance though I do not expect anything major. I worry though that the fact that I am HIV positive will bring exorbitantly high premiums.

Could you offer any suggestions or detail anything you think that I should be aware of as I make inquiries?

Thanks!

Marc

[travelerjim]

Hi Marc and Sawatdee friends....
I just logged into the board this New Years Day and saw your message and question. I am now in Thailand and available to those who may wish to chat over coffee about your health insurance situation or options.
My sole aim is to be helpful to you in understanding and evaluation options for plan benefits which you may now have or can access when outside your home country.
I will reply in more detail soon...I have several suggestions...But as you may already know (as I have learned from many years experience in the health insurance business) - Pre-Existing conditions which you have been treated for or received medications for - especially HIV+ would be excluded from any new health plan plan benefits you may apply for..... The look back period for pre-existing conditions can vary from insurance company to company ...some from 3 years to 10 years to lifetime - depending on insurance company which issues the health policy. Yes, BUPA in Thailand exludes most all pre-existing conditions - including specifically any HIV+ related conditions.
I am gathering more thoughts on this important subject for you and will share with you and others in the coming days.
Essentially, my opinion is enjoy Thailand and be prepared to pay the much discounted fees for Thai medical care...and prescriptions as well - and if major opportunistic infection sets in relating to HIV+ status - then repatriate back to USA or your home country for treatment...there is excellent availability of skilled HIV+ Doctors and medical professionals here in Thailand - especially in the major cities.
You now may have availability in USA from your current insurance or program provider Rx's and meds (from a personal health insurance policy you now may have, from your employer, or from a medicaid or other special program, etc) ...such as a 90 day supply with re-orders available up to one year -
I have a friend also who is HIV+ and he brings a boatload (as much as he can get) each time he visits Thailand - and soon he will come here to "retire" from America as become an English Teacher as well.
More thoughts soon...Thanks again for your note...I hope I may be helpful to you.
TravelerJim
ps..May I ask ? Your age and location in USA (City. State)....Do you have access to insurance health/prescription benefits on retiring (COBRA - Retirement health plan etc..) in USA? If so - at what cost monthly? Please feel free to pm me ...I will do likewise by pm...as well as post a general reply for all to read which may help others.

TravelerJim
www.tjinsurance.com (http://www.tjinsurance.com) .