Medical Insurance

Tim Linkinwater · Post by **Tim Linkinwater** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 1:15 pm

rozzieoz wrote: ↑Fri Nov 13, 2020 9:52 am Can someone please recommend a medical insurance for expats in Cambodia.

Contact Mark Seymour.
The good thing is he intervenes when the cunt brokers inevitably try to refuse:
[email protected]

Doc67 · Post by **Doc67** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 2:22 pm

timmydownawell wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:08 am
Doc67 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 9:35 am Your age, medical history and cover required makes recommending an individual insurance company pointless. This is one of the few times where a broker is very useful.
Even then they're not always helpful. I've tried two brokers in the last year. I got to the stage of going through the application process TWICE for different policies, only to find out:

1. Oh, I didn't know you were Australian. This policy is only for American citizens; and
2. Oh, this policy is only available to under 50yos.

So a complete waste of time, let alone handing over all my personal info to two companies for no reason. I remain uninsured.

Sure, you are going to having to check and double check everything during this process. It's one of the most important purchases you will make, and it could be your neck on the line, literally.

But, from personal experience, this firm are efficient and very good communicators. The set out the best potential carriers for me with my circumstances and it was for me to make an informed decision. The whole thing was not too much of a chore and now it's done it bring good peace of mind.

Post by **Clutch Cargo** » Fri Nov 20, 2020 7:08 pm

Doc67 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 9:35 am The brokerage AG Cambodia, based at the Himawari building, is a very well run French firm and been around since 2006.

Your age, medical history and cover required makes recommending an individual insurance company pointless. This is one of the few times where a broker is very useful.

https://www.agcambodia.com/

Yeah, I second the above after Doc recommended them.

I've spent the last month researching expat insurance and finding something that met my needs. I'm over 60 and the premiums can be a killer however given I'm reasonably well off financially, really what I wanted was emergency hospital insurance only in what I call a 'disaster' situation. To keep the costs down, this meant in my case: in patient only, basic plan, Asia zone (incl Australia) and $5k deductible.

In the end I went with April International.

Post by **Clutch Cargo** » Fri Nov 20, 2020 7:21 pm

pauloxleyisland wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:57 am I know this isn’t what the OP asked but it is topic related. I’d like to share what my theory is and so far what works for me. Being a 60 yo Aussie I could not believe the the massive amount they wanted to insure me, it almost put my retirement plans out of the question. So I thought it out
1: Insurance Premiums are expensive
2: Health services in Cambodia are basic at best
3: Health services in Cambodia are cheap
So my theory is I’m not wanting to get treatment in Cambodia for anything other then an emergency, anything else I’ll fly back to Australia for free treatment. In case of emergency you will need the Khmer health system to save your life and get you stable enough to fly out. Your going to fly out anyway. So as my backstop, I have a Visa credit card with a large limit on it. I don’t use the card , I only have it for emergency use when I’m in Cambodia. That way I have access to the Emergency services but pay no insurance premiums. So far it works for me.

Sounds reasonable however I can envisage a situation where in an emergency you may need repatriation where the local health system may not be able to keep you stable/save you in a critical situation. My policy includes repatriation and they are more than likely to send me to a hospital in Thailand than Australia given the travel times involved. With no direct flights to Australia, you're looking at possibly 11+ hrs depending on which city and the layover in transit. Whereas you could be in Bangkok a hell of a lot quicker and when you're critical time is of the essence.

Having said that, I don't know how emergency repatriation works with covid border restrictions?

hburns · Post by **hburns** » Fri Nov 20, 2020 7:31 pm

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7S0lCdgxALo

This video has some good info in it. I'm sure it was for SE Asia and not just Thailand.

Doc67 · Post by **Doc67** » Sat Nov 21, 2020 9:47 am

clutchcargo wrote: ↑Fri Nov 20, 2020 7:21 pm
pauloxleyisland wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:57 am I know this isn’t what the OP asked but it is topic related. I’d like to share what my theory is and so far what works for me. Being a 60 yo Aussie I could not believe the the massive amount they wanted to insure me, it almost put my retirement plans out of the question. So I thought it out
1: Insurance Premiums are expensive
2: Health services in Cambodia are basic at best
3: Health services in Cambodia are cheap
So my theory is I’m not wanting to get treatment in Cambodia for anything other then an emergency, anything else I’ll fly back to Australia for free treatment. In case of emergency you will need the Khmer health system to save your life and get you stable enough to fly out. Your going to fly out anyway. So as my backstop, I have a Visa credit card with a large limit on it. I don’t use the card , I only have it for emergency use when I’m in Cambodia. That way I have access to the Emergency services but pay no insurance premiums. So far it works for me.
Sounds reasonable however I can envisage a situation where in an emergency you may need repatriation where the local health system may not be able to keep you stable/save you in a critical situation. My policy includes repatriation and they are more than likely to send me to a hospital in Thailand than Australia given the travel times involved. With no direct flights to Australia, you're looking at possibly 11+ hrs depending on which city and the layover in transit. Whereas you could be in Bangkok a hell of a lot quicker and when you're critical time is of the essence.

Having said that, I don't know how emergency repatriation works with covid border restrictions?

I read many times of the importance of medical evacuation, especially when you're in a place like here. But... if you have one of the 3 most likely life threatening conditions; heart attack, stroke and traffic accident, the chances of you being in any fit state to fly is small. Airlines are a bit nervous of taking passengers with drips hanging out of their arm and being wheeled on board on a gurney.

'Med evac' is a nice thing, and good for peace of mind but when they say you are covered for $$$$$$$$$$ of coverage for it, I am not sure how you would ever really get the chance to take advantage of it. It is like saying you are covered for $10,000,000 in medical bills. In reality, if your bill goes much above $100,000 here and you are still sick, you are probably fucked anyway.

armchairlawyer · Post by **armchairlawyer** » Sat Nov 21, 2020 10:36 am

clutchcargo wrote: ↑Fri Nov 20, 2020 7:21 pm
pauloxleyisland wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:57 am I know this isn’t what the OP asked but it is topic related. I’d like to share what my theory is and so far what works for me. Being a 60 yo Aussie I could not believe the the massive amount they wanted to insure me, it almost put my retirement plans out of the question. So I thought it out
1: Insurance Premiums are expensive
2: Health services in Cambodia are basic at best
3: Health services in Cambodia are cheap
So my theory is I’m not wanting to get treatment in Cambodia for anything other then an emergency, anything else I’ll fly back to Australia for free treatment. In case of emergency you will need the Khmer health system to save your life and get you stable enough to fly out. Your going to fly out anyway. So as my backstop, I have a Visa credit card with a large limit on it. I don’t use the card , I only have it for emergency use when I’m in Cambodia. That way I have access to the Emergency services but pay no insurance premiums. So far it works for me.
Sounds reasonable however I can envisage a situation where in an emergency you may need repatriation where the local health system may not be able to keep you stable/save you in a critical situation. My policy includes repatriation and they are more than likely to send me to a hospital in Thailand than Australia given the travel times involved. With no direct flights to Australia, you're looking at possibly 11+ hrs depending on which city and the layover in transit. Whereas you could be in Bangkok a hell of a lot quicker and when you're critical time is of the essence.

Having said that, I don't know how emergency repatriation works with covid border restrictions?

IMHO, self-insurance is the best option except where the insurer has underpriced the premium. Those offices, staff, brokers and shareholders don't come free.
Insurance can work well for young people. The premiums are cheap and they have no pre-existing conditions. For older folk, the policies are expensive, and usually cover too much in breadth but exclude pre-existings.

The salesmen love to spin narratives of disasters where insurance was so helpful and necessary but the actuaries know the truth is very different. Massive payouts on medivac and the suchlike are atypical.

There is another reason why I prefer to walk into a hospital and declare myself uninsured. If the patient is covered then the hospital is incentivised to do too much in most scenarios, often to the detriment of the patient.

timmydownawell · Post by **timmydownawell** » Sat Nov 21, 2020 2:52 pm

pauloxleyisland wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:57 am So my theory is I’m not wanting to get treatment in Cambodia for anything other then an emergency, anything else I’ll fly back to Australia for free treatment. In case of emergency you will need the Khmer health system to save your life and get you stable enough to fly out. Your going to fly out anyway. So as my backstop, I have a Visa credit card with a large limit on it. I don’t use the card , I only have it for emergency use when I’m in Cambodia. That way I have access to the Emergency services but pay no insurance premiums. So far it works for me.

I could be wrong, but I believe expats only qualify for free healthcare in Australia for five years after their date of departure. I hope someone can confirm otherwise, though.

pauloxleyisland · Post by **pauloxleyisland** » Sat Nov 21, 2020 5:41 pm

timmydownawell wrote: ↑Sat Nov 21, 2020 2:52 pm
pauloxleyisland wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:57 am So my theory is I’m not wanting to get treatment in Cambodia for anything other then an emergency, anything else I’ll fly back to Australia for free treatment. In case of emergency you will need the Khmer health system to save your life and get you stable enough to fly out. Your going to fly out anyway. So as my backstop, I have a Visa credit card with a large limit on it. I don’t use the card , I only have it for emergency use when I’m in Cambodia. That way I have access to the Emergency services but pay no insurance premiums. So far it works for me.
I could be wrong, but I believe expats only qualify for free healthcare in Australia for five years after their date of departure. I hope someone can confirm otherwise, though.

I couldn’t tell you, and I don’t intend to find out. I think 3 to 6 month alternating stints would be a nice way to live.

Ot Mean Loi · Post by **Ot Mean Loi** » Sat Nov 21, 2020 5:51 pm

And if you are totally incapacitated or comatose or on life support what good is your Visa card under these circumstances?

It is the same with all medical insurance/medical evacuation insurance: a third party needs to be authorised and empowered to activate your insurance policy/ies on your behalf when you are not in a position to do so yourself.

OML

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