Ghostwriter wrote: ↑Sun Feb 07, 2021 9:37 am
Although logical and very true, there is a kind of calling to blend in the local way to deal with it, that goes well when acting the way local do or think + applying the benefits of a western education to complete our behaviour adressing the daily life in these adventurous countries.
After all, insurance is a new thing here, people have been dealing without it for ages.

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Sun Feb 07, 2021 8:53 am People have lived for thousands of years without health insurance

People have dealt without planes, cars, electricity, birth control, antibiotics, <fill in another few hundred things you use on a daily base> for ages. De the two of you still live pre - 1850 style?

As an example, I’m a very cautious and conservative driver. My accident that cost $100k+ was the result of a jao fleeing a crime and smashing into me.

Not that you should expect to be smashed be a thief, but the drivers in general here are bonkers and you have a much higher chance of getting hurt on the road here even if you drive perfectly yourself. Add in the fact that you’re in Cambodia and a costly medivac gets you proper care in Thailand, as I had a $10-20k plane ride to Bangkok myself.

Insured or not, you still have to find the RIGHT doctor. In LOS I had some unhealthy encounters with (expensive) hospitals, only cost me money. Three timesI got WRONG CARE, making me even more sick. Nowadays I try to take care of myzelf with the help of GOD and Google, working out pretty well. Once a year I get back to Europe, where I am insured, to get a checkup and /or getting care.

I'm still looking into getting some insurance.

Last year I spent a couple of nights at Calmette after going in with chest pain. After I arrived, I had an ECG and they told me I could stay or go home. This was not long after Roz's neighbour had dropped dead after visiting hospital with chest pain, so I decided best if I stayed. I had an angiogram and it turns out my arteries are not blocked (trust me, no-one was more surprised than me). So after two sleepless nights I was cleared to check out. Cost $1600 all up ($1000 being for the angiogram). If I'd paid $1200 for insurance and a $500 excess/deductible I'd have ended up about even. Luckily I didn't need a stent though.

ergosemper wrote: ↑Fri Feb 05, 2021 7:11 am

simon43 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 05, 2021 5:31 am I pay about $200 per month for $1M cover, 62 years old. I live in Laos.

But premiums will depend on your age and if you have any existing medical conditions when you take out cover (I don't).

Most Expat Insurance Co. will kick you out when you turn 70...

In that case, you've signed up with the wrong company! There are plenty of reputable, international companies who insure you for life, regardless of how many claims you make and how ill you become after signing up. By EU law, they also can't increase your premiums as a result of your claims. They can only increase them in line with others of the same age.

Can I have a hint of the insurance provider (if not possible to disclose providers on this forum) because mine charges me €3,732 per year without deductible. I had a minor health issue just once this last decade and was reimbursed the $200+ I paid SOS. Looking back and adding up what I paid year after year, I hope they really can be relied upon when or if the inevitable or unfortunate happens.

April Insurance - the expat policy from France, not the inferior policy that they offer in Thailand - that has too many exclusions!

^^^
That's the mob I went with (International policy) via the local brokers AG Cambodia at the Himawari hotel.

Uninsured atm.

Had company health and life insurance for past number of years but not working lately.

Will look to reinsure later this year. Probably around $500 per year as I'm in my mid 30's and quite healthy AFAIK

If anyone's looking for a budget option I just got a quote from SafetyNet which was less than half the quotes from other companies:

https://www.safetynet-health.com/for-individuals/


NB:
Waiting Period for funeral benefit 6 months 6 months
Waiting period for maternity delivery 18 months 18 months
Waiting period for HIV/AIDS related illness 24 months 24 months
Waiting period for Listed Condition** 24 months 24 months
Waiting period for Pre-existing Condition 36 months 36 months

** Listed Conditions
o Tumor – Internal tumor, skin tumors, cysts, nodules, polyps including breast lumps unless
malignant
o ENT Disorders and/or Surgeries – Benign ear, nose, throat or other ENT disorders, and surgeries
including adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy, tympanoplasty, nasal septum deviation, sinusitis
o Stone – Kidney Stones, ureteral stone, lithotripsy, gallbladder stone
o Other – Arthritis (non-infective), osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, gout, rheumatism, spinal disorders,
joints replacement therapy, bronchiectasis, Benign prostatic hypertrophy, Cataract, hemorrhoids.

Kung-fu Hillbilly wrote: ↑Sat Feb 06, 2021 8:08 pm

Matty9999 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 06, 2021 7:51 pm I dont have any major health issues and the plan is not to have anything happen over here.

I think it's kind of a naive attitude to adopt, and after a little more experience I'll wager your opinion will change considerably. Even a semi-major event like a broken leg can throw all your plans (and money) out the window. There are hundreds of stories of those "not planning to have anything happen" who end up going through a whole lotta pain and puss because they didn't spend a little money on insurance.

A young healthy woman I knew who was traveling in Sumatra had a motorbike accident where her arm was mangled. Three hospitals in Indonesia wanted to amputate it before she got to Singapore where they plated her arm back together. She didn't have insurance with the whole affair costing her tens of thousands of dollars which she had to beg and borrow for - no doubt taking her years to repay.

If you can't afford a grand or two to protect your health or an unforeseen event, you shouldn't go - just my personal, humble opinion.

Ive had actually two minor health events, well now that you mention it 3 total events, and ill tell you how im managing these in a few.... kind of an ironic story...

Event #1: My first week in Asia, i cut my hand working with some tools, I was reassembling the bicycle i just flew over with, inside of a place I rented in Thailand, blood came out of my hand and spurted across the room, assumed i had hit a blood vessel, i ran outside into the street, and told some passers by what happened and that i was bleeding.... cost for some stitches... $20 or about 600 Thai Bhat, my first thought, oh god, going to the hospital is going to cost me $2000 USD, nope it was just $20...in a few weeks my hand was as good as new minus a slight scar.

Event #2: I was moving said heavy luggage down some stairs and at first i thought i pulled my hamstring, it turns out i may have gotten sciatica nerve damage or what they call piriformis syndrome. This was amplified by the fact that i ride my bicycle every single day perhaps as far as 10 miles a day. The treatment for this is fortunately rest and eating the right nutrition plus stretching your leg in a certain way and making sure not to overextend your leg by moving luggage that is too heavy. This required some rest. Here my dad who is an MD back in the states advised me on this remotely.

Event #3: Food poisoning thanks to some yummy Cambodia street food, im not sure what exactly was the cause, Bacterial, ill leave the details private so not to disturb viewers. Day #4 it was supposed to have gone away and it did after lunch. If not i would have gotten an antibiotic at the direction of my dad, but i didn't need it, so i just ate frozen or freeze dried food to avoid a repeat edition so far im good no more stomach issues.

So in conclusion if i get into a situation where i need to have some extreme medical care, ill either return to the good ole USA or have my beloved fam wire me some cash for whatever i need. Got the funding $$$, but you know how families are., they will send it only when push comes to shove. Thats why im not having any medical issues until it gets real....