Living and Teaching in Thailand

Employer Provided Health Insurance in Thailand?

To most westerners, provisions for medical insurance are considered as much a part of employment as a salary. And, to the most part, schools here in Thailand that are recruiting native-English speakers do offer some basic type of medical coverage – or so they say in their job advertisements. However, discussions with my colleagues (who have many more years of experience teaching in Thailand) seem to indicate that problems of employers providing inadequate insurance options are a lot more common than not.

Admittedly, costs of healthcare here are much, much lower than what I’m used (in the US). However, this is Thailand -- the bird flu threat, dengue fever, and, of course, the dreaded maniac motorcycle taxis. Also, more and more teachers (especially in the rural government schools) are nearing their “golden years” and would likely feel a lot more comfortable having a bit more assurance about their insurance.

One “tactic” that some schools like to use is the “offering” of the Thai-worker insurance card. Administered by the Thailand Ministry of Labor, medical benefits include medical examination and treatment, hospitalization, medicines, ambulance fees, rehabilitation, and other necessary expenses under the capitation system. However, the insured must register with a contracted hospital, and benefits are delivered by the hospital with which the insured is registered. Medical care outside this hospital can be sought in case of emergency and accident only, and costs are reimbursed according to fixed rates in this case. Cost for this program is 1.5% of your salary and it should be deducted from your paycheck.

A couple of downsides to this program:

• You have to register a hospital with your employer – and, depending where you live, it may not be the best one for any particular ailment that you might suffer. I lucked out – my building is right next door to a respectable hospital at the end of Silom.
  
• Coverage does not include medications, although drugs here aren’t ridiculously expensive as they are in the US.
  
• You’re not covered overseas – a real problem if, like me, you travel home pretty frequently.

So, what should you do if you find yourself in this “under-insured” situation? There are a several large, international insurance companies with Thai affiliates that offer packages specifically with the expat in mind. AIA (an affiliate of AIG) and BUPA Thailand are the ones that come to mind. If you’re already working here, you can stop by their local offices to pick up their expat info packet. Premiums are pretty low compared to elsewhere. However, one major problem with the local purchase of expat medical insurance is the inordinate number of coverage exclusions. One conspicuous omission in a BUPA policy: any accident resulting from you being a passenger or driver of a motorcycle taxi will only be covered for 50% of your expenses. Read the fine print to make sure you know what you’re getting into.

Of course, you could always purchase coverage before you get here. Most US and European insurance companies that offer basic coverage will also sell you travelers insurance or long-term, overseas insurance. Goodhealth is a British company that caters directly to expats (any nationality, not just British), but its nearest Southeast Asian offices are in Hong Kong and Jakarta, though you can purchase coverage online for virtually any country. For Americans, an excellent option would be Travel Guard, with travel insurance plans starting at US$30, that offer coverage for trip cancellation, travel interruptions and delays, emergency medical expenses, lost baggage and more.

You could also use one of these multi-company comparison quote services: Netquote.com and HealthInsuranceSavings.com both offer free, no obligation, online quotes.

posted by Mister Ray @ 1/29/2006 11:31:00 PM