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Expat Health Insurance in Thailand: Pre-Existing Conditions Explained

Baan Thai Immigration Solutions

7,014 views

Pre-existing conditions and health insurance in Thailand: what counts, what you must declare, and what insurers can offer you. Insurance expert and brokerage founder Darren Sharp explains how it works for expats.

Most people move to Thailand in their 50s, 60s or 70s, just when pre-existing conditions start to matter most. After age limits, it's one of the most common questions about health insurance coverage in Thailand. In this interview, Darren Sharp draws on 10 years running an insurance brokerage in Thailand to explain the rules in plain English.

In this video:

What counts as a pre-existing condition (no diagnosis needed; symptoms count)
How much to disclose on your application
What happens if you don't disclose, and how insurers find out when you claim
Why your policy start date is the cut-off
The four outcomes: decline, exclusions, a loading (higher premium) or a moratorium
How a moratorium's 2-year look-back works
What to do if you're declined, including accident insurance as a Plan B
Why using a broker doesn't cost you more
Why applying earlier makes cover easier to get
Why a doctor's visit can be cheap in Thailand but a hospital stay isn't

📩 Need Help With Your Case? Contact Baan Thai Team
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Timestamp
00:00 Retiring to Thailand
00:49 Meet the Insurance Expert
01:27 Defining Preexisting Conditions
04:54 Why Disclosure Matters
06:21 How Insurers Verify History
09:36 What Happens After Disclosure
12:39 Exclusions and Accident Coverage
15:04 Covering Conditions With Loading
16:49 Moratorium Policy Explained
18:04 Broker Value and Timing
21:44 Claims Paid When Honest
22:48 Final Thoughts and Wrap Up

10 Comments

@Lamexicanaentailandia 4 days ago

I wish I had seen this video 5 years ago. Great information thank you.

@Paul-w4c8u 14 hours ago

XPAT update. Suggest a video on banking update to open new account.
I did all the paper work with a non o retirement visa 90 days and now after 3 visits to Thai immigration, checking banks constant refusal. It will get too late in a few weeks.
It appears non o retirement is being cancelled by banks refusing new accounts.
Sad as I did want a house and life in Thailand and now Thailand appears to prefer no new foreigners

@wavmanipulator 4 days ago

I have Thai health insurance with fully disclosed pre-existing conditions and I pay a full healthy insurance rate its because I omitted the preexisting conditions due to having those covered under the FMP so its a win win for me

@titibluesg 4 days ago

Great video,

@EvolvedBonobo 5 days ago (edited)

I'm a 50 year old American male and just recently did this process myself. I signed up with cigna global platinum using full underwriting. I arrive Thailand 30 September and the policy begins 01 October. The runner ups were allianz care core signature (moratorium underwriting) and blue cross global solutions (formerly geoblue) using full underwriting. Blue cross was the most comprehensive but also the most expensive. I found cigna global to be the best overall value. I did not find william russell, april international, IMG, or axa global to be very competitive.

All these policies are for global cover excluding US with full evacuation.

Interestingly, the preexisting conditions I ended up disclosing I only knew about from doing those super detailed annual checkup packages in Thailand, so that actually worked against me since I never had any symptoms for that stuff (osteopenia, benign liver lesion, etc.) but had to load the premium to get some of it covered.

@kimokeneke1947 4 days ago

Pre-existing conditions are a gold mine for health insurance companies. They can charge full premium for providing limited coverage.

@Guitarman-w4s 5 days ago

Pre existing conditions will always be used by these insurance companies, even if you never knew about them, that's how they work for not having to pay out, also, anual premiums will go up iradically after you reach 70 with the purpose of becoming unaffordable so you quit them yourselfs saving them a lot of money after they ripped you off for 10 years. Self insurance if you have some savings is the best way to go, just put what you would normally spend on the anual premium in a bank account and use that only for medical expenses and you will be way better of.

@gerardbordeleau9205 4 days ago

Hi, who is more then 60 and do not have little blood pressure or prostate pills, insurance are in general money maker no mater witch one, why they do not asked for a complete check up, when you know exactly what happening then you sit and talk, and everything is clear,no they like to hold you in the cloud, so they collect and when it is time to pay !!!!! Byyyyeeee

@titibluesg 4 days ago

Question, when brokers are paid by the insurers, there is a risk the broker will propose where the broker get the most money

@AVA_Investment_Analytics_Live 2 days ago

I am an expert in healthcare technology and healthcare economics. I also have familiarity with the Thai medical system (Bumrungrad, Bangkok Hospital and Chan Mai Ram). In short, one of these hospitals ripped me off, and I found all three to be incompetent. Thai medial system has been greatly overexaggerated by YouTubers who lack expertise in the area.