First post, forgive my noobishness. We're considering a move to Cambodia, but I'm a 2 time cancer survivor. I'm in good health now, and am cancer free for almost 18 months. I know the medical care in Cambodia is lacking, so I'm looking into some Oncologists in Thailand. I've gotten the ok from my local doctor in the States, he's agreed to continue to review blood work and scans.
My question is what are my international health insurance options? Would it be best to contact an insurance company first? Or work through a hospital?
I was denied coverage in the states for a while, but healthcare reform fixed that. Will I find similar problems with international coverage? How do they handle pre-existing conditions.
I'm looking at a 2-4% chance of reoccurrence in 5 years... But that's what they said the first time.
Thanks for the helpful feedback. If there's a more appropriate place to ask this type of question, I'd appreciate some guidance there.
Cancer filter: Health insurance and moving
I think you need to talk to the insurance companies themselves. They'll obviously be the ones who ultimately decide to cover you or not.
If you're looking for oncologists in Thailand, check out the health and medical section on Thaivisa.com. They're pretty helpful there.
Good luck.
If you're looking for oncologists in Thailand, check out the health and medical section on Thaivisa.com. They're pretty helpful there.
Good luck.
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Sen Sok International Hospital has a Russian Oncologist, who anecdotal evidence suggests is fairly competent:
http://www.sensokiuh.com/doctors-profil ... tment.html
http://www.sensokiuh.com/doctors-profil ... tment.html
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I think your pre-existing condition will be a major obstacle. But in any event your premiums are likely to be quiet high. Have you thought about self-insuring? My personal experience with medical care in Thailand (I've used Bangkok Hospital a number of times in the past for various medical issues including surgery) is 1) it's world-class and superior to the care you would receive in many US facilities, and 2) costs run about one-tenth of what you would pay for similar care in the US.
My epiphany came after having surgery in Bangkok while being insured with Goodhealth. Goodhealth paid all but $50 of my expenses which was great, but I quickly realized that my accumulated premiums could have paid for the surgery several times over. In fact, I could have paid for a coronary bypass operation. Just a few months ago I went through a comprehensive cancer screening at Bangkok Hospital, including blood & urine tests, chest x-ray, endoscopic exam of mouth and throat, complete abdominal & thyroid ultrasound, and colonoscopy. Took two days to complete with multiple meetings with oncologist and GI specialist. Then went to dermatology for a complete body exam since I have a history of BCC.
Whole thing came to roughly $600. That amount in the US wouldn't even cover the anesthesiologist for the colonoscopy. I would seriously consider weighing the cost of insurance premiums versus your out-of-pocket expenses if you self-insure. And as far as I know, very few if any insurance carriers in this part of the world work on a direct pay basis. Rather than paying your medical provider directly, you must pay first and then seek reimbursement through your insurance company. That effectively makes your policy payout limits pretty meaningless, since you'll actually be limited to what you can pay from your cash reserves and available lines of credit (i.e. credit cards).
My epiphany came after having surgery in Bangkok while being insured with Goodhealth. Goodhealth paid all but $50 of my expenses which was great, but I quickly realized that my accumulated premiums could have paid for the surgery several times over. In fact, I could have paid for a coronary bypass operation. Just a few months ago I went through a comprehensive cancer screening at Bangkok Hospital, including blood & urine tests, chest x-ray, endoscopic exam of mouth and throat, complete abdominal & thyroid ultrasound, and colonoscopy. Took two days to complete with multiple meetings with oncologist and GI specialist. Then went to dermatology for a complete body exam since I have a history of BCC.
Whole thing came to roughly $600. That amount in the US wouldn't even cover the anesthesiologist for the colonoscopy. I would seriously consider weighing the cost of insurance premiums versus your out-of-pocket expenses if you self-insure. And as far as I know, very few if any insurance carriers in this part of the world work on a direct pay basis. Rather than paying your medical provider directly, you must pay first and then seek reimbursement through your insurance company. That effectively makes your policy payout limits pretty meaningless, since you'll actually be limited to what you can pay from your cash reserves and available lines of credit (i.e. credit cards).
The Krell forgot one thing...Monsters, John. Monsters from the Id!
The best insurance is to take responsibility for your health information and decisions, and stop treating the medical establishment like a final authority on health. Id investigate the origin of these cancers and look into doing more of what you have already done to successfully treat it, such as excercise, predominantly raw food lifestyle and detox of the body (10 year background in alternative and natural health)peripatew wrote:First post, forgive my noobishness. We're considering a move to Cambodia, but I'm a 2 time cancer survivor. I'm in good health now, and am cancer free for almost 18 months. I know the medical care in Cambodia is lacking, so I'm looking into some Oncologists in Thailand. I've gotten the ok from my local doctor in the States, he's agreed to continue to review blood work and scans.
My question is what are my international health insurance options? Would it be best to contact an insurance company first? Or work through a hospital?
I was denied coverage in the states for a while, but healthcare reform fixed that. Will I find similar problems with international coverage? How do they handle pre-existing conditions.
I'm looking at a 2-4% chance of reoccurrence in 5 years... But that's what they said the first time.
Thanks for the helpful feedback. If there's a more appropriate place to ask this type of question, I'd appreciate some guidance there.
[quote="pattyflipper"]Sen Sok International Hospital has a Russian Oncologist, who anecdotal evidence suggests is fairly competent:
http://www.sensokiuh.com/doctors-profil ... tment.html[/quote]
Thanks for this information, I've heard decent things about the Royal Rattanak, but wasn't aware that Sen Sok had an Oncology team. This could be quite the help, as surveillance alone wouldn't necessitate Thailand or Singapore.
http://www.sensokiuh.com/doctors-profil ... tment.html[/quote]
Thanks for this information, I've heard decent things about the Royal Rattanak, but wasn't aware that Sen Sok had an Oncology team. This could be quite the help, as surveillance alone wouldn't necessitate Thailand or Singapore.
[quote="Robby"]I think your pre-existing condition will be a major obstacle. But in any event your premiums are likely to be quiet high. Have you thought about self-insuring? My personal experience with medical care in Thailand (I've used Bangkok Hospital a number of times in the past for various medical issues including surgery) is 1) it's world-class and superior to the care you would receive in many US facilities, and 2) costs run about one-tenth of what you would pay for similar care in the US.
My epiphany came after having surgery in Bangkok while being insured with Goodhealth. Goodhealth paid all but $50 of my expenses which was great, but I quickly realized that my accumulated premiums could have paid for the surgery several times over. In fact, I could have paid for a coronary bypass operation. Just a few months ago I went through a comprehensive cancer screening at Bangkok Hospital, including blood & urine tests, chest x-ray, endoscopic exam of mouth and throat, complete abdominal & thyroid ultrasound, and colonoscopy. Took two days to complete with multiple meetings with oncologist and GI specialist. Then went to dermatology for a complete body exam since I have a history of BCC.
Whole thing came to roughly $600. That amount in the US wouldn't even cover the anesthesiologist for the colonoscopy. I would seriously consider weighing the cost of insurance premiums versus your out-of-pocket expenses if you self-insure. And as far as I know, very few if any insurance carriers in this part of the world work on a direct pay basis. Rather than paying your medical provider directly, you must pay first and then seek reimbursement through your insurance company. That effectively makes your policy payout limits pretty meaningless, since you'll actually be limited to what you can pay from your cash reserves and available lines of credit (i.e. credit cards).[/quote]
I greatly appreciate this information. I used to have an HSA, but they no longer seem to be a valid option here for me (premiums aren't much cheaper than regular insurance now). I hadn't considered that for this "life scenario". Seems most things I'm looking at for our family (5 total) that's comparable to what we have here is ~$550 +/- $100. That could accumulate nicely. What I'll have to consider though, is that a reoccurrence would likely mean more chemotherapy and surgery. This last round stateside was $500,000+ (and left me pretty worthless for 6 months). While I'm sure that would be drastically reduced (lot's of factors), even 5% of that would take a while to accumulate. I may try to get some estimates from a few hospitals based on my previous stuff to see how it compares. Thanks again for the info.
My epiphany came after having surgery in Bangkok while being insured with Goodhealth. Goodhealth paid all but $50 of my expenses which was great, but I quickly realized that my accumulated premiums could have paid for the surgery several times over. In fact, I could have paid for a coronary bypass operation. Just a few months ago I went through a comprehensive cancer screening at Bangkok Hospital, including blood & urine tests, chest x-ray, endoscopic exam of mouth and throat, complete abdominal & thyroid ultrasound, and colonoscopy. Took two days to complete with multiple meetings with oncologist and GI specialist. Then went to dermatology for a complete body exam since I have a history of BCC.
Whole thing came to roughly $600. That amount in the US wouldn't even cover the anesthesiologist for the colonoscopy. I would seriously consider weighing the cost of insurance premiums versus your out-of-pocket expenses if you self-insure. And as far as I know, very few if any insurance carriers in this part of the world work on a direct pay basis. Rather than paying your medical provider directly, you must pay first and then seek reimbursement through your insurance company. That effectively makes your policy payout limits pretty meaningless, since you'll actually be limited to what you can pay from your cash reserves and available lines of credit (i.e. credit cards).[/quote]
I greatly appreciate this information. I used to have an HSA, but they no longer seem to be a valid option here for me (premiums aren't much cheaper than regular insurance now). I hadn't considered that for this "life scenario". Seems most things I'm looking at for our family (5 total) that's comparable to what we have here is ~$550 +/- $100. That could accumulate nicely. What I'll have to consider though, is that a reoccurrence would likely mean more chemotherapy and surgery. This last round stateside was $500,000+ (and left me pretty worthless for 6 months). While I'm sure that would be drastically reduced (lot's of factors), even 5% of that would take a while to accumulate. I may try to get some estimates from a few hospitals based on my previous stuff to see how it compares. Thanks again for the info.
[quote="infinitus"]
The best insurance is to take responsibility for your health information and decisions, and stop treating the medical establishment like a final authority on health. Id investigate the origin of these cancers and look into doing more of what you have already done to successfully treat it, such as exercise, predominantly raw food lifestyle and detox of the body (10 year background in alternative and natural health)[/quote]
While I agree that exercise and diet play into my overall well being, I tend to disagree with some of the alternative medicine conversation when it comes to cancer. (We did use some natural things to help with the side effects of chemo). Our family is quite healthy, exercising regularly, and eating an organic paleo diet for most of our life. I'd be dead twice now without medical establishments. I lead towards an understanding that while certain illnesses and diseases are obviously environmental, that there are genetic causes also at play. We will continue to pursue a healthy and educated lifestyle, but I also have to consider the long-term health and well being of my children.
The best insurance is to take responsibility for your health information and decisions, and stop treating the medical establishment like a final authority on health. Id investigate the origin of these cancers and look into doing more of what you have already done to successfully treat it, such as exercise, predominantly raw food lifestyle and detox of the body (10 year background in alternative and natural health)[/quote]
While I agree that exercise and diet play into my overall well being, I tend to disagree with some of the alternative medicine conversation when it comes to cancer. (We did use some natural things to help with the side effects of chemo). Our family is quite healthy, exercising regularly, and eating an organic paleo diet for most of our life. I'd be dead twice now without medical establishments. I lead towards an understanding that while certain illnesses and diseases are obviously environmental, that there are genetic causes also at play. We will continue to pursue a healthy and educated lifestyle, but I also have to consider the long-term health and well being of my children.
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