Health Insurance: a safeguard for health and financial risks

There is no one in this world who intentionally wants to get sick or hurt. Unfortunately, such an event is not predictable and can happen at any time. Most people will need medical care at one point in their life, and in case you do not have one, you can end up paying very high amounts for treatments and medical care, depending on the type of disease.

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Diseases which need many different types of medicine and medical gear, for instance, diabetes or cancer, can be very expensive over time. People without health insurance are exposed to these costs which could end up in high debts or the worst-case scenario bankruptcy. And as already mentioned, no one knows when such an unfortunate event will happen, and it is always better to be on the safe side and protected from high costs which could result from any medical treatment. Moreover, this is the best way for you and your family always to have the assurance that you will be taken care of in any medical case.

Types of health insurances in Thailand:

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In Thailand two different types of health coverages can be found, one funded by the government and one funded privately. The department of medical services at the ministry of public health funds the healthcare. Government hospitals, public health, and medical services are under the control of this ministry. Treatment is completely free for Thai citizens holding a universal coverage health card. The government-funded health care works as a basic type of health insurance, nevertheless, some drawbacks are linked with this type of health care.

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The capacity of the government hospitals can be exhausted at times, meaning that it can take a long time until a doctor has time to examine your medical condition. In case of a very serious disease or accident, waiting at the government hospital will make you lose to much valuable time, a few minutes more time could be already lifesaving in serious medical situations. In addition, facilities in public hospitals can be outdated or even nonexistent. In case of serious diseases, the government-funded health coverage is insufficient, is it advisable to get an additional privately funded health insurance.

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Private health insurance companies offer many different additional benefits such as no waiting time at private hospitals, appointments with the chief doctor or private hospital rooms. Private hospitals are well equipped with excellent medical facilities and staff. If you are in a severe medical situation, you will be in good hands in these hospitals.

Providers of private health insurance are AXAKrungthai, Bangkok Insurance, Muang Thai Life and Aetna.

In case you are interested to know more about health insurance in Thailand, see Rabbit finance.

Peter is a freelance writer with more than eight years of experience covering topics in politics. He was one of the guys that were here when the foreignspolicyi.org started.