Health Insurance in Thailand (Introduction)

Almost everyone who lives and/or works in the Netherlands is insured for healthcare costs via the AWBZ and the Zvw (General Exceptional Medical Expenses Act and the Healthcare Insurance Act). This remains the case during holidays abroad. When living, working or studying in Thailand, your personal situation determines whether you will remain insured for medical expenses in the Netherlands.

If you emigrate to Thailand and deregister yourself from the Basic registration persons (BRP, formerly Municipal Basic Administration, GBA) there is no doubt about it. Thailand is not a treaty country of the Netherlands in the area of ​​healthcare costs. This means that when you emigrate to Thailand you are no longer entitled to Dutch basic insurance and you will have to look for a solution yourself.

However, if you do not deregister from the BRP but do stay in Thailand for a longer period of time per year, things may be unclear. The exact information about this can be found at: www.rijksoverheid.nl/topics/personal data/question-and-answer

In summary, you must deregister if you expect to stay abroad for at least 12 months within a 8-month period. This period does not have to be consecutive. Even if you keep your home in the Netherlands, you must deregister if you are staying abroad for a longer period of time. And deregistration from the BRP therefore also means from the health insurance.

You can also find more information at www.zorginstituutnederland.nl. This used to be the CVZ (College van Zorgverzekeringen).

When in doubt, always check with your health insurer or Zorginstituut Nederland whether you are entitled to retain the basic insurance. It is better to know this clearly in advance so that you are not faced with surprises in the future.

You will not be the first to think that you are safely covered by the Dutch basic insurance (after all, premiums are deducted every month) and who suddenly receives a message after a while that the criteria for the health insurer are no longer met. retroactively terminated. Difficult if this message comes while you are already in the hospital.

So now there are 2 possibilities:
1 You go to Thailand (whether or not for a longer period of time) and are still entitled to Dutch basic insurance, or
2 You go to Thailand and you are no longer entitled to Dutch basic insurance.

Ad 1 To Thailand but covered by Dutch basic insurance:
Many people go on holiday or come to Thailand for a longer period of time, for example to spend the winter, and can legally remain under Dutch basic insurance. If you go on holiday to Thailand and you do not have additional insurance that offers extra cover abroad, take out good travel insurance with worldwide coverage.

While many people think that Thailand is dirt cheap when it comes to medical care, the opposite is increasingly being proven. In the best case, the Dutch health insurer will then apply the principle that the costs will be reimbursed from the basic insurance up to a maximum of the amount that you would receive if you were treated in the Netherlands. If a treatment in Thailand is more expensive, you may have to pay the difference out of your own pocket. Travel insurance taken out in the Netherlands is not expensive and then you also have repatriation covered. The latter can cost a small fortune.

Recently, the TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) also offers travel insurance that applies to tourists entering Thailand. This insurance (Thailand Travel Shield) can be taken out for a maximum of one year (www.tourismthailand.org/ThailandTravelShield/) for everyone up to the age of 70. However, this insurance has limited coverage and quite a few standard exclusions. So if you have the option to take out travel insurance with a Dutch company, that is a better option.

Ad 2 To Thailand and not in the Dutch basic insurance:
If you know that you are no longer entitled to basic insurance, you will have to decide how to resolve this. In fact, there are 2 options:
2.1 Self Insurance or not insure, or
2.2 Looking for suitable insurance.

Especially if you choose not to take out insurance, the following is important:

2.1 Self Insurance or Not Insuring
Many Dutch people walk around in Thailand completely uninsured. This group can be further divided into 5 categories:
A The group that has enough money to pay for medical costs themselves. That is a valid reason and there is nothing wrong with that.

B The group that saves an amount every month and thus slowly but surely builds up a buffer. In theory there is nothing wrong with this, especially if you start at a young age. It is of course not without risk as it is possible that in the early years the buffer is not yet sufficient.

C The group that does not need insurance because they are never sick and are always very careful in traffic. Strangely enough, this is often used as an argument, but of course it is nothing more or less than ostrich politics.

D The group that simply cannot afford it or is not prepared to do so.

E The group that does not take out insurance with the motivation that they simply take the plane to the Netherlands as soon as they need medical care.

The Dutch health insurers do indeed have acceptance obligation and will therefore accept anyone who is registered in the Netherlands again. This only applies to the basic insurance, not to any additional insurance.

Apart from the question of whether it is always possible to fly back first (you are not allowed to fly with certain conditions, or only under medical supervision, which is not cheap), you should also take into account the question of which pot the medical costs will come from. be paid when you return to the Netherlands.

As a remigrant you may have to deal with a waiting period for AWBZ care in the Netherlands. Depending on the insurance and the duration of the stay abroad, the waiting time is a maximum of twelve months. Your health insurer will assess whether a waiting period applies in your situation and what its duration is. During the waiting period, the costs of care at home and of care and accommodation in an AWBZ institution are for your own account. This is regulated in the Decree on waiting time for special health insurance.

In addition, getting on a plane is not really an ideal solution for those who have their entire social life and/or family here. In that case, the compulsory return to the Netherlands can become an unpleasant experience, especially if you first end up on the waiting list in the Netherlands.

2.2 Looking for suitable insurance:
You decide to look for suitable insurance. There are many different types of private health insurance. What is covered, how high are the covers, where is the insurance valid, whether or not there is an excess? You will undoubtedly encounter unfamiliar terms and questions.

You can read it all again in the attached pdf. You will also find general information and definitions. The following questions are addressed:

• Why do I pay a lower premium in the Netherlands?
• Can I go to any insurer?
• A Thai carrier, an Asia plan or a plan with worldwide coverage?
• Is life insurance combined with health insurance a good option?
• Is short-term insurance an option?
• Inpatient/Outpatient
• Is a deductible sensible?
• You need to be admitted, how does this work with the insurance?
• How do I ensure that society pays the hospital directly?
• You make regular doctor visits (outpatient), how does this work with the insurance?
• Can a hospital refuse to treat me?
• Does insurance become more expensive as you get older?
• Until what age can I take out health insurance?
• Does a health insurance policy also cover abroad?
• Do I have to read the terms and conditions?
• Do I have to fill in the application form honestly?
• Can I apply for insurance before I actually emigrate?
• I have a Thai partner. Do I have to arrange something for that?
• Am I safe with a comprehensive travel insurance policy from a Dutch company?
• Is accident insurance an option?
• Does the Dutch embassy help?
• Directly to the company or via an insurance intermediary?

More information: Health insurance in Thailand

Do you have any questions after reading the health insurance file in Thailand? Send them to the editor: info@thailandblog.nl we will forward it to Matthieu and come back to it in a later posting.

Mathieu Heyligenberg

Matthieu Heijligenberg works at www.verzekereninthailand.nl and is an expert in matters such as health insurance for Dutch/Belgian expats, pensioners and emigrants living in Thailand.