MEETING RISING HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS – Many pre-and post-retirees half-heartedly joke they can’t afford to die due to inflated funeral costs, yet they can’t afford to live because of increasing medical costs and decreasing medical coverage for seniors. The impact on retirees due to rising out-of-pocket expenses for premiums and prescription drugs is palpable.
Apply for Major Medical insurance up to 75 yrs old! At Pacific Cross you can apply for major medical insurance up until 75 years old. Over 65 years old though needs a physical exam but Pacific Cross will reimburse the cost of the exam if a policy is written. Contact Jamie at retirecheap.pacificcross@gmail.com and tell him JC sent you!
With each changing administration, government policies and priorities change regarding health care benefits.
The inability to rely on a consistent plan with set premiums and costs makes it difficult for pre-retirees to plan for potential future medical costs effectively. Relying on Medicare to supplement medical expenditures means even the most conservative and well-intentioned estimations will most likely fall short of actual figures.
Supplemental plans are available from companies such as Scan and MetLife to provide yet another level of coverage for those needing medical coverage at retirement but whose medical need is greater than what can be covered by Medicare.
Supplemental plans are also for those who may have developed medical conditions and will need to see specialists, have frequent medical exams run, or who need assistance with increasing prescription costs.
For RIPpers living in Thailand a lot of the worry of medical costs are lessened. Almost all prescription drugs are available “over the counter”, meaning you can just walk in to a pharmacy and ask for them. No need to see an MD or a specialist, thereby eliminating the astronomical fees associated with the required appointments needed just to get a refill of your necessary medications. And the cost of the same medicines are a fraction of the cost in The West.
Even major medical insurance is affordable in Thailand! I personally have a policy that covers me for $250,000 USD per year per incident that I get for only $149 a month. Granted, many of the policies make it mandatory to enroll before 65 years old. But once the policy is initiated some companies cover until death no matter what age.
Personally I pay out of pocket for anything under my deductible of $1,000 USD. And with the inexpensive costs of medical care, that would cover anything but a catastrophic medical problem or injury for which am insured for.
Here are some of the average costs and comparisons to costs of the same procedures in the USA.
Check out my YouTube video titled Important Thai Major Medical Insurance Policy Comparisons
Cost of Medical Treatment in Thailand
| Major surgeries
Cost comparison of major surgeries between US and Thailand (in US$) |
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| Procedure | US | Thailand |
| Heart bypass | 130,000 | 11,000 |
| Heart valve replacement | 160,000 | 10,000 |
| Angioplasty | 57,000 | 13,000 |
| Hip replacement | 43,000 | 12,000 |
| Knee replacement | 40,000 | 10,000 |
| Hysterectomy | 20,000 | 4,500 |
| Spinal fusion | 62,000 | 7,000 |
| Cosmetic and plastic procedures
Cost comparison of cosmetic and plastic procedures between US and Thailand (in US$) |
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| Procedure | US | Thailand |
| Breast augmentation | 3,500-4,000 | 2,600-3,200 |
| Breast lift | 4,000-4,500 | 2,600 |
| Breast reduction | 4,000-4,500 | 2,900 |
| Buttock implant | 4,000-5,000 | 4,000 |
| Buttock lift | 4,000-5,000 | 2,400 |
| Cheek implant | 2,000-2,500 | 1,200 |
| Chin augmentation | 1,700-2,000 | 700 |
| Blepharoplasty | 2,500-3,000 | 540 |
| Facelift | 4,500-5,000 | 2,400 |
| Forehead lift | 2,500-3,000 | 1,400 |
| Nose reshaping | 3,500-4,000 | 1,200 |
| Liposuction | 2,500-3,000 | 1,200 |
| Tummy tuck | 4,500-5,500 | 3,000 |
| Vaginal rejuvenation | 2,000-2,500 | 350-1,200 |
| Hair transplant | 4,000-4,500 | 1,000-2,000 |
| Dental procedures
Cost comparison of dental procedures between US and Thailand (in US$) |
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| Procedure | US | Thailand |
| Cleaning | 100-300 | 25-50 |
| Tooth whitening | 800-1,200 | 100 |
| Tooth bleaching | 350 – 500 | 150 |
| Single implant | 3,500 | 2,000 |
| Amalgam filling | 200-500 | 20 |
| Porcelain crown | 600-1,000 | 300-470 |
| Ceramic crown | 5,500 | 470-500 |
| Root canal treatment | 500-2,000 | 150 |
As you can see, medical procedures aren’t going to deplete a RIPpers retirement savings anywhere near as fast as they would back home in a Western country.
