Private Health Insurance (Cheap pls!)

S

Shenzhennifer

Registered User
My husband`s company has decided that they are not supporting private health insurance for the employees and our current insurance plan runs out in a few days. Nice eh.
My husband is cheap and doesn`t want to get insurance but I do.(we`re all residents btw.)
Our current provider (BUPA) is too expensive to even consider. Can anyone recommend a reasonable local private insurance company/package to me? I also need child health insurance for my baby.
Any ideas welcome!
 
have you looked at insurance offered by AIA / Bluecross...don't know how good their service is, but I'm with BUPA (my husband with AIA) and they are much much cheaper...the coverage isn't as great, but I'm not sure if my husband just got the most basic package or what. they have this thing where it's kind of like a "savings" system where at the end of a certain period you actually get your "savings" back....
 
I would get quotes from AXA, AIA and Manulife for the particular level you want to be covered and compare.
 
shop around. Like Mcdill says, the major providers will have different packages. It's time consuming but you want/ need the safety net. I chose Blue Cross hospitalization coverage last year for us (hubby, baby and self) after some shopping around.

Women will always worry and want a safety net. Hubbies will think insurance is a waste of time/money. My hubby certainly said so, but he has now just fallen ill and is not complaining any more. It would have been a nightmare to find ourselves uninsured with his illness now.
 
i should add, hospitalization insurance is not too expensive and is a must-have.

Outpatient insurance is expensive, so weigh up whether you really need it. We have been relatively healthy so I decided the premiums for outpatient insurance was more costly than our infrequent visits to the doctors and specialists, medicines (nominal).
 
Yeah, I`m thinking the same thing about the outpatient. My husband doesn`t need it. I would like it because I want to see a physiotherapist (and saw a chiropractor) for my back, something I could never do without insurance, but have to see if it would be cost effective since it`s all coming from our pockets now. For my baby, he has been mostly healthy, but I like the idea of just whisking him down to the private clinic, rather than to the public hospital, where I have actually never been. Having said that, $200-300 is not too terrible for once in a while, I guess.
I`ll do as mcdill suggests and do some comparison shopping.

Regardless of having access to the public health care system, I still really think it`s crazy for an expat company not to support local private insurance for their expat employees.
 
Hi. Have you got a broker? You could try the Aetna Global Benefits (used to be Goodhealth) local plan called AsiaCare. I used to work for them and think this might be a good option for you. They only sell it through brokers though.
 
yes insurance sold only through brokers are cheaper. However my one experience (trying to buy critical illness insurance) is that such insurers will accept only low risk cases, like you almost have to have a clean bill of health. So if you have certain pre-existing conditions such insurers will refuse to cover you.
 
Call Kwiksure. They are excellent. Tell them what you want and they will send you a spread sheet comparing a number of different plans. I usually deal with Sam Cooper. Tel 3113 2112
 
We went with Healthcare International. They don't work with brokers and hence quite competitive.
 
I think HSBC also allows you to take out insurance just for the child, so in some cases it might work out cheaper to take out hospital insurance with one provider, and outpatient (or outpatient + hospital) for child with HSBC. You can get quotes from their website.

Some insurers will also accept applications with pre-existing conditions but just list them as exclusions so you can't claim for those conditions.
 
this is an old thread but we are in a similar situation; husband's company will now provide basic/ bare bones healthcare but I would like to top up for 'peace of mind' for eg. they currently only cover up to $500 per GP visit and $800 per specialist up to X no of times per year. I would like to find a plan that can cover me entirely especially for pediatrician needs and hospitalization.

this is my new year resolution to get started on.

thanks all and merry xmas!!!
 
check out BUPA (heard they are on the expensive end though - but their coverage is pretty good)...Also, HSBC, Prudential are quite good and AIA.
 
Shenzhennifer, did you end up getting insurance for outpatient? We are in the same boat and trying to see if there are any good outpatient policies esp for my two small kids who seems to see their pediatrician at least once a month.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top