I'd like to get recommendations from the group for decent health insurance plans to cover us during our trip to Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand next month. My husband just turned 70 so we're finding some of the insurance plans unwilling to provide decent (affordable) cover, particularly since he has some pre-existing health conditions (none of which affect his life but we need to cover all options).

Thanks for any suggestions.

https://cruisesinternational.com

ask for Kathy Biancalana. We have been using her for many years and she can hook you up with travel insurance. They use a reputable company called travel guard and this should meet your needs.

Insuremytrip
and Squaremouth are good websites to search for travel insurance
You can also call them and I have found them to be quite helpful

I second the recommendation of checking insuremytrip.com or aquaremouth.com

And do it soon -- the number of companies that provide coverage for those with pre-existing conditions decreases the longer your wait after making your fist purchase.

I have never had a claim with travel guard, fortunately. However, I have had a claim with American Express and Allianz and each time the claim was handled without any hassles. Just an FYI.

One of my well traveled friends uses Seven Corners, they cover over-70's and you can customize the premium to include cancel for any reason. Pre-existing waiver is availabler if purchased within 20 days of first deposit. Of course including these things will bump up the premium!

They also offer an annual option.

Thanks for the recommendations which I'm checking out.
We live in England, BTW, so the companies covering US residents don't apply.

Does your national health plan cover travel clinics?

Most insurance is based on where you live, not sure we have many Brits who visit this forum.

I think Lloyds offers some if you have one of their accounts.

Hi Gabi,

I am based in London and has taken out more travel insurance policies than I care to remember!

All underwriters will increase premiums in line with age which is to be expected as the risk of an event occurring whilst away increase with age. Every one at age 70 has some form of pre existing condition so, to an extent that will be reflected in the base premium. It is essential to disclose all conditions whether or not a specific question is asked in the proposal. Failure to do so will result in you not being covered.

The first thing I would say is that I would consider an annual policy. It is often cheaper than a single trip policy as for some bizarre reason the underwriters consider it to be a lower risk than someone who just wants to insure for a month long trip . This site https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/in...vel-insurance/ run by the ubiquitous Martin Lewis has a lot of guidance re pre existing conditions.

You don't say what those conditions are (rightly so) but things like high cholesterol, hypertension (under control) which most people >70 will have should result in too much of a hike in premium. Other more serious conditions like cancer or heart attacks may well result in a significant increase , but there are specialist insurers that will take on that risk , albeit a significant price.

First move should be to use one of the comparison sites- Money supermarket, Go Compare, etc etc.

Some don't appear on those sites. I was renewing our policy a few months ago (similar age) and found Marks and Spencer provide the best deal by far in terms of cover (inc pre existing conditions) . They are underwritten by Aviva , one of the worlds largest insurers.
Other I have used in the past are Trailfinders the travel agency who are usually v competitive . My father in law in his 80s and has all sorts of conditions got his very cheaply through his bank , Nationwide - try your own bank. It is also worth trying Sainsburys Bank, Tescos etc which dont appear on the comparison sites.

Some insurers will exclude pre existing conditions and insure everything else. My advice is dont even think about it! I had one friend who took a policy which exclude anything to do with his cardio vascular system - i.e not covered for stroke or heart attack etc.so unless struck by lightning or hit by a car, not a lot of use.

Finally, do read through all the terms and conditions. Probably the most boring 30 mins you will spend but you need to know exactly what is and isn't covered.

Thank you for this considerate and informational response. It is much appreciated.

you are welcome. I hope you get it sorted!

I do not know for Cambodia, but Thailand and Vietnam have a SUPERIOR hospital network (in Vietnam, Franch Hospital in Hanoi and Saigon and, in Hanoi, Unisys, a Singaporian one

The question was about health insurance for travel not the standard of healthcare in these countries.

Thank you for your note but we are very familiar with medical services in these regions. We lived in Cambodia for almost four years, have several friends in Bangkok, and my brother lives in Hanoi. We are just looking for insurance to cover us in case of an emergency.

I am using Insuremytrip pretty cheap and useful..

It seems that you often get a better deal by buying a yearlong policy. Any policy will restrict the length of each stay abroad, and for older travellers that may be less than younger ones - e.g 30 days instead of 50.
As you get older, it will be dearer, as older people are more likely to want to claim.
Make sure you have certain cover.
E.g., repatriation
Adequate cover for hospital stays – they can be VERY expensive in Thailand, and without insurance your treatment will be restricted.

Renting a vehicle – I always get excess waiver cover.
Also if you are renting a motorcycle see if you are covered
Some companies won't cover you at all
Others will put an engine size limit – usually 125cc – which is actually smaller than many of the step-throughs you see these days.
If you don't have a FULL motorcycle licence from home and an IDP, you won't be covered either.

crellston, the comment by Larsay is quite relevant to the topic, especially for those whose insurance provides coverage in a foreign country.

When I saw the three countries in the OP's itinerary, I determined that, for me, there would be no need to buy insurance for medical care. I would want medevac insurance to cover air transport. This would be to get me from Cambodia to a hospital in Bangkok or Singapore (or maybe Saigon or Hanoi, given what Larsay wrote). Or, from elsewhere in Thailand to Bangkok. It could also cover a medical flight home (USA for me), with a nurse attending as well as "repatriation of remains".

Thailand is a medical tourism destination because of low cost and high quality. Uninsured friends went there for dental care. I had a doctor who said he was going to Thailand for something medical.

Without coverage for emergency treatment in a foreign country the costs are not low enough to self-insure.
Open heart surgery in Thailand costs approximately $15,000 to $35,000
That is a lot better than in the USA where open heart surgery can range from about $30,000 to over $200,000

I have no experience but Vietnam would not be my choice for medical care. Bangkok has excellent care with some hospitals credentialed by the JCAHO. Singapore is even better with their medical school run with Duke University. Know several doctors from England and the US who have spent time teaching in Singapore.

"some hospitals credentialed by the JCAHO." - people often overrate the hospitals in Thailand and don't understand the meaning of JCAHO—there's often some confusion around what JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, now simply “The Joint Commission”) accreditation actually means.

JCAHO and their subsidiaries are private companies and self-regulatory....

What it is

• Credentialing by JCAHO means the hospital (or clinic, or long-term care facility, etc.) has been inspected and found to meet a set of standards for quality and safety.
  
• These standards cover things like: -
  • Infection control procedures
    
  • Medication management
    
  • Patient rights and consent
    
  • Staff qualifications and ongoing training
    
  • Emergency preparedness
    
  • How medical records are kept and reviewed
    
• Accreditation is voluntary, but in the U.S. it’s often required for hospitals to get Medicare and Medicaid funding, so most major hospitals participate.
  

What it is not

• It does not directly measure the quality of medical treatment or outcomes (e.g., whether a hospital’s cancer survival rates or surgical success rates are better than average).
  
• It’s more about whether the systems and policies are in place to support safe, consistent care.
  
• Think of it like a safety and quality systems check, not a performance ranking.
  

Real-world impact

• Accreditation signals that a hospital is at least meeting baseline standards recognised nationally or by sets of criteria decided in the US, which may not even be the same as in the US.
  
• It can improve trust, since accredited facilities usually have regular inspections and must fix problems to stay accredited.
  
• But: Two hospitals can both be JCAHO-accredited, while one might still have much better patient outcomes than the other.
  

So, in short: JCAHO accreditation shows the hospital has proper structures and processes for safe care — but it doesn’t guarantee that the medical treatment you personally receive will be excellent.

It is therefore very useful to have repatriation included in your cover.