Tourists with mild symptoms can have Covid treatment covered by Thai insurance
The government has decided to allow Thai insurance firms to offer new Covid-19 treatment packages to foreign tourists, according to a Nation Thailand report. In addition, Tares Krassanairawiwong from the Department of Health Services Support says more hotel isolation facilities, the so-called “hospitels”, will be made available to tourists with mild symptoms.
Tares says that many infected tourists struggle with insurance policies taken out in their home countries prior to travel, as most policies will not cover treatment if a Covid-19 patient only has mild symptoms. He says if tourists can avail of packages from Thai insurance firms, this will enable them to claim for treatment expenses.
“In this regard, the department has proposed that the Office of Insurance Commission allow Thai health insurance companies to launch packages that cover Covid-19 treatment for foreign tourists. This will help foreign tourists to make faster claims for treatment expenses. It normally takes 7-10 days to claim expenses with some foreign health insurance companies.”
Meanwhile, Nation Thailand reports that an increasing number of hotels are applying to become “hospitels”, providing hotel room isolation for asymptomatic patients or those with mild symptoms. According to Tares, the eastern province of Chon Buri has introduced a hotel isolation scheme aimed at foreign tourists. Most patients in the scheme do not develop any symptoms. Tares says he expects other hotels in the main tourism provinces to also convert their facilities into hospitels.
“Treatment expenses under the hotel isolation scheme will remain at 1,000 baht per person in line with National Health Security Office regulations.”
Earlier this week, another 300 hotel isolation rooms were opened on the southern island of Phuket, offering isolation facilities for infected tourists with mild or no symptoms.
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SOURCE: Nation Thailand
