Can anyone recommend a Medical Insurance Co. for expat & VN wife

I use Cigna International but it is 100% paid by my company.
We just had a baby a month ago and they paid 80% and it was direct billed to Cigna.

richie.

You will not find a cheap medical cover that direct bills. The more expensive covers are the only ones who do so.

I am Australian, living in Laos with my Lao wife and 3 children and have been looking for the same as you for at least a year now with no success.

Best I can find is $11,000 per year for a basic cover. The companies will not give a cover just for my family, I must be included in the policy. The average price seems to be around $13,000 per year for a good cover with direct billing.

I suggest you do an online search by putting 'medical insurance cover asia' in your search engine. Check which hospitals are included in the direct billing process as different companies use different hospitals.

Here's mine:
GlobalHealth Vietnam Company Limited
Suite 12A, 4th floor, Saigon Center, 65 Le Loi Street
District 1, HCMC
Tel: +84 8 3827 0228 / 3827 0251

My claims are handled through:
AIG Vietnam Insurance Company Limited
Ground floor, Rosana Tower, 60 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street
District 1, HCMC
E-mail: vninfo@aig.com

This info came from the back of my insurance card.

They have direct billing at most clinics in HCMC and elsewhere.
So far, I have been to Family Medical Practice in Diamond Plaza, and FV Hospital. I had no problems with direct billing at either place. Note: They do NOT have direct billing with SOS International Clinic, but will cover expenses there. (You have to pay first, then submit a claim yourself.)

I think the premium is reasonable for me and my Chinese wife. But, as with VungTauDon, my company pays the bill, so don't know if it's reasonable if you're paying yourself. But I think so. Check it out.

Hope this helps.

Edit: I didn't notice you're from Nha Trang until after I intially posted. I will add that they have direct billing at clinics all over Vietnam, including Nha Trang, I'm pretty sure. But you can check it for yourself if you want.

@richie
Doesn't your wife and children already have insurance from Vietnam.
I'm not sure how it works but my wife and children have some coverage by Vietnamese insurance.
As stated above, Cigna paid 80% of our 93 million bill at Hanh Phuc hospital. This was for a c-section and 5 day stay in VIP room. My portion should have been about 18 million but because of the direct billing and their contract with Cigna my portion was reduced to 9 million. We just received payment from my wife's Vietnamese insurance for 6.5 million, so now total out of pocket is about 2.5 million.

Does Cigna have an evacuation clause in their policy, such as emergency operations  that cant be performed here in Viet Nam

It's available but I don't know if I have it or not.

Thanks for all the info, it's appreciated, I now have a couple more leads to check out

Have you looked at William Russell and A+ International? A+ International actually offers a cheaper range of insurance plans for expats living in Vietnam. Worth checking out.

We use Liberty throughout our company and so far they have been good and yes direct billing is provided. AIG doesn't have a huge presence here so that's why i chose Liberty after speaking to a friend of mine who is in risk assessment in the same field.

Hi,

How would the cost compare if say we opted for a pay as you go option, I.e pay for the public healthcare when we need it rather than private?  E.g I broke my ankle playing football in Vietnam, what would that cost to get treatment?
Or do you all recommend taking the insurance?
Thanks

Take the insurance policy. There are many horror stories around of being treated in local hospitals.
There are many insurance companies who deal with medical cover for Vietnam and Asia in general. You need to do a lot of research to find a policy that suits you.