My move to Cambodia

No worries Mate!  I’m not sure on the ins and outs of the insurance over there, as when I was working there and vacationing from 2007-2010, I never had insurance.  I’ve always kind of lived on the edge on that aspect when abroad.

I can tell you that when I would go to the dentist for regular check-ups and cleanings, it’s dirt cheap.

Less than $20 if I remember.  Same aspect as when I was working in Taiwan and broke a tooth and had to get a crown.  It was $100 for the whole process.

You can go to UCare Pharmacy to get prescription drugs in Cambodia, generics are cheap and just bring an old bottle of what you take to assist the pharmacist.

I’m 52 and will be retiring there come April and will forgoe insurance.  Risky maybe, but my only health issues are high blood pressure and I can get those pills for less than $10 a month.

Best suggestion would be to visit clinics when you get over there to see what procedures cost if you’re wondering about anything in particular.

Hit me up when you get there, I’ll be in Phnom Penh end of April, we’ll grab a nice Sunday Brunch and some beers!

E

@dcoulthurst

Private health care in let's say the UK is free to all, In the USA it's not, insurance is provided by the company you work for, or a free hospital, or yourself that caused over 600000 Americans to go bankrupt owing medical bills one year, in some countries you pay so much a month and 20% of the bill your self, here you are an expat, whatever country you are from is erelavant it's not this countries problem to give you health care, but to see a doctor in Phnom Penh community hospital is $10 for a Khmer and $20 for a foreigner, then a charge for every thing the doctor says you need done, Cigna can do a very basic health package but that is about $2000 + p/a + deductibles and no repatriation,

if you have to be returned to your country by air ambulance with doctor nurse in attendance, it's about $20000,

so good luck if you think $200 p/a will get you a health care plan, it may for $200 a month, here in Cambodia for a poor Khmer who can not pay and has a id card the government pay, for others they have to pay, so will you if you retire here full time,

if you offended by my comments, then apologies for being blunt,

,

No this is good information but I never said $200 per year!!! I will be living in Siem Reap as well and most medical things can be fixed with out of pocket payments. I am a 53 year old medical disability pensioner from Australia so I don't work for any company as such and I just get paid my fortnightly pension from the Australian Government. I have lived in the Philippines for many years from 2020 - 2023 and all was good and the only injury I had was a broken wrist so medical insurance was never needed as it was cheap to pay there unlike in Australia where it is not cheap for anything these days unfortunately! I only wanted emergency evacuation if it is needed according to the doctor treating me.....a trip to Thailand from Cambodia is only about $150 USD or less and a trip to Australia is only about $700 AUD approximately and that is all I am enquiring about and please stop saying that I am offended ok as I am not offended ok!

@dcoulthurst

I am a 53 year Australian on the Disability Support Pension since 2017

How are you on a disability pension since you were 47 years old when as you say you only suffer from type 2 diabetes and slightly high blood pressure?

@Ahjay

I think disability is often a grey area, but being a diabetic is a problem in regards to health insurance as it can be allied with many ailments so there is a possibility of no cover if linked to a diabetic, maybe I am wrong,

I think you are correct as I have found companies not insuring because as I have Diabetes

@dcoulthurst A holiday trip to Thailand or Oz is quite cheap, but that sort of visit is different to a medical evacuation for major surgery or after a stroke, which can start from around $20,000 unless you can walk onto the plane as a normal tourist. If you need medical assistance on the plane it will set you back a small fortune. My mate had a brain aneurysm and he had to go back to the UK for treatment, the special flight was around $50,000 but he was covered by insurance, mostly. You should be talking to companies that specialise in expat health insurance and get better advice than you will on this forum.

yes I agree but so far the companies I have talked to will not insure me as I have diabetes and I am not rich so I am unable to afford monthly or yearly payments of high amounts!

@dcoulthurst

Cambodia is a great country calm polite and comfortably and relatively cheap to live compared to the west, but here they only have a fledgling universal health system, which is improving by the year, but it does not include expats, so you have a simple choice, talk to Cigna expat health insurance and try and do some cover, or risk the situation, at present I am fit I don't smoke I don't drink I go to the gym sauna and steam at least 3 days a week, but only spend 6 months of the UK winter here, and I am 72 have a 12 month full health policy for a 180 days in Asia, £380, but I like many here will find it hard to find a policy for full health cover for under $6000 p/a that's the compromise for retiring in Cambodia, you can live here for $12000 p/a you just have to come to terms with another $6000 for health insurance, or put the $6000 aside p/a for an air ambulance to take you home, if you can't afford it, stay where your covered,

Australia is extremely expensive and it is getting worse over the next year apparently and I was in Cambodia Siem Reap back in early 2019 and this is why I am in the process of deciding to move there again to live this time as it is such a beautiful country with amazing and super friendly people there! I was in the Philippines from February 2020 till August 2023 but it is to difficult and expensive there now since covid-19!