Esther’s story

In 2018, while on vacation on the small island of Koh Phangan in Thailand, Esther began to experience mild pain in her lower-back overnight. The following day, her lower-back pain had progressed and began to cause muscular spasms and residual nerve pain. With anti-inflammatory tablets bringing no relief and with no available specialist nearby, Esther was in a difficult situation. She was unable to move comfortably and was concerned about the cause of the increasing pain, as well as the level of care that she would receive while on Koh Phangan. After 3 days of no improvement, Esther decided to contact her personal consultant at ASN and requested medical assistance.

ASN was able to coordinate, along with the insurance provider, a medical evacuation from the Koh Phagan to Thailand’s largest island Phuket, where Esther was immediately admitted to the Phuket International Hospital. ASN also made sure that her best friend, who was travelling with her, was allowed to travel as an escort. This made Esther feel much more comfortable and safer. On arrival at Phuket International Hospital, there were staff present that could speak English and assist in organising the tests and scans required. The x-ray and ultrasound results showed that Esther had a severe herniated disk and would need to undergo surgery.

ASN organised Esther’s guarantee of payment with the hospital, so that she could have her surgery scheduled for the next day, which also saving her from having to pay for the surgery in advance. Following a successful surgery, Esther remained in the hospital for 1 week of monitoring and post-surgery consultation. As her international health insurance provides her with a private status, Esther was given her own private room to recover.

During Esther’s hospitalization, ASN also arranged for the travel expenses in Phuket, including hotel, daily transportation to the hospital and food, to be covered for her friend. Thanks to this, Esther never felt isolated, and she received the physical and emotional support she needed while in the hospital. The doctor explained that Esther would require at least another 6-12 weeks of recovery and rehabilitation before being able to resume everyday activities. Esther stayed in Phuket for 6 more weeks, while receiving physiotherapy and rehabilitation treatment covered by the insurance. Her international health insurance also provided cover for her own hotel, food and transport expenses during this time.

When Esther was given approval from her doctor to fly, the insurance company offered her and her friend tickets to return to Koh Phangan or return to Hong Kong. Esther chose to return to Hong Kong, where she continued her rehabilitation and physiotherapy until she was completely recovered. ASN handled all of Esther’s claims for her rehabilitation treatments and provided her with the details of recognised specialists in Hong Kong.

A few months later, ASN received an email of appreciation from Esther, particularly thanking her personal ASN consultant, all of their help and support during her difficult situation. She said, “I don’t know what I would have done without the incredible support and thoughtful service provided by the team at ASN. My support consultant was available for all my questions and worked quickly to ensure the insurance provider was organising everything quickly and accurately.

This story is inspired by other events and the work that ASN does. The details of the story are fictional and do not represent a real client or reflect the story of a real client. ASN values its clients’ privacy and does not disclose client information to the public without their direct knowledge and permission. ASN abides by strict global data protection rules and regulations.