friend stuck in hospital with huge bill he can't pay,what now?

[LolaS]

17 minutes ago, HLover said:

Still no helpful ideas?

no travel insurance will cover this type

[HLover]

Just now, LolaS said:

no travel insurance will cover this type

Thank you

[scubascuba3]

one way to avoid these absurd charges is DONT LET THE AMBULANCE take you to a private hospital,last nov.i had 5 seizure's during a couple of hrs.and the ambulance wanted to take me to a private hospital.but my wife stopped them ,there are plenty of good government hospitals,i have used 2 both with private rooms.and you pay the ambulance boys around 500bht.

Any idea how the ambulance chooses a hospital? I can't recall a thread where people go into the detail of how it works

[scubascuba3]

Still no helpful ideas?

If you are based in Thailand then an Insurance broker like AA in Pattaya would help. This would only cover you for travelling abroad. The other option is personal accident insurance

[scubascuba3]

Yes, I am already covered.  Just wanted to post solutions to the OP but it seems he just a troll poster as his same post appears in the Phuket section this morning.

Your original question of "Any ideas for travel insurance for these incidents?" Is a strange one, its too late for insurance for him

[dddave]

57 minutes ago, HLover said:

Thank you

Most travel insurance policies exclude or limit coverage for voluntary activities deemed hazardous: rock climbing, diving, motorcycle riding or driving, ect.  Some companies offer a rider that covers such activities but they are generally pretty expensive.  

[ubonjoe]

Posts flaming the  OP have been removed/

[bkk6060]

34 minutes ago, LolaS said:

 in case of farang I would just go

Great, just give the Thai people another reason to dislike farang....

[stevenl]

33 minutes ago, dddave said:

Most travel insurance policies exclude or limit coverage for voluntary activities deemed hazardous: rock climbing, diving, motorcycle riding or driving, ect.  Some companies offer a rider that covers such activities but they are generally pretty expensive.  

Diving in general is not an exclusion.

[scubascuba3]

Diving in general is not an exclusion.

Nor is motorcycle riding

[meatboy]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

2 hours ago, meatboy said:

one way to avoid these absurd charges is DONT LET THE AMBULANCE take you to a private hospital,last nov.i had 5 seizure's during a couple of hrs.and the ambulance wanted to take me to a private hospital.but my wife stopped them ,there are plenty of good government hospitals,i have used 2 both with private rooms.and you pay the ambulance boys around 500bht.

Any idea how the ambulance chooses a hospital? I can't recall a thread where people go into the detail of how it works

if you call an ambulance unless you instruct them to take you to a paticuler hospital they will take you where they can get [call it a donation]

april the 1st.if a thai needs an ambulance they can be taken to any hospital and be treated for 36hrs.free,after that its up to them to get trans.or they have to pay.

don't know what if any farangs will have something similar.

[LolaS]

50 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Great, just give the Thai people another reason to dislike farang....

I am sorry if you think that. There is no procedure that requires 500.000 THB

[JimmyJ]

1 hour ago, meatboy said:

if you call an ambulance unless you instruct them to take you to a paticuler hospital they will take you where they can get [call it a donation]

april the 1st.if a thai needs an ambulance they can be taken to any hospital and be treated for 36hrs.free,after that its up to them to get trans.or they have to pay.

don't know what if any farangs will have something similar.

"if you call an ambulance unless you instruct them to take you to a paticuler hospital they will take you where they can get [call it a donation]"

 

Bribery goes on in the US also (of course, as well as elsewhere).

There were rumors in the past in NYC newspapers that certain ambulance companies let it be known that they will pay cops who call their company when an ambulance is needed. This was denied of course by both the ambulance companies and the cops.

A friend of mine had to call an ambulance for a friend of his and he witnessed money changing hands (before the era of cellphone cameras).

[meatboy]

1 hour ago, meatboy said:

if you call an ambulance unless you instruct them to take you to a paticuler hospital they will take you where they can get [call it a donation]

april the 1st.if a thai needs an ambulance they can be taken to any hospital and be treated for 36hrs.free,after that its up to them to get trans.or they have to pay.

don't know what if any farangs will have something similar.

if this is correct at least it might save a thais life to be taken to any hospital,not having to get past ignorant drivers who wont let them pass.

[Sheryl]

500K is not at all unusual for care after a major accident in Thailand.  Indeed, depending on the nature of the injuries, extent of ICU stay,  and type and number of surgical procedures required bills can easily run to a million baht in a government hospital and 3-5 million + in a private one.

 

He needs to meet with the finance/billing dept and explain his problem and work out a payment agreement whereby he pays what he can now and additional amounts monthly thereafter.

 

Do not expect them to lower the bill or accept just what he can pay, at least not if it is a private  hospital -- they won't. But they will agree to a payment plan. It will involve a legally binding contract and it will be enforced.

[Jip99]

1 hour ago, LolaS said:

I am sorry if you think that. There is no procedure that requires 500.000 THB

 

 

 

Thanks for sharing your ignorance on the forum.....

[jacko45k]

16 hours ago, elviajero said:

Bottom line is that they can, with a court order, stop your friend leaving the country until the bill is paid or repayment agreed.

If I have the story correct I heard of someone who was unable to pay a large bill, he too blamed an insurance policy that refused to cover it. The hospital had somehow got his passport and were refusing to return it until he paid up. He used a lawyer to sue the hospital and won and his passport was returned, and he promptly left the country. Don't know if he paid the lawyer!

[bkk6060]

Just now, jacko45k said:

If I have the story correct I heard of someone who was unable to pay a large bill, he too blamed an insurance policy that refused to cover it. The hospital had somehow got his passport and were refusing to return it until he paid up. He used a lawyer to sue the hospital and won and his passport was returned, and he promptly left the country. Don't know if he paid the lawyer!

I have heard fairy tales also.

Yours makes absolutely no sense.

[jacko45k]

17 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

I have heard fairy tales also.

Yours makes absolutely no sense.

Well  not able to edit it to make it clearer now. Let us see if someone cleverer who doesn't hang around with fairies gets it!

[tifino]

 

 

pay the Bill the 3rd world way - with organ donations 

[jenny2017]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

500K is not at all unusual for care after a major accident in Thailand.  Indeed, depending on the nature of the injuries, extent of ICU stay,  and type and number of surgical procedures required bills can easily run to a million baht in a government hospital and 3-5 million + in a private one.

 

He needs to meet with the finance/billing dept and explain his problem and work out a payment agreement whereby he pays what he can now and additional amounts monthly thereafter.

 

Do not expect them to lower the bill or accept just what he can pay, at least not if it is a private  hospital -- they won't. But they will agree to a payment plan. It will involve a legally binding contract and it will be enforced.

 

The OP doesn't say if his friend is in a private hospital. Another poster jumped in asking a question about his friend who's in a private hospital. It shouldn't be allowed to derail threads and people should make their own when they're causing confusion. 

 

Please see # 4

[Sheryl]

2 hours ago, LolaS said:

I am sorry if you think that. There is no procedure that requires 500.000 THB

1. Hospital bill after a major accident or illness does nto consist of one single procedure.

 

2. There are, in fact, surgical procedures that in a private hospital will cost in excess of 500K. Add in the ICU care etc and over 1 million.

[jenny2017]

3 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

1. Hospital bill after a major accident or illness does nto consist of one single procedure.

 

2. There are, in fact, surgical procedures that in a private hospital will cost in excess of 500K. Add in the ICU care etc and over 1 million.

The difference might be that private hospitals are always looking for a reason to keep a patient longer, while government hospitals are always crowded and they're happy if they can release patients. 

[Sheryl]

9 minutes ago, jenny2017 said:

 

The OP doesn't say if his friend is in a private hospital. Another poster jumped in asking a question about his friend who's in a private hospital. It shouldn't be allowed to derail threads and people should make their own when they're causing confusion. 

 

Please see # 4

I do not know what you refer to.

 

The reply is to the OP.

 

While he prtobably is in a provate hospital based o nthe cost and apparent injury, the advice would apply equally to someone in a government hospital.

 

Regardless, he will have to negotiate a  payment planwith the hospital.

 

For all those who think it is odd that a deep cut led to such a bill, a truly deep laceration of the leg will usually severe one or more major blood vessel. He may well have gone into shock, needed ICU care, and complicated vascular surgery to save the leg. Which apparently they were able to do. There is nothing minor or simple about a really deep laceration.

[SpeakeasyThai]

18 hours ago, Rally123 said:

I'd like to help but I'm a little short after giving to all the other similar cases over the years. Hope yer friend gets better soon.

Funny post, but the reality is you never gave sweet FA.

[Spaniel]

I wish the OP would come back with an update and a bit more info.

[bogozy]

18 hours ago, elviajero said:

Bottom line is that they can, with a court order, stop your friend leaving the country until the bill is paid or repayment agreed.

If He can not pay, at last he has got a long term visa......

 

[jenny2017]

43 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

I do not know what you refer to.

 

The reply is to the OP.

 

While he prtobably is in a provate hospital based o nthe cost and apparent injury, the advice would apply equally to someone in a government hospital.

 

Regardless, he will have to negotiate a  payment planwith the hospital.

 

For all those who think it is odd that a deep cut led to such a bill, a truly deep laceration of the leg will usually severe one or more major blood vessel. He may well have gone into shock, needed ICU care, and complicated vascular surgery to save the leg. Which apparently they were able to do. There is nothing minor or simple about a really deep laceration.

My apologies. If you read the OP, there's no information if it's a private or a government hospital. Post # 4 then starts with a similar problem, a guy who has a friend who's in a private hospital.

That was also my point that this is causing confusion. 

[soalbundy]

You didn't say whether he is a tourist or if he is living here. If he lives here the hospitals are generally open to negotiations, ie. monthly payments. I overheard a conversation once between a doctor and a Thai patient about an operation for cancer that would cost 400k the patient didn't have the money but the doctor said it was OK they would work something out, What I don't know but probably monthly instalments.

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

If I have the story correct I heard of someone who was unable to pay a large bill, he too blamed an insurance policy that refused to cover it. The hospital had somehow got his passport and were refusing to return it until he paid up. He used a lawyer to sue the hospital and won and his passport was returned, and he promptly left the country. Don't know if he paid the lawyer!

Hospitals will try to hold a passport, if they have it, until payment is made/agreed, but they have no legal right to do so. It would be easy for a lawyer to get it returned.

 

The hospital would have to take formal legal action against someone to prevent them from leaving the country.