Gov hospital billing

[canopus1969]

Rather surprised when told an old (78) Thai chap was charged 6,500 Baht in a Government Hospital for his kidney medication - what happened to the 30 Baht plan ?

[transam]

Seems free for gov workers and close family whether working or retired...The rest pay..

[Sheryl]

2 hours ago, transam said:

Seems free for gov workers and close family whether working or retired...The rest pay..

This is not at all correct.

 

All Thais not covered by either the Civil Service Social Security Fund or the regular Social Security Fund come under the "universal" (AKA 30 baht) scheme. They pay either nothing or a token 30 baht with some very few exceptions e.g. drugs or imported medical supplies no on the standard list. Over USD $30 billion in free care is delivered annually through this system.  you have only to walk into a provinical level hospital to see patients galore, none of them having to pay for their care.

 

OP:  The medication shown, erythropoietin, has been covered under the government scheme since 2011. However the specific brand pictured is a very expensive imported brand and not what the government hospitals would normally carry or dispense. This drug is purchased at central level from local manufacturers at a discounted cost.

 

i think one of 2 things must be the case:

 

1. He was treated in a private, not government, hospital. Both the brand of drug and the price would be consistent with this.

 

2. The government hospital he was treated in had run out of the centrally supplied drug and as a stop gap measure purchased it themselves and passed the cost on to the patient (which they are nto supposed to do) but even in this case it is hard to imagine why they would buy that brand when there rare locally made generic equivalents that cost substantially less.

 

If  this truly happened at a government hospital, and it was the government hospital where he is registered under the government scheme, he should call the NHSO and complain. Call center 1330.  https://www.nhso.go.th/eng/FrontEnd/index.aspx

 

[transam]

12 hours ago, Sheryl said:

This is not at all correct.

 

All Thais not covered by either the Civil Service Social Security Fund or the regular Social Security Fund come under the "universal" (AKA 30 baht) scheme. They pay either nothing or a token 30 baht with some very few exceptions e.g. drugs or imported medical supplies no on the standard list. Over USD $30 billion in free care is delivered annually through this system.  you have only to walk into a provinical level hospital to see patients galore, none of them having to pay for their care.

 

OP:  The medication shown, erythropoietin, has been covered under the government scheme since 2011. However the specific brand pictured is a very expensive imported brand and not what the government hospitals would normally carry or dispense. This drug is purchased at central level from local manufacturers at a discounted cost.

 

i think one of 2 things must be the case:

 

1. He was treated in a private, not government, hospital. Both the brand of drug and the price would be consistent with this.

 

2. The government hospital he was treated in had run out of the centrally supplied drug and as a stop gap measure purchased it themselves and passed the cost on to the patient (which they are nto supposed to do) but even in this case it is hard to imagine why they would buy that brand when there rare locally made generic equivalents that cost substantially less.

 

If  this truly happened at a government hospital, and it was the government hospital where he is registered under the government scheme, he should call the NHSO and complain. Call center 1330.  https://www.nhso.go.th/eng/FrontEnd/index.aspx

 

Just had two eye op's in a gov hozzy, was with Thais having the same op. Most were gov workers and paid a small amount but two Thais paid the same as me..

Mrs.Trans elder sister was operated on for cancer in a gov hozzy and is still having after care, she is not a gov worker and has paid out a lot of money. So I am confused..

[lopburi3]

2 hours ago, transam said:

Just had two eye op's in a gov hozzy, was with Thais having the same op. Most were gov workers and paid a small amount but two Thais paid the same as me..

Mrs.Trans elder sister was operated on for cancer in a gov hozzy and is still having after care, she is not a gov worker and has paid out a lot of money. So I am confused..

As said above "the government hospital where he is registered" - suspect those paying were not and had not been officially transferred to that facility.  For some cost is secondary to care or having done locally when living out of their assigned home area.

[colinneil]

2 hours ago, transam said:

Just had two eye op's in a gov hozzy, was with Thais having the same op. Most were gov workers and paid a small amount but two Thais paid the same as me..

Mrs.Trans elder sister was operated on for cancer in a gov hozzy and is still having after care, she is not a gov worker and has paid out a lot of money. So I am confused..

Trans you are confused, is that because of the bill, or old age?

Never try to understand government hospital bills, as they never make sense.

Visit last month catheter change, and 30 high blood pills, bill 197 baht, this month only catheter change bill 245 baht, work that out if you can.

[transam]

39 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Trans you are confused, is that because of the bill, or old age?

Never try to understand government hospital bills, as they never make sense.

Visit last month catheter change, and 30 high blood pills, bill 197 baht, this month only catheter change bill 245 baht, work that out if you can.

Actually my bill was the same as the Thai folk that had to pay..I was in the payment department...I was smiling at the cost of my fix....AND personal treatment...????

[canopus1969]

18 hours ago, Sheryl said:

This is not at all correct.

 

All Thais not covered by either the Civil Service Social Security Fund or the regular Social Security Fund come under the "universal" (AKA 30 baht) scheme. They pay either nothing or a token 30 baht with some very few exceptions e.g. drugs or imported medical supplies no on the standard list. Over USD $30 billion in free care is delivered annually through this system.  you have only to walk into a provinical level hospital to see patients galore, none of them having to pay for their care.

 

OP:  The medication shown, erythropoietin, has been covered under the government scheme since 2011. However the specific brand pictured is a very expensive imported brand and not what the government hospitals would normally carry or dispense. This drug is purchased at central level from local manufacturers at a discounted cost.

 

i think one of 2 things must be the case:

 

1. He was treated in a private, not government, hospital. Both the brand of drug and the price would be consistent with this.

 

2. The government hospital he was treated in had run out of the centrally supplied drug and as a stop gap measure purchased it themselves and passed the cost on to the patient (which they are nto supposed to do) but even in this case it is hard to imagine why they would buy that brand when there rare locally made generic equivalents that cost substantially less.

 

If  this truly happened at a government hospital, and it was the government hospital where he is registered under the government scheme, he should call the NHSO and complain. Call center 1330.  https://www.nhso.go.th/eng/FrontEnd/index.aspx

 

Thank you Sheryl I shall ask him to call the number you gave and ask the reason as it was at a Government hospital where he is registered - 6,500 is a lot for old farming folk !

[Sheryl]

9 hours ago, transam said:

Just had two eye op's in a gov hozzy, was with Thais having the same op. Most were gov workers and paid a small amount but two Thais paid the same as me..

Mrs.Trans elder sister was operated on for cancer in a gov hozzy and is still having after care, she is not a gov worker and has paid out a lot of money. So I am confused..

Likely they went to a hospital other than the one where they are covered. the cover is only at one specific  hospital based on where you are listed in a tabian ban (or a higher level one that they refer you to). 

 

Many Thais live far away from where they are listed in a tabian ban and for comparatively minor things feel it is not worth traveling back to the home province for free care. They  also tend not to arrange to change their tabian ban listing when they move, though they can and should.

 

Another thing which happens, especially with serious problems like cancer, is people often prefer to get treated in one of the top teaching hospitals  rather than where they are registered and either did not try, or were not able to, get a letter of referral to it. Sometimes people do not even realize that this is an option (assuming the hospital where they are registered does not have the capacity to treat cancer). Having gone through that process for some migrant workers (f=getting a letter of referral from the hospital they had free cover at), I can testify that it is a bit of a hassle with red tape,  but it is possible provided there is a rationale (reason for going elsewhere rather than being treated there).

 

I assure you, catarct surgery is fully coevred under the Thai universal health system, as is cancer care with exception of a few very new drugs. Millions of thais receive both free of charge. I can also assure that all Thais know this.

 

 

[Sheryl]

3 hours ago, canopus1969 said:

Thank you Sheryl I shall ask him to call the number you gave and ask the reason as it was at a Government hospital where he is registered - 6,500 is a lot for old farming folk !

Let me know what you find out, I'll be interested. if it was definitely his govt hospital then out of stock and bought privately is all I can think of.