Local Government Hospital Experience

[StevieAus]

On 2/28/2019 at 10:35 AM, superal said:

The overall picture of Thai medical costs can be described as discriminating as there is a distinct two tier level of billing . The farang is expected to make a significantly higher contribution than the local Thai . There is nothing to suggest that a Thai makes a higher contribution ( please qualify ) other than 30 baht . You chose to ignore my last paragraph where I stated that I would be prepared to pay an annual fee for Thai medical insurance . That scenario is imminent in some form or another .

Medical Insurance is beyond most guys in their late 60s and 70s etc unless they are loaded of course . The popular thinking being to hop on a big bird and back to  their home country in the case of a serious illness .

You might be surprised to learn Thai people do not get everything or all treatment for 30baht in government hospitals

Only this week one of my Thai wife’ relatives had to pay 6500 baht for a CT scan in a local government hospital a couple of weeks ago her sister in law’s brother had to pay 150,000baht to have a stent fitted at a government hospital in Chiang Mai and when her grandmother was alive which was four years ago she had to pay 800 baht per session for dyalasis at a local government hospital.

So all in all as a non Thai I don’t think you are being hard done by.

 

 

[StevieAus]

On 3/2/2019 at 4:29 PM, nontabury said:

 

Yes, the U.K. does at a price.

In order to obtain a visa, my wife had to pay a fee, an insurance policy to cover her for medical treatment in the U.K. However when she came to the U.K. she then took up employment, which entails her paying N.I.

So she is in effect paying twice. Unlike immigrants from the E.u. Who are exempt from the requirements to obtain the insurance policy.

Presumably your wife had some form of residency that allowed her to work and as she was paying NI contributions why shouldn’t she be entitled to treatment, I think the poster was talking about visitors outside of the EU.

From what I have seen on UK TV visitors can obtain treatment under the National Health scheme but are “expected “ to pay

As myself Thai wife and daughter hold Aus passports we can get emergency treatment free in the UK as there is a reciprocal arrangement with Aus.

When she first came to Aus though she couldn’t get free treatment for two years until granted residency and like you I had to take out an insurance policy.

Didnt matter that I paid heaps in personal and company tax, again these boat people turn up and get everything for free.

[StevieAus]

On 3/7/2019 at 7:51 PM, uhuh said:

Agreed.

And government hospitals are not going to overtreat you as much as possible. 

 

Just to give you an idea how the private system works:

 

1. Dengue at Mahidol (government): 1 night admitted,  850 baht. 

Dengue at Dr Somboon's clinic in Ao Nang 3200 baht.

Dengue at a typical for-profit hospital: will admit you for "rehydration" for as many nights as possible,  often more than 1000 USD per night. It can easily  make more than 150000 baht.

 

2. Dog bite on Koh Phangan:

Wound cleaning,  active and passive vaccination for tetanus and rabies,  antibiotics, paracetamol, all done as outpatient at the government hospital,  12000 baht (foreigners' price, Thai price would have been maybe two thirds of this if not covered by 30 baht scheme).

The private hospital would admit you several nights, again hardly less than 1000 USD per night (first night 2000 USD),  for iv antibiotics, iv painkillers, lab tests... Doctors can be very creative. 

 

I think that part of the problem with the debate on the costs charged by private hospitals is that some posters and probably more so with those who come from countries where their is no charge for treatment is that private hospitals are businesses.

They are not owned or subsidized by the government and everything they provide has to be paid for and they expect, which I have no problem with a return on their investment.

Over recent years myself and my family have had experience with two private hospitals in Chiang Mai both as in and out patients

Although I am not a doctor I have never felt there was any overservicing I think the difference is that they try to accurately find the problem which can require tests etc rather than give treatment and ask you to come back if it doesn’t work.

The service has always been second to none and the medical equipment state of the art.

When I compare with the private sector in Aus where the medical side is subsidized I always had top hospital insurance the last two operations I had were several years ago only requiring a one night stay.

I was out of pocket a little over $ 2000 on one occasion and $3000 on the other and still waited several weeks for the treatment no walking in off the street.

I have no problem with government hospitals here but have only had outpatient treatment

The difference I find is like flying business class and economy.

[scorecard]

On 2/28/2019 at 1:06 PM, superal said:

My treatment was not ICU admission but by way of an oxygen mask plus nasal tubes until levels were met .  My main point is that although the charges are very reasonable there has been an instruction given to hike the charges to farangs and that was confirmed to me this morning by a hospital employee friend . We were sat around a table chatting and mostly Thais who were amazed at the price I paid . It was not too long ago when falangs could be included in the 30 baht scheme and a friend had a hernia operation using it but then falangs were kicked out gradually ( do you recall this ) . For what reason ? 

Perhaps your referring to a situation 2 or 3 years back when there was an official instruction to give the 30Baht status to 'foreigners', because of a decision related to taking care of hill tribe folks etc. 

 

'Foreigners' was interpreted by hospitals as meaning hill tribe people and similar and some farang.  It turned out the instruction was either poorly written or misinterpreted and was not meant to include farang.

 

Some hospitals had taken the application form and the joining fee (I forget the amount but certainly a very small amount of money).

 

When all hospitals received clarity that the order was not meant to include farang the joining fee was refunded.

 

Not exactly kicked out gradually. 

 

 

[scorecard]

11 hours ago, StevieAus said:

Presumably your wife had some form of residency that allowed her to work and as she was paying NI contributions why shouldn’t she be entitled to treatment, I think the poster was talking about visitors outside of the EU.

From what I have seen on UK TV visitors can obtain treatment under the National Health scheme but are “expected “ to pay

As myself Thai wife and daughter hold Aus passports we can get emergency treatment free in the UK as there is a reciprocal arrangement with Aus.

When she first came to Aus though she couldn’t get free treatment for two years until granted residency and like you I had to take out an insurance policy.

Didnt matter that I paid heaps in personal and company tax, again these boat people turn up and get everything for free.

Boat people?

[scorecard]

On 3/5/2019 at 1:35 PM, bluesofa said:

You're quoting my post above, rather than the poster I quoted, who wrote: "BTW the senior nurse who spoke pigeon English seemed to say that they had been told to make sure that they charge the falang,"

That was the point of my joke, referring to it, making fun of the spelling.

 

Not so sure about apoplexy, maybe a specialist dealing with a sense of humour failure may be more appropriate?

"... "BTW the senior nurse who spoke pigeon English seemed to say that they had been told to make sure that they charge the falang,"

 

Seemed to say...