Private hospitals overcharging ‘unreasonably’

[webfact]

Private hospitals overcharging ‘unreasonably’

By The Nation

 

 

AT LEAST half of private hospitals charge unreasonable prices for medicines and medical supplies and services, a study by the Commerce Ministry’s Internal Trade Department found.
 

“Some private hospitals have marked the price up by 200 or 300 per cent,” the department’s director-general, Wichai Pochanakit, revealed recently. 

 

He was speaking after his department had conducted preliminary examinations of costs and prices. 

 

Wichai said the department ordered 355 private |hospitals and importers of medicines and medical |supplies and services, as well as large drugstores, to submit by April 4 lists of their sales and purchases with prices. 

 

Only 295 submitted the information by the deadline. “We will follow up on the rest,” Wichai said. 

 

He warned that directors of any entity deliberately ignoring the order risked a jail term of up to three months and/or a maximum fine of Bt5,000. 

Wichai said his department would wait for compliance only until next week. “After that, we will take legal action.”

 

The Internal Trade Department plans to check on the prices charged for 3,892 medicines, 868 supplies and 5,286 services. 

 

Wichai said his department planned to stop private hospitals from charging unreasonable prices. Representatives of hospitals and drug firms would be “invited to discuss” the matter. 

 

“Or we may release standard prices for the public to see. Then people can decide whether private hospitals are overcharging,” he said. 

 

Wichai’s department would assist people who wanted to sue hospitals for overcharging.

 

If convicted, hospital executives face up to seven years in prison and/or a maximum fine of Bt140,000. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30367330

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-04-08

[dcnx]

Some prices are fair but some are out of control. 

 

It seems whenever a hospital has an upgrade, it turns into a rip-off center.

[Puchaiyank]

It is not just medicines that they over charge...I have learned by experience...going to clinics and several private hospitals...do not use a private hospital unless it is absolutely essential to your health...

 

Their greed knows no boundaries...privately run healthcare facilities are not a bargain... 

[sqwakvfr]

In terms of routine care I can’t complain about the cost at a private hospital.  Usually the service is prompt and the wait time is minimal.  For comparison I recently paid over 1000 Baht for Lipid Panel and Glucose blood test.  It took one hour to get the results back.  Back in the US the cost would be much higher and the results took 2 to 3 days.  This is just my experience.  

[DogNo1]

I can imagine that Bumrungrad doctors are shaking in their boots about getting a 5,000 baht fine.  They make far more than that on one overcharged prescription.  I used to be charged 77 baht per tab for Zolpidem 10 mg there.  Now I get the exact same medicine at St. Louis for 22 baht per tab.  So Bumrungrad overcharges by more than 300%.  

[user343434]

???? 5000 baht fine. That will scare the crap out of the Hospital Managers.

 

I had to pay once 7900 baht for an UKOG Offshore Health Check in Bangkok Hospital Pattaya

and the year later (actually all following years) 3800 baht (? I am sure it was under 4000.-) in Bumrungrat Hospital in Bangkok.

 

So when 2 workers do their Offshore checks in Pattaya the 5000 Baht fine is covered and the change still covers a dinner at the Hilton Buffet @ Central Festival.. 

 

How about holding a scissor at the doctor's license if he does that again? Clip Clip, here Doctor, for the change you can buy a pa tong go shop for your future carrier. 

 

[ezzra]

A 10 minute consultation with a GP at Bumrungrad gone from 800 to 1600 baht in two years, i have noticed that the aim of most specialist is to get you to do as many tests as possible, some useless and costly, and when you come to see them on a follow up visit, they send you again to the same tests... this is what happen when the cats are asleep and the rats having a field day...

[YetAnother]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

and/or a maximum fine of Bt5,000. 

Excessive, make it 50 baht, better yet, make it up to the perpetrator

[MadMuhammad]

6 days in non-critical care, on an IV with obs done twice a day, 191000thb. Around $1000usd a day. Ouch

 

[Sealbash]

[emoji23] 5000 baht fine. That will scare the crap out of the Hospital Managers.

 

I had to pay once 7900 baht for an UKOG Offshore Health Check in Bangkok Hospital Pattaya

and the year later (actually all following years) 3800 baht (? I am sure it was under 4000.-) in Bumrungrat Hospital in Bangkok.

 

So when 2 workers do their Offshore checks in Pattaya the 5000 Baht fine is covered and the change still covers a dinner at the Hilton Buffet @ Central Festival.. 

 

How about holding a scissor at the doctor's license if he does that again? Clip Clip, here Doctor, for the change you can buy a pa tong go shop for your future carrier. 

 

I have heard that some people actually check costs at various vendors prior to purchasing?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Oxx]

2 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

Their greed knows no boundaries...privately run healthcare facilities are not a bargain... 

 

2 hours ago, DogNo1 said:

So Bumrungrad overcharges by more than 300%. 

 

Private hospitals are, over all, not overcharging.  If one looks at Bumrungrad shares, their dividend yield is 1.63% - about the same as cash.  They're barely making a profit.

 

Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, yields 1.28%.  Samitivej, 3.35%.  Rajthani, 3.14%.  Ramkhamhaeng, 2.04%.  BCH, 1.34%.  

 

In other words, people are getting what they're paying for.  If prices of, say, drugs were lower, then charges for something else would have to be higher to cover costs.

[Puchaiyank]

9 minutes ago, Oxx said:

 

 

Private hospitals are, over all, not overcharging.  If one looks at Bumrungrad shares, their dividend yield is 1.63% - about the same as cash.  They're barely making a profit.

 

Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, yields 1.28%.  Samitivej, 3.35%.  Rajthani, 3.14%.  Ramkhamhaeng, 2.04%.  BCH, 1.34%.  

 

In other words, people are getting what they're paying for.  If prices of, say, drugs were lower, then charges for something else would have to be higher to cover costs.

Dividend yield is a complicated accounting exercise...numbers may not reflect their overcharging...do you have an interest in or salary from a private hospital...or a relative who benefits from the price gouging? 

[Redline]

Why bother investigating when the fine is 5000 baht ????????????

[toenail]

-sounds like the private hospitals have been following the USA health care method of “ultimate price gauging”  

[Xonax]

19 minutes ago, Oxx said:

 

 

Private hospitals are, over all, not overcharging.  If one looks at Bumrungrad shares, their dividend yield is 1.63% - about the same as cash.  They're barely making a profit.

 

Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, yields 1.28%.  Samitivej, 3.35%.  Rajthani, 3.14%.  Ramkhamhaeng, 2.04%.  BCH, 1.34%.  

 

In other words, people are getting what they're paying for.  If prices of, say, drugs were lower, then charges for something else would have to be higher to cover costs.

I guess that the overcharge is used for higher salary´s to the doctors.

[metisdead]

An off topic post about overcharging in Singapore has been removed. 

[faraday]

1 hour ago, MadMuhammad said:

6 days in non-critical care, on an IV with obs done twice a day, 191000thb. Around $1000usd a day. Ouch

 

Unbelievable

[Bob12345]

32 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

Dividend yield is a complicated accounting exercise...numbers may not reflect their overcharging...do you have an interest in or salary from a private hospital...or a relative who benefits from the price gouging? 

True, and your argument works both ways.

Maybe the profit margins are lower in reality, and they are barely staying afloat.

 

Do you have an interest in the prices private hospitals charge? Like you want to make use of their services but dont want to pay the full price?

[Muayboy]

5000bht Fine , you would not get a band aid for that , it should be 500,000bht then they might take it serious. I have had cases in Samui, that i have taken the person in trouble, out of the Private Hospital and taken them to a public hospital that cared about the patients Not the cash first. From a bill of 380,000bht ( standing in A&E then a room with mistreatment and No care )  to 9,000bht with Care two days in patient and after care. Something needs to be done, some undercover investigation in medical fees also the Taxi and domestic travel in Thailand as it is putting many people off coming. 

[kingstonkid]

,how else do you think the hospital can pay for the hotel like qualities.

The thing they bank on is the service and specialist as well as the fact most people have met coverage 

[faraday]

59 minutes ago, Oxx said:

 

 

Private hospitals are, over all, not overcharging.  If one looks at Bumrungrad shares, their dividend yield is 1.63% - about the same as cash.  They're barely making a profit.

 

Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, yields 1.28%.  Samitivej, 3.35%.  Rajthani, 3.14%.  Ramkhamhaeng, 2.04%.  BCH, 1.34%.  

 

In other words, people are getting what they're paying for.  If prices of, say, drugs were lower, then charges for something else would have to be higher to cover costs.

Yes, same as the Banks, struggling to make ends meet.

 

[MrMo]

57 minutes ago, Xonax said:

I guess that the overcharge is used for higher salary´s to the doctors.

Don't forget the managements share - annual bonuses, "allowances", travel expenses, medical plans, etc.   The doctors would be on the same deal too.

Edited April 8, 2019 by MrMo

[Emdog]

I much prefer my hospitals to overcharge "reasonably"....

[AlQaholic]

Ever since private hospitals here realized they could get "medical tourism" business because they were relatively really cheap (in the past), prices skyrocketed on everything. Now I rather go to the public hospitals, care is just as good there.

[puukao]

This is not your country, quit complaining or leave.

 

All countries rip off people... banks, OTC drugs, interest rates, food, whatever....  it's all a big scam.

 

so get out there and make more money!!!  

[MrMo]

15 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

,how else do you think the hospital can pay for the hotel like qualities.

The thing they bank on is the service and specialist as well as the fact most people have met coverage 

There was a story some years ago, covered by the Thai media, that tourists to Chaing Mai were happy to stay in private hospital rooms as the rates were cheaper than the hotels could provide. 

[petedk]

3 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

In terms of routine care I can’t complain about the cost at a private hospital.  Usually the service is prompt and the wait time is minimal.  For comparison I recently paid over 1000 Baht for Lipid Panel and Glucose blood test.  It took one hour to get the results back.  Back in the US the cost would be much higher and the results took 2 to 3 days.  This is just my experience.  

Why compare with US?  In England it would have been free I had wanted such a test.

 

This is Thailand. Compare the prices of the private hospitals here.

 

I know some charge more than double that of others. 

 

Once when I needed surgery I was given an estimate, but when I complained (in Thai language) the price was reduced by 50% immediately.

 

Anyway, I chose a private hospital that was a third of the price of the first estimate.

Edited April 8, 2019 by petedk

[Hackie]

The disadvantages of living in Thailand.
Westerners are walking ATM’s as the Thai’s see it.
My case of believing this is as follows:
I’d had a few beers after golf (golf finished around 4:30) I then went to a bar for a few drinks with mates and got home around 6:30pm
Nothing unusual until I was having an outer body experience in my Condo?
My room mate then said we will take you too Hospital, I disagreed first up knowing this will not be cheap but I was only getting worse and not being able to walk now.
I remember the above but what follows is what my room mate told me!
On arrival to one of the biggest private hospitals in Pattaya was told need money upfront and passport! Can be B100,000
After guaranteeing the money they let me in.
First Doctor this is serious will need to operate (operate on what?)
I was flying that high I had to be restrained in the bed as all I wanted to do was go to the toilet and leave (keep in mind I could not balance myself to walk!
Staff all the time yelling at me to shut up when I ask to go to the toilet.
2 more Doctors attended me and asking no questions just walked into the room looked at charts and walked out.
Nurses were in and out all the time changing saline bottles and getting blood samples even had chest x Rays (for what I have no idea)
So now I’m fully aware of what’s happened and have a clear head around 15-17 hours later.
They then say you need to stay another night and see more doctors?
I said Nah I’m out of here! There was 4 staff that came in the change my mind but I stood my ground.
Give me the bill and I’ll pay and leave. No one was happy from the hospital point of view!
In the end they had no choice but to let me go.
They gave me the invoice B105,750
I examine the itemised bill ask each what was what.
3 Doctors consultancy
Room rent in ICU
3 different machines rented
Medicine supplies
3 utilising Nurses time
When came to paying I got a B1400 discount for paying in cash and debit card.
Then when leaving I still have no idea what had happened to me or what to do to stop it happening again.
No medical record given to me regarding blood tests or the X-ray?
Not being qualified in any medical field but I suspect My drink has been spiked?
Today I wake as good as any morning but B104,500 lighter in the pocket.
Maybe it was someone working in the hospitals doing the rounds and that is a great revenue raiser.
They only let me go when I signed a document saying I leaving of my own free will.

Happy to know any others experiences

[Liverpudlian]

Before the birth of our daughter my partner and i went to have our talasin levels checked via blood samples we payed the bill and she was charged 35 bht & me 1.350 <deleted> bht !! we challenged this and the answer was insulting, YOU FALANG.

[Skeptic7]

Just like nearly everything else here. They finally figured...why aren't we on board the gouging gravy train?!?