Private hospitals overcharging ‘unreasonably’

[Lucius verus]

Had a serious hernia operation in 2013.

Everything incl 5 days stay in a gov hospital 20k baht.

Food was inedible.lol.

Avoid buying pills at any hospital in BKK. Chinese-Thai drug stores much cheaper.

I buy prednisolone pills for 1 baht and ventoline puffer 180 b.

Avoid private hospitals that market themselves like a5star .

Don't use them. If you need some really serious medical care then go home for it.

In Australia its all free except the pills.

[soistalker]

I went to Bumrungrad two years ago with a pain under my ribs. The doctor wanted to do a colonoscopy. Nice try.

[thaipo7]

You are right about private hospitals over charging.  Problem is the Thais are now getting insurance and the foreigners are willing to pay.   I won't name the hospital in Korat but a couple years ago you could stay in a private room for 1000 Baht per night.  Now it is 5000 and they didn't even repaint the rooms.

[justin case]

the government only found out now, what we have known for years & decades ?

 

why are costs of sick care swinging out of the pan ?  

 

might take another 10-20 years for them to get a clue

[Stupooey]

Even worse than the over-charging is the over-prescribing. Every visit to a private hospital seems to end with a visit to the pharmacy to collect a cocktail of pills and potions, most of them unnecessary. It also appears to be standard practice to hook in-patients up with an antibiotic drip, without establishing first whether they are dealing with a bacterial infection. Not just superfluous but potentially dangerous.

[Pilotman]

seems to me that the only way to control what the hospitals charge you here is to have a fairly good idea of what is wrong in the first place and what you need to investigate/confirm and treat it and not get side tracked by the medicos giving you tests and checks you don't need. Easier said than done I know, but I don't trust the medical profession here at all.  I have insisted on a one fixed price, which can work. A combination of them and google research seems to work in controlling costs for common aliments. Good luck if you need anything more complicated, such as surgery.     

Edited April 8, 2019 by Pilotman

[monkeycu]

4 hours ago, DogNo1 said:

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%.  

But they do have nice décor 

[Pilotman]

4 minutes ago, Stupooey said:

Even worse than the over-charging is the over-prescribing. Every visit to a private hospital seems to end with a visit to the pharmacy to collect a cocktail of pills and potions, most of them unnecessary. It also appears to be standard practice to hook in-patients up with an antibiotic drip, without establishing first whether they are dealing with a bacterial infection. Not just superfluous but potentially dangerous.

well said and very true. 

[monkeycu]

18 minutes ago, soistalker said:

I went to Bumrungrad two years ago with a pain under my ribs. The doctor wanted to do a colonoscopy. Nice try.

Were you being a pain in the arse to him 

[lvr181]

"overcharging unreasonably"! 

 

So you can overcharge, as long as it is reasonable? ????

[atyclb]

2 hours ago, MadMuhammad said:

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

 

 

not in thailand?

[arend]

It's not just private hospitals but the government hospitals are also over-charging. I live in Pai, went down to Chiang Mai to Sriphat Hospital for exam with vascular surgeon for leg problem. He scheduled me for ultrasound test. He said the test was 3,000 baht but the hospital called later in the week and said the price was now 5,500 baht. Also, the medication I was prescribed was 300% more than my local drug store in Pai was charging. Yes, these prices are reasonable compared to the West but within the system here are being over-charged. I didn't go in for the ultrasound. I was really pissed off. Decided to just work with my local Pai hospital physician who is overworked and doesn't have the specialty training that Chiang Mai hospitals have. But it worked out...

[atyclb]

13 minutes ago, Stupooey said:

Even worse than the over-charging is the over-prescribing. Every visit to a private hospital seems to end with a visit to the pharmacy to collect a cocktail of pills and potions, most of them unnecessary. It also appears to be standard practice to hook in-patients up with an antibiotic drip, without establishing first whether they are dealing with a bacterial infection. Not just superfluous but potentially dangerous.

 

experienced overprescribing at a government hospital also, where the pharmacy pricing is normal but at private ones it is done to bolster their in house pharmacy profit

[rbmcn]

Chiangmai Mai Ram hospital in Chiangmai Mai used to charge me THB 20,000 for 3 months prescription.  When I challenged the bill they fobbed me off. I ferreted out the same stuff at a local pharmacy and it cost THB 2000.  Go figure.  Pure and simple daylight robbery.  High overhead, mounting administrative costs, increased wholesale prices yadda yadda- all total bs and bafflegab.  Straight ripoff, without a smile.

Edited April 8, 2019 by rbmcn
Sp.

[Pilotman]

22 minutes ago, arend said:

It's not just private hospitals but the government hospitals are also over-charging. I live in Pai, went down to Chiang Mai to Sriphat Hospital for exam with vascular surgeon for leg problem. He scheduled me for ultrasound test. He said the test was 3,000 baht but the hospital called later in the week and said the price was now 5,500 baht. Also, the medication I was prescribed was 300% more than my local drug store in Pai was charging. Yes, these prices are reasonable compared to the West but within the system here are being over-charged. I didn't go in for the ultrasound. I was really pissed off. Decided to just work with my local Pai hospital physician who is overworked and doesn't have the specialty training that Chiang Mai hospitals have. But it worked out...

speciality training? Not always, in fact, not often.  There is no Consultant training as such in Thailand, as you find in say the UK or the US. You can set yourself up as a specialist with minimal training here and rake in the Baht. It's worse in the sticks, where some of the so called 'doctors; are working on a temporary licence because they failed their final exams. 

[nong38]

Yes spot on, I have noticed that the pills often amount to 1/3rd of the cost of the visit and when you return for the next appointment there always more and it is not discussed with you, you only find out when you go to pay the bill at the cashier! Paracetamol are the most noticeable rip off, cheap in a pharmacy and different make and huge mark up at the hospital.

[JoePai]

Boys and girls calm down, let the private hospitals charge what they want, there are Government run hospitals everyone can use (yes even foreigners for those who do not know) so just what is the problem?

Don’t use private hospitals as there is a (far cheaper and just as good) alternative.

[soistalker]

And at Bumrungrad, if you see the doctor and take tests, then go back the next day for the results, they will charge you two doctor's visits. I never had experienced that before.

[Benmart]

5 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.  

This article is not about the US. I try to stay focused as to what costs are here in Thailand.

[Letseng]

5 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.  

How much was the doctor's fee?

Most no longer allow to get tests without doc's order.

Btw, a PSA test at one of the cheap private hospitals or a clinic is still 1100 Baht. Back home in expensive Austria I pay equivalent of 700 in a private facility. How cheap Thai medical service is depends which country you compare with. 

[puukao]

2 hours ago, Hackie said:

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

Thank you very much!!!  We all bought new iPhones because of you....  Plus I can go on vacation.

 

Come again!!!!  You are Welcome!!!   Next time, 300,000

[Pedrogaz]

Good news I hope that they follow through. A 5000 baht penalty to a private hospital is not much of a disincentive though.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

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

Best way forward is to name & shame the hospitals over charging !

[faraday]

2 hours ago, soistalker said:

I went to Bumrungrad two years ago with a pain under my ribs. The doctor wanted to do a colonoscopy. Nice try.

What....er...colour was the 'scope?

 

Was it pink....?

 

[PerkinsCuthbert]

3 hours 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? 

Quite so, there is no necessary correlation between charges and dividends at publicly-listed hospitals; has the poster never heard of creative accounting or double bookkeeping?

[Old Croc]

I can speak with some knowledge and much experience on private hospital pricing.

I have several ailments that require me to see 4 specialists on a regular basis. I get full blood tests done every 3 months or sooner and also have to get a procedure done every 2 or 3 months in a room in ICU. Twice I have been admitted to the hospital, for 4 days each time. I am self insured and go to a top private hospital in Phuket. I take 9 different medications daily. 

I should point out I am treated as a local resident without insurance, and the prices I pay reflect that. They have no correlation with fees a tourist with insurance may get charged for their boob job or gravel rash injury.

 

Firstly doctors:  I pay between 800 and 1200 baht per visit to a doctor. I consider this to be very cheap if I compare it to my home country, particularly as there I first have to get referred by, and pay, a GP. The specialists consider themselves to be demi gods and charge enormous fees that are never adequately recompensed by Medicare. To get results of blood tests requires a second visit, and a second fee. 

Here tests are done first and the results are available in an hour, and can be discussed and acted on with just one visit. IMO the fees are dirt cheap. For those who find such fees onerous, government hospitals obviously are cheaper, if you don't mind the downsides.

I consider doctors here to be underpaid, considering the training required for their specialty. I look them all up on line, and some have very impressive credentials. But I also think they are pressured by administration to refer patients for further procedures, such as X-ray or ultrasound, when it may not always be necessary. You should refuse if you don't think it is vital to your problem

 

Medications:  Doctors automatically prescribe medications for purchase from the greatly overpriced hospital pharmacy. Talk to your doctor first about buying these outside. I buy most from Supercheap at large savings from the hospital prices. My doctors now know to ask me first before prescribing. Two of my medications, one very cheap, and one very expensive, are only available at the hospital, and they price gouge in that area. To be avoided if possible.

Lab (blood) tests: A necessary evil for me and part of the process of my continuing treatment. A not insubstantial cost, but I don't know how much cheaper an outside clinic would be, nor if such would be acceptable to my doctors. I can't judge how much profit is added at the hospital, but the convenience factor makes it worthwhile for me to do it there.

Hospital stays: My private rooms were better and bigger than similarly priced hotel rooms with the added bonus of three meals a day and hot and cold running nurses thrown in!  Of course other medical treatment is over and above room rates.  Prices for rooms can vary greatly and are particularly high for the beforementioned tourists.   Haggle. 

 

My medical woes kicked in 7 years ago this month, and in that time I have spent approx. 850k at that hospital. However, about half that went on medications, so I consider I am way ahead financially than I would be if I had paid insurance premiums over the 10 years I've been here, even if I had been acceptable at my age with pre existing ailments.

I may have paid a lot less at a government hospital, but I may also have been dead. 

[Yme]

When in pain get on a plane.  I've just done a second trip  to India for some more procedures and couldn't be happier. Affordable, first class diagnosis and treatment. Ultra modern equipment.  Outstanding service. Bit hard to  find some meat though ???? 

[SenorCJ]

Just got released from Bangkok Hospital Pattaya after a total knee replacement. 5 nights, 6 days. My room was better than the apartment I live in. Service was excellent, with frequent visits from pretty young nurses and three different doctors checking in on me. Price was half what it would be in USA, but I don’t care. My operation was pre-approved by my (US) insurance company. My costs were minimal. If I didn’t have medical insurance, there is no way I could or would live in Thailand. 

 

 

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

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

On this particular point (above) the food served in my last hospital stay which was a few days ago, was almost inedible and if this was served in a hotel, the place would be shut down.

 

Had to be careful about where I left the uneaten food because the place was infested with ants, and this was a private room in the best hospital here.

 

On other points, well it's about time something was done about the way these hospitals operate because time and time again the price gouging rears its ugly head and not only that, it affects patients in other ways because those of us who pay private insurance get hit by this overcharging through increased insurance rates.

 

Just to raise a few other points: – every time I go to see a specialist they want to take my blood pressure and temperature, this after having walked quite a distance across a car park and into the room and have only just sat down, so they whisk me into the room put the armband on and then start asking me questions whilst the machine is running – – totally a no-no as one should be rested before the test and stay silent during it.

 

It matters not what the reading is because once I had a faulty machine and my blood pressure was unbelievably high, and rather than anything being done about it or suggested, the nurse simply said, "oh your blood pressure is high", and that was that. As it happens I said that this was abnormal for me, so at my behest we went next door to another clinic and I waited a while before I had another bp test on their machine and my blood pressure was normal, so I suggested that they might want to check/calibrate the other machine.

 

Because of the above I now refuse to have that blood pressure test taken, however it still appears on the bill at 200 baht!

 

On another occasion I thought I would get a colonoscopy done, and saw the nurse at the counter and also spoke to the specialist in charge and he asked if I was paying privately or had insurance, so I said I would pay privately and the cost was quoted at 12,000 baht plus or minus a little bit.

 

I had the procedure done and the nurse presented me with a bill for 18,000 baht, which I queried, obviously. She asked me if I had insurance and I said that I did but I was paying for this myself and I had already agreed that with the doctor. So she and another nurse got together and entered a few more things into the computer and lo and behold a bill was produced for 12,800 baht!! And this has happened on other occasions, so clearly ripping off the insurance companies.

 

And as others have mentioned the medicines prescribed by the hospital are two or three times more than those which can be acquired from a pharmacy, so I usually ask what drugs I'm being prescribed and if I know what they are and know that I can get them locally, I tell the doctor that. Having said that after my last stay in hospital, which was five days four nights, the antibiotics prescribed were the most costly available, and then upped by the usual two or 300% – – they didn't seem to mind as this was covered by my insurance this time and I was not about to argue as I wasn't feeling that special.

 

The total cost for a stay in normal room for four nights, five days came to something like 128,000 baht, which I thought was quite expensive, but I have nothing to compare it with.

 

If there is another time when I'm going into hospital and having to stay there, I will buy a loaf of bread, some cheese, biscuits and tomatoes as well as normal teabags and milk and make my own food, because the crap they served there was disgusting.

 

[Zack61]

This is not news but common knowledge. With all things health people are prepared to pay a premium and the hospitals know it.