Mandatory health insurance for over 50s in Thailand only affects those on Non-Immigrant Visa O-A

[Camillof]

7 hours ago, wayned said:

I'm sure that the insurance company lobbyists are hard at work transferring money into the PM's and relevant and MP's accounts to get the law changed to cover as many visa types and extensions as possible.

Thanks wayned. This sounds like a post of mine that has been removed for "defamation" from a parallel discussion. In that post, I was calling for boycotting certain insurance companies. One thing is certain: personally, I will never subscribe a policy with anyone of those 6 companies.

[JetsetBkk]

On 5/27/2019 at 12:36 AM, lamyai3 said:

What a crazy situation, having to check out of hospital for your own well being and security! 

Probably best if I not mention my kidney stone operation that the hospital would not perform until I came up with the cash. Maybe they were just bluffing. Maybe I shouldn't have shown them my bank book with ample funds.

Admitted in agony on a Tuesday, had CT-Scan (after paying cash first), drugged up, taxi to the bank Wednesday morning to get 200K, back to the hospital, hand over some cash, operation later that day.

Total cost 186,000.

 

[lamyai3]

6 minutes ago, JetsetBkk said:

Probably best if I not mention my kidney stone operation that the hospital would not perform until I came up with the cash.

Madness. They probably thought about taking the kidney too. 

[inThailand]

18 minutes ago, JetsetBkk said:

Probably best if I not mention my kidney stone operation that the hospital would not perform until I came up with the cash. Maybe they were just bluffing. Maybe I shouldn't have shown them my bank book with ample funds.

Admitted in agony on a Tuesday, had CT-Scan (after paying cash first), drugged up, taxi to the bank Wednesday morning to get 200K, back to the hospital, hand over some cash, operation later that day.

Total cost 186,000.

 

At least it's done. 

 

Is 186K a fair price? At a private hospital? A govt hospital? 

[wayned]

I had a partial hip transplant at a private hospital 8 years ago for just over 50k, negotiated upfront, and 10 day hospital stay.    My wife had brain surgery after a massive hemorrhagic strokes 4 years ago at a private hospital, cost 140k.  She only stayed there for 2 nights and was transferred to a government hospital in our province.  Unfortunately she died 17 days later of kidney failure.

[AAArdvark]

10 hours ago, inThailand said:

At least it's done. 

 

Is 186K a fair price? At a private hospital? A govt hospital? 

It depends on what they did since there are multiple ways to treat kidney stones.  When I had mine done, they stuck a very painful instrument through me and pulled it out.  This was done in a doctor's office.  I don't know what the price was because my insurance paid for it but I can't imagine that it was ฿186K,

As a side node for beer drinkers, there is an odd correlation between beer and kidney stones.  Bottled beer is not too bad but draft beer, in particular Guinness, is very bad.  Something to do with oxalates.   

[JetsetBkk]

17 hours ago, inThailand said:

18 hours ago, JetsetBkk said:

Probably best if I not mention my kidney stone operation that the hospital would not perform until I came up with the cash. Maybe they were just bluffing. Maybe I shouldn't have shown them my bank book with ample funds.

Admitted in agony on a Tuesday, had CT-Scan (after paying cash first), drugged up, taxi to the bank Wednesday morning to get 200K, back to the hospital, hand over some cash, operation later that day.

Total cost 186,000.

 

At least it's done. 

 

Is 186K a fair price? At a private hospital? A govt hospital?

Private - Bangkok Phuket.

 

[JetsetBkk]

7 hours ago, AAArdvark said:

17 hours ago, inThailand said:

At least it's done. 

 

Is 186K a fair price? At a private hospital? A govt hospital? 

It depends on what they did since there are multiple ways to treat kidney stones.  When I had mine done, they stuck a very painful instrument through me and pulled it out.  This was done in a doctor's office.  I don't know what the price was because my insurance paid for it but I can't imagine that it was ฿186K,

As a side node for beer drinkers, there is an odd correlation between beer and kidney stones.  Bottled beer is not too bad but draft beer, in particular Guinness, is very bad.  Something to do with oxalates.

Yes, same with me. If you're eating, please don't read on.

 

Injection in my spine to numb everything "downstairs", tube with camera with grabbing tool inserted up the whatsit, video by the side of the bed showed what was going on, then the grabber grabbed the stone and pulled it out. Didn't feel a thing. A stent was left inserted and overnight a tube drained urine into a bottle by the bed.

 

Next day a nurse came in and without a by-your-leave lifted up the sheets and whipped out the tube. Thanks very much.

 

Had to go back two weeks later for the stent to be removed. I think that involved a local numbing injection. Another urine check a week after that. So far so good.

 

Now I drink lots and lots of water. If your pee is yellow or dark yellow, drink more water!

 

They gave me the stone in a plastic container. It's so small you can barely see it.

 

[Scott]

Please stay on topic.    A few nasty, inflammatory posts removed along with a post violating Fair Use.

[sidelines]

On 5/24/2019 at 4:27 PM, StevieAus said:

I think the only one muddying the waters is you.

Many people progress to a retirement extension from a O-A visa as I did many years ago however when the former is obtained the latter expires.

Perhaps you thrive on creating problems that don’t exist, try buying some worry beads.

With my worry beads in one hand (thanks for the suggestion) and typing with the other, I asked for clarification on my status from several sources. As expected, everyone I contacted agreed with my conclusion that I will be caught up in this as I originally arrived in Thailand (albeit 13 years ago) on an O-A visa, details of which remain in my passport despite it being used (rather than it being expired). I hope that those people I contacted and myself are wrong but (still with the worry beads handy), I fear not.

BTW, I renewed my driving licence for five years using a Yellow Book.

The point being that there is little consistency in Immigration and Government matters in Thailand.