Dual pricing in hospitals now ?

[NancyL]

On 2/11/2021 at 2:54 PM, Sheryl said:

 

Whether or not it is "OK" is a subjective opinion.

 

As a matter of law,  the Government has specifically instructed all government health facilities to charge foreigners more for treatment. Issued in 2019 "Announcement of the Ministry of Public Health on Public Health Service Rates Of service units under the Ministry of Public Health, 2019 " and published in the Government Gazette.

 

This guidance referred to treatment only and room cost was nto addressed but as far as I know, hospitals have always been free to charge whatever they think the market will bear for "special" (i.e. private/semi private) rooms.

 

in practice most hospitals don't bother with multi tier pricing unless they see a treat a significant  number of foreigners, but they can if they so choose.

 

Suan Doc (Sripat) in Chiang Mai is charging 4500 a night room rate to foreigners for several years now.

 

That said, Suan Doc is in a major urban center and inundated with farang clients (frankly they'd be glad if the cost deterred some). For a state hospital in an upcountry province with few expats, this hospital is unusual both in having developed a dual price for rooms and also for the amount. Coupled with the described ghastly attempts at "foreign food"  they for some reason are trying to tap the  farang market. (And haven't a clue how to do it).

 

The real problems that I see with the OP's story is

 

1) Not correctly quoted room rate at admission - I believe a genuine mistake, this is not a hospital  that sees many foreigners  admitted and the staff who originally quoted price to him were likely unaware of a separate price tier.

 

2) Doctor's reported refusal to allow the treatment to be given as an outpatient. No excuse for that, that I can see.

Suan Dok and Sripat are not the same hospital.  Suan Dok (Maharaj) is the teaching hospital of Chiang Mai University, a tertiary level hospital serving northern Thailand.  Sripat is a private hospital, adjacent to Suan Dok, sharing the emergency room, operating theaters and much of the expensive diagnostic equipment of Suan Dok, but functioning as a private hospital.  Patients at Sripat have priority for services for non-urgent procedures.  In general, Sripat patients' doctors are professors, their nurses are young and pretty, the food is better and the rooms and hallways are much nicer.  

 

As a government hospital, Suan Dok has an obligation to treat emergency cases regardless of ability to pay.  This includes foreigners.  However, in recent years (a little before 2019, I think), they instituted higher room rates for foreigners.  I don't know if Sripat has dual pricing for foreigners -- I doubt it, because the other private hospitals in Chiang Mai don't.  Also, I think Suan Dok's rate for the ward rooms is more like 3500 baht/night and not 4,500 baht per night.  But, that's still excessive compared to 400 baht/night for a Thai person who hasn't been referred by his local hospital.

 

I'm part of a small group of expat retirees who assist other expat retirees who find themselves in medical difficulty need advice about how they're going to pay or proceed with their care/treatment.  I handle most of our need at Suan Dok and our involvement there has definitely decreased in the past 18 months.  I think the dual-pricing for rooms was long overdue.  The place is heaving with Thai patients.  They've had a number of incidents where foreign patients have spectacularly created excess work for the staff, expecting hand-holding, explanations, food, amenities, etc as if they were at Bangkok Hospital-Chiang Mai and then skipping out without paying their bill.  

 

There are other value-priced private hospitals in Chiang Mai, such as Rajavej, McCormick, Theppanya and Chang Puek, to name a few that can provide good-quality care at prices that will be less than what a foreigner will now pay at Suan Dok.  

 

 

[NancyL]

Sheryl, you and others have mentioned that it's possible to have IV antibiotics administered on an out-patient basis if the treatment regime is daily or twice daily.  The one time I was on IV antibiotics in Thailand, Bangkok Hospital-Chiang Mai gave me the option to come in twice daily to receive the IV treatment.

 

But, my husband was out-of-country for the month, I was running a fever and didn't feel like doing anything besides sleeping.  My oxygen saturation was a little low and the hospital had me on supplemental oxygen which caused really pleasant dreams and the last thing I wanted to do was reclaim the cats from the cat resort to care for them and pay a Grab taxi to visit the hospital twice daily.  I asked if I could be admitted and they gladly complied.  

 

I've had IV antibiotics in the U.S. and visiting nurses will come to the house twice daily to administer them, but that doesn't seem to be an option here.  But, the hospital's oxygen and food was nice.

[colinneil]

4 minutes ago, NancyL said:

Sheryl, you and others have mentioned that it's possible to have IV antibiotics administered on an out-patient basis if the treatment regime is daily or twice daily.  The one time I was on IV antibiotics in Thailand, Bangkok Hospital-Chiang Mai gave me the option to come in twice daily to receive the IV treatment.

 

But, my husband was out-of-country for the month, I was running a fever and didn't feel like doing anything besides sleeping.  My oxygen saturation was a little low and the hospital had me on supplemental oxygen which caused really pleasant dreams and the last thing I wanted to do was reclaim the cats from the cat resort to care for them and pay a Grab taxi to visit the hospital twice daily.  I asked if I could be admitted and they gladly complied.  

 

I've had IV antibiotics in the U.S. and visiting nurses will come to the house twice daily to administer them, but that doesn't seem to be an option here.  But, the hospital's oxygen and food was nice.

Nancy depends on the hospital on 2 occasions i have had a nurse visit me at home to do the iv.

[Sheryl]

I have had outpatient IV infusion at government hospital. I had to suggest it myself as the initial recommendation was to admit, and push a bit (the doctor had to call a higher up as she was unfamiliar with the idea, of course the higher up said OK).

 

And I know others who have as well.

 

Done it in private hospitals as well.

 

Nancy's situation was a bit different as she was hyopoxic and feeling unwell. but for someone otherwise healthy, it is absurd to be hospitalized just for IV antibiotics unless there is no possible regimen that would be 1-2x a day. Or one lives to far away to be able to keep coming in.

[Speedhump]

16 hours ago, sandyf said:

Looks like you missed the point, I never suggested Fascino were dual pricing.

If Fascino were charging 100 baht and the hospital prices are about 70% of Fascino, the hospital price would be 70 baht. If however as people claim the hospital charges double for falang then the real price would be 35 baht.

So the question was, are Fascino ripping people off, meaning everyone, or not?

This thread is about dual pricing. Keep on topic. 

[sandyf]

6 hours ago, Speedhump said:

This thread is about dual pricing. Keep on topic. 

What part of this sentence did you find difficult.

" If however as people claim the hospital charges double for falang then the real price would be 35 baht."

 

Obviously you  have convinced yourself that every hospital is charging double for foreigners, irrespective of the facts.

[Speedhump]

4 hours ago, sandyf said:

What part of this sentence did you find difficult.

" If however as people claim the hospital charges double for falang then the real price would be 35 baht."

 

Obviously you  have convinced yourself that every hospital is charging double for foreigners, irrespective of the facts.

This is utter stupidity. I claimed nothing. Show me where I did? I asked you to confirm you had proof over dual pricing. And you started talking about Fascino. And I told you to STAY ON TOPIC. 

 

Tnxbye ????

[moontang]

There are quite a few procedures that have package pricing, but it is going to be at higher end privates like Bumrungrad, where they are still guaranteed of making profit.. willing to bet you pay first, too.  Nancy mentioned McCormick, and I was really impressed with their professionalism and pricing, but about five years ago, they remodeled, and my ear maintenance at their excellent ENT clinic practically doubled in price, from 600 to 1100., for five to ten minutes with the Doctor.  Still would be quite a bit less than RAM, which was the gold standard for expat care in the North, but they really started gouging about ten years ago.  Suddenly, many were willing to go to government hospitals, when before it was just about unthinkable for most.  The arrival of Bangkok Hospital seemed to drive up prices everywhere.. kind of how the bars and golf courses operate here.. fewer customers, larger supply... raise prices.   

 

Just as I entered this, I looked at this ad at the bottom of the page.. Have a laugh on me, TiT. 

Edited February 14, 2021 by moontang

[sandyf]

20 hours ago, Speedhump said:

This is utter stupidity. I claimed nothing. Show me where I did? I asked you to confirm you had proof over dual pricing. And you started talking about Fascino. And I told you to STAY ON TOPIC. 

 

Tnxbye ????

Only the stupid would believe they can establish any comparison without a bench mark.

Fascino charges 2 baht a tablet and the hospital charges 1 baht a tablet, but according to you the hospital is overcharging foreigners with a dual pricing policy.

[Speedhump]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Only the stupid would believe they can establish any comparison without a bench mark.

Fascino charges 2 baht a tablet and the hospital charges 1 baht a tablet, but according to you the hospital is overcharging foreigners with a dual pricing policy.

You are completely wrong about everything. You seem to believe that I have said that there is dual pricing in hospitals. You really need to check this thread and correct your ignorance. 

[allencraig]

I don't the OP's experience is a dual pricing issue. It's a scam issue. They tested you by upping the price once. Then when you agreed to it they saw they had a sucker (no offense) so they bumped the price again figuring you'll pay whatever.