Private hospitals will charge for COVID-19 vaccine shots at a standard price

[webfact]

 

By Subhabhong Rarueysong

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Private Hospital Association (PHA) has announced that COVID-19 vaccine shots, provided by private hospitals, will be charged at a standard price, including insurance for any side effects.

 

PHA president Dr. Chalerm Harnpanich said the reason the price will be set the same nationwide is to get as many people as possible vaccinated, not to make a profit.

 

As for the manufacturers, the US-based Moderna is in the process of applying for registration with Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA), after submitting its application on April 19th.

 

He said the PHA will gauge the demand for paid vaccinations and inform the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO), which purchases the vaccine supplies from manufacturers. The private hospitals should not open vaccination bookings until they secure their supply, to avoid confusion.

 

Dr. Chalerm said, before the price can be determined, the cost of the vaccine must be known, adding that talks were also being held with insurance firms, and coverage would start right after the first of two doses are administered. The insurance would then be valid for 90 days and would not cost more than 100 baht.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-05-10

 

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[RichardColeman]

1 minute ago, webfact said:

The insurance would then be valid for 90 days and would not cost more than 100 baht.

For 100 baht insurance, I'm pretty sure those 'side-effects' will be deemed NOT side effects by some hospitals but other things

[richard_smith237]

I’m fully expecting the next announcement completely contradicting this one within 24 hours.... ????

 

 

[stevefronter]

Presumably the private hospitals will have to buy the vaccine from the government as the vaccine companies will only sell to governments.

Thus there will be less vaccines for ordinary folk and I sense someone in government is going to make a tidy profit followed closely by the private hospitals.

I can’t imagine the sinovac and pfizer options are going to be the same price.

[sammieuk1]

Mondays side splitter  "to get as many people as possible vaccinated, not to make a profit."????

[Jingthing]

Hmmm. 

Is this about restricting gouging rather than preventing any profits?
Because if the private hospitals are regulated against making a decent profit, their incentive to do a lot of this is what exactly? 

 

Governments aren't supposed to be seeking profits from public health programs. But private hospitals are chasing profits by definition. 

Edited May 9, 2021 by Jingthing

[Brierley]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Hmmm. 

Is this about restricting gouging rather than preventing any profits?
Because if the private hospitals are regulated against making a decent profit, their incentive to do a lot of this is what exactly? 

Probably both things I imagine. It's a good way for private hospitals to get prospective new customers in the front door, treat them right, show them around, sell them something else, like a health exam perhaps. Pretty female nurses and handsome male nurses to the foreigner vaccination department please.

[bkk6060]

Great, bring it on.

[nkg]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The Private Hospital Association (PHA) has announced that COVID-19 vaccine shots, provided by private hospitals, will be charged at a standard price, including insurance for any side effects.

 

I wonder if the "standard price" will apply to us foreigners? We have so much money, it would be unfair to only pay the same price as Thais ????

[FarFlungFalang]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

 

He said the PHA will gauge the demand for paid vaccinations and inform the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO), which purchases the vaccine supplies from manufacturers.

Oh look a typo they spelt gouge wrong!

[rabas]

15 minutes ago, nkg said:

 

I wonder if the "standard price" will apply to us foreigners? We have so much money, it would be unfair to only pay the same price as Thais ????

 

Why did it take 6 posts for someone to see this?

[FarFlungFalang]

8 minutes ago, rabas said:

 

Why did it take 6 posts for someone to see this?

Because it's still too early in the morning.

[Rocking Robert]

Then the foreigners will get it before the Thai 

[Chaichara]

47 minutes ago, nkg said:

 

I wonder if the "standard price" will apply to us foreigners? We have so much money, it would be unfair to only pay the same price as Thais ????

 In  my  21 years experience here, private hospitals operate the same fees for foreigners and Thais. One must  not  forget  that  private hospitals are not  the exclusive domain  of 'farangs'. Most customers in  private hospitals have private insurance. Plenty of Thais have private insurance.

[wensiensheng]

Using the term “standard price” makes it sound like everyone gets the same ordinary low price.

 

in fact, I imagine that one of the primary concerns of the association members,  was to avoid a price war where members under cut each other in order to gain market volume.

 

charging a “ standard price” prevents any hospital under cutting others, thereby protecting profits for all. So a cartel.

 

personally I don’t care, I shut my eyes to these kinds of practices in Thailand long ago.if I want something I just pay the set price, if I don’t want it, then I don’t.  I will pay for a vaccine of my choice whether it’s 1k, 3k, or 5k. I need it to eventually travel again, so no choice.

[brucegoniners]

How exciting. SO WHEN WILL MODERNA BE AVAILABLE HERE???

[bradiston]

How will they gauge demand if they can't open vaccination bookings?

Edited May 10, 2021 by bradiston
Accuracy

[farangroby]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

coverage would start right after the first of two doses are administered

Maybe after 3 months from the second administration, just to avoid the risk of paying

[Bob12345]

38 minutes ago, Chaichara said:

 In  my  21 years experience here, private hospitals operate the same fees for foreigners and Thais. One must  not  forget  that  private hospitals are not  the exclusive domain  of 'farangs'. Most customers in  private hospitals have private insurance. Plenty of Thais have private insurance.

Nope; the largest group of private hospitals in Thailand charges foreigners higher fees. That practise is in place for years already. It is not based on insurance company btw, and its up to the doctors discretion.

[tandor]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I’m fully expecting the next announcement completely contradicting this one within 24 hours.... ????

 

 

...i think you left out the decimal point  (2.4)

[Harry Black]

1 hour ago, rabas said:

 

Why did it take 6 posts for someone to see this?

 

He could have improved his post by putting the word 'dirty' before foreigner.

 

Schoolboy error.

[KannikaP]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

adding that talks were also being held with insurance firms, and coverage would start right after the first of two doses are administered. The insurance would then be valid for 90 days and would not cost more than 100 baht.

So we have to have insurance to cover needing tratment for Covid, and another insurance to cover any side effects of the vaccine!

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Mondays side splitter  "to get as many people as possible vaccinated, not to make a profit."????

As the government cannot procure the necessary vaccines until Bioscience can get going, I wonder where or how the hospitals will get hold of them...

We were informed that manufacturing companies will only deal with governments directly?

shady behind doors deals going on??

Government selling vaccines to hospitals who then charge foreigners?

I personally would like the UK ambassador to get in touch with Prayut and find out once and for all what the hell is going on?

 

[cyril sneer]

8 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

So we have to have insurance to cover needing tratment for Covid, and another insurance to cover any side effects of the vaccine!

+ a visa run for the vaccine passport

[clivebaxter]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I’m fully expecting the next announcement completely contradicting this one within 24 hours.... ????

 

 

I have already taken this one out of context and decided we don't need insurance if we already have it

[mtls2005]

Am guessing this "article" made more sense in Thai?

 

Proably would have helped if Chalerm had explained "standard" price, and other price categories.

 

Suspect all private hospitals will be offering approximately the same price, but maybe differentiate with package deals.

 

Government hospitals will likely have a set price nationwide by vaccine, for those who are nt entitled to a free vaccine?

 

 

[PEE TEE]

They last announced the cost will be 3.000thb for the 2 doses so now it will announced again at another price i expect. the way Thailand is operating i won't hold my breath until about April 2022 . Or tomorrow another statement reversing  this one  

[mtls2005]

1 minute ago, PEE TEE said:

They last announced the cost will be 3.000thb for the 2 doses so now it will announced again at another price i expect.

 

 

That 3,000 figure was thrown out in the heat of the first kerfuffle last week. I wouldn't expect that to stand except maybe for Sinovac or AZ at a government hospital.

 

I'm still sticking with the 6,500 - 10,000 estimates all in for private hospital options (AZ, Moderna, Pfizer, J&J).

 

[Birdie Bookings]

They said the vaccine will be standard price. That means the vaccine price is set and low. But the consultation associated with it, the administering of the jab, and the consumables used in administering the jab, - don’t expect anything less than Thb 3,000

[4MyEgo]

All this vaccination talk has become so boring, but then I put one and one together, "private hospitals" YES, of course.......

 

I'm in, but which vaccine, who cares !!!

 

 

Edited May 10, 2021 by metisdead
Trolling image removed.