Covid patient's 500,000 baht bill at private hospital a "misunderstanding"

[webfact]

Picture: Bangkok Business News

 

The secretary of Thailand's National Health Security Office said that a family who were given a 500,000 baht bill for a relative's Covid-19 treatment at a private hospital was a misunderstanding.

 

The family called the 1330 hotline after they were charged for treatment that should be paid for by the state's universal healthcare scheme. 

 

Dr Jadej Thammarat-aree said that the hospital concerned said they were charging because the patient had turned down treatment elsewhere at a hospital where they were diagnosed with the virus. 

 

Bangkok Business News did not make it clear is this was grounds for charging.

 

Dr Jadej said that the hospital concerned - not mentioned in the BBN article - had agreed to refund the money as it was a misunderstanding about the patient turning down treatment elsewhere. 

 

He said that Covid-19 falls under the social security umbrellla's UCEP scheme - Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients. 

 

Covid has been declared an emergency situation for the purposes of healthcare coverage.

 

Private hospitals should not be charging at all for Covid care.  

 

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[jackdd]

2 minutes ago, webfact said:

Private hospitals should not be charging at all for Covid care.  

"At all" doesn't include foreigners though.

[Andrew Dwyer]

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

Dr Jadej said that the hospital concerned - not mentioned in the BBN article - had agreed to refund the money as it was a misunderstanding about the patient turning down treatment elsewhere. 

Not before the two family members had appeared on a tv show to plead their case did Dr Jadej agree to pay up though !!

[colinneil]

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

 - had agreed to refund the money as it was a misunderstanding about the patient turning down treatment elsewhere.

Misunderstanding my a##e, greed , greed, greed, thats what it was, bunch of chancers thinking they could get away with the scam.

[Pottinger]

This hospital is going for First Prize - "Hub of Misunderstanding, 2021"

[darksidedog]

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

Private hospitals should not be charging at all for Covid care.  

 

Pound against a penny that they are charging though. Overcharging into the bargain most likely too.

[kotsak]

As I've always believed since the beginning of the covid saga, it will be very difficult to get off the gravy train for some businesses and they will fight tooth and nail to keep this going..

[ChipButty]

I thought that was cheap 

[thequietman]

10 minutes ago, jackdd said:

"At all" doesn't include foreigners though.

I suppose it does, if you are in the social security through your job.

 

Can you imagine their little faces when they realise that a foreigner that they have been 'treating' for covid pulls out his/her SS card. The amount of padding would be huge and they would not get a penny from said foreigner.

 

Would love to be a fly on the wall that day.

[anchadian]

There seems to be a lot of 'misunderstandings' recently or should I say for many years now.

 

Unbelievable.

[kotsak]

12 minutes ago, thequietman said:

I suppose it does, if you are in the social security through your job.

 

Can you imagine their little faces when they realise that a foreigner that they have been 'treating' for covid pulls out his/her SS card. The amount of padding would be huge and they would not get a penny from said foreigner.

 

Would love to be a fly on the wall that day.

Yes would be fun to watch their faces, but usually the first thing they ask when you enter a hospital (even for IPD) is if you have insurance (so they can try their best to suck it dry ????)

[ThailandRyan]

17 minutes ago, webfact said:

The secretary of Thailand's National Health Security Office said that a family who were given a 500,000 baht bill for a relative's Covid-19 treatment at a private hospital was a misunderstanding.

How is being given a bill a misunderstanding.  The hospital probably expected payment, but when the family balked they were caught out.

 

31 minutes ago, webfact said:

Dr Jadej said that the hospital concerned - not mentioned in the BBN article - had agreed to refund the money as it was a misunderstanding about the patient turning down treatment elsewhere. 

 

He said that Covid-19 falls under the social security umbrellla's UCEP scheme - Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients. 

Ooops

[thequietman]

Just now, kotsak said:

Yes would be fun to watch their faces, but usually the first thing they ask when you enter a hospital (even for IPD) is if you have insurance (so they can try their best to suck it dry ????)

Technically SS is insurance (payment for health services), so I would answer in the affirmative or just tell them I don't have private insurance.

 

Assure them of payment and let them crack on. ????

 

Present SS card when all well and cured & then just wait for their expression to change.

 

It's kind of sickening that a Doc who has sworn to do no harm, pads a bill with unnecessary expenditure. It's sad in this day and age. ????

[Ventenio]

Sorry Mr. Falang........very sorry, sorry...... not 500,000.... oh no Mr. Falang

 

800,000

 

please wait in this cell until it's paid in full!!!!!

 

COVID.................a multi-trillion dollar industry.    greed has gotta be greedy

 

sorry sheep, you pay!!!!!!!    just pay and smile!!!!!    pay pay pay!!!!!  

 

humanity

[Prince77]

38 minutes ago, jackdd said:

"At all" doesn't include foreigners though.

Well, it should include foreigners at least those who pay-in to social security. Shouldn't it?

[canopus1969]

31 minutes ago, thequietman said:

I suppose it does, if you are in the social security through your job.

 

Can you imagine their little faces when they realise that a foreigner that they have been 'treating' for covid pulls out his/her SS card. The amount of padding would be huge and they would not get a penny from said foreigner.

 

 

Unfortunately SS cards are no more

[Mavideol]

47 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Not before the two family members had appeared on a tv show to plead their case did Dr Jadej agree to pay up though !!

normal Thai face saving behavior

[Mavideol]

53 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

Dr Jadej said that the hospital concerned - not mentioned in the BBN article

I can't understand why they don't name the law braking hospital....what is there to hide

[placeholder]

4 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

I can't understand why they don't name the law braking hospital....what is there to hide

In Thailand, truth is not by itself a defense against a defamation lawsuit.

[ChipButty]

1 minute ago, placeholder said:

In Thailand, truth is not by itself a defense against a defamation lawsuit.

Even if they are guilty

[petedk]

It is normal for the hospital to present the bill even though the government pays.

I know a Thai who is hospital now being treated for Covid and the bill at the moment is 1.5 million. I think the person's insurance pays some and the government the rest.

[Rampant Rabbit]

I'm  not holding one finger  up I'm  just  keeping 4  fingers  down, type of   misunderstanding.

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Private hospitals should not be charging at all for Covid care.  

 

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

"At all" doesn't include foreigners though.

No it doesn't, which is why you should, at the very least, Covid insurance.

[thequietman]

31 minutes ago, canopus1969 said:

Unfortunately SS cards are no more

I have one. Light blue colour with white background. Credit card type thing. ????

[thequietman]

12 minutes ago, petedk said:

It is normal for the hospital to present the bill even though the government pays.

They took payment - so your logic does not hold. ???? It was presented & payment was taken.

[Tarteso]

misunderstanding is a long word..

 

It’s just a Scam.

[yeahbutif]

25 minutes ago, petedk said:

It is normal for the hospital to present the bill even though the government pays.

I know a Thai who is hospital now being treated for Covid and the bill at the moment is 1.5 million. I think the person's insurance pays some and the government the rest.

So does a Thai need covid insurance at all ?as sounds like gov pay... I know

 Covid insurance cover death.si maybe still worth having insurance ? But the other bits inpatient and outpatient maybe a waste of money .... But  I falang got same insurance Fromm rooji insurance . cost from 350b to 850b  one payment. Covered for one year.i did get for Thai lady as well same prices...

 

[realfunster]

1 hour ago, kotsak said:

As I've always believed since the beginning of the covid saga, it will be very difficult to get off the gravy train for some businesses and they will fight tooth and nail to keep this going..

 

Really ? Apart from a limited number of business sectors 'positively' impacted by COVID, I can pretty much guarantee that the much wider business community would like nothing more than economies and their own businesses, to get back to normal.

 

You sound worryingly like a conspiracy theorist...

[300sd]

Thai friend went to private hospital for covid treatment after one night at gov't hospital in room with 10 covid positive people. The private hospital charges were in advance. Pay or get out. It wasn't cheap.

[Prince77]

45 minutes ago, thequietman said:

I have one. Light blue colour with white background. Credit card type thing. ????

Did you get that recently? My accountant told me they not issue that card anymore? Thanks.