Moderna vaccine: Private hospitals will charge 1,200 baht service charge - more than 50% mark-up

[kynikoi]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

the start of next year

 

So, March 2022?

 

 

Maybe.

[Buffy Frobisher]

2 hours ago, Neeranam said:

They are private hospitals, this is normal.

The worst is Bamrungrad, I remember 20 years ago when one of my kids was born, they charged 300 baht every time we used the breast pump and a package of 29,900 baht turned into 82,000. 

Bumrungrad charges every person who goes in there a 300 baht "Service Charge", which most people pay without realising it. They bury it as a line item which you only see if you ask for a detailed receipt. That's in addition to all the other facilities charges and nursing charges, it's literally just a 300 baht hit for the sake of it on every bill in every department. 

[Dogmatix]

I booked with THG and they have sent a message saying I shouldn't book this batch of Moderna because they say I need to wait for 6 months after the second shot of AZ which is currently booked for September and the batch will expire in January.  Now I have a message from Samitivej saying they have reserved Moderna for me and will ask me to confirm how many doses I want in two weeks time. They say it will be available in 4Q.  The timing to get this batch of Moderna as a 3rd shot might not work out for me and many others and it is going to be too late for a first shot for most people.  

 

So I might not confirm with either of them.  The government should have let private hospitals book what they want when they want, not just one small batch far too late and that's it.  They would have had Pfizer and Moderna before the government AZ came out, just like Singapore did.  But that would have made them lose face and cut into the profit margins of those making money out of Sinovac et al.    

[smedly]

why is the government not distributing these other vaccines as the do for sinovac ?

[Khun Yogi]

3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

You don't need to pay in advance. 

l have seen it mentioned many times that you have to pay in advance at the time of booking.

[HappyinNE]

 The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation is charging private hospitals 1,100 baht for each dose of Moderna vaccine, this fee included tax, distribution charges and liability insurance charges. 

 

This by a government that screwed up ordering vaccine and continues to screw it up and get in the way.  Maybe the Government could note that today the number of cases and deaths went up again.

 

I am not bitching about the hospitals charging 3,400 baht for two jabs when they are paying 2,200 for the vaccine.  Their charge of 1,200 baht is to cover the admin to register all, the nurses to check vital signs and screen patients if they're in proper condition to receive the vaccine, doctors on standby in case of side effects and so on.

 

People might consider finding other things to complain about when the hospitals look like they are helping to bail out the government for its inability to do anything.

 

By the way I have paid for myself and my wife and we are also registered to receive vaccinations at the local Nong Khai Government Hospital.  The local ones are scheduled for this month and I will take them instead of waiting for what maybe arrives in October with the Government still in the middle of it.

[Andy from Kent]

4 hours ago, Shuya said:

I doubt they will find many people stupid enough to do advance payment for jabs that might or might not arrive at the same time or later when the free Pfizer is available

 

Would you care to provide information on the free Pfizer you  reference?

 

3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

You don't need to pay in advance. 

 

As above, you  make a completely unfounded claim.    Of course no one needs  to pay in advance if they don't opt to  register and get the vaccination.    

 

But if they want to register and get the vaccination please explain, Neeranam,  how they can do so without paying in advance.   You surely have that information or you wouldn't  have made the above post.

 

TIA

[scorecard]

3 hours ago, Henryford said:

 

Why not, everyone else is. The big Pharma CEOs are now billionaires.

 A good reason to have laws about maximum salaries or equations e.g. Salary & benefits for most senior position cannot be more than X times salary & benefits of the lowest paid position, and this sometimes meaning that all of the final 4? positions evaluated (in terms of job size) in the lowest 4? positions lowest cannot be paid lower than a designated salary & benefits. It can be done.

[khunpeer]

"GPO chief Withoon Danwiboon said that this fee included tax, distribution charges and liability insurance charges."

so that means if something odd happens while getting a jab then they are liable?

mind you, I did 'register' this morning at Cmai-Ram-hospital, no one mentioned extra costs, but also no one talked about to pay now! only passporr check, phone nr and that's it!

[kynikoi]

50 minutes ago, Buffy Frobisher said:

on every bill in every department. 

 

I went to Mahidol Dental School to have an evaluation done. Same nonsense. Every person that looks at you 200b.

 

There's now 200b charge on my local dentist. I think all now. They're taking very few if any additional precautions. It's medical!! Do any less and someone ends up very sick hep/HIV. Ridiculous.

 

There's no going back. Covid has been in$titutionalized.

[nong38]

How to turn a disadvantage into and advantage, this was always going to happen, the travel and tourism industry takes a huge hit, the healthcare sector makes a killing.

[Andy from Kent]

57 minutes ago, Buffy Frobisher said:

  3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

They are private hospitals, this is normal.

The worst is Bamrungrad, I remember 20 years ago when one of my kids was born, they charged 300 baht every time we used the breast pump and a package of 29,900 baht turned into 82,000. 

 

 

I have to admit I had the impression no one could "pull one over on you" being the financial wiz you profess to be.

[Redline]

It's all about money, not getting good vaccines distributed in order to rid the country of COVID

[Cake Monster]

IMO, 1200 Baht is a reasonable mark up on the service they will provide.

They have to do all the Administration side of things, store the stuff, Monitor its Quality, administer it, and then have staff on standby for 30 Mins after the shot in case of complications, and provide Insurance.

There are other options available  to you should you not be satisfied with this service.

[Redline]

3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

I really don't see the problem here and why this is highlighted. 

Do you have any idea the mark up these hospitals make on normal drugs?

If you don't like it, go to the government ones. 

I'm guessing people are dismayed because it's a public health crisis, not a vaccine for genital warts~or something

[moe666]

4 hours ago, chakatee said:

So they will charge 600 per injection for the supplies (needle, syringe, alcohol, ...), the admin to register all, the nurses to check vital signs and screen patients if they're in proper condition to receive the vaccine, doctors on standby in case of side effects and so on.

You also left out the insurance

[kynikoi]

9 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

IMO, 1200 Baht is a reasonable mark up on the service they will provide.

They have to do all the Administration side of things, store the stuff, Monitor its Quality, administer it, and then have staff on standby for 30 Mins after the shot in case of complications, and provide Insurance.

There are other options available  to you should you not be satisfied with this service.

 

1200 is two days wages for some general staff nurse in the provinces. TWICE.

 

2400 is about 30% of a 50+ hospital checkup which includes all sorts of things including near full blood and urine workup. It's not reasonable at all.

 

It's on top of what? 3400b? So, over 5k. Ridiculous.

[Andy from Kent]

17 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 A good reason to have laws about maximum salaries or equations e.g. Salary & benefits for most senior position cannot be more than X times salary & benefits of the lowest paid position, and this sometimes meaning that all of the final 4? positions evaluated (in terms of job size) in the lowest 4? positions lowest cannot be paid lower than a designated salary & benefits. It can be done.

 

 

That may happen when there's a one world government in the future but short of that I think it'll just be same as usual with a higher and higher concentration of wealth at the top until the worker  bees just decide to throw caution to the wind and go "Marie Antoinette fashion".

[Cake Monster]

3 minutes ago, kynikoi said:

 

1200 is two days wages for some general staff nurse in the provinces. TWICE.

 

2400 is about 30% of a 50+ hospital checkup which includes all sorts of things including near full blood and urine workup. It's not reasonable at all.

 

It's on top of what? 3400b? So, over 5k. Ridiculous.

NO !  Its 1200 Baht on top of the 2 x 1100 / Dose = 2200 baht charge the GPO is making for the actual Vaccine.

Rewind, and go back to reading the posted article.

[kynikoi]

8 minutes ago, Redline said:

I'm guessing people are dismayed because it's a public health crisis, not a vaccine for genital warts~or something

 

Actually, you make a great point in your flippant response.

 

I'm no candidate for HPV vaccine but put that aside.

 

I don't need a genital warts vaccine. One due to my behavior and two because I won't die of it.

 

Covid on the other hand..at 60 I'm at risk. Further, I'm forced...work, airlines, government, visas (only a matter of time).

 

So, your flippant remark proves the point rather than scoffing at it.

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, Forza2002 said:

The 1,200 baht tax/service charge would be per vial? So the additional cost passed on to customers/victims should be 120 baht per jab?

Not if you take into account the usuaul 10X mark-up for foreigners.

[Meme123]

My Mother in-law rang a few private hospitals in Koret and Bangkok this morning.

Unable to register in any hospital despite been a regular patient.

She was told they are not taken any bookings 

 

[EricTh]

The private hospitals know that only rich farang will want Moderna so they jack up the price. It's understandable.

[rwill]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

I'd like to hear from any foreigner (except for the French who got it for free thanks for the French government policy) who  got registered, paid and got the vaccine already, any vaccine, anyone who can tell us from first hand experience?...

I got mine for free.  Registered on the Thailandintervac site.  I have seen it open 2 times for registration, 3 days, 3 hospitals per time.  So about 20,000 foreigners have had their first shot from this method.  (not quite yet the second registration period was for the 1-3 July.  So some of them are getting their shots now.)  Choice is Astrazeneca or Sinovac.  But the Astrazeneca reservations get taken real fast.  When the site opens you have to be fast and lucky.  And I know more foriegners have been vaccinated in specific areas, like Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Phuket, etc..

 

I go back for my second shot on the 20th.

[mtls2005]

4 minutes ago, rwill said:

So about 20,000 foreigners have had their first shot from this method.

 

How did you arrive at this figure?

 

4 minutes ago, rwill said:

Registered on the Thailandintervac site.  I have seen it open 2 times for registration, 3 days, 3 hospitals per time.

 

Hasn't been "open" in over two weeks.

 

5 minutes ago, rwill said:

And I know more foriegners have been vaccinated in specific areas, like Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Phuket, etc..

 

Do tell.

 

And where is "etc."

 

 

Yes, some foreginers have received a vaccine.

 

Last time I counted on the experineces thread here (yesterday) the total was 40.

 

8 minutes ago, EricTh said:

The private hospitals know that only rich farang will want Moderna so they jack up the price. It's understandable.

 

So very wrong. Of the 1.5 million people paying for Moderna, 95% will be Thais.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Redline]

12 minutes ago, kynikoi said:

 

Actually, you make a great point in your flippant response.

 

I'm no candidate for HPV vaccine but put that aside.

 

I don't need a genital warts vaccine. One due to my behavior and two because I won't die of it.

 

Covid on the other hand..at 60 I'm at risk. Further, I'm forced...work, airlines, government, visas (only a matter of time).

 

So, your flippant remark proves the point rather than scoffing at it.

So, you think a large markup on a life saving drug during a pandemic is fine, good luck getting the shot you want.

I don't agree with over pricing in when Thailand is in shambles, and these vaccines are currently the best on the market.  That's my take

[cyril sneer]

5 hours ago, Shuya said:

I doubt they will find many people stupid enough to do advance payment for jabs that might or might not arrive at the same time or later when the free Pfizer is available

most of the thai's with money won't care whether they get the vaccine or not on time

 

just anything to show that they've paid for it

[rwill]

19 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

28 minutes ago, rwill said:

So about 20,000 foreigners have had their first shot from this method.

 

How did you arrive at this figure?

 

28 minutes ago, rwill said:

Registered on the Thailandintervac site.  I have seen it open 2 times for registration, 3 days, 3 hospitals per time.

 

Hasn't been "open" in over two weeks.

 

28 minutes ago, rwill said:

And I know more foriegners have been vaccinated in specific areas, like Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Phuket, etc..

 

Do tell.

 

And where is "etc."

Thailandintervac has been open for 2 registration periods that I have seen,  21-23 Jun and 1-3 Jul.  When I was vaccinated I asked how many people they were doing a day.  They told me 950.  So assuming the other 2 hospitals were doing the same number of people.  That equates to 3 hospitals x 6 days x 950 people which equals 17,100.  I did not do the math for the original post just made a quick estimation.  Etc... is Chonburi and people that work for companies that have obtained vaccinations for their employees.  Also Chinese thru their embassy.

As to when it will open for the next round I have no idea.  But if I didn't get my vaccination already I would be checking everyday.

[Boomer6969]

5 hours ago, Shuya said:

I doubt they will find many people stupid enough to do advance payment for jabs that might or might not arrive at the same time or later when the free Pfizer is available

????????????. Buriram Ram gives out only 200 registration a day. They opened registrations at 10:00 am My beloved wife tried to get one a 10:05, all 200 slots were gone. 

 

Not everyone is an antivax Farang keenok.

[sandyf]

5 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Most private hospitals have a fee structure for something like a flu shot:

 

the flu shot

a facility fee

a nurse fee

a doctor fee

 

So use that, then apply any COVID fee to cover additional work product (monitoring patient for 15/30 min, etc.).

As do the government hospitals.  A couple of months back I asked for the flu jab at Bang Saen. It was 330 baht for the vaccine and 30 baht for nurse service. The year before it was 310 baht for the vaccine and 60 baht for nurse service, a downward trend on overall cost.

I used to get free flu jabs but gave up. When I found out the cost it was easier to just pay on a routine appointment than mess about going to Chonburi General on a specific day and queue up for an indeterminate period of time.

At Bang Saen, there is a fixed doctor fee of 100 baht irrespective of how many doctors or nurses you see. I see 2 doctors on a regular basis and always try and get the appointments on the same day.