C T scan cost

[superal]

Have a friend who went to a local Thai government hospital and was told he needed a CT scan .  How much he asked and was told 17k Baht + 8 K for extras . When he got the bill they hit him with 29k plus extras plus 1% credit card charge and the total came to 50k Baht . He enquired why the bill was so high and was told that there was a government Ministry of Health instruction  /directive , to up the cost for farangs no matter how long they had been in Thailand . He had also been paying into the social medical insurance scheme that started up around 2002 and is married to a Thai lady for that time .

Last year I paid 7k Baht for a CT scan at a gov; hospital . Today I Googled the cost of a CT scan in Thailand and with private hospital averaged out at 7k Baht .I am aware that a Dutch gentleman challenged the MOH over farang fees and I believe that he lost his case but is appealing . 

Is this charge a mistake that makes Thai government hospitals more expensive than private hospitals ? Not according to the hospital admin who , it seems , can charge what they feel like .

[scubascuba3]

Kinda proves you need the cost in advance in black and white, it may prevent extra bill padding and dual pricing plus give you a firm foundation for a lawyer

[internationalism]

I have paid 10k at private hospital, cervical spine. Lasted some 10-15 minutes.

For the last 2 years the government hospitals can charge foreigners +25%

Edited October 19, 2021 by internationalism

[Winegeeker]

I got a chest CT scan with contrast at Bumrungrad, my Pacific Cross insurance was supposed to cover it but they denied it saying was for a preexisting condition. Bumrungrad called me 2 weeks later asking 44k baht, i talked them down to 36k which is 4x the price i pay in USA. Also stay clear of Pacific Cross. They deny everything 

[superal]

15 hours ago, internationalism said:

I have paid 10k at private hospital, cervical spine. Lasted some 10-15 minutes.

For the last 2 years the government hospitals can charge foreigners +25%

and the rest but you cannot generalise on their farang charges , both private and government cos they have a free hand .

BTW last year I had an eye examination in our local government hospital along with 7 Thai folks , after , we all sat at the pharmacy with our prescriptions which we compared . The average Thai bill was about 350 baht , mine was 2,240 baht . Having said that there have been times when the fees were low but not always .

[Sheryl]

The"extras" was likely contrast media. Even so, I have never heard of a CT with contrast costing 50k unless it was multiple body sites (i.e. not just 1 CT). Might that be the case?

 

There was indeed an MoH directive giving a different price range for foreigners, however the CT price listed there is still under 20k (plus additional for contrast).

 

Marriage to a Thai has no relevance to price. However, if he is covered under Thai Social Security scheme and has kept up with the payments he could have gotten all thsi for free at his nominated SS hospital.

 

Did he receive an itemized bill? If not, should go back and request it.

 

unless this was 2 speparate CTs (e.g., 2 different body parts scanned) then I think there is some error in the billing.

 

 

[superal]

3 hours ago, Sheryl said:

The"extras" was likely contrast media. Even so, I have never heard of a CT with contrast costing 50k unless it was multiple body sites (i.e. not just 1 CT). Might that be the case?

 

There was indeed an MoH directive giving a different price range for foreigners, however the CT price listed there is still under 20k (plus additional for contrast).

 

Marriage to a Thai has no relevance to price. However, if he is covered under Thai Social Security scheme and has kept up with the payments he could have gotten all thsi for free at his nominated SS hospital.

 

Did he receive an itemized bill? If not, should go back and request it.

 

unless this was 2 speparate CTs (e.g., 2 different body parts scanned) then I think there is some error in the billing.

 

 

The bill is in dispute but the hospital is sticking to its guns . The hospitals legal department are now involved .

[VinnieK]

I'm due for a CT scan (coronary) in a couple of days at a government hospital

They told me upfront the price would be 27,500 baht.

She also wrote the word "reserve" after the sum.

No idea what it means and I didn't bother to ask.

After reading all these stories here I'm having second thoughts

 

I might visit again just to clarify.

The price is steep af for a 10 minute procedure

 

I wonder how much Thais pay ,if anything.  Just curious

 

 

 

[Eff1n2ret]

9 minutes ago, VinnieK said:

I'm due for a CT scan (coronary) in a couple of days at a government hospital

They told me upfront the price would be 27,500 baht.

She also wrote the word "reserve" after the sum.

No idea what it means and I didn't bother to ask.

After reading all these stories here I'm having second thoughts

 

It's about a dozen years ago when I went to the Bangkok Rayong Hospital following some angina pains. After the usual tests the doc said "You could have a CT scan if you want" The quote was 15k Baht. I thought, shall I bother, but was glad that I did. In the end they sent me to Bangkok and the cost was about 18k Baht for, as you say, a short procedure. They found 70% stenosis of one artery and 30% in another. With medication and regular exercise I've been fine since then.

 

The point is that you have to pay to find out, and if you don't find out you'll never know how to look after yourself. Looks like the cost has gone up a fair bit in the last ten years.

[internationalism]

but this 15-18k is private. The governmental rather a fraction of that

[lopburi3]

17 minutes ago, internationalism said:

but this 15-18k is private. The governmental rather a fraction of that

Actually government hospitals are close to private hospital cost for CT scans due to the high cost of equipment and the few paying for the service in my experience.

 

[Sheryl]

35 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Actually government hospitals are close to private hospital cost for CT scans due to the high cost of equipment and the few paying for the service in my experience.

 

This is true (and, in addition, there is often a long wait -- so much so that many Thais opt to get their scans done privately at an imaging centre.)

 

The duration of the procedure is irrelevant to the price. It is the cost of the equipment, volume of its use (since cost has to be recouped before the equipment us obsolete) as well as cost of the dye and other peripherals and need for specially trained staff. CTs and other scans ate comparatively expensive in Thailand due to relatively small population size and low usage. They are cheapest in India for the opposite reason -- large volume of cl7ents makes it possible to charge much less.

 

I think by "reserve" they meant deposit and possible actual cost will be a bit more or less.

 

Alternative to coronary CTA would be to go direct to an angiogram. Cost would likely be a bit less and has the advantage that, if significant blockage is found, they can place a stent right away (at additional cost if course). If CTA comes back showing much blockage you will then still have to do angiogram. And angiogram is more accurate (though more invasive). 

[lopburi3]

11 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Alternative to coronary CTA would be to go direct to an angiogram. Cost would likely be a bit less and has the advantage that, if significant blockage is found, they can place a stent right away (at additional cost if course).

Just be prepared as that additional cost will be considerable and you have to make decision on type of stent (drug types are even more expensive) on exam bed so might want to read up on types of stents before procedure.  Here in Thailand often done via wrist so not really unpleasant.  

Edited July 6, 2022 by lopburi3

[Neeranam]

On 10/19/2021 at 11:45 AM, superal said:

. He had also been paying into the social medical insurance scheme that started up around 2002 and is married to a Thai lady for that time .

So why don't the SS pay? 

[superal]

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

So why don't the SS pay? 

Foreigners are now omitted from the government scheme . 

[Caiman]

฿12K for head/sinus CT scan at Hua Hin Government hospital including contrast and nursing fees.

[bert bloggs]

Get a pink card,ive said it time after time,my costs go right down at Chonburi hospital,elecyrocardiagram  2050 baht

[Encid]

1 hour ago, bert bloggs said:

Get a pink card,ive said it time after time,my costs go right down at Chonburi hospital,elecyrocardiagram  2050 baht

I had an ECG cardiac diagnostic performed yesterday at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya as an outpatient and was charged 450 baht.

 

Back on-topic, I was told by my doctor (level 2 OPD - consulting fee 600 baht) that a chest CT scan would cost approx 20,000 baht.

[bert bloggs]

27 minutes ago, Encid said:

I had an ECG cardiac diagnostic performed yesterday at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya as an outpatient and was charged 450 baht.

 

Back on-topic, I was told by my doctor (level 2 OPD - consulting fee 600 baht) that a chest CT scan would cost approx 20,000 baht.

Thats rightfor an ecg

[BigStar]

3 hours ago, superal said:

Foreigners are now omitted from the government scheme . 

No, not at their registered hospital. I got a virtual CT colonoscopy a couple months ago free of charge.

[Neeranam]

5 hours ago, bert bloggs said:

Get a pink card,ive said it time after time,my costs go right down at Chonburi hospital,elecyrocardiagram  2050 baht

Seems expensive to me. 

Pink card should not get you cheaper hospital fees, it just shows where you live. . 

[Neeranam]

2 hours ago, BigStar said:

No, not at their registered hospital. I got a virtual CT colonoscopy a couple months ago free of charge.

Good to hear. I asked a doc today at Bangkok hospital about cost of a Chest CT, he said 8,000 baht. For that, I'll wait a few hours at the govt. hospital and use my SS, unless I die first! 

[IvorBiggun2]

2 hours ago, BigStar said:

No, not at their registered hospital. I got a virtual CT colonoscopy a couple months ago free of charge.

Never

[lopburi3]

14 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Good to hear. I asked a doc today at Bangkok hospital about cost of a Chest CT, he said 8,000 baht. For that, I'll wait a few hours at the govt. hospital and use my SS, unless I die first! 

Actually have no recent experience but wife use of Chula several decades ago scans, for those paying, were not that much less than private facilities due to the high cost of equipment (which they must replace often).  Doctor fees much cheaper - scans - not so much.

[youngexpat]

i paid about 20k at bumrungrad about 5 months ago