Help Young Expat Hit with Stage 4 Cancer

[Thailand]

38 minutes ago, BKKBike09 said:

Perhaps it's my age, but "Young Expat" to me would be a kid, a teen or at most in early 20s. But 36?

Relative to me he is a child. ????

 

Anyway, hope the treatment is successful and he recovers.

[bristolgeoff]

My question if he stays there where is the medical insurance from the company he works for.Thais have cancer treatment so that must be covered somehow under insurance

[jerrymahoney]

2 hours ago, darrenr said:

How does Thai insurance not cover cancer treatment ?

From (again) the linked GoFundMe page:

 

The cost of medical care is significantly less in Thailand than it would be in the U.S., however, the Thai insurance system does not cover cancer treatments. Sam is facing an extraordinary challenge with medical bills as he gets very little support from his Thai health insurance.

 

A guess -- and only a guess -- might be that the bulk of his treatment costs are on an outpatient basis and his insurance (that of very little support) only covers inpatient costs.

Edited March 16, 2022 by jerrymahoney

[Ralf001]

5 minutes ago, CM Dad said:

Thai social security insurance is only available for those who are working if their employer has applied for it.  It must be initiated by the employer and then offered to employees.  Even then, it is not given to all employees, which should be the case, but sadly isn't.  The insurance industry in Thailand is a money-making racket for insurance companies.  It is poorly supervised and regulated.

Never knew it was "insurance".

 

would have to be an A-Hole employer to not sign up their employee's.

[2long]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

diagnosed with stage 4 brain and lung cancer. ... over the next 36 months

The more I read all of the original thread, the more it stinks of suspicion. It's all too 'positive' about his life and family and challenges he's overcome and it names his company and has a link to donate. 

A programmer for a ground breaking addiction recovery firm ????

Wonderful girlfriend & blossoming career ????

I am being cold hearted and am not a medical professional, but stage 4 brain and lung cancer does not have a great prognosis, even for 36 months.

Who's the guy in the photo? I doubt it's his brother or doctor?

Why are they so happy and why does the patient look so healthy?

Please forgive me if I am wrong or too suspicious by nature, but.... I reckon there's more to this.

[SiSePuede419]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

He became a Product Manager for a multinational software firm - Nimble.

At a 28 person company that title just means "employee".

 

I presume the price is for a private hospital?  A government hospital should be 1/10th the price.  The same doctors who work at private hospitals also work at government hospitals.  He's got a Thai translator.  Why is he claiming that outrageous price?

 

Oh.  Maybe he's too good to go to government hospitals.

 

Don't try and tell me Thai government hospitals don't provide treatment for this type of cancer.

 

Something very wrong here.

Edited March 16, 2022 by SiSePuede419

[internationalism]

stage 4 is the last one, terminal. It's not possible to treat.

For lung and brain chances are only up to 1 year.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/lung-cancer-spread-to-the-brain-symptoms-and-diagnosis-2249331#:~:text=Brain metastases occur in stage,people to extend their lives.

[Will B Good]

Harsh, but his chances of survival beyond a couple of years (assuming this is a true story) are nil.

 

If I were to chip in anything to anyone it would be for a child with leukemia who, these days, stands a chance of leading a normal life.  

[brianthainess]

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

Sad and unlucky, naturally I hope he gets the help he needs.That said, what makes him any more needy than the other patients in that hospital or any other for that matter, because he got publicity?

 

 

 

 

Seem someone paid to advertise go fund me on this site a few days ago, when i clicked on what i thought was a story i was warned ''go back to safety'' so i did.

[Kenchamp]

His country's government should be paying for his and any other of their citizens treatment. 

[Excel]

2 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Strikes me as odd that a mate would be in a hospital, bed-side to a cancer patient without a mask.

 

 

 

Even odder that according to the article he was a a druggie in 2010 and "being sober for the last 12 years" indicates he was also an alcoholic.  Is his condition related to those two or was coming to Thailand an escape from reality of his previous life and now people are expected to contribute to his welfare ?  I am not a medical person but on face value I find it odd they/he are looking for a quarter of a million to last him 36 months when he has brain and lung cancer if that is the actual diagnosis. I would have thought 6 months would be the most likely for this poor chap but open to a real medical professional to advice otherwise.

Edited March 16, 2022 by Excel

[couchpotato]

Well to be a bit hard here...if a person doesn't have insurance, or proper insurance to cover all possible sickness, especially when in a foreign country, then they go home to be treated or succumb to the outcome. So why should other people be expected to fund his sickness (whether terminal or not).

 

(PS... I wonder how much it took to hire the hospital bed and equipment, to stage the OP photo).

[Pedrogaz]

Stage 4 brain and lung? The cancer has spread. Treatment sounds like a waste of money as the prognosis is very poor. Palliative care would seem to be the option.

[ray richards]

It can happen to any expat living Thailand but most think it will never happen.

I am desperate to come to live in Thailand but as i am a uk cancer patient although now under control with lots of past medication my annual insurance including past health history would be £4,500.

[pedro01]

It's sad but this is why we have insurance.

 

There is no stage 5 cancer. I always thought 4 was the end of the road.

 

My wifes step father had cancer, treated at a local hospital on the 30 Baht scheme. He was written off, my daughter and wife went to see hin as he'd stopped eating. He was emaciated.

 

While they were there I said to the wife "can we get a 2nd opinion". 30k baht later he was fit as a fiddle. 3 years on he is active and healthy and getting by on 6 monthly visits. Its kept in check with some sort of hormone treatment but itll get him in the end.

 

Life is cheap here.

 

I hope the guy recovers. 

 

 

[lexilis]

Thai SS would cover him completely. However a foreigner must pay into the system for at least 3 years (it might be 5 now) before it can be used.

[HauptmannUK]

He seems to be from USA (Seattle) - is there not some kind of free treatment for cancer sufferers back there?

[Liverpool Lou]

6 hours ago, TooMuchTime said:

Chipped in.

Why announce it?

[Will B Good]

16 minutes ago, lexilis said:

Thai SS would cover him completely. However a foreigner must pay into the system for at least 3 years (it might be 5 now) before it can be used.

Do you have to do that through employment or can you just pay direct.....any idea of cost?

 

Just wondering if this could a reasonable alternative to health insurance.

 

Cheers.

[Heymelody]

Started a new account just to comment on this…

Honestly I’m appalled at how many Farangs that live/ travel here don’t have adequate insurance coverage and once anything goes wrong, turn to “Go fund me” to ask the public to take responsibility for them.

 

Next, there’s so many questions unanswered:- 

1. Why doesn’t he fly back to the USA to seek treatment? I’m sure that he has insurance back home?

2. His employer sounds good and all but doesn’t it provide a full range insurance that covers cancer? Seems like he chose Private over public?

3. So he has built an incredible network of friends, which I’m sure will chip in right? I mean what’s the point of adding this in?

4. The page doesn’t state the chances of survival after incurring all these medical costs

 

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, wombat said:

They have advertised they should pay

It's far from that simple.  The website states that they "offer PMI", it does not state what is covered by the policy or that it will pay for all treatment for every condition, without limit or conditions.  

[DLock]

4 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

From the Nimble 'recruitment' page:

 

WHY WORK WITH US
A SELECTION OF WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER:

 

 Private Medical Insurance & Social Welfare

 

https://jobs.nimblehq.co/?source=nimblehq.co

Good sleuthing...and I hope in parallel he uses some of that Go Fund Me booty to pay for a lawyer to sue his company for failing to provide what they promised...

 

...and Nimble's reputation just took a hit...

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

5 hours ago, darrenr said:

How does Thai insurance not cover cancer treatment ?

Scam.... insurance.

Policy conditions, clearly indicated before accepting the policy.

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Strikes me as odd that a mate would be in a hospital, bed-side to a cancer patient without a mask.

Strikes me as odd that a cancer patient would be in a hospital bed without a mask and a mate bed-side.

 

Having said that, you do know how "effective" masks are, yes?

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, NobbyClarke said:

The company and his own insurance should be helping.

You've seen the policy?

[smedly]

3 hours ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

A proper employer-provided group medical insurance program would not necessarily exclude pre-existing conditions.

It is not pre-existing since it was never diagnosed

 

His employer surely has some sort of medical cover

 

why does he not go to his home country for treatment

 

I do feel for the guy but he needs to go home and deal with this

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, 2long said:

why does the patient look so healthy?

Cancer is not necessarily a "visual" disease.

[Liverpool Lou]

27 minutes ago, Heymelody said:

4. The page doesn’t state the chances of survival after incurring all these medical costs

There'd be next to no donations if it did!

Edited March 16, 2022 by Liverpool Lou

[Liverpool Lou]

20 minutes ago, DLock said:

Good sleuthing...and I hope in parallel he uses some of that Go Fund Me booty to pay for a lawyer to sue his company for failing to provide what they promised...

God-awful sleuthing.  What did the company, or the insurer's policy promise?

Edited March 16, 2022 by Liverpool Lou

[kcpattaya]

Wishing you well Sam - 36 years young ... life's just starting!