Thai hospitals: More tests, more money? What is it all about?

[dingdongrb]

4 minutes ago, connda said:

Ohhhh, somebody's grumpy.    <laughs>

No, no at all.....  just trying to open up the world to 'common sense'. 

[Bosse137]

4 minutes ago, connda said:

You should have got the Covid shots.

We did have the covid shots ! May be that is the reason why it did not get worse !!

[connda]

Just now, Bosse137 said:

We did have the covid shots ! May be that is the reason why it did not get worse !!

Hummmm ???? 
I'm glad you got over it quickly! 

[dingdongrb]

11 minutes ago, connda said:

Grumpy mai?    <laughs>  ????I think this is what is referred to as "a flame."
Chill - just trying to help. 

Flame? Nope, just a suggestion - only wanting to be helpful. 

[connda]

7 minutes ago, dingdongrb said:

Flame? Nope, just a suggestion - only wanting to be helpful. 

Touché 

[3NUMBAS]

stroke will need regular brain scans to check what the damage is and how its    healing the brain ,it takes time for brain to repair itself, maybe years 

 

some stroke survivors can have major damage and end up in a wheelchair

theyre all different

[markclover]

It's good to see rich people suffering.  All that money spent and he could have got the same result at standard hospital.

[scubascuba3]

7 hours ago, Bosse137 said:

Sure they had some reason for the testing,ICU and so on; The reason was to make money !!None of all that testing did show anything wrong,so why did they get the idea to do it. ICU was a short time.No machin,other than for bloodpreassure,was used.My wife asked them repetedly to bring her back to her room,or to tell the doctor to come and see her,but no---I did check the medicines later,and many had the same purpose.They had gloves in a plasticbag,and from the look of them,my wife thought they were all second hand.But we paid for very expensive glovs,of more than one sort.About HIV test;I understand,that if someone is to have a surgery,it could be important to know,for the sake of the personal,wether the patient is HIV positiv. In our case,no surgery was needed.And not a complet health check up.IF it were,they could have informed us before hand,and we could rejekt it.When I complained to a "superviser",she asked for,and got,my E-mail adress.She promised to bring my complaints forward.Of course,I never recived any mail..." Bargain of the century",well,please remember that,if it happens to you !!!

Your case is a classic taking advantage of the sick, should be a crime

[still kicking]

That is the reason I moved back to my country after years in Thailand I don't pay a single cent for hospital or doctors the only thing I pay for is ambulance but I have insurance for that.

[HuskerDo2]

9 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

As i said in another thread earlier today, a thai women's Thai Dad is in a Siracha hospital racking up 100k a day in ICU, it's in their interest to keep him alive as long as possible, in the meantime his lifesavings will be gone soon and the daughter left with no inheritance 

Sounds like a rather greedy comment. Actually, it's in the PATIENTS interest to be kept alive as long as possible. To "bleep" with the inheritance. The man earned the money by working hard all his life. No one "deserves" an inheritance. If the man's hard-earned money keeps him alive for one more day then spend it. If the daughter doesn't like it then she really doesn't love her father anyway.

[HuskerDo2]

Just now, still kicking said:

That is the reason I moved back to my country after years in Thailand I don't pay a single cent for hospital or doctors the only thing I pay for is ambulance but I have insurance for that.

Yea, I think many do that but others seem determined to stay in Thailand without considering the huge cost of health insurance/costs later in life. For many it would be cheaper to return to their homeland after their health declines. Free quality healthcare is priceless. 

[still kicking]

2 minutes ago, HuskerDo2 said:

Yea, I think many do that but others seem determined to stay in Thailand without considering the huge cost of health insurance/costs later in life. For many it would be cheaper to return to their homeland after their health declines. Free quality healthcare is priceless. 

If you are my age (75) most insurance won't cover you or charge you an arm and leg.

[HuskerDo2]

6 hours ago, connda said:

I agree.  I have a Living Will and Advanced Directive which explicitly states:
1. Take me to a government hospital
2. Do not take me to a private hospital. 

If something happens out where I live, the nearest hospital is a government hospital where I know the staff and one of the head doctors has our Living Wills and Advanced Directives for both myself and my wife.
As long as my wife is with me (which is about 99% of the time) she's there to make sure the LWAD is carried out.  I've got copies in the car, in the house, my son's got a copy, and the doctor.  In Thai and English.
The other aspect of our LWAD is a "No ICU", "No CPR", "Do Not Resuscitate" 
I'm thinking about getting that tattooed on my chest in Thai.  <laughs>

I'm in my 70s.  I've lived a productive life.  If **** happens, then imho it's time to let it all go and move on. My wife feels that same.  It's definitely is not most peoples approach as most people want to keep living no matter how ****y their quality of life is.  Personally I don't get that.  I see people in the late 80s wanting expensive advance treatment so they can continue living in a busted, broken-down body that isn't going to last more than a few more years anyway.  It tells me these people are terrified of death.  Part of a good life is coming to grips with your eventual demise.  It's sad for those who can not.

Now, should I get that tattoo?  ????  Hummmm.

"It tells me these people are terrified of death."...... No, not at all. They just don't want to miss next year's football season. I fully understand.

[HuskerDo2]

Just now, still kicking said:

If you are my age (75) most insurance won't cover you or charge you an arm and leg.

Yes, true. I was stunned when checking on health insurance costs to live full-time in CM. Living in my homeland and just visiting CM each year was the best solution. I live a far better life here with better quality of everything. Of course, everyone has their own priorities and interests so it's an individual decision. For me tho, it's cheaper to live where I do and my life isn't disrupted one bit and I can spend a month or two every year in CM when the air is clean. 

[still kicking]

2 minutes ago, HuskerDo2 said:

Yes, true. I was stunned when checking on health insurance costs to live full-time in CM. Living in my homeland and just visiting CM each year was the best solution. I live a far better life here with better quality of everything. Of course, everyone has their own priorities and interests so it's an individual decision. For me tho, it's cheaper to live where I do and my life isn't disrupted one bit and I can spend a month or two every year in CM when the air is clean. 

Agree I come to Thailand twice a year but not CM I come to Thailand because I have friends there, so I am not Thai bashing 

[Lacessit]

8 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

How does that work though?

You have top private health cover in Australia so I guess your paying around $180 aud per month but your living in Thailand?

So you must tell  the insurance you live in Australia?

No. They don't care where I live, as long as I pay the premiums.  $3000 per year.

[itsari]

13 hours ago, Lacessit said:

There is no way any hospital in Thailand can rack up 1 million baht in 3 days without considerable padding of the bills.

I only use the Thai medical profession for minor complaints, or for the initial stages of anything more serious. I go back to Australia, where I can get free treatment with top level private health cover.

For example, I have a urologist in Chiang Mai for routine checks. If I needed surgery, my urologist in Australia is far more qualified and experienced.

 

Your strategy could fail if you are unable to take a flight to your higher trained medical help in Australia. 

Back up plan needed

[Lacessit]

6 minutes ago, itsari said:

Your strategy could fail if you are unable to take a flight to your higher trained medical help in Australia. 

Back up plan needed

All life is about risk. No-one can anticipate being hit by a bus.

Plan B is to be carted off to a provincial Thai hospital. Either I die there, or get stabilized enough to get on a flight.

[Lorry]

1m in 3 days is quite possible if some kind of operation or invasive procedure (eg coronary stents,  thrombectomy...) was done,  otherwise hard to imagine. 

Bumrungrad doesn't usually do completely unnecessary tests, there are other hospitals (eg second tier hospitals in the tourist south) who do that a lot more.

Government hospitals, on the other side,  do only the absolutely necessary.  It's a minimal treatment which is in most cases exactly what the patient needs,  but in some cases it's not enough from a Western point of view.

I quite like the goverment style. You can get it at the private arm of Siriraj Hospital,  it won't be much cheaper than Bumrungrad, though. 

 

 

[Phulublub]

On 4/10/2023 at 3:26 AM, HuskerDo2 said:

Yea, I think many do that but others seem determined to stay in Thailand without considering the huge cost of health insurance/costs later in life. For many it would be cheaper to return to their homeland after their health declines. Free quality healthcare is priceless. 

Good luck with that in the UK

[Lacessit]

On 4/9/2023 at 8:34 PM, 4MyEgo said:

I went to a Dr who thought I had the flu, gave me antibiotics, went back a week later as I was worse, gave me different antibiotics, went back a week later was worse, sent me to the government hospital for an x-ray and for them to put me on some oxygen as I was having trouble breathing. Was told to come back the next day to see specialist as they couldn't see anything wrong on the x-ray.

 

 

The doctor was prescribing antibiotics for the flu? IIRC, flu is a virus, which would indicate treatment with antivirals. AFAIK antibiotics are useless against viruses.

[4MyEgo]

4 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

The doctor was prescribing antibiotics for the flu? IIRC, flu is a virus, which would indicate treatment with antivirals. AFAIK antibiotics are useless against viruses.

Your the only one that picked up my point.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 4/9/2023 at 3:45 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

 

When you ... was in a Thai hospital, did you get the impression they do a lot to make a lot of money? Or did you get the impression that they do their best to work in detail to find out exactly what is going on and treat it as perfect as possible.

I don't know which hospital in Sukhumvit Soi 1 you could be referring to, but my personal experience with Bumrungrad and Camillion is that they do their best to work in detail to find out exactly what is going on and treat it as perfectly as possible, to use your words.   Unless there is evidence to the contrary, suggestions that they are conning patients shouldn't be made.

[Will B Good]

Been there, done that.....'only' 250k though....... straightforward bladder infection.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 4/9/2023 at 3:45 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

To avoid trouble, I won't name the hospital

Good idea, could be one of so many in Soi 1!

[Dan O]

On 4/9/2023 at 4:11 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

Would you do the same if you knew your insurance will pay it?

Because maybe they do some expensive test and find something which was not apparent with not such expensive tests.

In a way it's easy for us to say: They only want to charge more.

But then, some of us think: Do everything possible to find out what is the problem and "fix it".

Most of us just don't know what makes medially sense and what not. 

There's a concept known as " a second opinion". Any different "things'" that are found and needs more testing" I would consider it's significance and say no if it isn't something pressing and causes no problems presently.

 

No matter how good the insurance they have their limits too, usually you don't get a no pay response until after the fact unless you have pre-approval on somethings.

 

It's been my experience here that a hospital stay can become a fishing expedition easily, but not always. 

 

If it's something pressing and seems that it should be looked at  then second opinion. Is where I go

[Peabody]

On 4/9/2023 at 5:34 PM, 4MyEgo said:

I went to a Dr who thought I had the flu, gave me antibiotics, ...

Right there is a common problem. Why would any real doctor say you have a virus and then prescribe antibiotic?

I had 2 stents installed last month, left coronary artery, 90% blockage. Went to Pattaya Memorial thinking I had heart attack, took me in ambulance to a big hospital north of Pattaya. 2 days in cardiac ICU, 650,000 THB

 

[dddave]

On 4/9/2023 at 4:00 PM, Lacessit said:

There is no way any hospital in Thailand can rack up 1 million baht in 3 days without considerable padding of the bills.

A million Baht is about US$30K.  There is currently a story in the US press about a Swiss citizen who had an appendicitis attack while on a visit to the US.  He was hospitalized for 3 days at one of the better university hospitals.  Bill for appendicitis surgery and 3 days hospitalization was $48,000.  His Swiss insurance carrier said the normal rate they pay for similar events in Switzerland is about $8500 and that is all they will reimburse in this case.  Guy is stuck with almost $40K remainder.

[4MyEgo]

4 minutes ago, Peabody said:

Right there is a common problem. Why would any real doctor say you have a virus and then prescribe antibiotic?

I had 2 stents installed last month, left coronary artery, 90% blockage. Went to Pattaya Memorial thinking I had heart attack, took me in ambulance to a big hospital north of Pattaya. 2 days in cardiac ICU, 650,000 THB

What I have learned is to steer clear of government hospitals up country and clinics with Dr's, oddly enough this Dr was the head of the kids section in the hospital and does her own clinic thing in the mornings and afternoons for a couple of hours.

 

When I went to the private hospital they sorted it real quick, i.e. that it was a chest infection, they gave me steroids, an inhaler, and antibiotics.

 

To be fair to the Dr at the clinic, I am pretty sure told the wife that I had the flu, as did the specialist at the hospital the next day after a chest x-ray was carried out.

 

Cost of the private 4,000 baht including meds, was feeling great shortly thereafter taking the inhaler and antibiotics.

 

It's privates for me from then on, I hope you had some kind of medical insurance or are a self insurer, 650,000 for 2 nights, ouch.

[OneMoreFarang]

42 minutes ago, Peabody said:

Right there is a common problem. Why would any real doctor say you have a virus and then prescribe antibiotic?

In principle you are right.

But it seems there are many patients who want medicine. And somehow, they think antibiotics is the wonder medicine against anything.

If the go with any problem to the doctor, they think the perfect doctor gives them antibiotics and maybe two or three more medications. Take this 3 times a day and all will be fine. That is what many patients want.

 

Is that a good reason for a proper doctor to give patients antibiotics or other medicine which doesn't make sense? I think it makes no sense. But maybe that is the Thai way of "solving problems". If the doctor would try to explain to them that antibiotics don't make any sense in this case, then I am sure lots of patients would just go to the next doctor or a pharmacy or a quacksalver who pretends to know.

 

TiT