Childbirth: Financial risks & universal health coverage

[C3PO]

Hello everyone,

 

According to several warnings here the cost of potential child birth complications could run into the millions. My wife is Thai, so she is covered by universal healthcare. However, the hospital where she is registered does not have an NICU, so we checked Sriphat, which seems to be a popular option for childbirth in Chiang Mai. Paying for the birth is not the problem, but I would like to minimize the financial risks of potential complications. Two questions: 

 

1.  If there were complications in a hospital that is not her registered hospital (for example Sriphat), would that be covered by the UHC as it’s an emergency?  

2. Would the baby be covered by the UHC, for example for a stay in an NICU? The baby will be a Thai national, so technically, it should be covered from day one. But if it's in not my wife's registered hospital, I am not sure how that works in this case. 

 

I will ask at the hospital as well but I am not sure how much I can rely on the answers from their front desk. We could also ask them to refer us to another public hospital, then I believe everything should be covered. It would be great to hear your thoughts.

 

May thanks, and have a great day.