Atorvastatin

[Fiskebolle]

Hello Folks,

 

A couple days ago, I saw a terrible motorcycle accident happen. Person involved was laying literally 10 meters in front of the doorstep of a private/semi-public hospital.

3 Pickup trucks (Po Teck Tung) arrived at scene to dispatch body/injured to hospitals. To my surprise none of them transferred them to the hospital which was literally 10 meters down from where the accident happened! 
 

Yet this kept me wondering... I'm retired from working in Thailand and have my social security as health coverage (which i only use for minor / OPD issues). I still carry a Private health insurance covering accident/IPD (serious stuff), but as I'm aging and cost of private insurance will at some point become too expensive for me, I may as well just be left with Thai social security system alone. 

 

Now that made me thinking, what would happen *(hypothetically speaking) if I got a serious accident (or heart attack/stroke) and am not conscious anymore to explain (Po Teck Tung or Ambulance) which insurance I have and which hospital I prefer to be brought to?

 

I can imagine the following situation... Por Teck Tung / Medical staff see me (foreigner) and immediately expect this person to have a private health insurance, hence you'll be sent to the Private / best (read most expensive) hospital in the area. Then after waking up from a coma just to realize / shock you are in a hospital you can not afford and stuck with bills/debt you will never be able to cover.

Anyone else here ever though of this?  Or am I over thinking this and my anxiety taking over here? 
Anyway, is there anything that could help the authorities/medical personal to know if I'm covered under SSO by looking at my passport, or best to carry always my Pink ID Card and a note in a my wallet in Thai language explaining which insurance I'm covered with and which hospitals I'd prefer to be brought to in case of emergency? 

Any other ideas / suggestions on this?

Cheers,

FB

[Rob Browder]

I keep my Thai SSO Card in my wallet. 

[richard_smith237]

6 hours ago, Fiskebolle said:

Anyone else here ever though of this?  Or am I over thinking this and my anxiety taking over here? 

 

Yes... Its a concern of mine since...  while still young enough to afford private medical care, at some point that insurance will become prohibitively expensive. 

 

 

The 'Body snatchers' as they are called, take you to which ever hospital pays them the most to deliver you !!...  (or thats how it used to be - with these 'foundations').

 

 

So... You end up in Bumrungrad for a month without proof of payment or insurance...I'm not sure that would happen, I think by law they have to treat you for a minimum of 72 hours, but by then, if its not been established that you can pay, I think the hospital itself looks to transfer you to a government hospital. 

 

[richard_smith237]

5 minutes ago, Rob Browder said:

I keep my Thai SSO Card in my wallet. 

 

How did you get that ?

 

Thai Citizenship ?...  Married to a Government Official ?

 

I'd like to ensure a way of securing health care once my insurance premiums get too high.... 

i.e. when I'm of retirement age, 60s or 70s etc...   Because even the government hospitals in Thailand 'double charge' foreigners and treatment for something serious could get prohibitively expensive. 

[Middle Aged Grouch]

In my carry around wallet bag,  I have a note written in Thai and in bold letters to which hospital I want to be taken in case of accident. As I usually only stay always the same towns, I mention it for each of the towns where I am and tell them that they can use my credit card for the payment. I'd rather be in debt alive then dead to to some bureaucratic absurdity. Also have the emergency contact numbers in case, both for here and abroad.