Bernie Sanders

[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.

[bigt3116]

11 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

How did you get that ?

 

Got mine through working here

[simon43]

I have this dog tag around my neck always.  As I have private insurance, and as I also travel in neighbouring countries, it carries the message in English, Thai, Lao and Burmese.  On the other side of the tag are my personal details - name, passport number, blood group, NoK contact details.

[poppysdad]

Becauseeven the government hospitals in Thailand 'double charge' foreigners and treatment for something serious could get prohibitively expensive. 
 

I’ve spent time in the icu and general ward plus outpatients on a 3 month basis at our government hospital and have always paid the standard charge. And no my wife is not a government employee and she has asked both when paying my bills at the hospital if I’m paying falang price and told no and she has even asked fellow patients what they get charged and i’m paying the same as other Thai patients. 

[fittobethaied]

18 hours ago, Middle Aged Grouch said:

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.

 

I doubt very seriously that anyone, including a rescue car or ambulance, is going to rummage through your bag looking for instruction unless they plan on pocketing your cash if you are unconscious. As has been mentioned, they will take you to the hospital that pays them the largest commission for bringing you there. So far as using your credit card, I am told by Bangkok Hospital Udon that if you are unconscious when they check you in and are unable to sign a release to use that credit card, it will be rejected. For that reason, I requested an additional card in my wife's name on my Visa card account as she will certainly show up if needed unless we are both unconscious at the same time. I suspect that nothing you plan for will ever go as planned. Don't forget...we are living in a land where Murphy's Law rules the day....."If anything can go wrong....it will."

Edited 10 hours ago by fittobethaied

[nana kid]

In my experience most, (if not all), private hospitals will not touch you without money up front,. especially if it will require

serious medical attention             like an operation,

[BigStar]

On 10/24/2024 at 11:30 AM, Fiskebolle said:

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? 

 

You probably won't be carrying your passport.

 

I made and had laminated a wallet card. Gives the Thai SS logo, announces I have SS insurance, gives my number (pink ID card number) and the name of my designated hospital. So this stays in a window pocket to be seen the moment my wallet is opened. On the other side of the pocket is my pink ID card. I figure that'll do.

 

The same method or something like it could be used to tell responders to take you a public hsp rather than a private, if desired.

 

Emergency responders will have to know quickly, and obviously you might not be able to tell them verbally.

 

In theory, if you'd best be brought to the nearest private hsp in an emergency, you could get emergency treatment and then a transfer to your hsp, both covered. 

 

Edited 8 hours ago by BigStar

[LukKrueng]

21 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

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').

Not exactly. As those services are local, each organisation works with 1 specific private hospital in their area, so they won't go to a hospital they don't have a deal with. About 10 years ago they'd get 300 BAHT per injured person.

BTW, they are all volunteers without salary or paid expenses. They have to buy the vehicle and equipt it themselves.

[NORDO]

I was hit by a car n Suk street many years ago.    Thrown though three lanes of traffic into the median.  Car did not stop.  Everyone just look at me, not help.   I crawl to curb and get cab.   He takes me to BKK hospital, why I don’t know.  As I am lift onto the gurney and wheeled into the Emergency room, a little gal is right beside asking for payment.