Govt Urged To Revoke Traffic Victims Act

[george]

Govt urged to revoke Traffic Victims Act

BANGKOK: -- Health advocates yesterday called for the government to revoke the Traffic Victims Protection Act, saying it fails to cover all the hospital bills of patients and most of them end up going broke.

"Most traffic victims did not receive as much compensation as they need to pay for medical treatment while staying in the hospital and finally they become bankrupt because they don't have enough money to pay the hospital. The blame is on the ineffectiveness of this act," said Dr Paiboon Suriyawongepaisal of Ramathibodi Hospital.

Paiboon, who conducted an evaluation of the Traffic Victims Protection Act since it was enforced in 1992, was speaking at the threeday National Health Assembly in Bangkok last week.

This law is a mandatory scheme in which private insurance companies are the carriers instead of the public sector. The scheme compensates for healthcare costs based on fee for services and maximum liability. The scheme also awards a lump sum payout for death and disability. But during the past 15 years, most victims could not access compensation under this scheme.

Citing an injury surveillance report from the Public Health Ministry spanning 19992005, Paiboon said only 18 per cent of road accident victims received compensation under this act, while 63 per cent had to pay for medical treatment by themselves or use the universal healthcare scheme. And 15 per cent of them relied on other healthcare plans.

The study also found that farmers and labourers were the groups that had to shoulder their own treatment costs the most and eventually become a burden on the hospital.

If accident victims receive emergency care at a state hospital they have to pay the medical bill first and later seek reimbursement from the government, but they need to present many official documents such as a police report.

But in fact, most victims are poor and cannot pay the hospital out of their own pocket. They also are ineligible to apply for financial aid for medical treatment from the hospital.

The law's failure to protect road accident victims has created a windfall for private insurance companies. Their premiums ballooned from Bt6.5 billion in 1999 to Bt10 billion in 2003.

The private insurance companies pay out only 46 per cent of net premiums to settle claims and spend 41 per cent on administrative costs. This is inadequate to cover all traffic victims.

Dr Vitoon Ungpraphan, a legal expert in medicine, said the government should scrap the Traffic Victims Protection Act and draft a new one that transfers the scheme to the National Health Security Office. Then NHSO will pay hospitals directly for medical treatment to victims while the Land Transportation Department will collect the insurance premiums from personal car users instead of private insurers.

"This method will help road accident victims receive fair compensation as the scheme is run by a state agency such as the NHSO and they do not have to waste their time to gather so many documents to claim for health insurance," he added.

-- The Nation 2008-12-15

[Happinesss]

This is very sad, healthcare and education as I always took for granted as free.

How bout toxins 80bhat(?) cards that I've heard of?

What do the hospitals do to you if you cannot pay the bill?

[Scott]

Solution number 1 would be enforcement of safety rules on the road. This would substantially lower the costs and make assisting the injured much easier.

[chowder]

This is very sad, healthcare and education as I always took for granted as free.

How bout toxins 80bhat(?) cards that I've heard of?

education should be free from 1-12garde

healthcare are not mean to be free from the start, cheap and affordable for the common citizen but not free, who will pay for those doctor if its free, tax payer.

look at thaksin 40baht healthcare, government doctor are complaining , i didn't become a doctor to make 10k baht a month, most of them leave and join private sector, the one who is left behind have no choice cause they were force to stay. if one is being force they do lousy job.

as you can see the scheme don't work, it back fire....doctor is and always be god.

[Bangyai]

Solution number 1 would be enforcement of safety rules on the road. This would substantially lower the costs and make assisting the injured much easier.

The only problem with your solution Scott is that it is thoroughly sensible and very obvious, therefore it cannot be considered for implementation .

[joskydive]

Govt urged to revoke Traffic Victims Act

BANGKOK: -- Health advocates yesterday called for the government to revoke the Traffic Victims Protection Act, saying it fails to cover all the hospital bills of patients and most of them end up going broke.

"Most traffic victims did not receive as much compensation as they need to pay for medical treatment while staying in the hospital and finally they become bankrupt because they don't have enough money to pay the hospital. The blame is on the ineffectiveness of this act," said Dr Paiboon Suriyawongepaisal of Ramathibodi Hospital.

Paiboon, who conducted an evaluation of the Traffic Victims Protection Act since it was enforced in 1992, was speaking at the threeday National Health Assembly in Bangkok last week.

This law is a mandatory scheme in which private insurance companies are the carriers instead of the public sector. The scheme compensates for healthcare costs based on fee for services and maximum liability. The scheme also awards a lump sum payout for death and disability. But during the past 15 years, most victims could not access compensation under this scheme.

Citing an injury surveillance report from the Public Health Ministry spanning 19992005, Paiboon said only 18 per cent of road accident victims received compensation under this act, while 63 per cent had to pay for medical treatment by themselves or use the universal healthcare scheme. And 15 per cent of them relied on other healthcare plans.

The study also found that farmers and labourers were the groups that had to shoulder their own treatment costs the most and eventually become a burden on the hospital.

If accident victims receive emergency care at a state hospital they have to pay the medical bill first and later seek reimbursement from the government, but they need to present many official documents such as a police report.

But in fact, most victims are poor and cannot pay the hospital out of their own pocket. They also are ineligible to apply for financial aid for medical treatment from the hospital.

The law's failure to protect road accident victims has created a windfall for private insurance companies. Their premiums ballooned from Bt6.5 billion in 1999 to Bt10 billion in 2003.

The private insurance companies pay out only 46 per cent of net premiums to settle claims and spend 41 per cent on administrative costs. This is inadequate to cover all traffic victims.

Dr Vitoon Ungpraphan, a legal expert in medicine, said the government should scrap the Traffic Victims Protection Act and draft a new one that transfers the scheme to the National Health Security Office. Then NHSO will pay hospitals directly for medical treatment to victims while the Land Transportation Department will collect the insurance premiums from personal car users instead of private insurers.

"This method will help road accident victims receive fair compensation as the scheme is run by a state agency such as the NHSO and they do not have to waste their time to gather so many documents to claim for health insurance," he added.

-- The Nation 2008-12-15

I think this would be a good move for the Thai People, especially the poor.

I didn't realise until recently that the 30 baht scheme doesn't include road accidents so when someone is taken to a hospital following a road accident they won't even look at them until money changes hands or an insurance company is contacted to confirm the patient is covered for these expenses.

I, too am from a country where education and medical treatment is free and find it horrifying that when there is someone who requires urgent medical attention they still will leave you to check if the money is there first.

Now I understand what they mean when they say 'Money is the root of all evil'.

Edited December 15, 2008 by joskydive

[quiksilva]

healthcare are not mean to be free from the start, cheap and affordable for the common citizen but not free, who will pay for those doctor if its free, tax payer.

and whats wrong with that?

[londonthai]

look at thaksin 40baht healthcare, government doctor are complaining , i didn't become a doctor to make 10k baht a month, most of them leave and join private sector, the one who is left behind have no choice cause they were force to stay. if one is being force they do lousy job.

as you can see the scheme don't work, it back fire....doctor is and always be god.

it is still 30 baht, not 40.

doctors do have more work now, when health care became more affordable for the poor, but the demand gives a chance for more doctors to qualify and find work. Wages don't have anything to do with a 30baht scheme - they were and are low, althou slighly more then the awarage wages in thailand. Doctors in thailand do commonly have a second income from the private patients and some work some hours in private clinics to compansate government wages, but at this time they have a free pension scheme and medical care (like all other civil servants)

[Bagwan]

Now I understand what they mean when they say 'Money is the root of all evil'.

For the love of money is the root of all evil - 1st Epistle of Paul the Apostle to Timothy, chapter 6 verse 10.

It has been said that the love of money is the root of all evil. The want of money is so quite as truly - Samuel Butler

Money is like manure. To do any good it has to be spread around a bit. Pity that wasn't part of Thaksin's creed.

[samgrowth]

This is a free market. If doctors don't like the pay they get from govt hospital, they are free to go elsewhere. Why blame it on the 30 baht scheme. They reason why they stay is because they cannot get a better paid job from other hospital.

To be fair, there are more doctors queuing up to get into the govt hospital than those wanted to leave. Becuase work condition is easy going, unlike private hospital. And they have plenti of free time to run their own money grabbing clinic.

[erobando]

Yes, nothing wrong with the 30 Baht (or free) scheme per se.

What needs to be done is fund it better and ensure that those receiving care under the scheme get the same quality (or, at least, more equitable) treatment as those paying out of pocket.

Certainly more of a tax burden can be taken on by the middle and upper classes.

And the paying of taxes can certainly be enforced better.

Not sure how easily this can be done, bc it will take all lot changes throughout many levels of public service.

[citizen33]

Yes, nothing wrong with the 30 Baht (or free) scheme per se.

What needs to be done is fund it better and ensure that those receiving care under the scheme get the same quality (or, at least, more equitable) treatment as those paying out of pocket.

Certainly more of a tax burden can be taken on by the middle and upper classes.

And the paying of taxes can certainly be enforced better.

Not sure how easily this can be done, bc it will take all lot changes throughout many levels of public service.

For information, the 30 baht co-payment ended in late 2006 and the scheme is now generally known as the UC scheme (as mentioned in the OP). As this thread makes clear, road accidents have been a problem area, though the theory was that they should be covered by this Act. Even when the 30 baht co-payments existed these yeilded less that 2% of total receipts and had very little bearing on doctors' salaries. Most MoPH doctors are paid on the civil service scales (with a few paid as public service officers), and the government has tried to improve recruitment via adding a series of special allowances.

[KK-Mike]

This is a free market. If doctors don't like the pay they get from govt hospital, they are free to go elsewhere. Why blame it on the 30 baht scheme. They reason why they stay is because they cannot get a better paid job from other hospital.

To be fair, there are more doctors queuing up to get into the govt hospital than those wanted to leave. Becuase work condition is easy going, unlike private hospital. And they have plenti of free time to run their own money grabbing clinic.

Two years ago we took my father in law to the 30 baht hospital for the results of the previous weeks blood work. We arrived at 8am to find we were #55 inline to see this one doctor, we sat there until 1 pm when they called his number. That one doctor saw 54 patients in those 5 hours minus his lunch break of 1 hour. The doctor told him he had prostrate cancer. They could operate and he would die or he could go home and die as well.

I really had no faith in a doctor that can see 54 patients in 4 hours which works out to one patient every 4.44 minutes. I took father in law to Khon Kaen to a

hospital where you pay as you go.

In Khon Kaen they told him he had no prostrate cancer, that he had kidney problems (no he does not drink) and a week heart. They put him in ICU for 4 days ( cost me $800) when he stabilized they moved him to the Khon Kaen University Hospital which is a teaching hospital along with being a 30 baht hospital

plus any special meds you may need. He stayed there 14 days as they flushed his kidneys and meds for heart. Two years later he is doing fine, goes back to Khon Kaen every 6 months for check up. All is okay.

Had he stayed in hospital about 70 km away no telling if he would be alive or not.

[john b good]

This is very sad, healthcare and education as I always took for granted as free.

How bout toxins 80bhat(?) cards that I've heard of?

What do the hospitals do to you if you cannot pay the bill?

You die, that's what happens

[yumidesign]

Solution number 1 would be enforcement of safety rules on the road. This would substantially lower the costs and make assisting the injured much easier.

I understand that most road accidents are alcohol related. Effective random breath testing would also be helpful. What does the huge police force in this country actually do?

[smilingbumpy]

When traffic laws are implemented and controlled, there won't be as many traffic victims!

[mijan24]

This is very sad, healthcare and education as I always took for granted as free.

How bout toxins 80bhat(?) cards that I've heard of?

What do the hospitals do to you if you cannot pay the bill?

I think your on the wrong track I believe what they are talking about is the Compulsory Tax you pay as part of registering a vehicle.

Private Hospitals wont treat you they will send you to the nearest Public hospital at your expense.

The health scheme was 30 baht not 80 baht entirely different situation and it applys to the hospital in the area where you are domiciled by Tabien Ban (house registration book).