Bumrungrad Cost Confusion

[AskTheCPT]

I just got back from a marathon appointment at Bumrungrad which was for a sore throat amongst other symptoms.

To make a long story short they took blood, did a urine test and a throat swab as well as prescribed 2 antibiotics and the bill was

4500 baht

The total price was not the thing that surprised me but the cost of the meds.

doctor fee 600 baht

Facility 150 baht

Lab 1,315 baht

MEDS 2,458 baht

The meds were 2 different antibiotics which I forget the name of, amoxicilian was one..

My question is, did I get had by buying the meds from the hospital pharmacy?

Could I have went to the normal pharmacy and got the meds for far cheaper?

Is there a catch w/ Bumrungrad Hospital?

[joskydive]

Well, I would have been suffering a Heart Condition aswell after having a bill like that, and yes, you could have got the meds. for a heck of a lot cheaper in a normal pharmacy.

[Old Man River]

I just got back from a marathon appointment at Bumrungrad which was for a sore throat amongst other symptoms.

To make a long story short they took blood, did a urine test and a throat swab as well as prescribed 2 antibiotics and the bill was

4500 baht

The total price was not the thing that surprised me but the cost of the meds.

doctor fee 600 baht

Facility 150 baht

Lab 1,315 baht

MEDS 2,458 baht

The meds were 2 different antibiotics which I forget the name of, amoxicilian was one..

My question is, did I get had by buying the meds from the hospital pharmacy?

Could I have went to the normal pharmacy and got the meds for far cheaper?

Is there a catch w/ Bumrungrad Hospital?

They definitely are cheaper if you buy them from a local pharmacy. Two caveats. First, if you have medical insurance, you need to find out if your carrier will reimburse you for meds purchased over the counter. Second, you run the risk of buying copy medicines (not the real thing), so best to buy them at a pharmacy you know (such as Boots) to ensure you are getting the real thing.

[MJo]

Yep, BR is not the cheapest place to buy meds. As a default they sell you the "brand" names that in most cases are imported and expensive. If you use them a lot you might consider joining their healthy living club as you get your membership fee back in form of free full medical and quite ok discounts on meds etc.

Sometimes they are worth the money though. Last time i got antibiotics for flue / infection in my throat they gave me big bottle of ganules that you dissolve to glass of water and drink it. And that's it, one time dose and same effect as taking pills 5 to 7 days, 3 times a day. Some new slow release stuff and expensive but nice as you are done with it in one go.

[AskTheCPT]

Okay,

I understand. I think the antibiotics are Thai brand names rather than generics and the hospital probably gets a nice commission for peddling them, maybe I could have asked them for generics?

Does anyone have a favorite hospital (along Sukhumvit Soi 1-30) that is cheaper than Bumrungrad with a high standard of care?

What would you expect to pay for the same service that I got at your hospital.

[Sheryl]

Personally I find the general standard of care higher at Samitivej than Bumrungrad but it is not cheaper. (And, of course, varies with the doctor -- will not always be better at Samitivej. Just a generalization).

All private hospitals mark up the cost of medications and unless you require something that is not sold over the counter, it is an unnecessary expense to buy your mneds at the hospital pharmacy.

See also this thread

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Thai-Hospita...ic-t301843.html

[katana]

I got stung like that at Bunrungrad for a large quantity of antibiotics a few years ago. In hindsight, after seeing another doctor somewhere else, wasn't even sure they were necessary.

Edited October 9, 2009 by katana

[MJo]

In the other hand i find the quality of care to be very high in Thailand and the cost to be very cheap. Even in BR or Samitijev.

Not only if i compare it to back in farangland but also if compared regionally. So in the end if i pay 4k for antibiotics i still consider it to be cheap. Even if i'm paying myself and not claiming on insurance.

[Old Man River]

In the other hand i find the quality of care to be very high in Thailand and the cost to be very cheap. Even in BR or Samitijev.

Not only if i compare it to back in farangland but also if compared regionally. So in the end if i pay 4k for antibiotics i still consider it to be cheap. Even if i'm paying myself and not claiming on insurance.

While I agree with what you are saying, the OP's original question related, specifically, to the cost of meds at Bamrungrad. Specifically, they are higher to what can be purchased at a local pharmacy for the same exact medications. There is no question about this.

[kurnell]

All hospitals are the same in Thailand. I had a minor incision made on my neck at Samaitivej Sri Nakarin and was given a host of medications including anti-b's 1,500THB, anti-inflammatory and panadol and others, all of which I gave back. The wound healed fine.

[LazyWeekend]

I just got back from a fine lunch at one of the Amari's which was for a quick releave of my hunger.

To make a long story short they served me a nice Ceasar's Salad, brought me a chicken steak and some mushroom sauce as well as 2 cans of Coke and the bill was

950 baht

The total price was not the thing that surprised me but the cost of the Cokes.

Caesar's Salad 200 baht

Chicken Steak Mushroom w/ French Fries 500 baht

Extra French Fries 110 baht

COKES 140 baht

The Cokes were 2 regular cans ... at more then 5 times the price what I pay in most grocery stores.

My question is, did I get had by buying the Cokes from the hotel restaurant?

Could I have went to a 7 Eleven and got the Cokes for far cheaper?

Is there a catch w/ Amari?

[fremmel]

That was for consuming in-house. Would you have bought cokes at 70 baht each if you were doing take-out?

[mca]

The Cokes were 2 regular cans ... at more then 5 times the price what I pay in most grocery stores.

My question is, did I get had by buying the Cokes from the hotel restaurant?

Could I have went to a 7 Eleven and got the Cokes for far cheaper?

Is there a catch w/ Amari?

You're going to find all the real 4 star/5 star joints will charge this price.

[kurnell]

I didn't know the Amari offered health care?

[BangkokHome]

So...let me see. Should we trust a big well known hospital or a local pharmacy? Seems like a no brainer. I read recently in the Post that most Thai local pharmacies do not even have a pharmacist at the location and that the storage and expiration dates are really questionable. Hospitals have real pharmacists and keep thier inventory current. It is our health we are talking about, not lunch at the Amari. But for those who want a bargain...role those dice baby! I have found Bumrungrad to be very reasonable in price most of the time and I have lived here over 13 years.

[chiang mai]

I just got back from a fine lunch at one of the Amari's which was for a quick releave of my hunger.

To make a long story short they served me a nice Ceasar's Salad, brought me a chicken steak and some mushroom sauce as well as 2 cans of Coke and the bill was

950 baht

The total price was not the thing that surprised me but the cost of the Cokes.

Caesar's Salad 200 baht

Chicken Steak Mushroom w/ French Fries 500 baht

Extra French Fries 110 baht

COKES 140 baht

The Cokes were 2 regular cans ... at more then 5 times the price what I pay in most grocery stores.

My question is, did I get had by buying the Cokes from the hotel restaurant?

Could I have went to a 7 Eleven and got the Cokes for far cheaper?

Is there a catch w/ Amari?

The cokes were fair value, given your location, the chicken steak however was way overpriced! But hey, if you enjoyed it all and you were satisfied then the price overall was justified.

[peridot]

I believe that all hospitals in Thailand charge a premium price for prescription drugs. I have heard from Thai people that the doctor gets a cut of what he prescribes. I know hospitals charge significantly more than pharmacies for the same drugs. I have learned to take the prescription and go to a pharmacy to buy the medicines. There are many good pharmacies in Bangkok. I use the ones on Rama IV Road across from Chulalongkorn between Silom and Surawong. Pharmacies do not carry all prescription drugs, and once I had to return to the hospital and pay their inflated price. I have never gotten poor quality drugs or expired drugs from pharmacies here. I believe it is worth the extra time it takes me to go to the pharmacy to save 40-60% on the drugs. I also ask for generics, which they can look up in a book. The prescriptions are often written for brand name drugs, which are definitely more expensive because they are imported from Europe or the USA. The generics are sometimes 10% of the price of the brand names.

[CTM]

Yes you are being taken for a ride.

Typical example of a prescription I had filled.

Private hospital: B1400

Pharmacy: B225-350

Government Hospital: less than B200

I have found many times the private hospitals will not tell you what medications they are prescribing until after you pay to prevent you from going outside. They also over prescribe. I really don't need a 47th bag of paracetamol, 5 antibiotics, and 3 muscle relaxants for a 3 stitch cut.

[Garret]

My Mother spent 3 months in BR and upon discharge even a floor nurse pulled me aside and told me to fill her scripts at an outside pharmacy....

BR will run an extensive amount of tests. However most of the time they are warranted.

I needed to see an ENT at home and the bill for a 5 min visit was 500$ and there was no medicine involved.

Healthcare is rising in Thailand and quickly. People will say that they would prefer to betreated in a cheaper Govt hospital as they have heard that a friend or a Thai family member only paid such a cheap fee for this or that...WELL......It seems nowadays that the Govt hospitals are very very quick to transfer.

My Mother is back in the hospital for a pneumonia with no fever and a completly normal CBC... They demanded that we tranfer her to a larger hospital....We did and we are paying about 12,500b a day......They are treating her with exactly the same meds in the bigger hospital.

Most of all the real big hospitals in Bangkok are traded on the stock market so they need to make a huge profit.

[gpdjohn]

Yes you are being taken for a ride.

Typical example of a prescription I had filled.

Private hospital: B1400

Pharmacy: B225-350

Government Hospital: less than B200

I have found many times the private hospitals will not tell you what medications they are prescribing until after you pay to prevent you from going outside. They also over prescribe. I really don't need a 47th bag of paracetamol, 5 antibiotics, and 3 muscle relaxants for a 3 stitch cut.

I would have given all but the muscle relaxant back,

and with baht that I'd have saved, ran right down to the nearest liquor store and bought a bottle of Jack Daniels..

Then I would have taken the muscle relaxant, several shots of JD and then...

Who cares....

[sandgroper2]

The Cokes were 2 regular cans ... at more then 5 times the price what I pay in most grocery stores.

My question is, did I get had by buying the Cokes from the hotel restaurant?

Could I have went to a 7 Eleven and got the Cokes for far cheaper?

Is there a catch w/ Amari?

You're going to find all the real 4 star/5 star joints will charge this price.

I had breakfast out, roll with egg, ham and cheese, cost,75bt, also had a glass of orange juice,60bt, doesnt seem right to me.

[Old Man River]

So...let me see. Should we trust a big well known hospital or a local pharmacy? Seems like a no brainer. I read recently in the Post that most Thai local pharmacies do not even have a pharmacist at the location and that the storage and expiration dates are really questionable. Hospitals have real pharmacists and keep thier inventory current. It is our health we are talking about, not lunch at the Amari. But for those who want a bargain...role those dice baby! I have found Bumrungrad to be very reasonable in price most of the time and I have lived here over 13 years.

Which is why I suggested that if one is going to purchase from a local pharmacy to seek a pharmacy out that is well known, such as Boots. For me, like you I pay the going price at the big well known hospital.

[hhgz]

"Could I have went to the normal pharmacy and got the meds for far cheaper?"

Yes. As the patient, it is up to you to tell the doctor that you want to buy your medications elsewhere. Paying the bill, and then whining about it is the wrong way to do it.

[MaartenK]

I have been told on 2 occasions by BR that my cholesterol is way too high and I definitely need medication. When I showed my lab results to the doctor at Samitivej he was not worried about it at all. So I checked on internet if my cholesterol level is a problem and the answer is a clear 'NO'.

Also, I broke a piece of bone off my finger. Went to BR. After seeing this on the first X-ray, they sent me home with my finger in a splint and told me to come back the next day. They took off the splint the next day and made another X-ray to see if the piece of bone had attached to the finger. Off course that does not happen over one night sleep, I could have told them that without the X-ray! So that was wasted money on another X-ray. Then they said I needed a 55,000 Baht operation. They were going to put two pins in my finger.

I went for a second opinion elsewhere. That doctor said that 5-8 weeks in a splint would be sufficient. Sounded better to me and I gave it a try. Last week the first 5 weeks were over and he took an X-ray. Looks fine, feels fine. The splint is now off and I just have to be careful for another 2 months and then it should be okay.

I am done with the Bumrung Rats!

[offset]

Bunrungrad charged me 3B for each Tylenol tablet but overhaul I was happy with the services I was given and the cost you always have to remember if they did not charge extra on the meds they would have to increase the charges for the hospital services to the make the profit they require

[thaipod]

I agree with the over pricing , had a small op and cost a fortune and the medications was high , everytime I had a presciption to fill there it was over 4000 with the extra charges that were added every time to the bill eg, operation room . I had never been in one . when I complained they tried to say it was the doctors room and then removed it.

Now I and my family go to a reputable thai hospital and have had excellent service . the other day I had to see a doctor , with doctors fee and 3 types of meds all came to 1200 bt

[jackh]

In July I went to Bumrungrad due to some unusual weight gain. After tests, they found a hyperactive thyroid which caused liver and kidney problems.

Dr fee- 1600 Baht

Tests- 11,000 Baht

Meds- 95,000 Baht (3 months prescription of pills)

I live in China and ONLY use Bumrungrad for any and all my healthcare. I won't even do a blood test in China. So I had to take these pills for the past 3 months and next week I will be back in BKK for my follow-up exam tests/results.

If interested, I'll post a follow-up to my current state of affairs.

Still, ALL meds at Bumrungrad are only supplied from German or US companies. Expect to pay more, but be 100% sure they are the highest quality available. They use NO Thai drugs there, not even aspirin. I have no med insurance and pay each time out of pocket.

[samran]

for bog standard stuff I'll use Palo hostpital on Phaloyothin. Meds are generally cheap and generic which is good.

[jackoneilone]

In July I went to Bumrungrad due to some unusual weight gain. After tests, they found a hyperactive thyroid which caused liver and kidney problems.

Dr fee- 1600 Baht

Tests- 11,000 Baht

Meds- 95,000 Baht (3 months prescription of pills)

I live in China and ONLY use Bumrungrad for any and all my healthcare. I won't even do a blood test in China. So I had to take these pills for the past 3 months and next week I will be back in BKK for my follow-up exam tests/results.

If interested, I'll post a follow-up to my current state of affairs.

Still, ALL meds at Bumrungrad are only supplied from German or US companies. Expect to pay more, but be 100% sure they are the highest quality available. They use NO Thai drugs there, not even aspirin. I have no med insurance and pay each time out of pocket.

why? China has "some" good hospitals and "some" of the best doctors/specialists around in certain fields eg Beijing Xiehe hospital, Peking University Third Hospital etc or in Hongkong Matilda Hospital Why not get it done there?

And you do know there is no difference between original us/uk/german whatever Brand named medicines and the generic stuff right? so why pay more if you dont need to?

Edited November 6, 2009 by jackoneilone

[barryofthailand]

It all depends on where you go. I was at St Mary's in Korat yesterday and got two packs of anti biotics Amoxycillin 500 MG and Metronidazole 200 Mg for 245 Baht.

Barry