Insurance problems at Bumrungrad

[jackh]

I have been a happy user of Bumrungrad for over 12 years. They may be a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for. Service and professional care are outstanding. I do not live in Thailand, but even when I lived in the US, I still used this hospital as opposed to any US facility.

That being said, there is one chink in their armor I recently discovered. It relates to anyone who uses medical insurance. In the past I always pay cash for services. But I now live in China and decided to get a policy. When I filed a claim, it was denied by my company. I needed a simple statement from my doctor at BM to state that I she cannot know when I would have contracted my problem she treated me for. (My insurance co claim it was "pre existing") This simple statement should have been no problem to get. However it is BM's policy according to their legal dept, that they will not disclose any info other than medical records that show patient treatment. Therefore I have no ability to have my claim reimbursed as the insurance co doctors compromise a "medical opinion" that will not be challenged.

In a nutshell, do not expect any support from BM if you face insurance issues. Just something to consider before using BM.

[wasabi]

I had BUPA insurance (from a Thai office) and used it successfully at Bumrungrad, I could see there being problems with foreign based insurance.

[davee58]

How long before your claim did you take out the insurance policy?

And, be honest, WAS it an existing problem?

It is all too easy to take out a policy when you know you are ill and hope that the insurance company will pay for your medical treatment.

Not accusing you of dishonesty, just stating that the hospital policy will have to be 100% correct on this, and when there is any doubt they will not make a statement that they have reason to believe MAY be false.

Your problem seems to be with the insurance company rather than with Bumrungrad...

Hope that you are fully recovered.

[Sheryl]

I have edited the title to be less sensationalist and more specific to the content of the thread.

For pretty much any problem, one of the first questions a doctor will ask is when it started/how long it has been going on for. That information will then be in the doctor's notes which comprise part of the official medical re cord/

It is indeed standard procedure to give to an insurance company only what is documented in the medical records. If what you were asking for was a change to what was already on your record, or in contradiction to it, then indeed the hospital/doctor could not do this without putting themselves in legal jeopardy.

Likewise, even if what you were asking for did not contradict the information in your medical record, if it was something that the doctor could not truthfully attest to based on the information available to her, she was correct in declining.

Hospitals need to maintain the trust of insurance companies. In addition to being possibly a criminal act (if it would constitute insurance fraud), to give false information to an insurance company might well result in that company no longer reimbursing for care at that facility.

As to the specifics of your case, not knowing the details, I can't comment.

[bumrungrad]

Hello Jack,

First, thank you for using us for the last 12 years. We are glad that things have been good for you up to this point.

Unfortunately, the comments posted here are quite accurate with regards to insurance.

At the same time, if you truely feel as though your condition started after you began your insurance, please PM me with as much detail as you can give (without getting into any of the personal details of the condition - I would like to have things like contact details, HN Number (if available), date of visit, doctor, insurance, etc.), and I will put you in touch with our international medical affairs team.

I cannot give any guarentees that the results will be successful, as this is more of a dispute with your insurance company, but I would like to give you the best chances of a claim if your condition post-dates your insurance start date.

Best regards,

Scott @ Bumrungrad