30 Baht Medical Scheme Vs. Social Security

[Nordlys]

Having Thai citizenship I have both the Gold Card under B30 medical scheme and Social Security Card (which any legally working foreigners are also entitled to have), but I was told by my wife I can only use one of them should I be in need of medical care at public hospitals. That is, if I choose to use gold card then my social security card is no longer good for use at hospitals and vice versa. Is this true?

[Heng]

First of all, you shouldn't really rely on either as the service is third class.

I don't know how you happen to have both plans, but I was under the impression that if you were covered by the local social security plan through your work, you don't get a 30 Baht gold card sent to your tabien baan residence. For myself, I have the gold card and no option for social security because I don't work for anyone who withholds/pays the gov't the required amounts for me.

I don't think that either has any distinct advantages. If you get yourself a fat AIA plan with an additional AIA gold card for accidents and tell the hospital that cash is also an option, I think you'll find that the service will be of a higher level.

[camerata]

That is, if I choose to use gold card then my social security card is no longer good for use at hospitals and vice versa.  Is this true?

I don't know the answer to this but I do know that the 30-baht scheme is a financial disaster and the service probably isn't much good at all. But the prakarn sangkom has a large excess of funds and you can choose a private hospital, which has to be better than the 30-baht deal. Try asking your employer's HR or legal department if you can use both schemes.

[Nordlys]

Thanks for the feedbacks, Heng and Camerata

I have also heard that if you are a working person under employment, you are only eligible for social security as far as state medical care is concerned. I used to think it's because as a foreigner I am a working person but as a Thai citizen I am not under employment, so they sent me the gold card. My wife who told me I can use only one or the other happens to be handling all the administrational work in my company including HR, and she said that's the info she got from the hospitals, but then even my wife who's been working in my company for some eight years also has both the gold card and social security card. If you can use only one or the other why send two???

About 30B medical scheme, yes I've heard about all the fiasco - the lack of funding, sub-standard service and medication, etc etc... One of the three hospitals designated for use under B30 deal for me is Chula Hospital and I've been going there as an outpatient every 4 months for the last 3 years and if there's anything to complain about receiving medical care under gold card there as compared to private hospital like Bamrungrad I used to go, it's not about the quality of service or quality of the medicine, but rather the inconvenience of only being able to see a doctor in the morning (as an outpatient), language barrier (no English signs, few English speaking staffs so my wife has to accompany me, but doctors speak good English) and having to go to this small clinic liks hospital called 'Suan 16' near Lumpini Night Bazaar in the near-ghetto like neighborhood to prove that my case is a condition that no doctor at Suan 16 can attend to and therefore should be referred to a physician at Chula Hospital.

Yes, it's a lot of inconvenience when I go get a blood test on one morning and have to go see the doctor on another day because by the time you get the result it's often already noon and you are definitely late for the doctor appointment and they won't see you after lunch, but that is what you get even if you're not using gold card or social security and for the number of patients at a public hospital like Chula, I think the staffs there are handling their job quite professionally and even better than at hospitals like Bumrungrad and Bangkok Hospital in my opinion.

As for the medication, I receive 12 bottles of synthetic hormone (ADH) every 4 months which are worth around B18,000 in total. It's an imported medicine and as far as I know there's only one company in the world making it which is Swedish, and that's the exact same medicine I used to get in Japan and at Bumrungrad for close to B5,000 for 3 bottles every months (but now for B30 for 12 bottles). And these are expenses that no insurance company will cover as it is a pre-condition I had since before I moved (back) to Thailand and I will need to use this medication for the rest of my living life.

Anyway whatever the newspaper says, staffs and physicians are doing the best they can in providing me with my medical needs and frankly I'm under impression they don't seem to care under what state-sponsored medical care I came seek help for and I even wonder if doctors know if I am there under B30 medical scheme or social security or for that matter if or not I am under any state-sponsored medical plan at all. So as far as Chula Hospital is concerned, I have no complaint whatsoever at least for the quality of medical care and medicine I receive, and I think unless you are in an life-threatening condition that requires emergency medical attention I think B30 scheme is a great option for anyone eligible for it. I understand it can be a different story at hospitals outside Bangkok though.

Edited June 26, 2005 by Nordlys

[Nordlys]

But the prakarn sangkom has a large excess of funds and you can choose a private hospital, which has to be better than the 30-baht deal.

Is that right you can go to private hospital with prakarn sangkom?

My wife told me you can choose but only one public hospital whereas with B30 medical scheme they designate two or three hospitals in the vicinity of khet/amphor where you have your tabian baan issued at.

[Heng]

But the prakarn sangkom has a large excess of funds and you can choose a private hospital, which has to be better than the 30-baht deal.

Is that right you can go to private hospital with prakarn sangkom?

My wife told me you can choose but only one public hospital whereas with B30 medical scheme they designate two or three hospitals in the vicinity of khet/amphor where you have your tabian baan issued at.

Yes, that's correct, but you can also designate your one hospital as a private hospital (the accounting dept. of your company should be able to take care of it). According to my sister's company, the employees have the opportunity to change their hospital once a year.... but have yet to have any of these kids pick a tier 1 private hospital like Samitvej or Bamrungrad.

[charles]

Yes, for prakan sangkhom you can choose one hospital from the public hospitals and MANY PRIVATE hospitals.

However, the list of private hospitals does not include the luxury private hospitals such as Bamrungrad, Bangkok General, Samitivej or Bangkok Nursing Home.

It does however include many very decent private hospitals (certainly not third class) such as Petcharavej (Petchburi Rd near Ekamai) and Camillian Hosptial (Thonglor). I think you will generally find the service and facilities at these places very satisfactory. Staff, being less used to foreigners are in my experience usually more pleasant and friendly too.

N.B. If you have prakan sangkhom you can still use another hosptial on the list in an emergency when you can't get to your regular hospital. Just that in this case I think you have to pay and then claim back whereas at your chosen hospital you just give them your card and don't have to pay for anything.

[cmsally]

I know some of my employees have both Prakan Sangkhom and 30 Bt card.

You can choose to use either when you visit the hospital or clinic. They told me service and medicine much better for Prakan Sangkhom so they don't use their 3o Bt card but just keep it anyway.

There is a big range of hospitals to choose from including private and govt., I think you can choose 2 or 3 hospitals/clinics from the list. You can use any hospital that is under the scheme.