Phuket International Hospital Price Gouging

[phuketrex]

I've been dealing with several of the hospitals here for a while and getting a bit tired of the runaround about pricing. Now I'm looking to get a cortisone injection in my spine. Orthopaedic at Phuket International when I asked him how much the cortisone injection would cost ummmed and arred a bit then said about 30,000 baht and I would have to go in at 9 one morning and would have to stay in overnight and go home following morning. I agreed to have it done but when looking on the internet find it shouldn't be anywhere near that price and reckon he didn't have a clue what it would cost and just thought of the first figure that came into his head and added 10000...or more likely he DID know the cost and was trying it on...and I had told him I lived here and didn't have insurance. So PIH gets a vote of "no confidence" from me now and I won't be going back.

So I phone up and cancel the injection appointment at PIH. I go back to Bangkok Phuket where I had first started out to ask them how much it would cost thinking they will probably quote about the same as they are an "insurance" hospital too and the first thing the girl asked me was if I had insurance so I said no. BP say it will cost 7500 - 8000 maximum and I will be allowed to go home after 3 or 4 hours if there are no complications! So a 1/4 the price of the hospital down the road! I should have asked her how much it would be if I did have insurance...I would guess 15000+.

I've not been to Vachira but no doubt it would be even cheaper there!

Edited June 26, 2010 by phuketrex

[keeniau96]

Try Mission Hospital, they are almost same quality as PIH and BPH re medial items, less showy and far less cost.

[chiang mai]

Agreed that International Hospital is taking the p*ss. I used to go the dentist there and after some reasonable treatment my female Thai partner started to go there also - after six months the dentist was charging my partner the same rate as me for fillings and cleaning, I expect to get charged farang prices but expect some leeway on charges for locals. Now we use Phuket Dental clinic and we both get charged the same price, about half of what International Hospital charges. Nuff said.

[stevenl]

Agreed that International Hospital is taking the p*ss. I used to go the dentist there and after some reasonable treatment my female Thai partner started to go there also - after six months the dentist was charging my partner the same rate as me for fillings and cleaning, I expect to get charged farang prices but expect some leeway on charges for locals. Now we use Phuket Dental clinic and we both get charged the same price, about half of what International Hospital charges. Nuff said.

So because they don't have thai/farang dual pricing you stopped using them? Lol

Would gave agreed with the advice regarding mission hospital about 5 years ago, but not anymore.

[MisterMan]

I ordered something from the pharmacy at Bangkok Phuket Hospital. It was not prescribed by my doctor. Not sure if had anything to do with it but I got charged a surchage of 120 baht, called a packing fee. Just to use the pharmacy. Was an article a out it in the Gazette a few years ago too.

[steelepulse]

If it's not a life threatening moment, you need to shop the various private hospitals if you don't have insurance. Usually BPH is the most expensive, but it sounds like in this case that wasn't the case. If you don't have insurance and it's not life threatening, then Mission and Vachira are your two cheapest options.

In any case, you should have good insurance!

[fiddlehead]

International used to have good prices.

Then they built that latest addition and their prices seem to have doubled.

And they try to admit you and keep you there too. (at least they did for my son who I finally pulled out after 3 days over their objection when he went in for a small fever which was gone after one night)

As we all can see, it's getting more and more expensive to live here.

[chiang mai]

Agreed that International Hospital is taking the p*ss. I used to go the dentist there and after some reasonable treatment my female Thai partner started to go there also - after six months the dentist was charging my partner the same rate as me for fillings and cleaning, I expect to get charged farang prices but expect some leeway on charges for locals. Now we use Phuket Dental clinic and we both get charged the same price, about half of what International Hospital charges. Nuff said.

So because they don't have thai/farang dual pricing you stopped using them? Lol

Would gave agreed with the advice regarding mission hospital about 5 years ago, but not anymore.

Big sigh.

[katabeachbum]

Try Mission Hospital, they are almost same quality as PIH and BPH re medial items, less showy and far less cost.

Disagree, Mission is below par on qualified doctors and simpe hygienic standards. Cost are moving closer to PIH and BPH.

Wont mension the standards of Vachira, but its inexpensive

[MisterMan]

Disagree, Mission is below par on qualified doctors and simpe hygienic standards. Cost are moving closer to PIH and BPH.

Wont mension the standards of Vachira, but its inexpensive

I always heard Mission was good too.. can you give some examples?

Mission is a 7th Day Adventist church by the way..The own lots of hospitals..wierd.

[xylophone]

Yes, BP hospital was always the most expensive by far (they wanted 160k baht for a throat operation which PI hospital did for just over half that price)however that was over 2 years ago. Now the prices at PI have been increased and are increasing, however many "quotes" like the one above are wildly off the mark and when challenged the price comes down.

Get at least two written quotes then tell the hospital about the price of the lowest one and the likes of PI will usually match it, within reason.

[katabeachbum]

I always heard Mission was good too.. can you give some examples?

Mission is a 7th Day Adventist church by the way..The own lots of hospitals..wierd.

Hygienic standards are only slightly better than Vachira. There is a reason why infant mortality figures in LOS are 2,5 times the ones in Malaysia, and 10 times the ones in Europe.

2,5 year old kid with breathing problems (astma?) for 9 months. Unable to provide parents with proper advice, unable to read/understand x-rays but keep on taking them cause they pay the bills, keeps child overnight as long as possible. Fortunately after 6 months admits to parents they are not qualified, and pass them on to someone qualified.

Mission costs similar to the charge of qualified medical care, IOW 4-5k baht/day including inexpensive medicines/treatment

No hospital is better than its staff and managment, seems like the best ones are at Bangkok Hospital and Bumrungrad

[Felt 35]

cortisone injection

There are a clinic on the corner Jawaraj/Chumpon road in Phuket Town (Near the Police station). A friend have used them for cortisone injections in his elbow (Tennis) and the price is a fraction of what you mention here.

I do however not know if they are competent to treat your spine.

My advice, get it done abroad.

[afx]

Normal UK price for back cortisone shots is around £200 depending on clinic. I dont know many you've had but, I gave up after 2. First one was like my back was fixed completely (lasted about 6 weeks) and then normal pain back, second one lasted about 3 weeks and gave up. In the end in the end went for lumbar spinal fusion after trying everything to put right knackered back for nearly 5 years.<BR><BR>I would personally be wary of getting spinal injections unless they are highly competent in this procedure. If it is not being done under x-ray to exactly locate the inflammation / disc do not let them anywhere near your back, It's not like getting a cortisone shot in your elbow.<BR><BR>Also have you had a discogram procedure to pin point the pain generator ?<BR><BR>By the way if done properly none of the procedures should hurt signifigantly as you are semi sedated (except the discogram which briefly hurts like hel_l when they sticking pins into healthy disk (no pain) and then into the suspect disk and listening to you yelp in agony! It is then filled with dye to see if it leeks out everywhere. (mine did).

Edited July 3, 2010 by afx

[afx]

Forgot to mention - you shoud be in and out in less than hour. The reason they may have asked to stay in over night is A: to chrage you more and B: because they never thought to ask you if someone could drop you off and pick you up. You cannot drive after the procedure due to intravenous sedative they use, you're pretty much out if and have little recollection of any of it but respond to questions and are just about conscious throughout,

Edited July 3, 2010 by afx

[Old Croc]

Listen to afx!

As someone who has had many similar procedures, I can only say get the most competent doctor you can find.

Very cheap is not the main criteria for one when he is inserting a needle anywhere near your spinal canal.