Tragic Story Of A Sheffield Pensioner

[soihok]

The following link describes the unfortunate situation that "Peter Ogden" and his sisters went through after he fell ill whilst on holiday in Pattaya.

http://www.thestar.co.uk/headlines/Thai-hospital-nightmare-warning.6458002.jp

R.I.P.

Edited August 6, 2010 by soihok

[Boater]

Sally said: "The doctors told us Pete wasn't insured. They told us if we couldn't pay they would switch off the machine. But we had no money."

Peter's friends had already given the hospital £1,500, but doctors handed the sisters a new bill for 230,000 Baht, or more than £4,500.

disgusting

RIP

[moe666]

Sad story, this man became very ill. I think the hospital is getting a bad rap medical care is not free any were.

[chrisinbangkok]

Sad story, this man became very ill. I think the hospital is getting a bad rap medical care is not free any were.

this man lived for 70 years where it is FREE, may he rip.

[Spalpeen]

It's a good thing that he wasn't on holiday in America or the bill would have been ten times as much.

And big respect to HSBC for paying the bills of a long standing customer even though his insurance had expired. That sort of attitude is almost unknown in todays world of impersonal corporations.

[lovelomsak]

Sad story, this man became very ill. I think the hospital is getting a bad rap medical care is not free any were.

this man lived for 70 years where it is FREE, may he rip.

Yes Your point is?

[EmCross]

It doesn't say which hospital in Pattaya but I think they are mostly the same, no money - no treatment. When in Thailand make sure you have good health insurance is the moral of this sad story.

[Lumumba]

Thumbs up for HSBC,

[jeanpierre]

Sad story, this man became very ill. I think the hospital is getting a bad rap medical care is not free any were.

sorry in belguim they save you first and discus the bill after you are in shape !!!

[EmCross]

Sad story, this man became very ill. I think the hospital is getting a bad rap medical care is not free any were.

sorry in belguim they save you first and discus the bill after you are in shape !!!

This should be the case in any hospital but sadly not the case in Thailand.

You only have to read the tragic case of Matt Hayes (do a search on this forum) a lovely guy who had a serious road accident on his motor bike and was refused treatment at Bangkok Pattaya hospital and died on the way to another hospital in Chonburi all because he did not have his wallet on him and could not proof he could pay for treatment. He was only 32 years old.

[honda99]

Very sad indeed may he RIP

[jori]

Get to 65+ and health insurance gets very costly,better for peace of mind to move back to the EU if a EU subject, and get free full medical care. Like Russian roulette staying here.

[ginglee]

Well done to HSBC. you always hear of insurance companies making 101 excuses not to pay, clearly here they had a genuine reason not to pay, but they still did.

Still a very sad story for that guy and his family.

[rodentwarrior]

Travelling without travel insurance, or living here without health insurance is playing with fire. If you can't afford a decent policy you shouldn't really be here!

Why should friends and family bail you out - it's about personal responsibility.

[Asianrider]

Sad story, and my condolences to the family. But making your you have adequate and valid travel insurance is part of your responsibilty travelling to foreign countries.

I hope others learn from this experience. I suspect the majority of expats living in Pattaya don't have medical / travel insurance.

[Jingthing]

Travelling without travel insurance, or living here without health insurance is playing with fire. If you can't afford a decent policy you shouldn't really be here!

Why should friends and family bail you out - it's about personal responsibility.

I don't know, let me check. Because they love you and don't want to see you die!

[basjke]

Sad story, this man became very ill. I think the hospital is getting a bad rap medical care is not free any were.

sorry in belguim they save you first and discus the bill after you are in shape !!!

This should be the case in any hospital but sadly not the case in Thailand.

If it was all that simple then why would anyone take an insurance?

[bifftastic]

Travelling without travel insurance, or living here without health insurance is playing with fire. If you can't afford a decent policy you shouldn't really be here!

Why should friends and family bail you out - it's about personal responsibility.

I don't know, let me check. Because they love you and don't want to see you die!

I checked too, and yep, friends and family are the people you'd expect to help you if you were about to die. Very sad to hear about this man's death.

[Basil B]

I have no time for people who travel without insurance, just like those who drive round on bikes without crash helmets and/or not passed a bike driving test.

Having said that...

I do not think HSBC should be praised, they like the other insurance companies treat Travel Insurance as "money for old rope", there are so many conditions and rules that any insurer could find reason to wriggle out of paying on most claims.

For the old the insurance is very expensive, also take the case of a person who who is diagnosed with a terminal condition with that at the time is stable and only require proscribed medication they would like to travel before their condition deteriorates yet the insurance is ridiculously expensive.

I also believe that if a person is paying UK tax and NI at the time of falling ill abroad they should get some subsidy from the NHS, it probably would have been more cheaper to treat Mr Ogden in Thailand than it cost the NHS for the 8 weeks in the UK, If Mr Ogden fell ill in the UK the NHS would have had to pay his full treatment, yet they do not contribute to patients who need to get treatment abroad but teat too many free-loaders who come to the UK just to get free treatment.

[lovelomsak]

The more I read this the more I see it as a case of the hospital doing what they could to save him knowing he was going to die no matter what and asking whos going to pay for all this. He wasnot refused treatment they were only asking for payment. Was their request not valid. In reality who should step in and help a guy who travels with means to pay and take care of his responsibilities.Do any of you want to cough up the money for someone who cannot or willnot take responsibilty on their own shoulders.If everyone in the world travelled without insurance or means to pay there would be no hospitals.

If you are willing to pay for others I will gladly start my fund quickly so I willnot have to have someone else ask when I do need medical help. I willnot ask for much from one person just everybody give a little ok.

May He Rest In Peace

[Sophon]

Travelling without travel insurance, or living here without health insurance is playing with fire. If you can't afford a decent policy you shouldn't really be here!

Why should friends and family bail you out - it's about personal responsibility.

I don't know, let me check. Because they love you and don't want to see you die!

I checked too, and yep, friends and family are the people you'd expect to help you if you were about to die. Very sad to hear about this man's death.

I think his point was that you should take responsibility for yourself, and not put your friends or family in a situation where they would have to bail you out.

Sophon

[Zodiac]

Get to 65+ and health insurance gets very costly,better for peace of mind to move back to the EU if a EU subject, and get free full medical care. Like Russian roulette staying here.

Just out of interest can anyone say approximately what are the insurance rates per annum when living in Thailand and being 65 and over? Or is it not possible to get insurance at that age?

(I currently live in Thailand and have BUPA)

Edited August 7, 2010 by Zodiac

[Hollywood13]

Hmmm...maybe the things I've seen in life have hardened me a bit, but...

Guy is 70 years old, doesn't have the money to pay for health insurance, but does have the money to go vacation in Thailand. Were his priorities out of wack, or did he figure he was on his last leg and wanted to squeeze everything he could out of his remaining time on this earth?

Cheers to the insurance company for coughing up some money...highly unexpected! I could see why friends and family would want to try to pay the medical bills to keep the guy alive (love is a powerful emotion), but why should the hospital eat the bill? They don't owe anything to the guy who went to Thailand without insurance or enough money to pay for any illness/injury that may come up while he was there. In fact, if they eat the cost, then their employees and other patients will have to make up that loss of money in the form of salary cuts (or lack of raises) and high cost of healthcare. Not only that, but it would set a bad precedence and the next thing you know everyone would want free medical treatment.

We all die eventually...that lucky guy got to see 70 years of life...I doubt I'll survive to do the same. Hope he enjoyed himself while in the LOS...I want to die there myself someday.

[Jingthing]

Get to 65+ and health insurance gets very costly,better for peace of mind to move back to the EU if a EU subject, and get free full medical care. Like Russian roulette staying here.

Just out of interest can anyone say approximately what are the insurance rates per annum when living in Thailand and being 65 and over? Or is it not possible to get insurance at that age?

(I currently live in Thailand and have BUPA)

The trouble isn't always the cost but what the cover offered is. For example if you are typical older person with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. these are considered lifetime chronic conditions so the insurance companies will try to exclude all coverage for diseases of the heart, stroke, etc. In other words, the diseases you are most likely to NEED cover for.

[toptuan]

Get to 65+ and health insurance gets very costly,better for peace of mind to move back to the EU if a EU subject, and get free full medical care. Like Russian roulette staying here.

Just out of interest can anyone say approximately what are the insurance rates per annum when living in Thailand and being 65 and over? Or is it not possible to get insurance at that age?

(I currently live in Thailand and have BUPA)

The trouble isn't always the cost but what the cover offered is. For example if you are typical older person with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. these are considered lifetime chronic conditions so the insurance companies will try to exclude all coverage for diseases of the heart, stroke, etc. In other words, the diseases you are most likely to NEED cover for.

The key is get it while you're healthy and hang on to it. In my case I had a couple of "old age"-related problems, but I weathered the 2-year exclusion provision. In other words, if you can tough it out 2 years without any problems, then they cover everything even the pre-existing condition.

[Jingthing]

Get to 65+ and health insurance gets very costly,better for peace of mind to move back to the EU if a EU subject, and get free full medical care. Like Russian roulette staying here.

Just out of interest can anyone say approximately what are the insurance rates per annum when living in Thailand and being 65 and over? Or is it not possible to get insurance at that age?

(I currently live in Thailand and have BUPA)

The trouble isn't always the cost but what the cover offered is. For example if you are typical older person with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. these are considered lifetime chronic conditions so the insurance companies will try to exclude all coverage for diseases of the heart, stroke, etc. In other words, the diseases you are most likely to NEED cover for.

The key is get it while you're healthy and hang on to it. In my case I had a couple of "old age"-related problems, but I weathered the 2-year exclusion provision. In other words, if you can tough it out 2 years without any problems, then they cover everything even the pre-existing condition.

I am not sure you are correct, depending on the condition and policy. Some conditions are considered lifetime chronic and they really are looking to exclude circulatory diseases (heart, stroke). For example if you have high BP and chol, you will be on meds for them forever, so there never will be a time when you can say you aren't suffering from them, so related diseases will never be covered. Easy to say get the coverage earlier if you did. Doesn't help people who move to Thailand with existing conditions and want cover, does it? Edited August 7, 2010 by Jingthing

[toptuan]

The trouble isn't always the cost but what the cover offered is. For example if you are typical older person with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. these are considered lifetime chronic conditions so the insurance companies will try to exclude all coverage for diseases of the heart, stroke, etc. In other words, the diseases you are most likely to NEED cover for.

The key is get it while you're healthy and hang on to it. In my case I had a couple of "old age"-related problems, but I weathered the 2-year exclusion provision. In other words, if you can tough it out 2 years without any problems, then they cover everything even the pre-existing condition.

I am not sure you are correct, depending on the condition and policy. Some conditions are considered lifetime chronic and they really are looking to exclude circulatory diseases (heart, stroke). For example if you have high BP and chol, you will be on meds for them forever, so there never will be a time when you can say you aren't suffering from them, so related diseases will never be covered. Easy to say get the coverage earlier if you did. Doesn't help people who move to Thailand with existing conditions and want cover, does it?

I developed high high blood pressure with cholesterol problems after I came to Thailand, wanted coverage, approached Thai Health Insurance (through a teacher's group policy), and was told they'd cover everything BUT that condition for two years. After two years even that pre-existing situation was off the table. Like you said: "depending on the condition and policy..." Hard to make a blanket statement either way, I guess.

[Basil B]

I am not sure you are correct, depending on the condition and policy. Some conditions are considered lifetime chronic and they really are looking to exclude circulatory diseases (heart, stroke). For example if you have high BP and chol, you will be on meds for them forever, so there never will be a time when you can say you aren't suffering from them, so related diseases will never be covered. Easy to say get the coverage earlier if you did. Doesn't help people who move to Thailand with existing conditions and want cover, does it?

Having high BP(hypertension) myself and having pay extra for less cover, yet I am taking medication which has stabilised my BP at an acceptable level, which my doctor says I will have take for the rest of my life, I note with interest that a shocking 35% of Brits aged between 16-34 suffer from hypertension.

[Jangot]

Get to 65+ and health insurance gets very costly,better for peace of mind to move back to the EU if a EU subject, and get free full medical care. Like Russian roulette staying here.

Some may prefer to play Russian roulette than move back to the EU.

[moe666]

Sad story, this man became very ill. I think the hospital is getting a bad rap medical care is not free any were.

this man lived for 70 years where it is FREE, may he rip.

Except for all of the taxes he paid into the system.