Emergency Rooms To Be Open To All Regardless Of Health Scheme: Thailand

[webfact]

Emergency rooms to be open to all

Duangkamon Sajirawattanakul

The Nation

State, private hospitals to treat anyone, regardless of health scheme, from April 1

BANGKOK: -- The government is planning to allow people to seek immediate and continued treatment from any medical facility in the event of an emergency, regardless of the health scheme they belong to.

The plan - which will likely add to the financial burden on the state - will take effect on April 1.

The government spends more than Bt420 billion a year on healthcare programmes. This amount is equivalent to 3.8 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

"If we don't control the cost now, the government will very likely have to spend more than Bt700 billion a year on healthcare services by 2020," Labour Ministry permanent secretary Dr Somkiat Chayasriwong said yesterday

Somkiat said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra expressed concern about the growing medical costs during a meeting held to discuss ways of improving the country's three main healthcare programmes - the social security scheme, the universal healthcare scheme and the Civil Servants Medical Benefits Scheme.

The three programmes cover all people across the country.

Under the proposed plan, in emergencies, patients would only need to produce their national identification cards to receive treatment, Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri said.

"Patients can then receive treatment from either a state or private hospital," he said.

Somkiat said the plan would put an end to the practice of medicalservice providers first asking patients which health programme they sought treatment under.

National Health Security Office (NHSO) secretarygeneral Dr Winai Sawasdivorn said the plan was created to provide services to patients in emergency cases.

"The plan is not about increasing benefits for the healthcare programmes' members. These are benefits that were promised to them a long time ago. It's just that in practice, the services are not very smooth and some patients have complained about being forced to pay medical bills first and wait for reimbursement later," he said.

Winai said the Public Health Ministry would be negotiating with hospitals about the plan.

"It will work on reimbursement ceilings too," he said.

An informed source said the ministry would have to define what constituted a medical emergency, provide details of each type of medical emergency, and the reimbursement rate for each.

Yingluck was expected to consider the planned reimbursement ceiling on March 13, the source added.

It said the ceiling for an appendicitis operation, for example, would likely be around Bt10,500, while that for heart surgery could be well above Bt100,000.

"Whether the plan will really be able to take effect on April 1 depends on the response from the private medical facilities. If they accept a rate based on the RW [relative weight], the plan should be able to go ahead as planned," the source said.

Somkiat said that at yesterday's meeting, authorities also planned to ensure all three healthcare programmes provide the same standard of treatment for chronic diseases.

"We will start with Aids and kidney diseases," he said, adding that authorities hoped this plan would become a reality later this year.

-- The Nation 2012-03-03

[Nacho]

A positive step forward.

Access to healthcare, and better education for all. As well as a stronger economy should be the governments top priorities.

These are issues that everyone should be able to stand behind together.

[pisico]

A positive step forward.

Access to healthcare, and better education for all. As well as a stronger economy should be the governments top priorities.

These are issues that everyone should be able to stand behind together.

Forget about reality!

Just say it and wish it and it will happen. It will make us feel so good! Isn't that the main reason for standing behind such proposals? It means that we are so good...

Reality is a different one.

I have extensive relations in the medical field in Thailand. ERs treat differently those with private insurance and those who have the government's.

The vast majority of cases attended in ERs in Thailand are accidents involving motorcycles. The few of them who have their own insurance get much better and prompt treatment;

(I know, there will be someone with a single personal anecdotal story who will disagree.) I am referring to statistical facts, not feelings. Look for that data and you will find them. But it will not be easy.

Furthermore, private hospitals are increasingly opting out of accepting people carrying only government insurance. Another fact publishes by The Nation and in TV several times. Why?

Government's unrealistic vision. Pays little and ignores real costs of maintaining and operating the facility.

Thailand is trapped in its Magical Thinking.

[hkt83100]

Regarding the price structure it is interesting that the biggest private hospital of Phuket charges more than 10000 Baht per room per day (!) if you have a health insurance, but just about 3500 if you pay out of your own pocket.

[anterian]

" patients would only need to produce their national identification cards to receive treatment". ok so that rules out farangs and anyone who is unconscious:D

[belg]

also farang ?

[gay4who]

In the Uk and EU countries any foreigner will get immediate emergency treatment without charge, A shame on Thailand that they dont offer similar treatment

[voodoomagicman]

Another day, another statement from an official. Let's hope this one does happen, perhaps a way to reduce the financial burden would be to give out free motorbike light bulbs nationwide to reduce accidents.

[Beetlejuice]

The three programmes cover all people across the country.

Oh no it doesn’t. As far as the Thai government are concerned, than I, as an Alien or a farang, which ever way they prefer to classify me, can go and jump in the lake if I become ill and not able to afford medical care. As far as they are concerned, I don`t exist in Thailand.

In my area there are Government owned veterinary practises that offer medical treatment to dogs and cats for free. In fact my pets have more rights to Government benefits than I do here.

But the good news is that these schemes will cover the missies and the kids, so that’s something I suppose.

[Baxer]

In the Uk and EU countries any foreigner will get immediate emergency treatment without charge, A shame on Thailand that they dont offer similar treatment

No, that is wrong, only people living in EU and a few other countries will get the same emergency rate, a tourist from Thailand have to pay for everything/use his health insurance.

That is how it works here in Sweden, and we are in EU.

[gay4who]

In the Uk and EU countries any foreigner will get immediate emergency treatment without charge, A shame on Thailand that they dont offer similar treatment

No, that is wrong, only people living in EU and a few other countries will get the same emergency rate, a tourist from Thailand have to pay for everything/use his health insurance.

That is how it works here in Sweden, and we are in EU.

No You are wrong. You can comment on Sweden and the EU but here are the facts.http://www.advicegui...from_abroad.htm

the relevant part.

Treatment which is always free of charge

Some hospital treatment is free of charge for everyone who needs it, regardless of how long they have been or intend to stay in the UK. This is:-

• treatment for accidents and emergencies as an outpatient in a hospital’s accident and emergency department. Emergency treatment in a walk-in centre is also free of charge (England and Wales only).
  

In The LoS you dont get any of this, Infact more inequities is not getting it even if you are in Thailand, working and paying taxes, as ever you are just a falang in Thailand

Edited March 5, 2012 by gay4who

[Baxer]

In the Uk and EU countries any foreigner will get immediate emergency treatment without charge, A shame on Thailand that they dont offer similar treatment

No, that is wrong, only people living in EU and a few other countries will get the same emergency rate, a tourist from Thailand have to pay for everything/use his health insurance.

That is how it works here in Sweden, and we are in EU.

No You are wrong. You can comment on Sweden and the EU but here are the facts.http://www.advicegui...from_abroad.htm

the relevant part.

Treatment which is always free of charge

Some hospital treatment is free of charge for everyone who needs it, regardless of how long they have been or intend to stay in the UK. This is:-

• treatment for accidents and emergencies as an outpatient in a hospital’s accident and emergency department. Emergency treatment in a walk-in centre is also free of charge (England and Wales only).
  

In The LoS you dont get any of this, Infact more inequities is not getting it even if you are in Thailand, working and paying taxes, as ever you are just a falang in Thailand

From your link

This information applies to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

So that seam to bee the case in Uk, but you wrote Uk and EU countries, and my point was that it's not the case in every EU country.