Medical council proposes increased malpractice payments

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- To further increase compensatory payments for deaths and permanent disabilities caused through medical malpractice at government hospitals, the Medical Council yesterday proposed a tenfold amount on top of original rates at Bt200,000 and Bt120,000 for respective cases.

The Medical Council's proposal requires an amendment to Article 41 of the National Health Security Act, which would take time, while a twofold amount, proposed and approved by the National Health Security Office (NHSO), will take effect in October, Medical Council chairman Dr Amnart Kusalanant said yesterday.

Only holders of the NHSO's Gold insurance cards will be eligible for the twofold amount while the Medical Council's proposed tenfold amount would cover Social Security beneficiaries and government workers under statefunded welfare.

The Medical Council will meet on August 6 with the NHSO to discuss its proposal for the tenfold payments, said Suntharee Sengkee, a member of the NHSO board.

Preeyanant Lorsermwatthana, chairwoman of the Network of Victims of Medical Malpractice, said a bill proposed by her group would cover cases of deaths and permanent disabilities through treatments at private hospitals under all three government health insurance plans.

She repeated her call for the government to pass the bill submitted by her network and that she would do her best to have it promulgated by this year's end.

-- The Nation 2012-07-17

Now, all they have to do is find some way to reduce malpractice.

Good to see the increase in doctors' accountability and compensation for malpractice. The story is very sparse on detail, however. I fundamentally disagree with any arbitrary cap on compensation, if this is what it means [?]. Does malpractice still need to be proven in a civil court under this scheme for the payout to be awarded? In the case of a fatality due to malpractice, when compensation is awarded under this scheme, is the pursuit of civil remedies for compensation that represents the _true loss_ to a family of its breadwinner, for say the next 30 years, still available or not?

Edited July 17, 201213 yr by Reasonableman

Only holders of the NHSO's Gold insurance cards will be eligible for the twofold amount while the Medical Council's proposed tenfold amount would cover Social Security beneficiaries and government workers under statefunded welfare.

So, if you are poor and only covered under the Gold/30 baht program and lets say malpractice caused you to go blind, your loss of sight is only worth a twofold amount, but if the same thing happened to a Social Security beneficary or Govt Worker (i.e., people who paid a little into these medical programs through payroll deductions) then your loss of blindness is worth a 10 fold amount. I guess Social Security and Govt Worker folks are more valuable than other citizens. TiT

will we go in the near future of US prices ? 500.000 baht for delivering a baby, 10.000.000 - 15.000.000 million for a heart transplant ?

50.000 baht just to see the doctor to diagnose a cold ?