Hospitals given Bt254m for emergency treatment costs

Puangchompoo Prasert

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The country's three main health schemes paid Bt254 million to hospitals nationwide for emergency medical services for the past nine months, a top official at the National Health Security Office said yesterday.

Netnapis Suchonwanich, assistant secretary general at the National Health Security Office (NHSO), said she outlined emergency treatment payments from the three schemes to a recent meeting of the NHSO board. The schemes had paid Bt254 million or 31 per cent of the total Bt813 million that they have to reimburse to hospitals for emergency medical treatments.

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Of the Bt254 million, NHSO advanced Bt121 million for the scheme under responsibility of Social Security Office (SSO) and the healthcare-benefit scheme for civil servants and their families under responsibility of the Comptroller General's Department (CGD) to reimburse the hospitals. But, SSO and CGD had not yet paid NHSO back because relevant regulations were in the process of being changed, Netnapis said.

She said that 14,525 people covered by the three schemes underwent emergency treatment 15,708 times from April 1 to December 31, 2012. Of these, 49 per cent or 7,731 were under the scheme for civil servants and their families, 44 per cent or 6,878 were under the NHSO's scheme and 7 per cent or 1,063 were under the SSO's scheme. Another 36 people were under other schemes.

Most of the illnesses found among emergency patients were respiratory diseases, severe abdominal pain, diarrhoea, inflammatory bowel, appendicitis, unconsciousness, cases who had stopped breathing, cardiovascular diseases, high fever, exhaustion, plus neurological and brain diseases, she said.

Netnapis said Ramkhamhaeng Hospital had received the top reimbursement of Bt18 million, followed by Thonburi Hospital (Bt10 million) and Kasemrad Hospital Rattanatibeth with Bt7 million.

Public Health Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong said 40 per cent of patients who underwent emergency treatment did not fully understand their rights under their scheme. This prevented patients from being reimbursed for medical payments. More people had to be educated in their rights and reimbursements.

-- The Nation 2013-02-06

oh they get money? i remember my stint in emergency + 4 days in hospital, that was a nice 60k baht out of my pocket

not bad huh ... 15.000 baht / pay

and it was not even a top private one like sami or bumrum

The article said the patients aren't aware of their rights. Well why don't the plans make their website include the rights clearly. I don't know about the Thai version but theEnglish version for the social secuirty plan sucks.

I would like to know how to access the social security plan for medical treatment. I have both the Thai social security insurance and a private insurance. The two times I've used the Bangkok private hospital designated for the Thai social security plan for EMERGENCY TREATMENT they charged the private insurance which pays peanuts for outpatient care and caused me to have large out of pocket costs.

When I first went to the hospital for non-emergency care I registered with both cards as my work said they would co-ordinate so I shouldn't have to pay out of pocket (i.e.more care options with private insurance but rx drugs could be charged to social security plan). I handed them the social security card when I came for emergency treatment (once deep finger knife cut that required stitches, the second time severe case of acute bronchitis that ended up taking three months to subside with bi-weekly visits, pulmonary function tests and pile of meds)but when they pull up my account they defer to the private insurance. I'm sure this is for financial reasons as they would get even less than the private insurance pays...leaving me to pay them several thousand baht each time.

Anyone used the Thai social security plan successfully without incurring costs (or minimal cost)?

They spend more on a blimp that does nothing.

Absolute peanuts for hospitals whilst they subsidize rice into the billions.

The article said the patients aren't aware of their rights. Well why don't the plans make their website include the rights clearly. I don't know about the Thai version but theEnglish version for the social secuirty plan sucks.

I would like to know how to access the social security plan for medical treatment. I have both the Thai social security insurance and a private insurance. The two times I've used the Bangkok private hospital designated for the Thai social security plan for EMERGENCY TREATMENT they charged the private insurance which pays peanuts for outpatient care and caused me to have large out of pocket costs.

When I first went to the hospital for non-emergency care I registered with both cards as my work said they would co-ordinate so I shouldn't have to pay out of pocket (i.e.more care options with private insurance but rx drugs could be charged to social security plan). I handed them the social security card when I came for emergency treatment (once deep finger knife cut that required stitches, the second time severe case of acute bronchitis that ended up taking three months to subside with bi-weekly visits, pulmonary function tests and pile of meds)but when they pull up my account they defer to the private insurance. I'm sure this is for financial reasons as they would get even less than the private insurance pays...leaving me to pay them several thousand baht each time.

Anyone used the Thai social security plan successfully without incurring costs (or minimal cost)?

Yes, I have, several times over the last few years.

No problems at all and no fees or costs at a nominated private hospital in Chiangmai.

I received very good service and effective treatments.

In my experience the Soc.Sec system works very well.

All my staff are in it and none have any complaints.

I suspect you are being ripped off or deliberately misdirected by the hospital that you used.