Many private hospitals charging emergency patients
PONGPHON SARNSAMAK
THE NATION



Public Health Ministry to set up pre-authorisation centre

BANGKOK: -- Public Health Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong announced yesterday that his ministry would be setting up a pre-authorisation process for emergency treatment in a bid to resolve a rising problem of reimbursement for private hospitals across the nation.

This move comes after it was revealed that some private hospitals ask patients to pay in advance before providing emergency care.

The reimbursement programme for private hospitals comes under the government's emergency medical service scheme, which allows people registered with one of the three national healthcare schemes to receive emergency treatment at any hospital close to the scene of the accident. The healthcare schemes include National Health Security Fund, Social Security Fund and Civil Servant Medical Benefit.

Under this scheme, patients do not have to pay for emergency care and the hospital can seek reimbursement from the National Health Security Office (NHSO).

However, despite joining the scheme on April 1, 2012, many private hospitals are still charging patients by getting them to sign a bond before providing treatment. Of the 353 private hospitals across the nation, 241 signed up for the scheme last year.

NHSO secretary-general Dr Winai Swasdivorn said that up to 25 per cent of these private hospitals are getting patients to pay in advance for treatment as well as seeking reimbursement from the NHSO.

So far, 22,836 patients have received emergency medical treatment under the scheme, of whom 6,050 patients were in critical condition. The NHSO has reimbursed more than Bt331 million to private hospitals.

In a move to improve the situation, Public Health Minister said the government will set up a pre-authorisation centre that hospitals can contact to surmise if a patient can be considered to be in critical condition and if the government will cover the expenses.

In addition, he said, the ministry would educate people on what can be considered an emergency case in order to reduce confusion.

In a related development, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will today scrutinise the emergency medical services provided under the three national healthcare schemes.

She will also study the proposal to protect the insured under the 1992 Motor Vehicle Accident Coverage Act. The prime minister is set to hold a meeting with Pradit, Finance Minister Kittirat Na-Ranong and Labour Minister Phadermchai Sasomsap to discuss the issues.


-- The Nation 2013-04-26

Thai Loves Thai will never apply when there's money involved.

Thai Loves Thai will never apply when there's money involved.

I'd go as far as saying it doesn't really apply at all

I have high praise for many health care professionals who work in government hospitals who's over riding raison d'être is patient care, doing as best they can with very little..Private hospitals on the other hand are more beholden to share holder interest than hippocratean morality.private hospitals would soon close down if expected to treat patients for free or wait for the dead hand of Thai bureaucracy to agree payment and wait longer for it's remittance.Of course no patient with a life threathing condition should be turned away from either,it's a global problem perhaps compulsory Insurance is the answer and all should pay according to their means...

Any payment from the Thai coffers (other than when money can be skimmed) takes around 180 days (from experience in dealing with multiple Thai Govt comntracts). Private hospitals are privately funded thus have to rely on cashflow, not hand outs. Having a policy where the Govt is supposed to pay and drags them out leaves them no choice. So if you get involved in an emergency either be well insured privately or head for a public hospital.

How about a list of thos who have signed up and those who have not?

In a move to improve the situation, Public Health Minister said the
government will set up a pre-authorisation centre that hospitals can
contact to surmise if a patient can be considered to be in critical
condition and if the government will cover the expenses.

In addition, he said, the ministry would educate people on what can be
considered an emergency case in order to reduce confusion.

In other words the government will determine if a situation is critical or not

The Government can not even educate the people to add 2+2 =4 with out a calculator


In a related development, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will today
scrutinise the emergency medical services provided under the three
national healthcare schemes.

O good goody two shoes Yingluck is going to studuy the emergency medical services provided under the three national healthcare schemes. What qualifications does she have to judge medical concerns. For all we know she dosen't know the difference between ulcers and kidney stones,

How about a plan to pay a fair prices promptly. Not in ninty days or when ever they get around to it. You can not set the same price for the same care in a private hospital that has millions of baht worth of diagnostic equipment against a hospital that is lucky to have half the needed equipment due to lack of government funding.

What does it matter whether a licensed doctor decides to perform CPR on a victim lying on the street, or to perform CPR on a patient who is delivered to his private practice? What part of private do they not understand? That is why they went private; to get away from government beuracracy.

In a move to improve the situation, Public Health Minister said the

government will set up a pre-authorisation centre that hospitals can

contact to surmise if a patient can be considered to be in critical

condition and if the government will cover the expenses.

In addition, he said, the ministry would educate people on what can be

considered an emergency case in order to reduce confusion.

In other words the government will determine if a situation is critical or not

The Government can not even educate the people to add 2+2 =4 with out a calculator

In a related development, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will today

scrutinise the emergency medical services provided under the three

national healthcare schemes.

O good goody two shoes Yingluck is going to studuy the emergency medical services provided under the three national healthcare schemes. What qualifications does she have to judge medical concerns. For all we know she dosen't know the difference between ulcers and kidney stones,

How about a plan to pay a fair prices promptly. Not in ninty days or when ever they get around to it. You can not set the same price for the same care in a private hospital that has millions of baht worth of diagnostic equipment against a hospital that is lucky to have half the needed equipment due to lack of government funding.

I see a financing opportunity here...

Hospital fee payment bonds.

Thai Loves Thai will never apply when there's money involved.

I'd go as far as saying it doesn't really apply at all

The whole issue and the idea of pre-authorisation is a scam.....If thais worked efficiently as Japanese and Germans, I would trust somewhat of the venture...But they sit on their butts and talk, ignore and wait for some grease in their hands.... Just let the hospitals continue treatments and let their administration sort it "Thai style" ....have a problem trusting that! well then put your efforts into educating the next 2 generations to work honestly without taking bribes or short cuts!

One a side note, what is the difference between the National Health Security Fund and the Social Security Fund?