Requesting Cost Be Under Out Patient Insurance Limit

[isawasnake]

This may be a question for any country you are in, but is there a phrase or something to say to the doc when you get to the hospital here, and you want to keep the cost under your insurance coverage? Or does a "keep it under my 2000 baht limit" cover it? I am just not sure how to handle it, and what to say, ir if this is even a thing doctors accept a patient requesting. Thanks.

[jrtmedic]

Cost will always depend on what exactly is needed !

However, indicating ones financial limit in a polite manner is unlikely to offend anyone.

[isawasnake]

Cost will always depend on what exactly is needed !

However, indicating ones financial limit in a polite manner is unlikely to offend anyone.

Yeah. I mean I am not expecting to get 1/10 of a surgery or something like that.

Say for example, if I have no cash and get treated, and the bill will be a little over my max with medicine etc.... can I somehow politely point this out from the beginning so I get the same treatment, yet perhaps slightly less medicine. Or, would I have to do this at the pharmacy counter? Can you just tell them stuff like "I'll take 5 of these pills, not 10"?

[Sheryl]

The amount of medication you are given will relate to the amount you need. You can't just take half as much of, say, an antibiotic!.

You can, however, refuse to buy your meds at the hospital and get them instead at an outside pharmacy which, unless you are treated in a govt hosp, will usually mean a big savings. (Not applicable for drugs that are prescription only, of course).

If the insurance you have is one that the Thai hospitals have a direct billing arrangement with, the hospital and the insurance company will usually sort it out between them.= re cost and only if you are significantly over the maximum cover will the hospital ask you to pay.

[isawasnake]

"You can't just take half as much of, say, an antibiotic!."

I think there should be some sort of direction you can give a doc, where you are effectively saying "I have 2000 baht to spend, do the best you can with it without going over". I think that is perfectly reasonable. It is awkward though, and I think it is like that for a reason, so they can make more money. I am new to being insured, but one of the perks is going in when you are only perhaps scared of having something more serious. When I do this, I would very much not like to pay anything, because I would not have even went in otherwise. Anyway, that is what I think, people should have that right.... I was just wondering what is the best way to go about doing it, or saying it, and when.

Edited August 21, 2013 by isawasnake

[Sheryl]

You can tell the doctor "my insurance covers only very limited amounts of medications, I have to pay the rest out of pocket so am concerned to keep the costs down...and I really prefer to take as few medications as posisble". This will adequately convey the idea.

However buying your meds at a hospital pharmacy where mark-ups can easily exceed 100% will not help. Unless your insurance requires you to do so, best to buy at an outside pharmacy.

Note too that not all illnesses can be treated with <2,000 baht worth of medication...it obviously depends on the problem. That said, doctors in Thailand do tend to over prescribe, often giving 3 scripts where one would suffice (one of these will usually be paracetemol). It's a cultural thing, many Thais equate the quality of care with the number of drugs given so they assume you will be dissatisifed if given "only one" medicine. Another good reaso nto tell the doctor up front that you prefer not to get a lot of meds.

You can certainly refuse medications at the cashier and they will then deduct from your bill. Easiest way to do this is to say you already have it, avoids arguments. Do this for example for any paracetemol or vitamins which often are added to the mix to bring up the number of different drugs given (for aforementioned reason). In the case of antibiotics or other drugs that are clearly needed, you can note what they are and buy them at an outside pharmacy, or, if your insurance only cover meds through the hospital pharmacy, take a reduced amount and buy the rest outside, just be sure that you do as an incomplete course of antibiotics is dangerous.

In most hospitals the sequence is that you pay first, then get meds at the pharmacy window at which point if you decline any, have to go back to cashier to adjust the bill, a slight hassle which will take at least an extra 15 minutes time at the check out stage.

You can try to get the cashier to tell you what the meds are first, though I haven't had much luck with that. They can tell you the medication cost total though and this will also be indicated on the bill.