Chiang Mai Ram, Complete Rip Off

[namatjira]

That's fairly standard operating procedure for insurance companies the world over, however, for me and for people that have fairly normal health you can obtain this insurance, have you been knocked back personally or <removed>

Edited May 4, 2015 by onthedarkside
profane remark removed

[uptheos]

That's fairly standard operating procedure for insurance companies the world over, however, for me and for people that have fairly normal health you can obtain this insurance, have you been knocked back personally or <removed>

I have had this insurance long before you decided to come to Thailand.

Yes it's standard, but I can tell you that if there is a substantial accident they look into all possible reasons.

[bangmai]

That's fairly standard operating procedure for insurance companies the world over, however, for me and for people that have fairly normal health you can obtain this insurance, have you been knocked back personally or <removed>

They don't cover you on a motorbike if you are over 50. But, I am considering getting this, and getting a larger deductible with my million usd policy with www.hcc.com. However, I was told by them, that you can't use a secondary insurance company to pay your deductible, but instead your deductible starts after the BKKBank policy maxes out. HCC offers direct payment to RAM and Bumrungrad, and I have a collect 800 number to call 24/7.

[evenstevens]

Just dug out some bills from the last few months.

Dr. VACHIRAPORN, Dermatologist 300B for visit. Total cost for removal of precancerous growth - 1016B including meds

Dr. VACHIRAPORN, Dermatologist 300B for visit

Dr. VACHIRAPORN, Dermatologist 640B for total doctor fee. Don't remember why the higher cost as it was 4 months before the 300B charges. Probably removed something

Dr. Chalermpong EENT 350 Baht for visit

thks tywais

perhaps my charges of 500 baht(extra 200 baht) plus med costs etc etc, is that dr vachiraporn, give my beautiful body a full examanation,from head to toe,with all gear off, except my skiddys

before giving me the full burn off blasts,where a good day i need about 30(sunspots) of them burnt off

in any event i would not trade dr vachirporn impeccable professional services,for what ever reason

dr chalermpong EENT fees of 500 baht plus medical costs etc etc include removing all waxes from both ears taking approx 30 mins

i have been under dr chalermong care for many years, he is my favourite doctor, that i seen in my whole life

he is a natures gentleman,a great personality and a ardent liverpool fan,and a has very sound knowledge of the E.P.L.

so now, i have the feeling that dr fees at c/mai ram, may differ from one patient to another,depending on what professional services, are given on the day

a very nice morning to all

[NancyL]

Is a good idea to have a basic accident insurance, I have one with Bangkok bank, cost 2800 for 100,000 baht cover,

A friend of mine also just purchased and he was 72 years old so there is no problem with the age of the applicant,

I did, have a spill on my bike, took off a lot of bark of my arms and legs, went straight to the ram, waiting time was almost zero,

Had my wounds washed and dressed, just flashed my Bangkok bank insurance card and no money was paid out to the ram at all,

Covered antibiotics, gauze, dressings, antiseptic, also for 2 weeks I went everyday to outpatients and got the wounds dressed and cleaned......again no waiting and excellent service, everyday I received a receipt for 300 baht which believe me , is more than reasonable , In that one accident I got back all my insurance money, the care and attention I received at the ram was excellent..

Especially in regard to waiting times, fall off your bike in Australia , rip a lot of bark off and go to the public hospital for treatment, ok, I will talk to you in 12 hours time, hope you do not bleed to death..........2800 for 100,000 baht cover. Any accident anytime, if I slip on the tiles in the bath I am covered, as long as it is an accident......it's not so much the money, it's just nice to know that I have a little cover and can turn up at the ram And receive immediate attention.....do yourself a favor and buy basic accident insurance....its dirt cheap.....

It's a very good idea if you meet their criteria, but if you have any pre-existing conditions they will certainly look hard to see if they negate certain things. As part of their terms and conditions they cover themselves by saying;

• The insured person must have a good health record and not be disabled, already injured or have a serious sickness or chronic disease at the time of the application.

http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBank/PersonalBanking/BuildYourWealth/Bancassurance/NonLifeInsurance/Pages/PA1st.aspx

I've seen Bangkok Bank personnel sign up people for the the PA Senior 1st policy who walk into the bank using a cane. No questions asked about their health. And has been reported multiple times here on Thai Visa and by people I know, all you have to do is flash your Bangkok Bank insurance card at the local hospitals when come in after an accident and you're treated pronto and don't ever see a bill.

Of course, for a serious accident, the max payout is fairly low and it doesn't cover you you're over age 50 and on a motorbike.

I think the rate quoted above is a little low.

They have several policies, check 'em out. Hubby and I do have health insurance, but it has a high per-event deductible. We use this Bangkok Bank accident insurance policy to fill in that gap. The idea is that if we have an big accident, Bangkok Bank would pay the deductible and then the health insurance would kick in.

[BB24]

The only complaint I have re RAM and Dr Vachiraporn is the cost of the medications. There is one pill she has put me on and it costs 3 times what it does back home. I have tried every pharmacy I can get to in CM (all the locals and all those in shopping centres) and none of them supply it - I guess that is why it costs so much from RAM. But I agree that Dr Vachirapon is an excellent dermatologist - all business and super professional. She was recommended by a few TV Members, and as someone who has had an issue for 30 years (that is now getting better), I can also strongly recommend her to anyone with a skin problem.

[Dante99]

Just dug out some bills from the last few months.

Dr. VACHIRAPORN, Dermatologist 300B for visit. Total cost for removal of precancerous growth - 1016B including meds

Dr. VACHIRAPORN, Dermatologist 300B for visit

Dr. VACHIRAPORN, Dermatologist 640B for total doctor fee. Don't remember why the higher cost as it was 4 months before the 300B charges. Probably removed something

Dr. Chalermpong EENT 350 Baht for visit

I use different doctors but have the same charges recently. Basic visit 300. Perhaps some folks have trouble reading their bills or get charged more for BO or whatever.

[namatjira]

Actually the insurance does cover motorcycle accidents, it is not available if you work as a motorcycle courier.

Check with Bangkok bank and ask....my biggest stipulation was that I was covered for motorcycle...and I was,

And yes it worked out, fell off my bike and I was covered....

[bangmai]

Actually the insurance does cover motorcycle accidents, it is not available if you work as a motorcycle courier.

Check with Bangkok bank and ask....my biggest stipulation was that I was covered for motorcycle...and I was,

And yes it worked out, fell off my bike and I was covered....

Are you over 50?

[JoePai]

Is a good idea to have a basic accident insurance, I have one with Bangkok bank, cost 2800 for 100,000 baht cover,

A friend of mine also just purchased and he was 72 years old so there is no problem with the age of the applicant,

I did, have a spill on my bike, took off a lot of bark of my arms and legs, went straight to the ram, waiting time was almost zero,

Had my wounds washed and dressed, just flashed my Bangkok bank insurance card and no money was paid out to the ram at all,

Covered antibiotics, gauze, dressings, antiseptic, also for 2 weeks I went everyday to outpatients and got the wounds dressed and cleaned......again no waiting and excellent service, everyday I received a receipt for 300 baht which believe me , is more than reasonable , In that one accident I got back all my insurance money, the care and attention I received at the ram was excellent..

Especially in regard to waiting times, fall off your bike in Australia , rip a lot of bark off and go to the public hospital for treatment, ok, I will talk to you in 12 hours time, hope you do not bleed to death..........2800 for 100,000 baht cover. Any accident anytime, if I slip on the tiles in the bath I am covered, as long as it is an accident......it's not so much the money, it's just nice to know that I have a little cover and can turn up at the ram And receive immediate attention.....do yourself a favor and buy basic accident insurance....its dirt cheap.....

Surprisingly the sponsors – AA insurance brokers – can offer a better value (Bangkok Insurance) PA policy for the old folk than you can buy in a Bangkok Bank !

[namatjira]

Am 55 years old.....no problem getting this accident insurance with Bangkok bank, 3 of my friends got it as well, one was an American who is 76 years old, and if you saw him, you would know if he can get it a soi dog can get it.

[uptheos]

I have two appointments tomorrow both in EENT, one with Dr Rachada (eyes) and one with Dr Chalermpong (ears)

I will feed back how much the bill was, tomorrow sometime.

Appt 1 Dr. Rachada (Opthalmology) - No charge, this is the 4th time I've paid her a visit post cataract surgery in January and there hasn't been a charge.

Appt 2. Dr. Chalermpong (ENT) - Consultation about problem, long chat about Liverpool (particularly Balotelli), plus a procedure done that sorted me out, his fee was 500 Baht.

Hospital cost was 96 Baht

Total cost for seeing two (very good) specialists this morning, which saves me the trouble of two visits and also had a problem resolved, 596 Baht.

Now if people think that is a rip off..........

Of course if you see Dr Rachada and it's not post op, I suspect you can add another 500 Baht.

[ThaiPauly]

I think that Dr.Chalempong is one of the best doctors I have ever seen. He really knows his stuff and 4 years ago he virtually saved my life.

Yes we talk about his beloved Liverpool !!

[GPR]

Just dug out some bills from the last few months.

Dr. VACHIRAPORN, Dermatologist 300B for visit. Total cost for removal of precancerous growth - 1016B including meds

Dr. VACHIRAPORN, Dermatologist 300B for visit

Dr. VACHIRAPORN, Dermatologist 640B for total doctor fee. Don't remember why the higher cost as it was 4 months before the 300B charges. Probably removed something

Dr. Chalermpong EENT 350 Baht for visit

I had an appointment with Dr. Vachiraporn at RAM hospital earlier today. Went for a routine skin check up.

The total bill was 920B (800B doctor fee and 120B hospital cost).

It was my first visit there and I don't have any discount card... Everything was fine so no extra meds or treatment.

Did I do something wrong to get a bill like that??

[elektrified]

Just dug out some bills from the last few months.

Dr. VACHIRAPORN, Dermatologist 300B for visit. Total cost for removal of precancerous growth - 1016B including meds

Dr. VACHIRAPORN, Dermatologist 300B for visit

Dr. VACHIRAPORN, Dermatologist 640B for total doctor fee. Don't remember why the higher cost as it was 4 months before the 300B charges. Probably removed something

Dr. Chalermpong EENT 350 Baht for visit

I had an appointment with Dr. Vachiraporn at RAM hospital earlier today. Went for a routine skin check up.

The total bill was 920B (800B doctor fee and 120B hospital cost).

It was my first visit there and I don't have any discount card... Everything was fine so no extra meds or treatment.

Did I do something wrong to get a bill like that??

Everything has gone up. That thread was from last year. I went to Elite to get my teeth cleaned - last year 500 Baht; this year 800 Baht.....

[HooHaa]

Yet another moaner freely taking advantage of a premium service and squealing rip off when they get the bill.

How tiresome.

As for the mark-up on medicines, it is common knowledge, you can easily get a list and buy meds elsewhere.

[anon467848]

Yet another moaner freely taking advantage of a premium service and squealing rip off when they get the bill.

How tiresome.

As for the mark-up on medicines, it is common knowledge, you can easily get a list and buy meds elsewhere.

Agree, I always use the university pharmacy on Suthep Road. You can buy a member card for a small fee, and get a further discount...

[ThaiPauly]

When I was there a few weeks ago I went to the cashier and they told me that I was entilttled to a 20% discount as I was over 60!.

Worth asking for if you fall in to that category, think it'only for medication though

[uptheos]

Saw Dr Rachada (ophthalmology) at Ram on Monday and she spent quite some time with me, 600 baht plus some silly nursing fee to take BP.

I get bargains like this all the time at RAM.

OP you say,

Everything was fine so no extra meds or treatment.

Did I do something wrong to get a bill like that??

Can't you just be happy that everything is fine for 900 baht.

[GPR]

Saw Dr Rachada (ophthalmology) at Ram on Monday and she spent quite some time with me, 600 baht plus some silly nursing fee to take BP.

I get bargains like this all the time at RAM.

OP you say,

Everything was fine so no extra meds or treatment.

Did I do something wrong to get a bill like that??

Can't you just be happy that everything is fine for 900 baht.

I AM happy everything is fine, just wonder if the guys here who pay 300 baht have some secret moves I'm not aware of...

[elektrified]

Saw Dr Rachada (ophthalmology) at Ram on Monday and she spent quite some time with me, 600 baht plus some silly nursing fee to take BP.

I get bargains like this all the time at RAM.

OP you say,

Everything was fine so no extra meds or treatment.

Did I do something wrong to get a bill like that??

Can't you just be happy that everything is fine for 900 baht.

I AM happy everything is fine, just wonder if the guys here who pay 300 baht have some secret moves I'm not aware of...

They aren't getting out of there for 300. There are other charges. I used to see my urologist there. 500 Baht for him and 120 for the nurse. Now, I see him at his clinic......200 Baht.

[Dante99]

Saw Dr Rachada (ophthalmology) at Ram on Monday and she spent quite some time with me, 600 baht plus some silly nursing fee to take BP.

I get bargains like this all the time at RAM.

OP you say,

Everything was fine so no extra meds or treatment.

Did I do something wrong to get a bill like that??

Can't you just be happy that everything is fine for 900 baht.

I AM happy everything is fine, just wonder if the guys here who pay 300 baht have some secret moves I'm not aware of...

Yes some guys have secret moves which you are not aware of. Sorry secret is secret. Keep on trucking Sherlock.

[NancyL]

Hubby suffers from cluster headaches. Now if you're unfamiliar with cluster headaches, 5 minutes with Dr. Google and his colleagues WebMd, MayoClinic.org and the esteemed Dr. Wikipedia will educate you about the fact that the treatment that works the best for most sufferers is to breathe pure oxygen for about 20 minutes immediately upon feeling the onset of a cluster headache.

It was a neurologist at CM Ram who first properly diagnosed Hubby's condition, although we'd pretty much figured out what it was after consulting our good buddies (referenced above) on the internet. We hadn't expect the CM Ram doctor to be so willing to go right for the oxygen. It's so simple and so cheap. Where's the profit in that?

After he learned that we live less than 400 meters from CM Ram, instead of prescribing expensive drugs for Hubby, he wrote him a "prescription" for oxygen and told him to come into the emergency room pronto at any time of the night or day as soon he felt a cluster head ache coming. Sure enough, the first one came the next day and Hubby trotted off to CM Ram. He returned a couple hours later with a little bag and a bill for for something like 1200 baht. It may have been less. I can't really remember. It seemed very low. It was for the mask, tubing and water bottle to humidify the oxygen. He had been told to bring this hardware back the next time he came to the hospital to use their oxygen and there wouldn't be a charge to buy new hardware. The key thing was his head ache had disappeared within 10 minutes of breathing the pure oxygen and they kept him on it another 10 minutes just to make sure.

But, he had another headache two days later. He grabbed his bag with the face mask, tubing, water bottle and again trotted down to CM Ram. This time when he returned in a couple hours with no headache he presented me with a hospital receipt for -- guess what --- 48 baht! Yes 48 baht. He said he got to sit around in air con comfort for over 30 minutes breathing pure oxygen thru his personal face mask while a worried looking pretty young nurse looked in one him from time-to-time. What a deal!

I didn't know that CM Ram even bothered to turn on their printers for that low a sum!

[Genericnic]

Just thought I would add a bit of data to the discussion.

Last month I had 3 procedures done at RAM.

Echocardiogram done with Dr. Pattarapong:

Doctor fee: 450 baht

Hospital cost: 3,552 baht after the 20% discount

Eye examination with Dr. Rachada:

Doctor fee: 800 baht

Hospital cost: 454 baht after 20% discount

Colonoscopy with Dr. Jaruwat:

Doctor fee: 11,250

Hospital cost: 8,494 after 20% discount

One of the benefits of my prior work in the US is that I am covered by the State of Texas' insurance so, while I have to pay up front, I am reimbursed a minimum of 70% of what I have to pay. Makes even RAM seem reasonable. The insurance doesn't cost me anything, has no upper age limit, and covers me anywhere in the world.

Very happy with the service and the staff. Never had to wait more than 10 minutes from arrival until the appointment.

David

[dcnx]

Good hospital, but with their recent upgrades and new wing under construction, expect a hefty price hike. That seems to be the norm in Thailand.

[jobin]

I've been to Ram and Suan Dok hospitals. No complaints of any kind regarding either one. Each served me well and within budget.

All unhappiness expressed by others is merely sour grapes.

[Chiengmaijoe]

Hubby suffers from cluster headaches. Now if you're unfamiliar with cluster headaches, 5 minutes with Dr. Google and his colleagues WebMd, MayoClinic.org and the esteemed Dr. Wikipedia will educate you about the fact that the treatment that works the best for most sufferers is to breathe pure oxygen for about 20 minutes immediately upon feeling the onset of a cluster headache.

It was a neurologist at CM Ram who first properly diagnosed Hubby's condition, although we'd pretty much figured out what it was after consulting our good buddies (referenced above) on the internet. We hadn't expect the CM Ram doctor to be so willing to go right for the oxygen. It's so simple and so cheap. Where's the profit in that?

After he learned that we live less than 400 meters from CM Ram, instead of prescribing expensive drugs for Hubby, he wrote him a "prescription" for oxygen and told him to come into the emergency room pronto at any time of the night or day as soon he felt a cluster head ache coming. Sure enough, the first one came the next day and Hubby trotted off to CM Ram. He returned a couple hours later with a little bag and a bill for for something like 1200 baht. It may have been less. I can't really remember. It seemed very low. It was for the mask, tubing and water bottle to humidify the oxygen. He had been told to bring this hardware back the next time he came to the hospital to use their oxygen and there wouldn't be a charge to buy new hardware. The key thing was his head ache had disappeared within 10 minutes of breathing the pure oxygen and they kept him on it another 10 minutes just to make sure.

But, he had another headache two days later. He grabbed his bag with the face mask, tubing, water bottle and again trotted down to CM Ram. This time when he returned in a couple hours with no headache he presented me with a hospital receipt for -- guess what --- 48 baht! Yes 48 baht. He said he got to sit around in air con comfort for over 30 minutes breathing pure oxygen thru his personal face mask while a worried looking pretty young nurse looked in one him from time-to-time. What a deal!

I didn't know that CM Ram even bothered to turn on their printers for that low a sum!

All this positivity has to stop! I'm sure you are fully aware that this forum is here for those who wish to moan and bitch, and that if you keep submitting posts that don't include the terms ripoff, scam or such-like then you are going to be very quickly ostracised and frowned upon. You're only spoiling it for the complainers, so please keep your upbeat comments to yourself.

The fact that you are making a positive, caring contribution to the expat community by helping those in need only exacerbates the situation.

[scorecard]

banagan you describe your experience with RAM as "a complete rip off" Did you not consider the fact that you were at a private hospital and the question could have been asked of the staff "How

much will this cost?" If you then considered the price was too high you would have had the option of shopping around for a cheaper deal.

Of course Government Hospitals are cheaper and that comes with the negative, as has been pointed out, that you may have to wait some time for attention.

You will I guess in a few days need to get the stitches out and the wound checked, that's usually in the original charge ,better check

Try Rajavet hospital opposite Holiday Inn hotel, buildings not so beautiful but good care, lots of specialists, quick action for accident stuff (stitches etc.), they have a very pleasant and competent Philippino lady there to handle language issues if needed and she's fast and focused to produce any English language med. reports etc. Young pleasant Thai guy in the pharmacy speaks excellent English and very focused. Plenty of English at front desk.

More expensive than Government hospitals but way less Gveenment More epensive the o

[uptheos]

Hubby suffers from cluster headaches. Now if you're unfamiliar with cluster headaches, 5 minutes with Dr. Google and his colleagues WebMd, MayoClinic.org and the esteemed Dr. Wikipedia will educate you about the fact that the treatment that works the best for most sufferers is to breathe pure oxygen for about 20 minutes immediately upon feeling the onset of a cluster headache.

It was a neurologist at CM Ram who first properly diagnosed Hubby's condition, although we'd pretty much figured out what it was after consulting our good buddies (referenced above) on the internet. We hadn't expect the CM Ram doctor to be so willing to go right for the oxygen. It's so simple and so cheap. Where's the profit in that?

After he learned that we live less than 400 meters from CM Ram, instead of prescribing expensive drugs for Hubby, he wrote him a "prescription" for oxygen and told him to come into the emergency room pronto at any time of the night or day as soon he felt a cluster head ache coming. Sure enough, the first one came the next day and Hubby trotted off to CM Ram. He returned a couple hours later with a little bag and a bill for for something like 1200 baht. It may have been less. I can't really remember. It seemed very low. It was for the mask, tubing and water bottle to humidify the oxygen. He had been told to bring this hardware back the next time he came to the hospital to use their oxygen and there wouldn't be a charge to buy new hardware. The key thing was his head ache had disappeared within 10 minutes of breathing the pure oxygen and they kept him on it another 10 minutes just to make sure.

But, he had another headache two days later. He grabbed his bag with the face mask, tubing, water bottle and again trotted down to CM Ram. This time when he returned in a couple hours with no headache he presented me with a hospital receipt for -- guess what --- 48 baht! Yes 48 baht. He said he got to sit around in air con comfort for over 30 minutes breathing pure oxygen thru his personal face mask while a worried looking pretty young nurse looked in one him from time-to-time. What a deal!

I didn't know that CM Ram even bothered to turn on their printers for that low a sum!

All this positivity has to stop! I'm sure you are fully aware that this forum is here for those who wish to moan and bitch, and that if you keep submitting posts that don't include the terms ripoff, scam or such-like then you are going to be very quickly ostracised and frowned upon. You're only spoiling it for the complainers, so please keep your upbeat comments to yourself.

The fact that you are making a positive, caring contribution to the expat community by helping those in need only exacerbates the situation.

How dare you address the 2015 POTY in that way?

[sup3r1or]

Thats very cheap. Dont forget you are in Private Hospital. My gallbladder removal i BNH cost me 300k but that was covered by insurance. A regular visit to ENT can cost around 5k. The medicine is imported most of the time and they are in business to make money. 4.500 is cheap for stitches not a rip off

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