Paying large hospital bills

[flashingblade]

A colleague of mine has just come out of hospital after 10 days.

His bill is around 200,000 and he is struggling to pay it in full immediately.

He is not the kind of guy to negotiate with them.

I would have thought he would be able to explain the situation and maybe agree a repayment schedule even if it is just over two months?

It is the sukhumvit hospital at Ekamai.

Any info would be greatly received.

[mogandave]

He doesn't have a credit card?

[tolsti]

Ask for the accounts administrator. The will, providing you have a verifiable income source, allow you to pay monthly. They will ask for a copy of your passport and say it will be registered with the police/immigration but it's not. My bill was 2.2 million.. It took me a while to pay it off.

[Soutpeel]

He doesn't have a credit card?

more to the point why no medical insurance ?

[giddyup]

He doesn't have a credit card?

more to the point why no medical insurance ?

Maybe (like myself) he's too old to get it.

[h90]

What happens in Thailand if you can't pay the bill?

[Cypress Hill]

He doesn't have a credit card?

more to the point why no medical insurance ?

Maybe (like myself) he's too old to get it.

OP described the guy in question as a "colleague" which suggests they work together.

If he's working (legally), then he's probably not too old to get coverage.

[Sheryl]

Actually it is possible to get insurance through European based insurers at virtually any age. And he most urgently should get it - he actually got off lightly this tiem, 200K baht is nothing. Can easily rack up 1-5 million for a really major illness or injury.

And if he is working, should be covered under SS. Unless at a private school?

If he is under SS but ended up at a hospital other than the one he is registered at there are avenues for recourse and he should immediately contact the SS Office. And don't pay the hospital a thing until he has done so and then only if SS Office so advises. Private hospitals are supposed to treat people with SS in emergencies at the rate of reimbursment provided by SS though they often try to get the patients to pay them directly.

If he is truly without insurance, he will have topay what her can now and then work out a payment plan with the hospital for the rest. They will provide one if he remains firm in saying he does not have the full amount. They will charge interest, and they will take down his passport and employment details. This has happened to many people and every hospital has encountered it.

[h90]

Actually it is possible to get insurance through European based insurers at virtually any age. And he most urgently should get it - he actually got off lightly this tiem, 200K baht is nothing. Can easily rack up 1-5 million for a really major illness or injury.

And if he is working, should be covered under SS. Unless at a private school?

If he is under SS but ended up at a hospital other than the one he is registered at there are avenues for recourse and he should immediately contact the SS Office. And don't pay the hospital a thing until he has done so and then only if SS Office so advises. Private hospitals are supposed to treat people with SS in emergencies at the rate of reimbursment provided by SS though they often try to get the patients to pay them directly.

If he is truly without insurance, he will have topay what her can now and then work out a payment plan with the hospital for the rest. They will provide one if he remains firm in saying he does not have the full amount. They will charge interest, and they will take down his passport and employment details. This has happened to many people and every hospital has encountered it.

Just playing devils advocate....what he tells he has no money (and really has no money in Thailand) and says bye bye?

They can't take the treatment out of him.....So he would be in a good position to negotiate any payment plan/discount, or do I miss something?

[shirtless]

He is paying twice as much anyway , dual pricing

[mogandave]

He is paying twice as much anyway , dual pricing

That has not been my experience.

The hospitals I trade with have prices available on their website, seen to be the same for Thais & westerners.

When I use government hospitals, I seem to get the same price as everyone else.

When I go to the government hospital covered by my social security, it is free.

[Aussieroaming]

Try negotiating before the bill...it gets difficult after

[oxo1947]

Actually it is possible to get insurance through European based insurers at virtually any age. And he most urgently should get it - he actually got off lightly this tiem, 200K baht is nothing. Can easily rack up 1-5 million for a really major illness or injury.

And if he is working, should be covered under SS. Unless at a private school?

If he is under SS but ended up at a hospital other than the one he is registered at there are avenues for recourse and he should immediately contact the SS Office. And don't pay the hospital a thing until he has done so and then only if SS Office so advises. Private hospitals are supposed to treat people with SS in emergencies at the rate of reimbursment provided by SS though they often try to get the patients to pay them directly.

If he is truly without insurance, he will have topay what her can now and then work out a payment plan with the hospital for the rest. They will provide one if he remains firm in saying he does not have the full amount. They will charge interest, and they will take down his passport and employment details. This has happened to many people and every hospital has encountered it.

I can not find it -------but there was some posts on here at one time about a Thai insurance company that will insure you (for the standard Thai hospitals) up to the age 90. I didn't take a lot of notice of it at the time---but as I get older & my BUPA payments gets higher-------just wondering does anyone recall the discussion ??

[h90]

Actually it is possible to get insurance through European based insurers at virtually any age. And he most urgently should get it - he actually got off lightly this tiem, 200K baht is nothing. Can easily rack up 1-5 million for a really major illness or injury.

And if he is working, should be covered under SS. Unless at a private school?

If he is under SS but ended up at a hospital other than the one he is registered at there are avenues for recourse and he should immediately contact the SS Office. And don't pay the hospital a thing until he has done so and then only if SS Office so advises. Private hospitals are supposed to treat people with SS in emergencies at the rate of reimbursment provided by SS though they often try to get the patients to pay them directly.

If he is truly without insurance, he will have topay what her can now and then work out a payment plan with the hospital for the rest. They will provide one if he remains firm in saying he does not have the full amount. They will charge interest, and they will take down his passport and employment details. This has happened to many people and every hospital has encountered it.

Just playing devils advocate....what he tells he has no money (and really has no money in Thailand) and says bye bye?

They can't take the treatment out of him.....So he would be in a good position to negotiate any payment plan/discount, or do I miss something?

He could rob a liquor store on the way to the airport as well.

Specially if he just got a new liver....

[oldsailor35]

He doesn't have a credit card?

more to the point why no medical insurance ?

Maybe (like myself) he's too old to get it.

Just letting you know. You are not Robinson Crusoe on this matter

[petermik]

What happens in Thailand if you can't pay the bill?

There,s no ex-patient still alive to answer that sorry

[NancyL]

Here in Chiang Mai, it's the norm for private hospitals to hold onto a patient's passport during the time that a contract is being paid. They will send a representative with the passport to meet you at Immigration to keep everything up-to-date with regard to 90 day reports, visa extensions, etc, but they hold the passport to prevent you from leaving the country with an unpaid bill.

The gov't hospitals don't do this, but they do tell Immigration about people with outstanding bills and the question can come up during an Immigration interview for a visa extension, especially if you're claiming a certain level of income to support a retirement or marriage visa extension application. In other words, claim of poverty at a gov't hospital is one way to alert Immigration that the income you're claiming when you apply for a visa extension may not be accurate.

[h90]

What happens in Thailand if you can't pay the bill?

There,s no ex-patient still alive to answer that sorry

maybe the rip out kidney, liver, heart and sell it?

Farang liver should fetch a good price...they are usually strong and well trained

[h90]

Here in Chiang Mai, it's the norm for private hospitals to hold onto a patient's passport during the time that a contract is being paid. They will send a representative with the passport to meet you at Immigration to keep everything up-to-date with regard to 90 day reports, visa extensions, etc, but they hold the passport to prevent you from leaving the country with an unpaid bill.

The gov't hospitals don't do this, but they do tell Immigration about people with outstanding bills and the question can come up during an Immigration interview for a visa extension, especially if you're claiming a certain level of income to support a retirement or marriage visa extension application. In other words, claim of poverty at a gov't hospital is one way to alert Immigration that the income you're claiming when you apply for a visa extension may not be accurate.

I am pretty sure that it is illegal to hold to the passport.

If I recall right my passport is the property of my country. Beside that I could claim it lost, get a new passport and pass immigration (if they aren't informed).

Well I have 2 passports but that would kind of hard to explain that I leave Thailand but never entered....

[ev1lchris]

How can someone rack up a large bill like that?

I thought hospital care in Thailand was relatively cheap to Westerners.

I'm worried now because I don't have insurance here. I'll probably get a yearly BUPA plan.

[h90]

How can someone rack up a large bill like that?

I thought hospital care in Thailand was relatively cheap to Westerners.

I'm worried now because I don't have insurance here. I'll probably get a yearly BUPA plan.

200K is not much...calculate that to USD or Euro....You don't get much for that in Farangistan.

And prices are very different depending where you go.

The big nice private one are like a 5 Star Hotel, you pay triple price......

[stoli]

He doesn't have a credit card?

more to the point why no medical insurance ?

More to the point. After open heart surgery in Bangkok, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of California raised my premiums to $3,000 a month, with huge deductables. Had to cancel. Because I have had open heart surgery in Thailand, the Thai companies won't insure me at all. Hope that answers your question.

[mogandave]

He doesn't have a credit card?

more to the point why no medical insurance ?

More to the point. After open heart surgery in Bangkok, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of California raised my premiums to $3,000 a month, with huge deductables. Had to cancel. Because I have had open heart surgery in Thailand, the Thai companies won't insure me at all. Hope that answers your question.

So insurance is available, yes?

[ev1lchris]

Thailand needs Obamacare.

[spidermike007]

He doesn't have a credit card?

more to the point why no medical insurance ?

More to the point. After open heart surgery in Bangkok, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of California raised my premiums to $3,000 a month, with huge deductables. Had to cancel. Because I have had open heart surgery in Thailand, the Thai companies won't insure me at all. Hope that answers your question.

These businesses in some parts are known as the mafia.

[mogandave]

Thailand needs Obamacare.

Double the cost and reduce the care, great idea.

[h90]

Thailand needs Obamacare.

Double the cost and reduce the care, great idea.

But quadruple the profit from the insurances which than will quadruple the money they can give for politicians.

A win-win situation.

There 2 solutions: make it the free decision for everyone. Or if the country want to do it, make one big socialist dinosaur state owned insurance. That has the benefit that it can dictate the prices of the doctors and pharma companies.

Obamacare is the worst of both systems. (well for the people not for the insurance not for the medical industry)

[Sheryl]

How can someone rack up a large bill like that?

I thought hospital care in Thailand was relatively cheap to Westerners.

I'm worried now because I don't have insurance here. I'll probably get a yearly BUPA plan.

That is a very small bill for a Thai private hospital.

Private hospital costs can easily reach 3-5 million baht.

Even if you stick to government hospitals, a really catastrophic illness/accident can still reach 1-2 million baht.

Make sure the BUPA plan you get has a sufficiently high level of cover. Local Thai insurance policies for some reason tend to feature very low levels of cover.

If BUPA Thailand that means their Platinum plan which comes in a 2million and 5 million version.

[Sheryl]

Thailand needs Obamacare.

Double the cost and reduce the care, great idea.

Thailand already has a universal coverage scheme for its citizens, government run and single payer (through 3 different government schemes).

However, non-Thai citizens are included only under the scheme for people employed in the formal private sector. Expats not working legally in Thailand are on their own.

[mogandave]

Thailand needs Obamacare.

Double the cost and reduce the care, great idea.

Thailand already has a universal coverage scheme for its citizens, government run and single payer (through 3 different government schemes).

However, non-Thai citizens are included only under the scheme for people employed in the formal private sector. Expats not working legally in Thailand are on their own.

Yeah, I have my social card that gets me free care at the government hospital in my area.

I also have BCBS of Illinois which is a PITA POS.

I had Cigna up until last year which was great.