Free Emergency Health Care

[churchill]

from Samui Times

'Any tourists who become quite ill or are seriously injured but do not have any travel insurance should just go to the nearest government hospital. It is the policy of every public hospital to take care of any patients who need medical care – not just Thai people, but also tourists, expats, migrant workers or anyone else who needs medical treatment.

Public hospitals do not provide house call services, but in case of emergency, please call 1669 for an ambulance to transport you to hospital. This service is free.

Callers must provide as much basic information as possible about the patient so that the medical staff responding to the call are well prepared by before they get there.

The Emergency Medical Service (EMS) in Phuket is one of the best in the country because of the huge variety of situations our staff have encountered in the past. Our EMS is provided by well-trained staff and well-equipped ambulances.

For now, all tourists with no travel insurance can receive medical treatment at a public hospital in Thailand, regardless whether or not they can afford to pay. '

http://www.samuitimes.com/handle-with-care-hospital-care-for-foreigners-without-travel-insurance/

[impulse]

The devil seems to be in the details.

Public hospitals do not provide house call services, but in case of emergency, please call 1669 for an ambulance to transport you to hospital. This service is free.... (assume that means the ambulance ride is free- IF it's a real emergency) ......For example, if you call an ambulance and the relevant officials at the hospital you are taken to deem that the ambulance call was not for an emergency, be prepared to be charged as per one of three EMS services as follows:

For now, all tourists with no travel insurance can receive medical treatment at a public hospital in Thailand, regardless whether or not they can afford to pay..........However, please note that not all medical treatment is provided free. If any payment is required, the public hospital staff will inform you of any expenses and discuss how the bill is to be settled. (An amount to include paying a bounty for the ambulance who provided your free ride, I imagine)

[churchill]

I think that it probably means than initial emergency treatment may be free , at the discretion of the hospital , and further treatment will need to be paid for ....

but interesting to hear experiences from the Hospital in Nathon and Surat

[impulse]

I think that it probably means than initial emergency treatment may be free , at the discretion of the hospital , and further treatment will need to be paid for ....

but interesting to hear experiences from the Hospital in Nathon and Surat

The way I read it is that they will treat you in an emergency, regardless of your ability to pay before they'll save your life. But then you'll become one of those heart wrenching stories of the family back home taking up a collection to bail their loved one out of a Thai hospital.

The only thing that seems to be free is the ambulance ride. And according to the stories I read, that's like getting a free tuk-tuk ride to a gem shop.

Still it's good that they will save your life, because most travel policies I've ever had don't pay up front. You have to pay, then file for reimbursement. I always wondered how that would work after a car wreck in a country where health care doesn't happen until you've paid at least a deposit in advance. And stops the minute you've burned through that deposit- until you pay more.

[evadgib]

I note the bit about compulsory health insurance for tourists too, which would be fine if billing in private hospitals was based on type of injury instead of ethnicity of patient.

The standard of care at Samui Govt hospital is very good and reasonably priced.

Edited January 6, 2016 by evadgib

[churchill]

I think that it probably means than initial emergency treatment may be free , at the discretion of the hospital , and further treatment will need to be paid for ....

but interesting to hear experiences from the Hospital in Nathon and Surat

The way I read it is that they will treat you in an emergency, regardless of your ability to pay before they'll save your life. But then you'll become one of those heart wrenching stories of the family back home taking up a collection to bail their loved one out of a Thai hospital.

The only thing that seems to be free is the ambulance ride. And according to the stories I read, that's like getting a free tuk-tuk ride to a gem shop.

Still it's good that they will save your life, because most travel policies I've ever had don't pay up front. You have to pay, then file for reimbursement. I always wondered how that would work after a car wreck in a country where health care doesn't happen until you've paid at least a deposit in advance. And stops the minute you've burned through that deposit- until you pay more.

I have a basic insurance with AIA and when I needed it they paid the total bill at Bangkok Hospital , Samui ..

I didn't pay a penny ... I elected , against advice , to have a daytime operation and not stay overnight which probably helped ......

But it is good to know options as one gets older .. a mixture of insurance and public hospitals , if you can use them , seems to make sense .

[orchidlady]

I thought all passengers arriving by air were to have a small fee added for health insurance emergency care.

[Sheryl]

Treatment, initial or otherwise ,is not free and you will be asked to pay for it.

What is true is that unlike private hospitals, government hospitals will not refuse to treat you in an emergency even if you have no money. but you will get a bill. They won't hold you prisoner if you can't pay it, but it will not be at all pleasant to say the least.

Private hospitals will ask you to show ability to pay from the onset and will resort to extremely coercive measures to get you to pay in full.

[stoneyboy]

It should have read.

Tourists and expats can receive free medical care in the case of emergency if over the age of 70 and accompanied by both parents.

[Torrens54]

Are there any signs of the current Government reintroducing the FERANG Health Insurance Scheme?

Even at a higher price than was offered under the "Previous" Government, it would be preferable to what we have now.. ZIPO!

[PoorSucker]

Are there any signs of the current Government reintroducing the FERANG Health Insurance Scheme?

Even at a higher price than was offered under the "Previous" Government, it would be preferable to what we have now.. ZIPO!

There was never a government health insurance for westerners.

Some rural hospital made a mistake and gave insurance that was only designed for guests workers from neighbouring countries, it was corrected quickly.

[samuijimmy]

Is there any country in the world that provides free health insurance.... I don't think even the Nanny States would cover tourists.?

That why there is travel health / accident insurance....providers from home countries....buy before you leave.

As for Samui Public hospital, Nathon, I have always found them to provide very good professional service at a very reasonable cost...

[Sheryl]

Yes, costs at government hospitals are very reasonable and given the level of care available, one is not likely to run up a really unaffordable tab at Nathon. The problem would be if it were something really major - they'd stabilize and then transfer you to Suratthani where specialist care and surgeries can be provided and there, if you are ill enough to need multiple surgeries and/or prolonged ICU care, you can easily wrack up a bill of over a million baht.

I would seriously question the truthfulness of anyone who claims to be totally unable to pay a bill at Nathon (these same people someohow always have cash for bar tabs...). . But at a tertiary level facility, it can certainly happen and is why it is essential to have insurance.

[Basil B]

In any civilised country one would expect to be treated first, the bill can be settled afterwards, for those who do not have insurance they should pay... and I believe the hospitals should pursue them to the ends of the world for payment.

why should others pay for free-loaders???

[khunPer]

The article originates from Phuket News (posted in Thai Visa News section yesterday http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/884254-handle-with-care-hospital-care-for-foreigners-without-travel-insurance/) - a statement by Dr Bancha Kakong, Director of the Phuket Provincial Health Office.

Phuket has before talked about the local administration ended up with huge expenses for unpaid hospital bills from foreigners without funds, and therefore suggested mandatory health & travel insurance.