Tragedy played out on Facebook as sick and uninsured Bangkok expat dies on the way to hospital

[sugarcane24]

An injury should not be let go that far, to a point where it becomes a chronic and potentially life-threatening problem.
External use of diluted (with water) hydrogen peroxide is very effective for dealing with infections, but should not be used to excess, or for deep wounds.

A mainly raw diet consisting of fresh fruit and vegetables including homemade sauerkraut (which is a natural antibiotic), would also assist healing. You can't be healthy on unhealthy food. Remember that cooked food is dead food. It's okay in moderation, but raw food should predominate.  

Exposure to sunshine is also important, although sunburn obviously needs to be avoided. 

This is not to be construed as medical advice, but you can try these things at home!   

[little mary sunshine]

13 minutes ago, paulbj2 said:

Same applies to most countries. You only get cover under the French, Belgian, Dutch, German and Luxembourgish systems if you are a resident in the country and continue to pay into the system. 

 

However, as a holidaymaker, at least the systems in those countries do give you full cover for illness and accidents regardless of pre-existing conditions and regardless of how off your head you were at the time, if you had an accident. I can vouch for the Luxembourg system; in 2014, I came here on holiday and ended up at the hospital twice in a month due to illness. The Luxembourg "Caisse National de Santé" refunded to full cost of both visits when I returned home.

Very fortunate!

[Dustdevil]

6 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Regardless of what you think about him having no insurance, he should have gone to the best and nearest hospital. Doctors swear an oath. 

 

Get treated first and worry later. Life and death should have no price tag.

That is correct. Also, using the term "social security" suggests he's American. US basic social security does not reimburse foreign medical bills, but the Plan F Supplement, which is not expensive, does reimburse 80% of foreign medical treatment. 

[paulbj2]

5 minutes ago, little mary sunshine said:

Very fortunate!

 

2 minutes ago, Dustdevil said:

That is correct. Also, using the term "social security" suggests he's American. US basic social security does not reimburse foreign medical bills, but the Plan F Supplement, which is not expensive, does reimburse 80% of foreign medical treatment. 

I guess like most systems, that is predicated on being a US resident and being overseas on vacation, rather than leaving the country permanently

 

[Dustdevil]

48 minutes ago, little mary sunshine said:

My friend, an American, told me He paid into US Medicare since the

1960's....50 years...now He lives in Thailand, absolutely NO medical Insurance

if you retire outside The US....fortunately, He is in good health and has put 

about $75,000 US in a medical savings account in case of major medical

expenses, after that is gone, He plans to return to The US where He will be

covered for 80% of the bill....Doesn't seem at all fair!

All he had to do was add a supplement, the best being Plan F. I have that--it pays for everything basic Medicare doesn't--not one co-pay or deductible, and in the US you can take it directly to a specialist in the very best hospitals (Johns Hopkins; Cleveland Clinic) if you feel you must. And it's afffordable.

[hotchilli]

Seems like Karma stepped in to help out..

[redwinecheese]

1 hour ago, rott said:

'greed is good'

Unfortunately it is true, and it started in America "home of the free" I believe part of globalization of greed.

Edited February 25, 2017 by redwinecheese
clarification

[Dustdevil]

Of course, in my last post I was referring to US residence: Medicare and Plan F together (I pay premiums of $288/month) pay for every last cent of all medical care. It's for those 65 an older. Overseas, yes, Plan F reimburses 80% of treatment, but presumably it's only for those *visiting* overseas, not resident. But in the US, this plan is just about the best single-payer insurance anywhere, because you can go to the very best hospitals if you so desire--Johns Hopkins and the Cleveland Clinic to name a couple--and you don't need a referral. I go straight to the best opthalmology hospital in Houston--they have 50 eye docs there.

[Dustdevil]

7 minutes ago, redwinecheese said:

Unfortunately it is true, and it started in America "home of the free" I believe part of globalization.

"Greed is good" is simply a cruder way of stating the profit motive is what drives economies, without which we wouldn't have an economy. Without the production and marketing of goods and services, none of us would be enjoying any kind of middle class life. The world would be one big North Korea--or Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution.

[Dustdevil]

11 minutes ago, redwinecheese said:

Unfortunately it is true, and it started in America "home of the free" I believe part of globalization.

Home of the free comes from the national anthem, written when the British invaded in 1812. It's not a daily slogan.

[redwinecheese]

7 minutes ago, Dustdevil said:

Without the production and marketing of goods and services, none of us would be enjoying any kind of middle class life.

What about basic human right needs like affordable healthcare for everybody everywhere.

Edited February 25, 2017 by redwinecheese
grammer

[rott]

18 minutes ago, redwinecheese said:

Unfortunately it is true, and it started in America "land of the free" I believe part of globalization of greed.

Er, hang about here redwinecheese lad, rott never said "greed is good". That was Thaidream. saucy bleeder...................

Edited February 25, 2017 by rott

[happysanook]

Sad. <200B at any pharmacy would have taken care of that infection.

[paulbj2]

2 minutes ago, Dustdevil said:

"Greed is good" is simply a cruder way of stating the profit motive is what drives economies, without which we wouldn't have an economy. Without the production and marketing of goods and services, none of us would be enjoying any kind of middle class life. The world would be one big North Korea--or Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution.

Too simplistic by far! The world is not black or white; there is space between rampant, out of control, Trump-ist capitalism and the sort of despotic dictatorship represented by North Korea. Examples would be countries like Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands where, due to the tax system, the wealth gap is very much narrower than in say the USA. Additionally, in those countries, people are healthier and happier (or at least claim to be) than is the case in the US.

[paulbj2]

9 minutes ago, happysanook said:

Sad. <200B at any pharmacy would have taken care of that infection.

Wishful thinking I fear! Chronic ulcers can be extremely difficult to treat; often fail to respond to antibiotics and can eventually result in the need to amputate the limb.  

Edited February 25, 2017 by paulbj2

[gdgbb]

5 minutes ago, happysanook said:

Sad. <200B at any pharmacy would have taken care of that infection.

Very, very, obviously it wouldn't have or he would not have had the problem, he had had hospital treatment and every hospital has a pharmacy!

[redwinecheese]

9 minutes ago, rott said:

saucy bleeder.

well sorry if I mistakenly quoted your name wrongfully and if you don't want to accept my apology then meet me at tesco...lol

[icare999]

6 hours ago, brianwl said:

I have can't get health insurance in Thailand because of pre-existing conditions.  

nor can i but any expat here without enough funds minimum 1 million to cover emergencies should not be here. TO many particularly USA citizans here with no money relying on socila security. 

[redwinecheese]

2 hours ago, TravelerEastWest said:

accident insurance

I like emergency insurance why buy regular expensive insurance, because when your time comes not even the most expensive medical coverage can help your brain cells function anymore.

[billd766]

1 hour ago, sugarcane24 said:

So, was it an accident, or an intentional or unintentional suicide?

 

Why do you need to know?

[starfish]

10 minutes ago, gdgbb said:

Very, very, obviously it wouldn't have or he would not have had the problem, he had had hospital treatment and every hospital has a pharmacy!

Yep, but In a certain moment in his life he had had this situation, whatever the cause, it could be Depression, or Alkoholism, these are illnesses, you know, where one does not act rationally.

[freebyrd]

1 hour ago, little mary sunshine said:

My friend, an American, told me He paid into US Medicare since the

1960's....50 years...now He lives in Thailand, absolutely NO medical Insurance

if you retire outside The US....fortunately, He is in good health and has put 

about $75,000 US in a medical savings account in case of major medical

expenses, after that is gone, He plans to return to The US where He will be

covered for 80% of the bill....Doesn't seem at all fair!

Pretty much the same for us Brits. I paid NHI for 20 years, entitles me to nothing in the UK or in Asia once I relocated.

[starfish]

28 minutes ago, freebyrd said:

Pretty much the same for us Brits. I paid NHI for 20 years, entitles me to nothing in the UK or in Asia once I relocated.

Its just an excuse, for not paying, ridiculous. I´m sticking with my "Self Insurance" Fund. Last time i had an injury, i got a "not covered". I pay into that account, whatever i can afford, and hope for the best, it´s nothing more with insurances anyway. Best business in the world, money comes in, but never pay out. I bet, if i´m gay, then thats a reason , not to pay me .

 

 

Edited February 25, 2017 by starfish

[redwinecheese]

6 minutes ago, starfish said:

I bet, if i´m gay, then thats a reason , not to pay me

Why???

[starfish]

4 minutes ago, redwinecheese said:

Why???

Don`t know .

Edited February 25, 2017 by starfish

[paulbj2]

41 minutes ago, freebyrd said:

Pretty much the same for us Brits. I paid NHI for 20 years, entitles me to nothing in the UK or in Asia once I relocated.

A British friend of mine was living outside the UK and had no medical insurance at all, anywhere. He had been out of the UK for 15 - 20 years then was taken seriously ill and needed major long term medical treatment for a cancer that eventually killed him. He went back to the UK and when they asked him where he had been living and why he wasn't registered with a GP, he simply said he had been a traveller and living rough for years in England and they took his word for it and treated him on the NHS. RIP!

 

Edited February 25, 2017 by paulbj2

[redwinecheese]

2 minutes ago, paulbj2 said:

he simply said he had been a traveller and living rough for years in England

He was a rational human being.

[paulbj2]

1 minute ago, redwinecheese said:

He was a rational human being.

He'd been living somewhere hot so he had a credible, suntanned ruddy complexion such as you might get from sleeping under the stars.

[redwinecheese]

Never tell an insurance agent yes, always answer no, because insurance is a form of gamble

[paulbj2]

6 hours ago, mommysboy said:

 

Yes. I like what you say.  Certainly, I think Canada and USA has such a benefit. UK and Australia- I don't think so.

 

It needs to said though: this could have been cured without extreme cost, but the Thai authorities would not do it.

 

So you need to know where you stand.  Personally, I think if you don't have substantial cash or a good policy, then you really need to factor an unfortunate premature death in to the equation, because it's likely going to happen sooner or later.

 

It's very short sighted of Thai authorities given the money they make from tourism.  More bad publicity.

 

In the USA, it seems to vary; I guess it depends who you are insured with. Most American visitors to Thailand that I know over here are not covered by their US insurers. Canada I don't know but Australians and Brits are definitely not covered by their healthcare systems; the UK being one of the exceptions to the EU rule.

 

I guess covering us old folks would be very expensive for the Thai government and that's why they won't do it at any price. I had a chat about this kind of thing with my cardiologist in Luxembourg and he pointed out that, in Luxembourg, on average, the medical spend during the last 24 months of a patient's life is the same as the sum spent for the whole rest of their life aside from the last two years. I found this astonishing but he swore it was correct.