Private hospitals instructed not to charge medical fees for Covid-19

[webfact]

Private hospitals instructed not to charge medical fees for Covid-19

By THE NATION

 

 

The Public Health Ministry has prohibited private hospitals from charging Covid-19 patients medical fees, with the Department of Health Service Support already informing hospitals and medical centres nationwide, department director-general Tares Krassanairawiwong said.

 

“We asked all medical facilities to treat patients within their total capacity, and use evidence of medical expenses to reimburse fees in line with the ministry’s criteria,” he said. “However, patients with life or health insurance need to exercise their insurance right first.”

 

Tares said his department has dispatched staff to check on hospitals which charged Covid-19 patients – cases which netizens have brought to light – and has already discussed the issue of fee exemption with them.

 

Covid-19 patients or relatives living in Bangkok, who are charged medical fees, can inform the department via phone number 021937057, or any provincial public health office in which the patient or relatives live.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30385483

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-04-06

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[Polaky]

Step in the right direction ????

[SantiSuk]

Wow - a touch of socialism being exercised by the regime? Could anyone see Trump going down this route?

 

Speaking as one who thought he would be able to buy his way into decent treatment if the worst befell me (with my co-morbidities), I should be disappointed.

 

My moral compass tells me otherwise and I applaud it.

[4MyEgo]

I read something earlier saying it is for Thai's only, e.g. they said if you have private cover as a farang, you should use it and then the government will reimburse you, or the insurer, hopefully the insurer, because I don't have faith in 3rd parties such as the Thai government.

Edited April 6, 2020 by 4MyEgo

[kevin612]

I doubt it, hospitals will still provide you a private bill. Even Thai people are still 50/50. Stay safe, folks.

[time2093]

29 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I read something earlier saying it is for Thai's only, e.g. they said if you have private cover as a farang, you should use it and then the government will reimburse you, or the insurer, hopefully the insurer, because I don't have faith in 3rd parties such as the Thai government.

Why would it be any difference?, of course a falang would not be covered.

[4MyEgo]

4 minutes ago, time2093 said:

Why would it be any difference?, of course a falang would not be covered.

Because some farangs think that the public hospitals will cover them for their costs.

[The Stranger]

Something tells me that this won't be applied to foreigners... 

[Enzian]

If you go back and read the English translation of the PM's speech to the nation last week he says clearly that this disease is part of a national emergency which will be treated free of charge at all hospitals, with no exceptions mentioned. Clearly the way this will play out in practice remains to be seen, but the policy I think has been the official position for quite some time now. I posted about it after his speech, and I'm surprised there has not been more discussion of his statement.

[grumbleweed]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Private hospitals instructed not to charge medical fees for Covid-19

Which the hospitals will interpret as "Don't treat Covid patients

[from the home of CC]

called this a month ago - no choice really..

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, 4MyEgo said:

I read something earlier saying it is for Thai's only, e.g. they said if you have private cover as a farang, you should use it and then the government will reimburse you, or the insurer, hopefully the insurer, because I don't have faith in 3rd parties such as the Thai government.

It is for everybody who has social security, so Thais and foreigners with a work permit. If you have private coverage, you should use that first. 

[FritsSikkink]

29 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Because some farangs think that the public hospitals will cover them for their costs.

If you have a work permit and pay your taxes, your social security will cover you.

[ChrisY1]

The elite owners won't like this.....but then again, there'll likely be funding somewhere for them to feed on.

[RichardColeman]

I imagine farang may get free covid cover, but the treatment of the urgent long toe nails being clipped is half million

[cyril sneer]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Covid-19 patients or relatives living in Bangkok, who are charged medical fees, can inform the department via phone number 021937057

i'd be very surprised if that number worked

[spiekerjozef]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The Public Health Ministry

Talking about that.....

Where is that clown? Haven't seen him in the media for a while.

[mitostone]

3 minutes ago, spiekerjozef said:

Talking about that.....

Where is that clown? Haven't seen him in the media for a while.

He has been slideline ever since they made some uproaring comment. PM has invoke some special law for himself to be the in charge of the medical part. 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, Polaky said:

Step in the right direction ????

Nah, they just won't except Corvid suspect patients.

[bangkokfrog]

3 hours ago, Polaky said:

Step in the right direction ????

Very true, but does his also apply to the ridiculously high charges for private hospital testing, and the costs of he drugs they send you home with while you wait for the results?

[ncc1701d]

Interesting. I know a Thai that had all the symptoms, went to a hospital, put on a ventilator - the whole 9 yards. Freaking everyone out. Test came back as negative for covid-19. Luckily she had insurance, because under the above - if you don’t actually have covid-19, you’d be up for the full amount in costs. 

[marko kok prong]

Nice photo,Satan has changed his appearance.

[xtof2]

If I get Covid 19 infected, I can see myself - or even a Thai - going to Samitivej or Bumrungrad in Bangkok and have them welcoming me with a big smile and saying: "Be our guest, it's free!"

It will never happen.

 

Months ago, the government asked for something much easier (getting all private hospitals to publicize offline and online how much they charge for consultations and medicine) ... and failed to have this implemented.

[mlmcleod]

I suspect that the Covid-19 cases will all be treatment for flu related pneumonia!  We are about to have a flu epidemic in Thailand.

[Enzian]

Well, I have a membership card and number for Bumrungrad going back to November 2013, so I wonder if they could turn me away. I've certainly spent a lot of money on myself and my long time girlfriend there.

[jethro69]

2 hours ago, mlmcleod said:

I suspect that the Covid-19 cases will all be treatment for flu related pneumonia!  We are about to have a flu epidemic in Thailand.

Exactly my thinking, keeps also the numbers down. So face saved. Half of the people in the north will die anyways of pneumonia, given the yearly occurrences of fresh air. 

[donnacha]

Private, public, fees, free ... all if this only matters if you can skillfully time your sickness to happen before all the ICU beds are gone.

[White Christmas13]

7 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I imagine farang may get free covid cover, but the treatment of the urgent long toe nails being clipped is half million

get a G/F or wife to do it

[Lingba]

they will pad the fees in other ways

[Enzian]

5 hours ago, Lingba said:

they will pad the fees in other ways

That more or less assumes that in the end the hospitals themselves will have to absorb the costs, but I would think that the government will have to indemnify the private hospitals. Does anyone have real information? And by the way, I'm not poor and don't mind paying some incidental costs, the hospitals have to survive also; though that statement may lend me some insults.