And in case of illness/accident in Thailand?
Following yet another unsavory turn of events, this time involving an unconscious tourist after a hit-and-run accident, this blog also writes about how a hospital should act.
The Thai government has rules for this, which are, however, not adhered to everywhere. The rules are set out in The Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients.
This is what it says:
Emergency patients are ensured of their full accessibility to essential and safe emergency medical care at government and private hospitals without having any conditions or service fee being charged on the patients within the first 72 hours of their first admission or until their conditions are fit for being transferred to their registered hospitals.
Following their treatment, hospitals can reimburse service fees being stated in a regulated fee for service or fee schedule from healthcare schemes that the patients are entitled to.
In our language: emergency patients are assured of full access to necessary and safe emergency care in state and private hospitals without any conditions and at no cost to the patient within the first 72 hours of their admission or less until they are able to be transferred to their 'own' hospital.
After their treatment, hospitals can be reimbursed for the costs as determined in a certain schedule (and it is meant, but not stated, Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients).
I think it is wise for an emigrant, an expat and a tourist in Thailand to simply have the policy or health card, or a copy thereof, with them in addition to the mandatory identification such as a passport or Thai ID card.
But if you do not have it with you, or you are not insured, then you are entitled to a maximum of 72 hours of emergency care in any hospital, provided you are an 'emergency patient'. No one has to die in agony because of the lack of a piece of paper or plastic...
For a link: https://shorturl.at/qDIVY
Nice story, but tell that to the relatives of a patient from Taiwan who was refused treatment at a private hospital in Bangkok last week and died shortly afterwards.
https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2023/12/14/taiwanese-tourist-mr-chen-refused-emergency-care-dies-urgent-need-insurance-levy/
Willem, judging by your response, you have the above article, and an earlier article in this blog
( https://www.thailandblog.nl/nieuws-uit-thailand/onderzoek-naar-priveziekenhuis-in-bangkok-na-weigering-behandeling-taiwanese-toerist-met-dodelijke-afloop/ ) not read with attention.
I can still remember that this was not the case last year after that big fire in a disco.
A pickup with several burn victims was also refused at the Bangkok hospital praised by many on this weblog.
Jan Beute.
Many in Thailand ignore the law.
My neighbor, a top Thai lawyer who has just returned from Rio de Janeiro because of a symposium on international law at which she spoke, can talk about this. “There has to be money,” she says, “no payment guarantee from insurance, they can't buy rice with that.”
I am insured through AA Hua Hin with Cigna and had the policy with me. After three brief cardiac arrests in the hospital that everyone could see, they did nothing, partly because “Cigna” was not in the system. Is a top international hospital!
Partly due to a bankbook from my wife and an action from Matthieu from AA, the sky cleared. The doctor was called and was quickly in ICU.
In short, even if you are insured, you must be able to show a buffer of a few million.
The hospitals have learned from defaulters, the good ones now have to pay for the bad ones.
Andrew, that varies, according to 'good' Thai custom, per hospital.
A farang I knew was helped immediately after a written guarantee from an insurer in the Netherlands. What makes the press, as happened last week with the man from Taiwan, are only the negative experiences. You never hear about the positive experiences. I have never been asked for a guarantee in Nongkhai, neither by the state hospital nor by the two private hospitals. It is only the exceptions that make it to the media. The Rama in Khon Kaen did require payment in advance, but that was for a procedure planned long in advance.
During covid 19
Was a warranty statement issued upon admission?
Payment requested from my girlfriend by Bangkok hospital –
In pattaya – despite insurance w life
Closed to the Netherlands by sea
Upon discharge, and after receiving the GOP (payment guarantee from Cigna), we had to sign three IOUs: my wife, my son and myself. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to leave the house.
Thanks to Matthieu from AA, the bill for the hospital in Scotland at Cigna was taken from the bottom of the pile and placed on top.
This prevented late payment on your own account. All Kudos to AA.