Tribute to Changmai Ram Hospital
Tribute to dr. Rattiya my health insurance and my great support my friend Tiw.
I'll introduce myself first. My name is Hans van Mourik, retired former professional soldier of the KLU. Since 1999 I have been in Thailand for 7 months and 5 months in the Netherlands, first in the south and later in Changmai. In 2009 I deregistered from the Netherlands and during the time that I am in the Netherlands, I live on a campsite. Have a large mobile home there.
On 19-12-2012 I became very bad at night: nausea, urge to go to the toilet and not being able to do anything and stomach ache. On 21-12-2012 I went to the RAM Hospital; first with the doctor on duty and he then referred me to the oncologist Dr. Rattiya. She examined me and said: I want to examine you further, there is something more going on. Then X-rays were taken and later a colonoscopy.
When I was back in my room, the doctor and surgeon came over and told me they wanted to operate on me the next morning because they saw cancer in my colon but didn't know if it was benign or malignant. I immediately asked if they wanted to get in touch with my health insurance company. They had already done that. They only had to make a medical report and the costs, but they won't know until after the operation.
On 22-12-2012 I had surgery. After three days, after I was up to date, I immediately asked about the state of the bank guarantee. It was inside. On 03-01-2013 I was fired. I went to the administration for the settlement and had to hand in my passport. They had the bank guarantee, but the money had not yet arrived. The next day I got a call that I could pick up my passport: the money has arrived. For those interested: operation and preliminary investigations and the room: 26.0000 bath.
On 05-02-2013 I have to report again to my oncologist for a blood test and a CT scan. After I did that, I had to wait two hours for the results and report back to the oncologist.
This one wanted to give me a chemotherapy of 12 pieces and then every 14 days. And a chemo is 3 days so 2 nights. I asked again to contact my ZKV. So do it again right away. To my room and start of my chemo. The next day she came to visit and I immediately asked: how is my bank guarantee? It's in.
13-07-2013 was my last chemo. During that time actually also had to make a visa run. The RAM has ensured that it is extended for another 3 months at immigration. On 27-07-2013 to 05-10-I had just visited my GP in the Netherlands with the medical report. He wrote down everything on his computer, he thought it was a nice report and clear.
On 16-10-2013 I had to report to the oncologist again. First a blood test. She still wanted to have a CT PET scan made, but that has to be done in the Bangkok hospital because the Suan dock is not yet in use.
Again I said: will you arrange that with my ZKV? I will, she said. After three days she calls me: the bank guarantee has been received and I was able to go there on 27-10-2013. After I did that, I got the result late in the afternoon: it's very good. I am cancer free, but had to report to my doctor on 04-11. Reason that now that we are there we still want to enjoy Pattaya and especially the great result. Cost CT pet scan 55.000 baht.
04-12 for the colonoscopy. They removed some polyps. Looks good to the eye, but they still want to send it to the lab just to be sure. Colonoscopy costs 16.000 baht
On 23-12 I have to report to the oncologist again and hope that I will have finished with the examinations. For now, I will continue to receive treatment.
In short, I am very satisfied with Changmai Ram Hospital, Dr. Rattiya and my health insurance company. I want to thank them for the good care and the quick and correct handling of the financial side of my illness.
Hans van Mourik
Dear Hans
Nice account of an exciting event.
I hope you are well now.
I am actually writing because I want to underline the expertise of the doctors at RAM Hospital in Chiang Mai. I myself have been there a few times with minor complaints that were quickly resolved afterwards.
For example, I had a doctor's visit (general intake), blood tests, X-rays, an ECG and a visit to the cardiologist, all within 4 hours and on the same day. Costs 60 euros.
My advice to Thailand visitors who are in Chiang Mai for a longer period of time, register yourself in a hospital. I did that in RAM several years ago. Are they right with all the data, including my Dutch insurance policies? Very useful if you need to go to a hospital urgently.
I was also admitted to the Ram Hospital of Chiang Mai last year. I too have nothing but praise for the care in that hospital. I live permanently in Chiang Mai and I am insured with a French insurance company. When I was discharged from the hospital, I only had to sign twice. Everything was well arranged.
I am very curious about which French insurance company you are speaking/writing about, would you please let me know.
I am insured with “April International” health insurance. My agent was a Dutch insurance office in Hua Hin. Excellent service and you can correspond with the office in Dutch. So no misunderstandings and I have placed all my insurance there. I have only good experiences with that insurance office and with “April International”.
See here: http://www.verzekereninthailand.nl/
Hans looks like everything is fine now congratulations.
My question and also to other bloggers. Which health insurance in the Netherlands works best?
Congratulations on your good experience with the RAM hospital.
Butrrrrrr…
In fact, everything revolves around your health insurance, which I assume is a Dutch one.
I'm afraid that if you didn't have such a "nice" insurance, the treatment in RAM would not have been so pleasant.
As a countryman of ours found out in Khon Kaen RAM.
After three days of waiting he was simply sent away untreated……….
Provided with a solid note.
And ended up in the Khon Kaen Regional Hospital, a state hospital.
And, I hardly dare to say, he was helped first, and at the end of the ride it was examined how the costs incurred were handled, insurance, own costs, whatever.
He was provisionally put under the 30-baht scheme like any Thai, only having to pay a small amount per day for the “class room” he was in.
Undoubtedly to be continued.
Congratulations Hans,
Had a similar experience 2 years ago. Didn't get well and was taken to Thonburi Hospital in Bangkok, a scan showed that I had a brain tumor. Went to Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok for a second opinion. Normally I go to a cheaper hospital, but thought it was risky because it involved the brain. After a 6 hour operation, came through well, back home within a week. After a week I didn't get well again and went for a check-up, everything turned out to be ok, went to visit a friend on Sukumvitroad and when I got there I got a TIA, back in Bumrungrad hospital in no time, fortunately it was only 15 minutes by car ambulance, discharged after a week, I can do everything again, only a problem with eating spicy things and eating rice. Fortunately, I can do everything, but my right vocal cord is paralyzed, which causes problems with eating. After 40x therapy with the speech therapist, I can now talk properly again, eating remains a problem, I lost 1 kg in over 21 year without a diet, I am now at my good weight. Once again wishing you a lot of strength.
Very good experiences since 1993 with Thai zhsen: Pattaya, Ratchaburi, BKK, among others. Lad Prao, Nakarin, Phiyathai, Viphavadi, however, very bad with the NL health insurer.
In 2010, with a lot of low back pain, I didn't feel like waiting for 50 days at zhs A in Breda, so I asked my health insurer VGZ if I could go to zhs Bumrungrad in B, with a waiting time, with the referral letter from my Breda GP in hand. 50 min. , one of the top 10 medical destinations in the world with 950 medical specialists, with a neurosurgeon Dr Verapan, who gives demos about new developments in his field all over the world, including Germany, Australia and USA.
Answer VGZ: “If there is no urgent care, you must advance the costs. You can declare your fully itemized invoice to us upon your return to the Netherlands”.
Until the bill was declared: rejected due to: one could not read the bill, in Thai/English and... ineffective care! So there are a bunch of charlatans and quacks out there! By the way: treatment exactly as Amphia zhs – Oosterhout would have done it.
With the Thai information and MRI scans, a few months later I had two operations on my back in AZ Klina-Brasschaat (B), which is a VGZ contract, and was diagnosed and treated exactly as in BRR.
Opm neurosurgeon B: “an impressive picture; it is also difficult to understand that the patient does not have much more radiating pain in the legs due to compression of the nerve root S1”. Well, simple, I had 9,35 units of Harry pain. Only, that is not measurable. Can only be sustained with heavy painkillers up to 6 instead of the maximum 2 per day. But that is no reason in NL for an accelerated recording.
In TH people say: “it hurts NOW, so we go to a doctor NOW, get help NOW and not in 9 weeks as in NL”.
In 2009 I went to the Bumrungrad in Bangkok for an MRI scan because of months of headache.
Tried everything in the Netherlands, medicines, etc. Nothing helped.
An MRI scan could only be done after 2 months due to a long waiting list.
Beforehand I asked the health insurer for information about the reimbursements when I go for the scan in Thailand and they have promised to reimburse at least 75%.
I had to pay the bill myself first. In the end I was reimbursed 75%.
By the way, I got rid of my headache within 3 days with medicines from the Bumrungrad Hospital.
If I can catch the plane - but that wasn't possible last time, so I'll go to Brasschaat, just over the dotted line near Breda - the choice is short for me: Bangkok.
Only: who counts on your own health insurer not fulfilling the promises made by them in black and white by e-mail?
My legal assistance insurer has been busy for almost a year. In the end, only a draft summons was sent, and that helped.
Hello Hans
Congratulations on the good outcome!!
I have also received excellent help in Aries on several occasions. Hospital in Chiang Mai!!
Not knowing any better, I always paid the invoices immediately!
I have always had problems with the VGZ with regard to paying back the invoices!
There were always comments or comments on the treatments performed.
Who has positive experiences with Dutch healthcare providers ???
With regards
W. Derix
ONVZ - Houten, but that was already 5 years ago. How they think now, I have no idea.
CZ also rejected the same epidural and facet joint injections that Amphia-Oosterhout has been claiming and getting paid for for years. See the Internet, this is done all over the world, including in the Netherlands, even a thesis has been written about it (Dr title) at Erasmus, but the College Zorg Insurers does not consider this to be in line with the state of science and technology, so... Officials from Klompenland once again know better than the medical profession all over the world.
Moreover: you should have known that as a Dutch index finger-always-in-the-air patient…
Even when my surgeon in Brasschaat decided to park me at home for 6 weeks between two operations, but had to be transported lying down and picked up again, because my back was still unstable, so I was not allowed to sit, VGZ refused to pay for those journeys. That doctor should have requested wheelchair transport. The fact that I was not allowed to sit down was clearly a bit too much for the VGZ declarant. And that, while that transport can be declared entirely in accordance with the terms and conditions of VGZ.
Maybe health insurers are just trying to dump claims from abroad into the bureaucratic mess?
The only CERTAINTY you have with a health insurer is that you will DEFINITELY lose your premium; allowances = leniency.
Have been insured since 2009 with Unive Universeel Complete with Thailand as the country of residence.
Have had 12 chemos on average per chemo 110000bath
Am 71 years old also in 2010 I had surgery in the RAM Hospital enlarged prostate.
I think it is important how the doctor prepares the medical report for the insurance