Two Days at a Thai Hospital: A TotallyOz Special Report

[Guest hitoallusa]

Oh my Oz, so glad that you are getting better. Hope you recover fast.

I am better. It is slow but I do see the swelling going down for the first time in 4 months so I am happy about that. I am glad I went to the hospital I did after trying several places in USA who did nothing for me.

[RA1]

Some of this discussion could be a variation of the $500 military hammer. Would anyone herein object to a 20% cost + charge for medical care? That would be the same as what contractors who build or re-build homes after serious damage charge. 10% as the cost of overhead and 10% profit. In some cases that is cheap; in other it is almost highway robbery.

So, if we consider various charges in medicine and add 10 + 10 percent to all of them (not the same as adding 20%) you might easily arrive at today's costs. I certainly am not defending such charges but merely "explaining" them in context with the current US philosophy of such.

We have a lot of things to consider, do we not?

Best regards,

RA1

[ihpguy]

At the Thai hospitals, are you allowed to call in a lady boy or three to perform and entertainment to keep the patients from becoming restless?

[firecat691614502759]

Some of this discussion could be a variation of the $500 military hammer. Would anyone herein object to a 20% cost + charge for medical care? That would be the same as what contractors who build or re-build homes after serious damage charge. 10% as the cost of overhead and 10% profit. In some cases that is cheap; in other it is almost highway robbery.

So, if we consider various charges in medicine and add 10 + 10 percent to all of them (not the same as adding 20%) you might easily arrive at today's costs. I certainly am not defending such charges but merely "explaining" them in context with the current US philosophy of such.

We have a lot of things to consider, do we not?

Best regards,

RA1

Two totally different things. Building a house , it is easy to check the costs of materials etc. Impossible to check costs in medicine in the USA. Like I said if some small Blue Cross President in a small state like RI is getting a salary of millions then that is adding ridiculous costs to the patient. Same with a President of a small Hospital.

Of course health care providers control their costs by only paying so much for a procedure. Unfortunately there is nobody to control the Providers cost which eventually effects the patient.

The thousands of people who go bankrupt every year due to medical costs are charged ridiculous amounts that no insurance company or medicare would ever pay.

[TotallyOz]

At the Thai hospitals, are you allowed to call in a lady boy or three to perform and entertainment to keep the patients from becoming restless?

Allowed? I thought it was expected!

[ihpguy]

One of the most important things about Thai hospitals that I need to know, are you subjected to tasteless split pea soup, wilted lettuce salads, creamed chipped beef and jello, or are you fed some of my favorites like spring rolls with sweet Thai sausage, skewered at each end satays and porked lady boy? And of course, sticky rice. very sticky rice? Something sweet to end the enjoymeny like a milky Thai custard?

[TotallyOz]

The hospital food here is OK but sometimes more Thai type food. However, in this hospital, there is a McDonalds, and other food places including a Starbucks. It is easy to get something you want here for food.

I had an American friend that was here for 10 days before and the food he got looked very American to me. However, he choose from a big menu. More like a restaurant. It is not like USA where you get one or two choices.

[Guest EXPAT]

Actually in American hospitals now you also get a big menu of choices now. It's much different than it used to be. The only exceptions would be if your doctor puts you on a restricted diet of some sort.

[RA1]

Two totally different things. Building a house , it is easy to check the costs of materials etc. Impossible to check costs in medicine in the USA. Like I said if some small Blue Cross President in a small state like RI is getting a salary of millions then that is adding ridiculous costs to the patient. Same with a President of a small Hospital.

Of course health care providers control their costs by only paying so much for a procedure. Unfortunately there is nobody to control the Providers cost which eventually effects the patient.

The thousands of people who go bankrupt every year due to medical costs are charged ridiculous amounts that no insurance company or medicare would ever pay.

FC-

I get the feeling that we do not agree about various. I respect your points of view and I hope you are willing to reciprocate.

I think we could do a lot to promote various opinions on this site and I hope we can agree not to be disagreeable about doing same.

Best regards,

RA1

[firecat691614502759]

FC-

I get the feeling that we do not agree about various. I respect your points of view and I hope you are willing to reciprocate.

I think we could do a lot to promote various opinions on this site and I hope we can agree not to be disagreeable about doing same.

Best regards,

RA1

I certainly agree with those comments and felt that that was exactly what we were doing. How boring life would be if we all felt the same way about things. Hope you did not think I was being disagreeable because that was not my intention.

[TampaYankee]

Some of this discussion could be a variation of the $500 military hammer. Would anyone herein object to a 20% cost + charge for medical care? That would be the same as what contractors who build or re-build homes after serious damage charge. 10% as the cost of overhead and 10% profit. In some cases that is cheap; in other it is almost highway robbery.

So, if we consider various charges in medicine and add 10 + 10 percent to all of them (not the same as adding 20%) you might easily arrive at today's costs. I certainly am not defending such charges but merely "explaining" them in context with the current US philosophy of such.

We have a lot of things to consider, do we not?

Best regards,

RA1

Ummm... can you work that math out on a bottle of aspirin for me?

[firecat691614502759]

So I went to Bumrungrad Hospital yesterday to get a Urinalysis to make sure I had completely gotten over a Urinary Tract Infection.

I had previously seen a Urologist there with a great reputation. I went onto their website and then got to select the day and approximate time I would like to see the Dr. You make your first and 2nd choice for a day and a 2 hour window. 24 hours later I had confirmation of my first choice.

If you have ever been in this Hospital you have a number that follows you anytime you return. Every Dr. has access to all your medication and treatments on his computer screen in his office. How backward can the USA be??

I checked in and was given a cup to provide them with a urine sample. . When I returned the sample they told me it would be about an hour for the results and they I would see the Dr. Imagine 1 hour for lab work. Can the USA be any more backward?

Right on time the nurse came to take me to the Dr's office. He had the result of the Lab Work on his computer screen and gave me the all clear and we had a discussion on some other matters. Total time with Dr about 10 minutes.

Returned to the desk where they printed me a copy of the lab work and sent me to billing to check out.

I went to the billing desk and handed in the paperwork with my credit card.

The girl inputed a few things in the computer and then said the Total is 950 baht. I said give me back my credit card , I will pay cash. 950 baht is $31.50. Unbelievable !!!

350 baht for Doctor, 250 baht for hospital 350 baht for the Lab work. You do the math>

Now before any of you might think this is a neighborhood Hospital, it is one of the biggest Hospitals in Asia and the World.

There are 3 High Rises and the building I go to has 8 elevators serving 21 floors and there are 2 more buildings the same size.

Believe me I know there are many wonderful Doctors in the USA and some really good hospitals. But they are in the Dark ages in record keeping , providing LabWork and the prices that are paid are too often determined by too may people feeding at the trough. The insurance companies, Hospitals, Doctors and with all this money going into the system, in many ways Health Care in the USA is comparable to a 3rd world country.

When will the idiots in Washington DC wake up and fix the system.

For this simple visit in the USA , I would have waited ad least 2 days for the results and my co pay under Medicare would have been considerably more then my full bill.

And if I was someone without insurance and had to visit an Emergency Room, I shutter to think of the bill in the thousands of dollars.