FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Private hospitals slammed for wrongly charging patients seeking emergency care

Private hospitals slammed for wrongly charging patients seeking emergency care

A PRIVATE hospital demanded a Bt170,000 deposit before treating a critically ill patient, violating a policy providing free emergency medical services for all healthcare plans, the Network of Medical Malpractice Victims revealed yesterday.

Network chairwoman Preeyanan Lorsermwattana said her group had received complaints from patients’ relatives about hospitals demanding money despite the Emergency Claim Online (EMCO) policy requirement that the first 72 hours of emergency medical treatment must be free.
In one case, a man with high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels had chest pains and was admitted to a private hospital in December. A doctor performed a coronary balloon angioplasty and the hospital demanded a Bt170,000 deposit on a total bill of Bt260,000.
This was a policy violation because the man’s condition was considered an emergency, Preeyanan said, adding that his wife’s request for the hospital to be reimbursed by EMCO was met with a response from the hospital that the case might not be eligible.
“The wife’s inquiry to the National Health Security Office [NHSO] was met with a response that the NHSO was waiting for the hospital’s documents while the hospital insisted the NHSO should draw a conclusion on the case first. This is complicated and puts the burden of expenses on people. If it’s like this, the policy should be scrapped,” she said, urging the Public Health Minister to address the issue.
The ministry’s permanent secretary Dr Sopon Mekthon said his deputy, Dr Pranom Khamthiang, had been assigned to supervise EMCO policy and solve related problems.
The ministry is considering establishing a centre to advise on the definition of emergency medical cases and allowing hospitals to charge health coverage plans up to Bt10,500 depending on the definition of the health emergency, Sopon said, adding that private hospitals had contended that reimbursement was insufficient so the matter was still under discussion.
He affirmed that private hospitals are prohibited from collecting fees in emergency cases for the first 72 hours of treatment, after which patients are referred to the hospitals covered by their health plans.
Last year, 358 private hospitals covered by EMCO received 1,275 in-patients worth Bt45.7 million and 233 out-patients worth Bt1.06 million, while 139 complaints were filed with EMCO, most of which were about medical expenses and service providers.
A total of 2,360 calls were made to the NHSO hotline regarding EMCO, |most of which were asking for advice about to take advantage of the policy, what the benefits were, and how to be reimbursed.
 

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