AEK Change of Policy

[charlie1]

lilred............so i tell it like it is in the states and now i'm a racist?........harsh words

[jimboLV]

if you are a white guy in the states and go to the hospital with no means of payment or insurance..........it's not going to happen

This urban legend refuses to die and is totally incorrect. It is against the law in the U.S. for a hospital to refuse NON ELECTIVE treatment for anyone regardless of their lack of insurance or ability to pay. If charlie or anyone else knows of a hospital doing this and reports them to the IRS they will lose their tax exempt status and any federal and state funding, which will put most hospitals out of business. Sorry for going off topic but the issue was raised on this thread and cries out for correction.

Without doing extensive research here is one example of a regional health system's policy:

http://www.nghs.com/charity-care-policy

Back to the matter at hand.

[parrot]

mod note: the subject is AEK policy.....please!

[bumper]

I finally made a contact with BUPA who will address this issue as to AEK.

Waht will come of It I don't know. But, I do know if I don't do try then I have no room to complain. I confirmed that AEK is on their approved list and it is not BUPA's policy to have a cash deposit be made. My sugggestion is you have a BUPA polcy write her an e-mail asking that they contact the hospital administration, to reslove thsi issue with AEK's billing Dept.

The e-mail is

CSC@bupa.co.th.

Her name is Ms. Bwonnta

[bumper]

This is what I sent BUPA: Note that it contains a link to this thread, so good or bad they haev a link to the information.


Bupa Insurance May, 2, 2012
Attn: Ms.Bwonnta

On April. 24th, 2012 my wife was admitted to AEK hospital in Udon, she is an AIA insured. The hospital requested that I post a 7500 baht deposit. This was new to me so I went o the international office, to confirm this. I was told that it was now the hospitals policy that no matter what insurance you have, you would have to post a deposit.

Being a BUPA insured I asked specifically asked if I would have to post a deposit, if I would have the same problem, if I came to their hospital. For treatment they advised that yes I would as it was now Policy and out of their control. My wife and I have the same agent, she came to the hospital and made an effort to resolve the problem she could not do so.

My wife was released the following day, they deducted her charges from the deposit no effort was made by them to bill the insurance.

I contacted the international office two more times in an effort to resolve this I know as a Platinum holder I am not required to post a deposit.

It was explained to me the reason they did this was too many people walked away and did not pay their bills. So if you were going to have an X-ray a 7500 baht deposit is now required. If you had to have surgery a further deposit was required.

I asked them if they would call BUPA and confirm coverage before asking for a deposit. I was told that BUPA would not confirm coverage over the phone. I would have to pay a deposit before treatment.
I have major medical coverage for a reason; it is well within my capability to pay for doctor visits. This a very disturbing turn of events.

So I asked specific questions as how I would be treated in an emergency. I first asked if I would have to deposit money if I came in with a compound fracture, I was told I was told that I would have to make a cash deposit.

I then asked if I came in with a heart attack would a deposit be required again I was told that I would have to make a cash deposit. I spent to two years as a licensed insurance agent myself. I know to read my policy that is a contract between BUPA and myself. I that it specifically states that no cash deposit will be required if I go to a BUPA authorized hospital
I assume BUPA also has contract with AEK Udon, stating an agreement. If so AEK Hospital is in violation of their contract with their contract BUPA insurance.
There are many, many BUPA insured in the Udon Thani area as individuals this hospital will never listen to us. But it does hold a valued connection to BUPA insurance.
I respectfully request BUPA contact the hospital administration and resolve this. To either have the hospital abide by the contract we as policy holders with BUPA and its approved hospitals. Or remove them from your list of approved hospitals.

I have resolved my problem as to normal hospitalization I sit up an account with Pinyavejinyrt Hospital an approved BUPA hospital in UDON Thani. As they will follow BUPA guidelines.
That being said I’m still at risk in an emergency as the rest of your insured’s are in this area. If you’re incapacitated by medical emergency. You have no input where you are taken by ambulance.

I hope you understand the seriousness of this matter and will do as you normally do and help o us your insured’s. I have to say I have never had instance where BUPA did not pay hospital bills.

Please inform me as to the results of your contact with AEK hospital.
Respectfully
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Policy number: XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Below is a link where the Udon Community is discussing this matter:

aek-change-of-policy-t24721.html

[rickfarang]

Bumper, did you receive a reply to your email (above)?

I think a good solution for emergencies is to carry a credit card. It takes about the same space in my wallet as my BUPA card but costs nothing to carry

For what it's worth my soon-to-be former BUPA agent wrote:

It seems that they only have terms of business with the following in Udon:
North Eastern Wattana General Hospital
Panyavej Inter Hospital
Aek Udon International Hospital

My annual premium is 21% of the max payout, and I doubt that with all their limitations and exclusions, they would never approach the max payout, so my actual potential annual payback ration is much small than 0.21. Given that and the information in this thread, I have decided to let my policy lapse. With a potential payback so low, I am better off being self-insured.

Sometimes insurance is a good bet, sometime its not.

[bumper]

The hospitals are the same ones I found. But, AEK is the only one requiring a deposit, we did contact the other hospitals and checked. I never worry about the luittle stuff, pricing for medical care is very reaonable here. Expecially if yuo have a private doctor adn use the local lab for tests.

It's the big things that I insure for. So, I will keep my policy.

In the original incident when they decided that my wife had to have surgery for what turned out to be an allergy. AEK would transfer to the other hospitals mentioned.

[KB_Texas]

My annual premium is 21% of the max payout, and I doubt that with all their limitations and exclusions, they would never approach the max payout, so my actual potential annual payback ration is much small than 0.21.

Wow! Are you saying that you have a max of like 100000 baht and the premiums are 21000 baht a year???? That is indeed not reasonable 'insurance' as you are betting you will use the policy to the max in 5 years! Otherwise, it is cheaper to self insure.

KB

[rickfarang]

Yes. to be precise, this year's premium is 46,344 baht while the policy maximum is 200,000 baht. And the premiums would increase every year.

A side note: A friend of mine who is a backpacker was in Laos with his Thai girlfriend when she became very ill. He brought her back to Wattana in Udon, with I would guess only a couple thousand baht between them, and she was treated and taken care of with no mention of payment. My friend borrowed some money to pay the hospital at the end of the four days -the amount due being just under 40,000 baht. This was just last week and it further supports Bumper's statement about AEK being the only one that asks for payment upfront.

My wife has had tow bad experiences with AEK. Once, they were adamant that they remove her appendix for what turned out to be a lot of gas from bad food. The other, was a much more serious office procedure that turned into emergency surgery there is more to the story than I feel prudent to post but she won't set foot inside AEK again.

[bumper]

Mine is for 5 mil. and is roughly 70K a year.

[joepai]

To rickfarang and everyone - always get a second opinion (and a third and forth would not go amiss), never trust only one Doctor.
Have only had good service from AEK. My wife was taken there a couple of weeks ago for a back problem and was never asked for up front payment (she showed her insurance card on entry) before starting the exam and checks on her
The best medical insurance cover we have found for the benefits/premium is the new Allianz one which you can get from AA Insurance Brokers. Ask for Peter - peter@aainsure.net

[bumper]

Is this the same Peter who used to be in charge at the International Office at AEK?

Maybe things have changed with the letter I wrote to BUPA I have no idea. At the moment I don't really have the time to check it out.

I sent Peter a note to see if a 65 year old could get coverage with him. The reason I got BUPA so many years ago, was it was the only one that would insure someone age 60 as long as you had coverage before that.

If this is the same Peter he did a great job at AEK

[bumper]

This is the ansewr so it may be available to some

Good Morning

Unfortunately you have to join before age 65 to be accepted onto the Allianz plans.

Peter

AA INSURANCE BROKERS CO., LTD.

565 / 62 Moo 10 (Next to Big C South Pattaya)

Nong Prue,

Banglamung,

Chonburi 20260

Tel: 038 415 795-6

Fax: 038 374 251

E-mail: info@aainsure.net

Web: www.aainsure.net

[thighlander]

I would scratch AEK off the list, also. I stopped by today after someone told me to check out the dental clinic. 800-1200 for cleaning. I've never paid more than 500 THB for a cleaning. Needless to say it was a negative vibe. Sure are a lot of Canadians coming to the States for treatment...and lots of Aussies coming to BKK...maybe the free stuff isn't so good. I've got 500K USD coverage with zero deductible for about 2.50 per day here. It would be nice to know that their was a hospital that would bill them directly.

[bumper]

Wattanaya as far a I know and Payawait ( Palo)