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[jfchandler]

If you needed to go to the hospital in BKK, where would you go, and how much of the cost would your health insurance cover???  Part of that question is one of medical quality, and the other is one of cost.... So, I wanted to get some idea of how some of the better regarded hospitals in BKK compare based on their daily inpatient rates (room, plus nursing plus meals).

I decided to use their basic single patient room (not shared) as the yardstick for comparison. Of course, most of these hospitals also have double or more greater patient facilities on the more economical side, and on the other hand have more luxurious single patient rooms at much higher costs. Each of them have their 2008 rates posted on their web sites that can be found with varying degrees of searching.

I found it very interesting to look at each of the hospital web sites, check their rates, and look at the photos they almost all have posted showing their different levels of room accommodations.

Here's the basic daily rate results I found for their single patient rooms, including nursing and meals (except as noted) in Thai baht:

Bangkok Christian Hospital                      2,300
St. Louis Hospital                                    3,340
Bangkok Gen. Hospital                             5,950-6,600
(depending on whether you choose Thai or Western/Japanese food)
Bumrungrad International                         6,205
BNH Hospital                                            7,400-7,800
(lower is Thai food, higher is Western food)

Samitivej Sukhumvit
This was the only one I couldn't draw a direct comparison for from their web site, because they show only their room-only rate -- 4,000 excluding nursing and room service -- for their "superior" room. Based on room-only costs, that would put them somewhere between Bumrungrad, which showed a room-only rate of 3,350, and BNH, which showed its room only rate as 4,500.

None of the above, of course, speaks about the quality of medical care. But, assuming you can find a good doctor who knows what they're doing at any of the hospitals, it does give you an idea of what you and/or your insurance can expect to be paying on a daily basis for the basic hospital services (apart from specific treatment and medicines costs).

I was intrigued to notice, also, that Bangkok General at least does have a membership program that, by buying one of several different level three-year memberships offered ranging from purchase prices of 4000 to 30,000 baht, offer discounts of between 30% and 50% off their posted in-patient rooms rates, as well as discounts of many other of their services.

Here, following, are screen shots of the actual room rates posted by the different hospitals listed above:

 Bangkok_Christian_Rates.jpg   391.71K   24 downloads

 St_Louis_Rates.jpg   383.69K   15 downloads

 Bangkok_Hosp_Rates.jpg   418.96K   13 downloads

 Bumrungrad_Rates.jpg   358.38K   17 downloads

 BNH_Rates.jpg   348.86K   12 downloads

 Samitivej_Rates.jpg   377.08K   16 downloads

[chakatee]

Room rates and how much your insurance pays for these are just peanuts if you want to know the out-of-the-pocket costs.
Let's say, something serious, an operation for a Coronary Arterial Bypass Graft. Let's assume your insurance covers 3000 per night and you will stay for 7 days. Only considering this, you would pay 0 in BKK Christian, 2.380 in St. Louis ... upto 33.600 in BNH.
Ok, 33,600THB isn't nothing but how much is the maximum covered surgery cost? surgeon fee? maximum per illness? maximum for daily doctor's fees? ... Here you might end up with 100.000('s) out-of-the-pocket payments.
So don't stare too much a the coverage for roomrates, but look (especially with Thai insurances) at all their maxima. The roomrates will give you some indication but in general a room (incl food and various charges) is only 10-20% of a hospital bill.

[jfchandler]

Yes... good point above...

The purpose of me looking into this subject was to try to assess how adequate my current health insurance policy (based in Thailand) is in terms of hospital coverage. And, should I ever need it, which hospital would I likely look to for service (along with the obvious consideration of MD quality and specialty).

The hospital rates posted above, on their web sites and in the screen shots I posted, generally include the breakdown for room only, meals and nursing service. Likewise, my insurance policy has daily coverage amounts for room charge and nursing service (I think it lumps meals in with the room charge).

The policy I have also, of course, has other components relating to surgeon's fees, medical expenses, medicines, etc etc... But those are going to be pretty variable, depending on what kind of situation might arise. I have what I think are pretty high limits. But this process will help me review and re-confirm that.