Originally Posted by
rbAA
I will say that government hospitals, while cheaper, do take some time because they always seem so crowded, especially Chula in Bangkok, the King's and his family's hospital. When I had a stroke, I first went to Bumrungard ER, who sent me to Chula. They wanted 1MM THB to check me in at Bumrungrad vs. only 100,000 THB at Chula. Quite a difference. I had cataract surgery here in Korat at St. Mary's, a private hospital, for only about 33,000THB per eye vs. twice that at Bangkok Medical, probably a farang priced place, so it pays to shop around. Both paid back infull by my Medicare Advantage plan with Kaiser.
I thought Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage plans only covered emergency medical care out of country. I can understand a stroke being an emergency (though I wouldnt have considered shopping around for a hospital if I had just had a stroke); how did Kaiser accept justification of cataract surgery (on both eyes?) as an emergency?
My reason for asking is that I turn 65 in May and am evaluating Medicare Advantage vs Medicare Supplement plans; I frequently travel internationally with intention of living outside USA for extended periods (months). My understanding is that neither types of plans will cover non-emergency medical care.
Thanks in advance for educating me about something of such importance!