By Brivana Health ·
If you search for help with treatment in Thailand, you will find many services offering to arrange it for you. Some are excellent. Many are free to use. It is worth asking why.
A service that charges you nothing is usually paid by someone else. In medical travel, that is often the hospital or clinic, through a commission on the treatment you book. This is legal and common. It is not automatically a problem. But it changes whose interests the service is built around, and you should know about it before you rely on its advice.
How commission-based services work
Many agencies and facilitators have agreements with a set of hospitals and clinics. When they refer a client, the facility pays them a percentage or a fixed fee. For the agency, this covers the cost of answering enquiries, arranging transfers and supporting clients.
The effect is that recommendations tend to come from that set of facilities. A hospital outside the agreement may never be suggested, even if it suits you better. And the agency is paid when you book, which can create gentle pressure to book quickly.
How independent coordination works
An independent coordinator is paid by you, for the coordination itself. The hospitals and clinics pay nothing. That means the coordinator has no financial reason to prefer one facility over another, and no reason to hurry you.
The trade-off is simple: you pay for the service directly. In return, the advice is shaped around your situation rather than around an agreement you cannot see.
Questions to ask any service
Whichever kind of service you consider, these questions will tell you a lot:
- Who pays you, and how much?
- Do you receive anything from the hospitals or clinics you recommend?
- Which facilities do you work with, and how did you choose them?
- Will you tell me if a hospital outside your usual list would suit me better?
- Will you tell me if Thailand may not be the right choice for me at all?
A trustworthy service should answer all of these plainly. If the answers are vague, or the question seems unwelcome, take that into account.
What independence does not mean
Independence does not mean a coordinator knows medicine better than your doctor. A coordinator, independent or not, should never diagnose, recommend treatment or promise outcomes. Those decisions belong with you and your treating physician.
What independence does mean is that the comparison you are shown is honest, the questions asked on your behalf are your questions, and the advice to wait, ask more, or look elsewhere is given freely.
Where we come in
Brivana is independent. You pay us directly for coordination. Hospitals and clinics pay us no commission, so our recommendations are based on what fits your situation. We compare options, explain the trade-offs, and leave the decision with you. Sometimes that means telling you we are not the right fit.
If you would like to talk it through, start with a conversation.
Brivana is a coordination service. Clinical diagnosis and treatment remain with the hospital and the treating physician.