Thailand’s universal healthcare program needs overhaul before it collapses

The ‘gold card’ universal healthcare program is in need of revamp to improve the efficiency of spending in the wake of budgetary cuts, but the program will definitely not be scrapped, Public Health Permanent Secretary Dr. Somlerk Jeungsmarn said today.

The program, which ensures access to free healthcare services for all Thai nationals not covered by the social security system, is facing a financial crisis after spending has exceeded budgetary allocations. Many state hospitals providing free medical services at point of delivery to patients are operating in the red, forcing several of them to slash medical expenses or downgrade services for non-essential cases in order to remain operational.

It is reported that some hospitals have started cost cutting by reducing the amount of medicines dispensed to patients to a two-week supply, instead of 2-3 months, or changing to cheaper versions of the medicines. IPD vaccines for children have also been scrapped to cut costs.

Dr. Somlerk admitted that there are some loopholes in the program that need to be plugged to ensure efficient spending of the limited budget, adding that the ministry has rolled out measures to revamp the program.

The proposed measures include a budgetary increase for the ‘gold card’ program and adjustment of medical fees to reflect the actual costs in cases where patients are required to pay, reprioritising health problems with an emphasis on cost effectiveness, setting up a fund for the primary health care system and introducing good governance in the administration of the health care program.

Another proposed measure calls for the separation of budget for medical personnel from the budget for overhead medical expenses for the patients.

Dr. Somlerk said that the program must be overhauled within the next few years, otherwise it may enter financial collapse.