Members of the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) can manage their registration of health units on a newly-launched mobile phone application.
 
Dr Phanomwan Boonyamanop, the acting director of Bureau of Registration at the National Health Security Office (NHSO), said that the NHSO had launched the mobile application on 1 Aug for making the UCS registration procedure more convenient for its members.
 
“Before, when the UCS members move the new cities, they must submit paper-based documents for registration at the new health units,” said Dr Phanomwan. “Now they can register on the mobile application and proceed the registration online.”
 
The mobile application, called "NHSO", can be downloaded on both IOS and Android. The UCS members must identify themselves when using the application for the first time. They will be requested to go through two-factor authentication which takes them only a few minutes.
 
The application has multi-functions that provide the users' access to information about the benefits package of UCS members and their eligibility for medical services. They can also register for changing health units through the application.
 
According to the rule, UCS members are automatically assigned to health units close to their registered addresses. If they move to new cities, they are required to register with the new health units near their new residential area.
 
To complete the registration process, they can upload supporting documents on the NHSO application without visiting the health units. They can change health units four times a year.
 
“The NHSO will promote the application among the UCS beneficiaries. We hope that more people will use it. It's very convenient and time-saving when using the application for health unit registration,” said Dr Phanomwan.
 
“We've made a VDO clip for guiding the application users. They can be sure that the application is secured and user-friendly.”
 
NHSO will request another 148 million baht from the government's stimulus package to provide compensation to health workers in case of illness, disability or death that is related to performing work duties during the pandemic. 
 
Moreover, many workers have lost jobs during the pandemic, expelling them from the Social Security Scheme that insures employers only.
 
According to Thailand's insurance system, jobless workers will be automatically transferred from the Social Security Scheme to the UHC scheme that guarantees healthcare access to vulnerable populations including unemployed persons and informal workers.  
 
It' s estimated that more than 990,000 workers will become the UHC beneficiaries in post-COVID-19. The NHSO will request 3.68 billion baht from the government's stimulus package to cover healthcare services for these workers.
 
NHSO will spend the requesting budget in worthwhile activities and services, with the best efficiency, for the best of UHC beneficiaries.
 
Social Security Scheme beneficiaries received testing covered by the NHSO the most, accounting to 52.31% of the tests, follow by UHC 28.86% and Civil Servant Healthcare Benefits 14.88%. The rest of the tests was for people with other healthcare packages, including private health insurance.
 
One by three of the tests were conducted for people living in Bangkok, the hardest-hit province by the coronavirus.
 
As the outbreak is unlikely to end soon, the NHSO targets to provide 1.4 million tests by the end of this year, and other 3.25 million in next year.
 
NHSO also prepares a 1.32-billion-baht budget for providing COVID-19 vaccine to four million people when it becomes available. Currently, global pharmaceutical companies are developing the vaccine and making good progress.  


Dr Phanomwan Boonyamanop, the acting director of Bureau of Registration at the National Health Security Office (NHSO)