The NHSO will cover PP services provided to all Thai citizens
 
All Thai citizens covered by the government’s healthcare schemes will be eligible for free health promotion and disease prevention (PP) services, with support from the National Health Security Office (NHSO).

This results from the recent actions of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health and Chair of National Health Security Board ,Anutin Charnvirakul, who signed the NHSO’s new announcement introducing the “criteria for managing the National Health Security Fund in 2023 fiscal year (Version III).”

Issued in early August, the announcement indicates that the NHSO has the legal authority to manage the fund for PP services for all Thai Citizens regardless of their healthcare schemes registry.

It also allows the NHSO to utilize part of the National Health Security Fund to compensate health providers for the fees incurred while offering PP services to beneficiaries of the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS), Social Security (SSS) Scheme, and Civil Servant Medical Benefits Scheme (CSMBS).


The NHSO secretary-general Dr Jadej Thammatacharee said that the issue of the announcement is an important development in the Thai healthcare system that will improve Thai people to access to PP services, enhancing their health and well-being.

The move follows the unclarity in the previous criteria announcements, which does not clarify the NHSO’s legal rights to reimburse PP services fees for non-USC beneficiaries.
While the NHSO’s primary role is to cover the medical fees for UCS beneficiaries, the issue arose regarding its role in compensating PP services provided to beneficiaries of other healthcare schemes.

"The financial mechanism for managing PP services should be distinguished from medical treatment,” said Dr Jadej.

“If disease control services are provided only to UCS beneficiaries free of charge, people in other healthcare schemes will not be protected from the disease, leading to illnesses and subsequent outbreaks.



Therefore, PP services must be extended to all Thai citizens, not just UCS beneficiaries. The NHSO has consistently upheld this approach, even though the regulation lacks clarity on NHSO’s role in this area.”

Following the new announcement, the NHSO will accelerate the reimbursement of service fees for healthcare facilities that provide PP services to non-UCS beneficiaries.

Many health providers had provided the services to non-UCS beneficiaries while awaiting legal clarity. Their fees are accumulated to 600 million baht in total, said Dr Jadej, and the NHSO will reimburse this fee accordingly.

He added that the NHSO will communicate with health providers to encourage them to provide PP services to all Thai citizens regardless of their registry healthcare schemes.

The NHSO will also undertake public awareness campaigns to inform Thai citizens about their rights to receive PP services, in collaboration with the Comptroller General's Department oversees Civil Servant Medical Benefits Scheme and Social Security Office which manages the Social Security Scheme.

"Whether it's hospitals, community health centers, or other public health units, they can provide PP services to all Thai citizens and request reimbursement from the NHSO from now on,” said Dr Jadej.

“For health providers giving PP services to non-UCS beneficiaries before the criteria announcement, they can claim reimbursement retroactively by submitting their claims to the NHSO.”