30 baht health care scheme

Before an implementation of the health scheme stated above, there were a few of other health care policies used in Thailand as well, generally called Four Public Risk Protection schemes

1. Civil servants medical benefit scheme—introduced in the 1960s for civil servants and their dependants
2. Low income card scheme—introduced in the 1970s, providing free care to low income families and individuals, elderly people, children under 12 years, and people with disabilities
3. Voluntary health card scheme—predominantly rural; introduced in the 1980s and funded through equal matching of household and Ministry of Public Health payments
4. Social security scheme—introduced in the 1990s; it protects workers only and is mandatory Tables showing the costs of health care are on bmj.com for all private firms with more than one employee

Although, all of the schemes were good, they have overlapped each others in scope of eligible person receiving the health care support. Roughly, they have left about 18.5 million of Thai citizen paying all the health fees by themselves, while helping 43.5 million people in their treatments. However, contribute to what I have learnt from the class, government should subsidize health care service, or provides the health care support or insurance fairly to everybody in the country. And with the statement of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it said, “Everyone as a member of a society, has the right to social security of the welfare,” which then encouraged the government, under Prime Minister Shinawat’s control, to reintroduce a better health care scheme that can provide equality treatment to every Thai people. The new health scheme under the name ‘30 baht health care scheme’ provides wide rank of health care services to all people regardless of their financial situations. It is an answer of what needy people actually require to lighten their burdens.

30 baht health care scheme was introduced to Thailand since 2001 together with the victory in an election of Prime Minister Taksin Shinnawat and his Thai-Rak-Thai party. Instead of those 4 schemes, the government under P.M. Shinawat decided to merge resources from 4 schemes to one universal coverage scheme. The scheme is to subsidize health care especially for the poor people in order to increase equality in Thai society. In general, 30 Baht policy is to be used by all Thai citizenship; however most often use is distributed to the low income people. For most of the reason, the poor always search for low-cost or free health care services; meanwhile other higher income groups place more emphasis on the adequacy of hospitals and personnel, in particular to doctors and good treatment from health care personnel. Even so, most of people still insist to have this program in action to aid low income people, and to secure themselves in case of catastrophic illnesses in the future.