News Forum - Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients to no longer cover Covid-19 starting March

[Thaiger]

Thailand’s Public Health Minister announced today that come March 1, Thailand’s Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients will no longer cover Covid-19 infections, meaning Thais will need to pay out of pocket if they are admitted to a private hospital or facility for treatment. A night at “hospitel,” which is a hotel that works with a hospital to offer isolation services, will be set at 1,000 baht. The minister said other health care schemes still cover Covid-19 though, including social security, the gold card scheme, universal healthcare, and civil servants’ medical benefits. UCEP normally covers patients with sudden severe chest pains, […]

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[Cabra]

Well this is interesting... Maybe when more of these insurance schemes, designed to help everyday Thais, tap out, then maybe, Thai authorities will ask why, and will realize forces hospitalzations are hurting everyone (and not just intrepid tourist).

[Jason]

Ohhh....sorry...I didn't get the memo that Covid is due to finish on March 1.

[DoUKnowWhoIAm]

On 2/11/2022 at 4:11 PM, Thaiger said:

The minister also added that PT-PCR tests will cost 900 baht for two-gene tests, and 1,100 baht for three-gene tests. There will be no charges for swab tests.

What is a "PT-PCR test",  and how is the sample collected compared to the swab test?

[Stonker]

On 2/11/2022 at 6:16 PM, Cabra said:

Well this is interesting... Maybe when more of these insurance schemes, designed to help everyday Thais, tap out, then maybe, Thai authorities will ask why, and will realize forces hospitalzations are hurting everyone (and not just intrepid tourist).

Universal Coverage isn't an 'insurance scheme' - it's the yellow card scheme that gives free (30 baht or less) health coverage to the half of the Thai population that isn't covered by Social Security or other coverage (police, civil service, etc).

Originally it was only for where you were registered (had house papers) but in 2017 this was extended under the UCEP to cover treatment anywhere in Thailand for 72 hours for 'emergencies' (the 'E') and from 2020 this included Covid-19.

Recently (last month, IIRC) it was announced that the coverage would cover everyone Thailand-wide, regardless of where people were registered so a construction worker in Bangkok or a bar girl in Pattaya wouldn't have to go home to be treated just because they were still registered in Issan.

A seriously major step forward.

What's worrying about this is that if it doesn't just stop coverage in private hospitals, which was never really used by Thais as there were limits,  but also stops UCEP coverage in state hospitals - 'IF' - then it would mean Thais not registered in Bangkok, etc, but living and working there, would have to go home to Issan if they caught Covid and they couldn't be treated in Bangkok.

IF.

It's not clear in the article or Thai PBS and it seems unlikely as there's been no comment on it in Thai media, but it needs clarifying.

Edit:

sorry, by 'everyone', I mean all Thais covered by the UC scheme.

[Rookiescot]

How to keep covid cases down lesson 101.

Stop people going to hospital.

[Stonker]

1 minute ago, Rookiescot said:

How to keep covid cases down lesson 101.

Stop people going to hospital.

Spotted it in one - IF that's what's happening, which isn't clear at all.

[Cabra]

There was another announcement today indicating they are now back peddling on this announcement to exclude covid coverage under this particular healthcare scheme.