The 30 baht scheme under threat? true or false?

[citizen33]

I may be mistaken , but as I understand the democrat party replaced bt30 with for free . My father-in-law has all his medical treatment for free .

It used to be possible for the foreign husbands of government professionals to have free medicine too , but I believe that has been stopped . My wife is a school teacher and collects all my receips from the hospital and I believe is able to claim back on her medical insurance .

I'm afraid that you are mistaken about the question of foreign spouse eligibility, and also the Democrats. As Terry said, the only public insurance programme that covers spouses is the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme. The 30 baht co-payment was abolished in 2007 by the post-coup civilian government when Mongkol Na Songkhla was the Public Health Minister, but reinstated under PTP. I see that no poster who feels that the 30 baht scheme is entirely safe has taken up the issue of why a former Minister with no love for Thaksin feels worried.

Edited July 14, 2014 by citizen33

[nongsangcity]

Not quite on subject, but I think close enough. What is the current status of the farang husband of Thai wife joining the 30 baht program? I know it was possible months ago but haven't heard anything lately.

two friends of mine joined the scheme 2 months ago and I renewed mine about two months ago no problem

[citizen33]

Not quite on subject, but I think close enough. What is the current status of the farang husband of Thai wife joining the 30 baht program? I know it was possible months ago but haven't heard anything lately.

two friends of mine joined the scheme 2 months ago and I renewed mine about two months ago no problem

I think you are probably referring to the foreigner healthcare scheme (the one that is really for migrant workers) under which you will have paid B2800 for a year's cover. This scheme too has been tightened up, but it seems that some expats are still slipping through. If so, that scheme is administered by the MoPH Health Insurance Group.

The 30 baht scheme (more properly the universal coverage scheme) is overseen by the National Health Security Office - hence the significance of the tension between the two organisations mentioned in the thread.

Historically a few westerners did get goldcards for the UCS, but I think they have almost all been weeded out now. There was a purge last year. Thai citizens now use their ordinary smart ID cards to establish eligibility.

Edited July 14, 2014 by citizen33

[Sheryl]

Not quite on subject, but I think close enough. What is the current status of the farang husband of Thai wife joining the 30 baht program? I know it was possible months ago but haven't heard anything lately.

it has never been possible to join based on marriage to a thai. Of the 3 health coverage systems in thailand only the one for the civil service covers spouses.

[dotpoom]

Where did she hear this from?

His wife!

[aussieinthailand]

It won't get stopped, the OP and others are trying to mobilize support against the junta for PTP based on groundless rumors. Nothing about this available in the news. The democrats even abolished the 30 bt because administration of this cost more as what was coming int. The PTP stubbornly brought it back afraid that Taksin would be forgotten else.

Nobody would ever do that even the anti government supporters (majority of the news forum) would not want to see this go. I have many anti government Thai friends and unlike CaptHaddock they don't talk about stopping this program at all. There is one person talking about it a Dr so I have read but he is a minority.

They indeed want to limit popular poicies.. but in a different context they want to have a feasibility study (financial and other) before they can put it in programs. They were not talking about the heath program only the oil program and that is normal.

This is just used as propaganda the fact that the OP stared a smiliar topic again in general (that got rightly closed) shows it that he is trying to push a political agenda based on rumors.

No'p sorry mate your wrong!!! I'm not trying to start anything be it political or otherwise, I was asking a question if any one on TV has any further knowledge about this issue, and that's it, But hey man if your such a great reader of minds then go ahead tell us more of what we here are thinking.

[robblok]

It won't get stopped, the OP and others are trying to mobilize support against the junta for PTP based on groundless rumors. Nothing about this available in the news. The democrats even abolished the 30 bt because administration of this cost more as what was coming int. The PTP stubbornly brought it back afraid that Taksin would be forgotten else.

Nobody would ever do that even the anti government supporters (majority of the news forum) would not want to see this go. I have many anti government Thai friends and unlike CaptHaddock they don't talk about stopping this program at all. There is one person talking about it a Dr so I have read but he is a minority.

They indeed want to limit popular poicies.. but in a different context they want to have a feasibility study (financial and other) before they can put it in programs. They were not talking about the heath program only the oil program and that is normal.

This is just used as propaganda the fact that the OP stared a smiliar topic again in general (that got rightly closed) shows it that he is trying to push a political agenda based on rumors.

No'p sorry mate your wrong!!! I'm not trying to start anything be it political or otherwise, I was asking a question if any one on TV has any further knowledge about this issue, and that's it, But hey man if your such a great reader of minds then go ahead tell us more of what we here are thinking.

Anyway it was in the Bangkok post and there is no chance of it happening just an idiot blabbing about it but he is a minority. Are you denying starting 2 topics then because this one did not get the public outrage you wanted ?

Edited July 15, 2014 by robblok

[aussieinthailand]

It won't get stopped, the OP and others are trying to mobilize support against the junta for PTP based on groundless rumors. Nothing about this available in the news. The democrats even abolished the 30 bt because administration of this cost more as what was coming int. The PTP stubbornly brought it back afraid that Taksin would be forgotten else.

Nobody would ever do that even the anti government supporters (majority of the news forum) would not want to see this go. I have many anti government Thai friends and unlike CaptHaddock they don't talk about stopping this program at all. There is one person talking about it a Dr so I have read but he is a minority.

They indeed want to limit popular poicies.. but in a different context they want to have a feasibility study (financial and other) before they can put it in programs. They were not talking about the heath program only the oil program and that is normal.

This is just used as propaganda the fact that the OP stared a smiliar topic again in general (that got rightly closed) shows it that he is trying to push a political agenda based on rumors.

No'p sorry mate your wrong!!! I'm not trying to start anything be it political or otherwise, I was asking a question if any one on TV has any further knowledge about this issue, and that's it, But hey man if your such a great reader of minds then go ahead tell us more of what we here are thinking.

Anyway it was in the Bangkok post and there is no chance of it happening just an idiot blabbing about it but he is a minority. Are you denying starting 2 topics then because this one did not get the public outrage you wanted ?

Yu'p I started 2 topics the first was moved to the health forum, but messaged the mods and said sure it is a health issue but also a social issue and a question if others on TV had more knowledge on it, and so here we are, having some info being given as was my intension, NO big political agenda, no wanting for public outrage, but hey if you are the man with all the knowledge and the gift of second sight and reading minds then ok, so now we clear cup cake? have a great day;-)

[harrry]

It won't get stopped, the OP and others are trying to mobilize support against the junta for PTP based on groundless rumors. Nothing about this available in the news. The democrats even abolished the 30 bt because administration of this cost more as what was coming int. The PTP stubbornly brought it back afraid that Taksin would be forgotten else.

Nobody would ever do that even the anti government supporters (majority of the news forum) would not want to see this go. I have many anti government Thai friends and unlike CaptHaddock they don't talk about stopping this program at all. There is one person talking about it a Dr so I have read but he is a minority.

They indeed want to limit popular poicies.. but in a different context they want to have a feasibility study (financial and other) before they can put it in programs. They were not talking about the heath program only the oil program and that is normal.

This is just used as propaganda the fact that the OP stared a smiliar topic again in general (that got rightly closed) shows it that he is trying to push a political agenda based on rumors.

No'p sorry mate your wrong!!! I'm not trying to start anything be it political or otherwise, I was asking a question if any one on TV has any further knowledge about this issue, and that's it, But hey man if your such a great reader of minds then go ahead tell us more of what we here are thinking.

Anyway it was in the Bangkok post and there is no chance of it happening just an idiot blabbing about it but he is a minority. Are you denying starting 2 topics then because this one did not get the public outrage you wanted ?

Yu'p I started 2 topics the first was moved to the health forum, but messaged the mods and said sure it is a health issue but also a social issue and a question if others on TV had more knowledge on it, and so here we are, having some info being given as was my intension, NO big political agenda, no wanting for public outrage, but hey if you are the man with all the knowledge and the gift of second sight and reading minds then ok, so now we clear cup cake? have a great day;-)

There are some people who want to be moderators I am sure never will be.

THis is a topic which does affect many people here. We have families that we care for and though it is not our country live here.

Health wise it is an important issue but as a general issue it is interesting to see that the person appointed by the defacto government did propose this. It is also interesting to see that the proposal is not received well by most.

[JennieRoengmueang]

Yes it has been stopped by the army,i went last week to Chiang Rai hospital to help a farang out i was told it has been stopped.

[harrry]

Yes it has been stopped by the army,i went last week to Chiang Rai hospital to help a farang out i was told it has been stopped.

That is not the scheme mentioned that is a different one and we had been advised before the coup that it had been stopped.

[JennieRoengmueang]

I may be mistaken , but as I understand the democrat party replaced bt30 with for free . My father-in-law has all his medical treatment for free .

It used to be possible for the foreign husbands of government professionals to have free medicine too , but I believe that has been stopped . My wife is a school teacher and collects all my receips from the hospital and I believe is able to claim back on her medical insurance .

I'm afraid that you are mistaken about the question of foreign spouse eligibility, and also the Democrats. As Terry said, the only public insurance programme that covers spouses is the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme. The 30 baht co-payment was abolished in 2007 by the post-coup civilian government when Mongkol Na Songkhla was the Public Health Minister, but reinstated under PTP. I see that no poster who feels that the 30 baht scheme is entirely safe has taken up the issue of why a former Minister with no love for Thaksin feels worried.

i dont think you know anything about the scheme,it has just been stopped by the junta.

[robblok]

No'p sorry mate your wrong!!! I'm not trying to start anything be it political or otherwise, I was asking a question if any one on TV has any further knowledge about this issue, and that's it, But hey man if your such a great reader of minds then go ahead tell us more of what we here are thinking.

.

Anyway it was in the Bangkok post and there is no chance of it happening just an idiot blabbing about it but he is a minority. Are you denying starting 2 topics then because this one did not get the public outrage you wanted ?

Yu'p I started 2 topics the first was moved to the health forum, but messaged the mods and said sure it is a health issue but also a social issue and a question if others on TV had more knowledge on it, and so here we are, having some info being given as was my intension, NO big political agenda, no wanting for public outrage, but hey if you are the man with all the knowledge and the gift of second sight and reading minds then ok, so now we clear cup cake? have a great day;-)

There are some people who want to be moderators I am sure never will be.

THis is a topic which does affect many people here. We have families that we care for and though it is not our country live here.

Health wise it is an important issue but as a general issue it is interesting to see that the person appointed by the defacto government did propose this. It is also interesting to see that the proposal is not received well by most.

I dont wan't to be a moderator. I have neither the time or patience for it.

The whole point I made was that there were all kind of anti junta posts made by posters who were at the red side of the fence based on rumors. I mistakenly thought the OP was one of them because he had a real similar name to one of them. Mea culpa Mea Culpa

I think most important is that this has been dismissed and almost everyone knows that it would be a bad thing also the current Junta would not touch this. In the Bangkok post it said its been discussed but rejected.

[harrry]

I may be mistaken , but as I understand the democrat party replaced bt30 with for free . My father-in-law has all his medical treatment for free .

It used to be possible for the foreign husbands of government professionals to have free medicine too , but I believe that has been stopped . My wife is a school teacher and collects all my receips from the hospital and I believe is able to claim back on her medical insurance .

I'm afraid that you are mistaken about the question of foreign spouse eligibility, and also the Democrats. As Terry said, the only public insurance programme that covers spouses is the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme. The 30 baht co-payment was abolished in 2007 by the post-coup civilian government when Mongkol Na Songkhla was the Public Health Minister, but reinstated under PTP. I see that no poster who feels that the 30 baht scheme is entirely safe has taken up the issue of why a former Minister with no love for Thaksin feels worried.

i dont think you know anything about the scheme,it has just been stopped by the junta.

I think it is you who do not know much about this scheme. The one referred to in the topic is the 30 baht health scheme for Thai people which you never would have been able to join unless you are a Thai Citizen.

The scheme you mentioned you tried to join is one that was introduced last year to provide health care to minorities working here from the 4 Neighbouring countries. Due to some uncertainty several hospitals did enrol general foreigners with long term visas in it but it was quickly decided it was in error. Most hospitals are honouring these cards till they expire but not renewing them. A few like ChiengMai have cancelled them and are attempting to recover the money allready expended on cardholders from them.

I am the one who first posted about this on Thai Visa in the topic Affordible Health Insurance and have followed this situation closely. I assure you the card you are talking about was cancelled by the Yingluk Goverrnment some time ago and not by the jaunta.

Please check some facts before saying people here do not know about the scheme.

[robblok]

@aussieinthailand

Sorry I had you confused with an other.

[watcharacters]

Ever since its creation the scheme has been considered politically untouchable due to its high popularity.

It can be fine tuned but I would be amazed if it were stopped.

Last thing the current regime needs or wants is to mobilize the masses in outrage, which is what stopping ti would do.

Not going to happen, IMO. They might alter the "30 baht" aspect - dropping it or increasing it a bit -- but the basic principal of universal access isn't going to disappear. Worldwide, governments have found that once instituted it can never be dropped.

.

Maybe some fine tuning could include charges at government clinics for expats and tourists to be more in line with the already inexpensive private hospitals.

A start?

[Issangeorge]

In the Bangkok Post today, the Health Chief, once again denied they were going to charge more for the ฿30 health scheme. I think they are hearing loud and clear don't mess with the health care system.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[TerryLH]

"Maybe some fine tuning could include charges at government clinics for expats and tourists to be more in line with the already inexpensive private hospitals."

That sounds to me like you think government hospitals are more expensive?

Or are you suggesting that government hospitals should charge expats and tourists more?

[Torrens54]

30 Baht Health Care Scheme AXED!

My wife phoned the hospital today, Monday 18 August 2014 to inquire about renewing my policy which was started in September of last year.

She was told that the 30-Baht Health Care Scheme for FOREIGNERS has been discontinued!

No reason and typical Thai Bureaucrat responses to any and all questions. One of those questions was:

"Do you mean, there will be no NEW registrations accepted but those already registered can RENEW their registration?"

Bureaucrat replied, "No the Foreigner Health Care Coverage has FINISHED!"

You might like to check for yourself. The phone number we called was: 053 999200 (if you need an Operator, Dial "0")

I hope the information we were given is wrong and at the very least, those who enrolled and paid when the scheme was introduced last year, are able to continue.

[connda]

'Scheem', 'faulce'. I know Aussies have some of their own slang but this is ridiculous.

Actually your wife is partly right. Dr Narong, the interim health minister, is not a fan of the 30 Baht scheme and has made suggestions that Thais pay 30% to 50% of the cost of their hospital care. A number of other health officials have completely disagreed with him.

The article was in the Bangkok Post recently. I have a feeling that it won't happen & hope so.

If Dr. Narong made the money that a rural rice farmer with 15 rai of land makes, I seriously doubt he'd be making this recommendation.

It's amazing how individuals with money and power are so ready to further impoverish those less well off. I wonder if he's being lobbied by the big banks. One major illness and your in major debt. Sort of like the Affordable Care Act: make too much money to qualify for a subsidy and yet too little money to afford anything but 'bronze care', you're on the hook for a 60% deductible, one major illness and you're looking at bankruptcy.

Edited August 18, 2014 by connda

[citizen33]

30 Baht Health Care Scheme AXED!

My wife phoned the hospital today, Monday 18 August 2014 to inquire about renewing my policy which was started in September of last year.

She was told that the 30-Baht Health Care Scheme for FOREIGNERS has been discontinued!

No reason and typical Thai Bureaucrat responses to any and all questions. One of those questions was:

"Do you mean, there will be no NEW registrations accepted but those already registered can RENEW their registration?"

Bureaucrat replied, "No the Foreigner Health Care Coverage has FINISHED!"

You might like to check for yourself. The phone number we called was: 053 999200 (if you need an Operator, Dial "0")

I hope the information we were given is wrong and at the very least, those who enrolled and paid when the scheme was introduced last year, are able to continue.

At the risk of repeating the same info over and over again, this is not about the 30 baht scheme (the UCS) run by the NHSO, but about the so-called foreigner healthcard scheme run by the MoPH. Posters reported on the forum some weeks ago that the latest guidance makes it clear that the intention all along was that the latter is really for migrant workers from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, and that the MoPH had told hospitals not to offer cover to expats. It seems that the on-the-ground situation is more complicated - not unusually for Thailand. Some areas/hospitals revoked the cards and gave a refund, some let coverage run until the end of the year and then declined to renew, and - according to Sheryl based on members' reports - a few hospitals seem unaware of the latest guidance and are still accepting new expat members.

Regarding the 30 baht scheme I had a discussion with a well-placed source last week. He said that he personally feels the scheme is safe, although some of the senior MoPH/NHSO experts are jokingly saying that '30 baht scheme in crisis' is a sexy title for an article at present. Dr Narong has pulled back a bit on the co-payment issue, but is striving very hard to reduce the influence of the NHSO, which might have the effect of damaging the UCS scheme. He would like to go back to something like the transitional arrangement that operated for around 3 years after 2002 whereby the NHSO transferred the money that will go to pay for care in MoPH hospitals as a block allocation to the MoPH to disburse as it wished, rather than the NHSO contracting directly with the MoPH hospitals and behaving as an active purchaser. This is related to the idea of organising services around 12 MoPH zones or regions (plus Bangkok), which would let these MoPH regions (and not the NHSO) decide on priorities and how to use budgets. In sum Dr Narong does not want the NHSO to function as a purchaser in a purchaser/provider split system (which was how the UCS was supposed to operate). He prefers to wind the clock back to an earlier arrangement, to solidify the power of the MoPH bureaucracy and gain more control over the budgets, Ending the UCS may not be a primary objective, but keeping the scheme as it is appears to be less of a priority than pulling back power to the MoPH.

The above is a simplified and no doubt partial account. What I found rather depressing is that key personel are saying we need to wait for a new government before most of the big health policy issues can be addressed, let alone resolved. At the moment we are in a kind of limbo.

[Issangeorge]

It seems to me he wants a bigger budget for bigger kickbacks, I hope the General understands this.