The Disparity of the Health Insurance System in Thailand

Abstract

“The disparity of the health insurance system in Thailand” aim to: 1) examine background and analyze the cause of problems of the disparity of the health insurance system in Thailand, 2) study the overview and analyze the differences between the health insurance system in Thailand and the foreign countries. Results were that the health insurance system at a preliminary period before 2002 benefited only for groups of Thai government officials and officers in government agencies and their families, those insured by the social security scheme, and social welfare recipients. With the reform of the health insurance system in 2002, the health insurance system was refashioned into three principal divisions: 1) civil servant medical benefit scheme; 2) social security scheme; and 3) universal health coverage. Problems of the disparity of the health insurance system in Thailand were from the following factors: 1) disparity of co-payment 2) disparity of capitation 3) disparity of benefits 4) disparity of quality. Differences between foreign health insurance systems compared to the Thai health insurance system includes 1) governance mechanism; 2) fiscal management; and
3) private sector participation. Suggestions: 1) amend the law about Health Insurance systems to be the same 2) all 3 systems are under the supervision of the same organization and 3) all 3 systems to have co-payments