Myanmar babies in Thai hospitals not eligible for free healthcare
Babies born to Myanmar parents in Thailand’s border hospitals are not eligible for free healthcare benefits like Thai nationals, despite receiving a 13-digit identification number.
The National Health Security Office (NHSO) clarified this policy yesterday, December 18, highlighting that these ID cards specifically categorise the newborns as migrants born in Thailand, not as Thai citizens.
Dr Jadej Thammatacharee, NHSO Secretary General, addressed rising concerns over reports that pregnant women from Myanmar are deliberately crossing the border to give birth in Thai hospitals, seeking to exploit healthcare benefits.
He noted that these women aim to access a health insurance package under the universal healthcare coverage scheme, which is meant for migrants lacking other healthcare options. A healthcare worker, speaking anonymously to Drama-addict on Facebook, revealed that the border hospital recently delivered about 160 babies to Myanmar mothers, compared to 80 born to Thai mothers.
The NHSO relies on the central database maintained by the Ministry of Interior to verify a baby’s nationality. Dr Jadej also clarified misconceptions about the Tho 99 Rights Fund, which was not designed to support newborns of Myanmar parents who use border hospital services.
Created through a 2010 Cabinet resolution, the Tho 99 Right was intended for the 400,000 to 500,000 migrant workers in Thailand awaiting nationality verification at that time, who lacked healthcare coverage. This benefit is reserved exclusively for migrant workers and their children born in Thailand, not for Myanmar nationals who use these medical services.
“Foreign nationals not eligible for Tho 99 Right coverage will need to pay the medical expenses out of their own pockets.”
The healthcare costs for eligible migrants amount to an annual budget of 2 to 3 billion baht. Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, permanent secretary for public health, countered claims from the Drama-addict Facebook page that the state incurs substantial expenses treating ineligible patients at border hospitals.
He clarified that some border hospitals, like Mae Sot Hospital in Tak, sustain themselves financially by attracting paying patients from Myanmar, implying that not all border hospitals are operating at a loss.
In cases where facilities operate in the red, it is often because they provide free medical treatment on humanitarian grounds. Dr Opas also mentioned that babies born prematurely in Thailand qualify for life-saving treatment under the Interior Ministry’s regulations, which allow for budget allocation for such necessary care.
The healthcare worker from the Drama-addict Facebook post pointed out that premature births, including those of Myanmar parents without healthcare benefits, often require neonatal intensive care, which can cost hundreds of thousands of baht per baby, reported Bangkok Post.
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