Thai minister refutes 92 billion baht foreign healthcare cost claim
Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin addressed public concerns after the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) reported that healthcare costs for foreign workers reached 92 billion baht last year. He clarified that the actual figure was closer to 2 billion baht.
Somsak acknowledged that healthcare spending increased during 2021 and 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, noting that the government spent 2.05 billion baht on healthcare for foreign workers, including those residing near the border.
He attributed the discrepancy to potential errors in data entry and reporting.
“The 92-billion-baht figure is simply impossible, given the country’s spending on national health insurance coverage for the entire country is only about 150 billion baht.”
The NESDC’s latest report highlighted a significant rise in healthcare demand from foreign patients, particularly along the border, with 3.8 million healthcare visits recorded during the 2024 fiscal year.
This increase reportedly cost the government about 92 billion baht, a substantial rise from previous years, with only 3.3% of costs reimbursed, heavily impacting local hospitals.
Border hospitals reportedly experienced the highest surge in foreign inpatient numbers, with foreigners accounting for a third of admissions last year. Myanmar nationals represented 81% of this expenditure.
While foreign nationals’ healthcare is mainly covered by various schemes, such as the Migrant Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS), the report noted that many uninsured foreigners still access healthcare in Thailand, further straining public health resources.
The report proposed measures to address the issue, including improved resource allocation, enhanced government-to-government cooperation to bolster healthcare provision along the border, and expedited verification of individuals’ rights and statuses to ensure coverage by appropriate insurance schemes, reported Bangkok Post.
In similar news, the health ministry has been urged to improve healthcare in temporary shelters by establishing permanent facilities and training refugee health volunteers.
Surapong Kongchantuk, former chairperson of the subcommittee on ethnic human rights, highlighted the urgency following the US government’s suspension of funding for health programmes at the Thai-Myanmar border.
The three-month funding freeze, aimed at reassessing US foreign policies, led to the closure of healthcare facilities due to a shortage of medical staff. Surapong stressed the need for sustainable healthcare solutions to support stateless people, migrant workers, and displaced persons in the affected areas.
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