Golden opportunity: NHSO extends care to new Thai citizens
The National Health Security Office (NHSO) is set to expand its groundbreaking universal healthcare initiative through its gold card scheme to at least 480,000 ethnic individuals poised to receive Thai citizenship from the government.
NHSO Deputy Secretary Yuphadee Sirisinsuk revealed that the ambitious plan is designed to extend healthcare benefits to all Thai citizens, including those in the process of citizenship verification, not just those with Thai ID cards.
The policy stems from a Cabinet decision last October to confer Thai citizenship on 483,626 individuals from 19 ethnic groups who settled in Thailand before 1999. This includes 143,525 children born in the country, although migrant workers are excluded from the policy.
In a bid to fast-track the provision of universal healthcare benefits, the NHSO held consultations with various agencies last month. They discovered that the current ID card issuance process is sluggish, with only around 10,000 people being granted Thai nationality each year.
To combat this, a streamlined process was devised to accelerate healthcare access. Initially, 483,626 individuals will receive a certificate of residence at district offices, a procedure anticipated to take roughly five days.
With the issuance of these certificates, registrars will conduct background checks on applicants before granting ID cards. Any false statements discovered will result in the revocation of Thai nationality, reverting individuals to their prior stateless status.
Once cleared, individuals certified under the NHSO will qualify for a gold card under the universal healthcare scheme, free of charge, Bangkok Post reported. Yuphadee highlighted that this collaborative effort among agencies aims to foster equality in health rights, allowing these individuals to enjoy the same benefits as other Thai citizens.
Meanwhile, Thailand has extended its Treatment Anywhere 30-baht universal healthcare scheme to cover the entire nation, with the initiative now active in the remaining 31 provinces. This marks the completion of the scheme’s fourth and final phase since being introduced by the NHSO.
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