The Cabinet yesterday drew flak for requiring the National Health Security Office to pay Bt2,546, not just Bt700, in annual subsidies per person transferred from its universal healthcare programme to the socialsecurity scheme.
"We can't do that," Dr Winai Sawasdiworn, secretarygeneral of the NHSO, said yesterday.
He said he had no objection to the policy to extend social security medical benefits to the families of its insured members, but he could not agree with the budget required.
The Cabinet last September sought to transfer 5.8 million people from the universal healthcare pro¬gramme to the social security scheme because they are children or spous¬es of the scheme's insured members.
The insured members are those who have paid contributions to the Social Security Fund.
The universal healthcare scheme is for people not covered by any other medical insurance programme.
Although the NHSO has prepared to pay a flatrate subsidy of Bt2,546 per member of its universal healthcare programme, it has explained that this is an average cost.
"The actual cost is, of course, lower for younger people and higher for the elderly," Winai said. That is why his office could not accept the Bt2,546 figure for those who would be trans¬ferred.
The children and spouses of socialsecurity members are still young and they are the group least likely to seek medial treatment, he said.
"The Budget Bureau can give information on this part. It knows the details," he said.
Dr Vichai Chokewiwat, a member of the NHSO board, questioned why the Cabinet came up with the plan to transfer millions of people from uni¬versal healthcare to social security.
"In fact, universal healthcare offers more benefits, including heart surgery," he said.
Starting next year, universal healthcare will also offer better cov¬erage for people needing psychiatric care.
"There will be no more limit on the duration of each hospitalisation for psychiatric treatment," Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said.
Currently, universal healthcare allows up to 15 days of free hospital¬isation for each psychiatric treat¬ment.
Dr Pongpisut Chongudomsuk, director of the Health System Research Institute, said the transfer of dependants did not offer any clear additional benefits but threatened to hurt the consistency of services.
"Clearly, this is not the best option," he said.
The Social Security Office, which manages the socialsecurity scheme, in fact had many other urgent issues to attend to, he added.