Nationwide public hearings for ‘gold card’ universal health scheme

Dr Charal Trinwutthipong, chairman of the NHSO subcommittee for social communications and the public hearings for service providers and scheme recipients, said there were eight aspects the office was looking to receive input on when the events were staged.
They include the benefit’s development, coverage and access, as well as its co-pay system.
The service’s quality will also be examined, including control measures, supervision of it and the promotion of good standards, along with the NHSO’s administration.
The management of the NHSO fund, including its service and budget allocation for the health zones, is another targeted area.
As is the local-level management of the fund including the committee structures, regulations, potential developments, budgetary promotions, the reporting system, the follow through of works and access to works – as local participation in the scheme was deemed crucial.
Also to be looked at is how communities are represented in the scheme, including in its management, the potential to develop the scheme further and the promotion of budgets.
People’s awareness of their rights regarding the scheme’s benefits and other related matters, as well as specific issues within each health zone, will be examined too.
Charal said the results of the hearings would be presented to the NHSO board so the scheme could be improve.
He said the National Health Security Act’s Section 18 (13) required the board to organise annual public hearings to gather input and promote a sense of public ownership in the scheme. The main objective of the hearings was to improve the service quality and the budgetary criteria for health services, he said, adding that the NHSO board had organised the hearings since 2005.