The Public Health Ministry will overhaul the financial system underpinning the 30-baht universal healthcare scheme.
The changes will limit the role of National Health Security Office (NHSO)in providing hospitals with payments under the scheme.
Under the revamp, the healthcare budget will be allocated to local health offices instead of the NHSO, which oversees the health scheme serving 48 million people.
Local hospitals will seek reimbursement for medical costs from local health offices instead of the NHSO, Public Health Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong said yesterday. The ministry is also considering changing the criteria for rural doctors'hardship allowances, he said.
Rural doctors receive a hardship allowance based onthe level of isolation of the rural hospital they work at and the number of years the doctor has been working there.
However, Dr Pradit said the criteria are outdated as many areas are no longer isolated. Rural doctors should receive an allowancebased on workload and performance, he said.
The Rural Doctors Society disagrees with the plan to change the allowance criteria and its members will gather at the ministry's headquarters in Nonthaburi province today to protest.
Source: Bangkok Post 13 March 2013
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