NHSO eyes clean sweep of funds

The National Health Security Office (NHSO) expects the 13 public health funds which have not joined the National Clearing House (NCH) system to take part soon, so it can use their database to formulate better strategies for future policies.

According to the Office’s deputy secretary-general Karoon Kuntiranont, the country now has 128 public health funds in total and 115 of them have already joined the NCH.

Among the 115 public health funds are the three key public health funds — the Government Welfare Fund, Social Security Fund, and National Health Security Fund — which cover about 65 million citizens. There are only 13 small funds left and the NHSO is in the process of bringing all of them into the NCH system, Dr Karoon said.

The NCH system monitors access to health spending by all health funds. Dr Karoon said when all 128 public health funds join the NCH, it would provide NHSO a complete picture of national health spending which the agency can use to formulate better strategies.

To date, 1,200 hospitals accepting patients under government welfare schemes have submitted information required for reimbursement. The NHSO, also responsible for Universal Coverage Emergency Patients, verifies each step of the process and sends information to other organisations to reimburse the costs of both public and private medical facilities.

Data collected by the NCH is presented to the cabinet, House of Representatives and Senate for use in making decisions relating to management, policy and rights.

Thailand spends 50 billion baht each year on health, with 40 billion baht going to support the government’s funds, Dr Karoon said.

Under a cabinet decision, the NHSO handles the reimbursement of medical expenses from public health funds through the NCH system.