Thai healthcare on life support
26-Nov-17, Bangkok Post
Thailand's universal healthcare coverage (UHC) scheme is confronting its most critical time since its introduction in 2002. The scheme has been praised for its achievement in providing healthcare access to over 48 million out of 66 million people.
Image Jetjaras Na Ranong
But since the 2014 coup, UHC has become a target for military government leaders and bureaucrats who often blame the scheme for having a poor financial model that causes trouble for medical providers.
The debate about the scheme's pros and cons led to an ongoing amendment of the National Health Security Act that has created a controversy about the future of UHC.