Opening information for the year 2022 Gold Card Fund Caring for 250,000 cancer patients, an increase over 5 years from more than 100,000 cancer patients, while the cost of treatment is 12 billion baht, accounting for 5-7% of the fund’s budget. receive services anywhere in the country” to help patients access more services along with specifying that the whole country has 39 specialized referral hospitals for radiotherapy are in the process of expanding. Confirmation that treatment costs can still be accepted, focusing on prevention, screening, and reducing the rate of sickness
Today (March 6, 2023) Lalitaya Kongkham, M.D. Deputy Secretary-General of the National Health Security Office (NHSO) revealed to The Active that cancer patients in the national health insurance system or gold card over the past 5 years have found that the number has increased from more than 100,000 people last year to regarding 2.5 hundred thousand people
In order for cancer patients to have early access to treatment, the NHSO board has resolved to implement the policy. “Cancer can receive services anywhere in the country” (Cancer Anywhere) in addition to reducing the waiting queue for treatment. whether surgery chemotherapy and radiotherapy services which is open for patients to receive services at potential hospitals that have few queues of patients waiting It also leads to investments that increase the hospital’s potential to care for cancer patients. especially radiotherapy services There are currently 39 specialized radiotherapy referral hospitals across the country, but some areas have only one health district. which is in the process of further expansion
The budget The amount of money used to treat cancer patients Currently at 1.2 billion baht or 7% of the total gold card budget of 1.7 billion baht. Both tend to increase as the number of cancer patients increases. Growing access to treatment Increased service price Including the development of medical technology and medicine.
Dr. Lalitya said that in controlling the cancer budget. In the past, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has driven a national cancer prevention and control plan. There are many types of cancer that can be prevented, such as cervical cancer by vaccination for school-age children, which the NHSO has designated as a golden card benefit. If providing injection services to cover all students in the school It will reduce the number of cervical cancer patients in the future.
as well as cervical cancer screening Colon and rectal cancer oral cancer and breast cancer if detected at an early stage In addition to the chance of being cured The cost of treatment is lower than when the disease has spread. While in the case of terminal cancer patients who have reached the end of treatment There is palliative care by joint decisions of patients and relatives for a good quality of life. By taking care of the budget is not much. compared to hospital treatment
In the case of targeted therapy, the NHSO has a policy to bring a list of targeted drugs into the system to care for cancer patients. In the gold card system, there will be a cancer specialist who will give treatment advice. in which cancer patients receive the drug according to the protocol While new cancer drugs will be packaged as more benefits In the case of expensive cancer drugs, it will enter into drug bargaining mechanisms, which might halve the price of cancer drugs.
“In the treatment of cancer New drugs are often made available to patients and are very expensive. In the event that the drug has already been included in the National List of Essential Drugs The NHSO will have a drug price negotiation mechanism. With the large number of cancer patients who have to take medicines, the NHSO has been able to negotiate the price of medicines, for example, Capecitabine used in colon cancer patients. Gastric cancer Oxaliplatin injection is a drug used to treat colon cancer. and stomach cancer and erinothecan HCL injectable as a colorectal cancer treatment, etc., which have already been included in the Gold Card privileges.”
Dr. Lalitya said that, however, admitted that ya aim now There are some items that patients with civil servant welfare rights can reimburse. But the gold card is not included as a benefit. The drug is still in the process of cost-effectiveness study when comparing the effectiveness of the drug and the price. including the number of systemic cancer patients who need these drugs That will be useful for bargaining. However, it must also be understood that The gold card is a health insurance system that takes care of almost all Thai people in the country. Covering care for all diseases The main goal is to reduce the burden on people in terms of health. Not to go bankrupt from illness But using the budget for various benefits must really make it worthwhile both with patients and overall system including the country
“Today, if talking regarding the gold card budget We are still below 4% of the country’s GDP. In the past, the NHSO tried to control the budget through management. Whether using a bargaining mechanism Emphasis on disease prevention and screening introduction of various technologies used to reduce costs This difference in budget savings will be extended in new benefits.”