PUBLISHED: 17 Dec 2024 at 04: 51
Despite receiving numerous requests from experts to have the scheme canceled due to rising costs, the National Health Security Office ( NHSO ) announced it won’t scrap the Cancer Anywhere ( CA ) program. It allows cancer patients to choose where they want to receive their treatment.
A joint operating panel may be set up to come up with a solution in three months, according to NHSO Secretary-general Jadej Thammatacharee, who was responding to growing concerns about the new CA program’s new guidelines.
He claimed that the NHSO met with members from leading institutions, including King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Siriraj Hospital, Ramathibodi Hospital, Chulabhorn Hospital, and Khon Kaen’s Srinagarind Hospital, that just threatened to stop accepting cancer client visits under the CA program due to cost problems.
The institutions agreed to continue accepting patients with cancer until March, according to Dr. Jadej.
A working section may be established to handle different issues, such as the costs incurred by transferred cancer patients and those that the NHSO will cover.
The board, chaired by Dr Sanan Visuthisakchai, deputy chairman of Siriraj Hospital, may meet for its first conference on Jan 15.
In 2021, the NHSO launched its Cancer Wherever initiative.
Numerous key institutions have seen a rise in the number of people seeking malignancy treatment since the program was started. Due to the fact that they claimed the NHSO is frequently later in reimbursing the expenses they have to handle, the wave has put a stress on their funds.
Additionally, the NHSO recently updated its repayment terms to include only cancer treatments as well as lab tests and cancer-specific treatments. Other kinds of drugs, such as drugs, antiemetics, as well as lodging, meals, and X-rays will not be covered by the bank, starting from Jan 1.