Referrals services are “doing well.”
After several major public hospitals reported operating losses as a result of the overwhelming number of patients requesting cancer treatment, experts are urging the National Health Security Office ( NHSO ) to abandon the Cancer Anywhere ( CA ) program.
The CA program, which was introduced in 2021, enables those who are members of the 30-baht silver card program of the universal healthcare system to decide where they want to go for care.
Patients first had the option of going to the hospital or clinic where they were originally registered, but this frequently caused delays in treatment because numerous patients were registered in smaller, regional, orphanage facilities that were unable to administer cancer treatments.
According to a source, the National Health Security Fund ( NHSF ) will pay for cancer patients ‘ treatment as part of the CA program, which allows them to receive treatment at any hospital that is registered with the NHSO.
People are just required to present their ID accounts at registered hospitals in order to use the service, and the clinics will pay the difference between the cost of their medical care and the reimbursement.
Prior to the introduction of the program, the doctor that referred the client to another hospital would have to cover the cost of the treatment.
Numerous hospitals have seen a rise in the number of patients seeking cancer treatment since the CA program was introduced, which has put a burden on their finances.
The NHSF also needs to spend more money to support care costs because these facilities include significant public facilities like Siriraj Hospital, Ramathibodi Hospital, and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital.
This prompted the NHSO to amend payment problems to cover just chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, hormone treatment, as well as laboratory tests and cancer-specific medications. Other kinds of medications, such as drugs, and antiemetics, as well as lodging, meals, X-ray and blood assessments will not be covered by the bank.
The change may become effective on January 1.
The hospitals aforementioned responded by saying the doctor that made the initial appointment will be responsible for covering the costs incurred by malignancy patients referred from another hospitals.
Different institutions have even claimed that the NHSO is slow to reimburse the costs of treatments referred by smaller clinics for cancer patients.
Dr Somsak Tiankao, director of Khon Kaen University’s Srinagarind Hospital, said the NHSO has made only partial payment on the health expenses submitted by the doctor. In some cases, the NHSO has never made any transaction at all, he said.
According to him,” The hospital has had to bear these financial obligations over the past three years,” adding that the CA scheme’s daily overflow of cancer patients has made it difficult for health staff to treat each client properly.
3, 617 cancer patients were treated at the doctor when the program began, in 2021. The number rose sharply to 16, 514 in 2022, 25, 896 in 2023, and 30, 241 this year, or an increase of 830 %, he said.
Because statewide hospitals or local cancer centers are able to treat cancer patients, Dr. Somsak said, the NHSO and the Public Health Ministry should abandon the program. Dr. Somsak said,” Just when they are working beyond their power, can they refer clients to prestigious facilities with their own medical colleges.”
By the end of this year, the new 30-baht platinum cards scheme, which allows patients to obtain health services global using only their ID card and without any referral documents, will be applicable to all 77 provinces, according to common health minister Somsak Thepsutin, who announced on Sunday. Thus far, the program has been implemented in 46 counties, he said.