PUBLISHED: 17 Dec 2024 at 04: 51
Despite receiving numerous requests from experts to have the Cancer Anywhere ( CA ) program abandoned due to rising costs, the National Health Security Office ( NHSO ) announced it won’t scrap the program. It allows cancer patients to choose where they want to receive their treatment.
NHSO secretary-general Jadej Thammatacharee announced on Monday that a combined acting board may be set up to come up with a solution in three months in response to growing concerns about the new rules for the CA program.
He claimed that the NHSO met with representatives from leading hospitals on Sunday, including King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Siriraj Hospital, Ramathibodi Hospital, Chulabhorn Hospital, and Khon Kaen’s Srinagarind Hospital, which recently threatened to stop accepting cancer patient referrals under the CA program due to cost concerns.
Dr Jadej Thammatacharee
According to Dr. Jadej, the hospitals agreed to continue accepting cancer patients from other hospitals until March.
A working panel will be established to address additional issues, such as those involving transferred cancer patients, that the NHSO will cover.
The panel, chaired by Dr Sanan Visuthisakchai, deputy director of Siriraj Hospital, will meet for its first meeting on Jan 15.
The NHSO launched its Cancer Anywhere initiative in 2021.
Several major hospitals have seen a rise in the number of patients seeking cancer treatment since the program was launched. Due to the fact that they claimed the NHSO is frequently late in reimbursing the costs they have to cover, the surge has put a strain on their finances.
Additionally, the NHSO recently updated the payment terms to include only cancer-related medications and laboratory tests. Other kinds of medicines, such as antihypertensives, antiemetics, as well as accommodation, food, and X-rays will not be covered by the fund, starting from Jan 1.