Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin will seek cabinet approval for additional funding for the universal coverage healthcare scheme (UC) next year.
The National Health Security Office board last week agreed to ask the cabinet to increase the per person UC allocation from 2,895 baht to 3,223 baht.
Dr Rajata, who chairs the NHSO board, said the budget needs to be increased to catch up with inflation and rising costs.
The additional funds would also be used to improve existing services, particularly for people who need emergency treatment and patients who are unable to get to a hospital.
“Increasing the budget will improve UC healthcare benefits such as emergency care, health promotion programmes and palliative care,” he said.
Dr Rajata said the proposed budget would increase UC capitation by 49 baht per person and help to improve the healthcare programmes of local administrative organisations by giving pre-school children such things as eye examations and providing more services to the elderly. Capitation had been largely pegged in recent years, he said.
There would also be more money for health units in remote and dangerous areas such as the deep South.
The NHSO also funds programmes to combat diseases such as HIV/Aids, kidney failure and cancer.
Dr Rajata said the NHSO will ask for an extra 400 million baht to boost HIV/Aids protection and treatment programmes and provide more support for kidney disease programmes as costs have increased by 9.4% since the 2013-2014 fiscal years.