Six more benefits have been included in the National Health Security Office’s universal health cover (UHC) scheme.
The include immunoglobulin therapy for children infected with Covid-19 or suffering inflammation of the heart muscle or swelling of the heart sac tissue following mRNA Covid-19 vaccination.
Immunoglobulin therapy relies on a mixture of antibodies to treat a number of health conditions.
The intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) drug approved for use in the UHC scheme to treat multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS) in children and myocarditis or pericardistis in young mRNA Covid-19 vaccine recipients costs 50,000 to 100,000 baht per person, said Assoc Prof Dr Prasopsri Ungtavorn, chairwoman of the NHSO’s sub-committee tasked with deciding on changes to UHC healthcare benefits.
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle while pericardistis refers to swelling and irritation of the thin, saclike tissue surrounding the heart.
The IVIG therapy was one of six new healthcare benefits approved by the NHSO board last Thursday for inclusion in the UHC, Dr Prasopsri said.
Their inclusion was approved for implementation in fiscal 2022 starting from Oct 1 and ending Sept 30, with a required budget of 245.25 million baht, she said.
The other five healthcare benefits are gene mutation screening for breast cancer patients, prescribing medicine to prevent HIV after possible exposure in a treatment called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), screening of inherited metabolic disorders using the tandem mass spectrometry technique, oral cancer screening for people aged 40 and older, and a full mouth dental implant, she said.
Tandem mass spectrometry is a technique in instrumental analysis where two or more mass analysers are coupled together using an additional reaction step to increase their ability to analyse chemical samples.
The average cost of a full mouth dental implant is 24,200 baht per person, while an oral cancer screening costs about 600 baht, Dr Prasopsri said.
The screening of inherited metabolic disorders costs 500 baht, while the HIV PEP treatment costs 1,594 baht, she said.