UCEP

Ministry of Public Health, National Institute For Emergency Medicine, National Health Security Fund, Social security Fund, Government Welfare Fund And other funds  have complied with the new "UCEP" policy, according to cabinet approval  comes into force on April 1, 2017.

Today (March 31, 2560) at the IMPACT Convention Center, Muang Thong Thani,  Public Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsattayatorn along with Deputy Permanent Secretary of  Ministry of Public Health ,Director General of Department of Health Service Support, Secretary-General of  National Health Security Office , Secretary-General  of Social Security Office, Representative of the Comptroller General's Department,  President of Private Hospital Association, President of the Thai College of Emergency Physicians and Secretary General of  National Institute for Emerging Medicine announced that   the ministry has launched the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP) policy. The cabinet has given the seal of approval to the regulation that requires all hospitals, state or private, to treat emergency patients for free for the first 72 hours on March 28, 2017. Emergency patients can go to any nearby state of private hospital for 72 hours free emergency treatment

Public Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsattayatorn stated that the main aim of the rule is to remove medical costs as an issue during emergencies such as the definitions of emergency patient, hospital treatment rates, payment and after 72 hours care procedure.

The Emergency Medical Board has followed the guidelines to accommodate people who are critically ill to have proper emergency care.

 Department of Health Service Support has issued three public health ministerial regulations under the Sanatorium Act as follows;

1.  The screening process to identify patientdecide if a patient needs emergency care and receive free treatment for the first 72 hours during emergency care.

2. Guidelines for emergency care and referral if the emergency case is beyond their capacities to prevent death or after the first 72 hours of critical care.

 3. Guidelines to charge a fee during emergency care that can be compensated by various funds. Cabinet has approved the rate proposed by the Board on

March 28, 2013.

For the first two ordinances, the Public Health Minister has signed in the notification of the Ministry of Public Health, is being published in the Government Gazette on March 31, 2017, and entered into force on April 1, 2017.

The details about new healthcare regulations on emergency admission and guidelines for emergency care have been circulated to all health care centers, and state and private hospitals nationwide. Emergency patients do not have to worry about expenses incurred during emergency care because hospital can draw money from the national health security fund and social security fund with which the patients have registered

The UCEP Coordination Center by National Institute for Emergency Medicine will rule on any dispute over what kind of illness can be considered an emergency.

Under the regulations, patients who are admitted to a hospital will receive emergency care for 72 hours, free of charge. After 72 hours of care, a patient who needs further treatment will have to be referred to a hospital where he or she has registered. A patient who prefers receiving ongoing treatment at a hospital that provides them with emergency care must pay for the remaining treatment costs.

The Public Health Minister also said that the ministry has arranged with public hospitals and private hospital to prepare the room for emergency patients, including hospitals in the metropolitan area and all regional hospitals under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Health as well.

The UCEP Coordination Centre by National Institute for Emergency Medicine emergency number 02 872 1669 is available 24 hours a day.