Analysis of Composition Change of Public Facility Care Users After the Universal Coverage Scheme in Thailand

This study conducted a preliminary analysis to examine the impact of Thailand’s Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) on health care use. In contrast with our expectation, no significant increase was found in the use of public facility care (i.e., use of the UCS services) after the UCS because the UCS inc...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Natthani Meemon, Seung Chun Paek
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2020-07-01
Series:SAGE Open
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020947423
_version_ 1818849469532209152
author Natthani Meemon
Seung Chun Paek
author_facet Natthani Meemon
Seung Chun Paek
author_sort Natthani Meemon
collection DOAJ
description This study conducted a preliminary analysis to examine the impact of Thailand’s Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) on health care use. In contrast with our expectation, no significant increase was found in the use of public facility care (i.e., use of the UCS services) after the UCS because the UCS increased the use of public facility care for the previously uninsured, but at the same time, it similarly decreased the previously insured who were previous public facility care users. Based on a view of this situation as a composition change of public facility care users, this study investigated where and discussed why the composition change occurred. By classifying health care use into four types (no care, informal care, public facility care, and private facility care), descriptive analysis and pooled logistic regression analysis were performed with data from the Health and Welfare Survey 2001 and 2003 to 2005. The study results showed that the UCS largely increased the use of public facility care for the previous uninsured people. In addition, the degree of the increase was relatively larger in lower income, older, younger, female, and rural people. Meanwhile, the UCS decreased the use of public facility care for previous public facility care users, especially those in higher income, middle-aged (mostly age 20–39 years), male, and urban people. This was probably due to an imbalance between the scaled-up UCS implementation and the resources allocated for improving the capacity of public facilities. This may have created circumstances that did not serve the needs of users (e.g., long waiting time) and pushed those previous users to the private sector.
first_indexed 2024-12-19T06:33:44Z
format Article
id doaj.art-cb44724c62c7454e8f82ac3367580da4
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2158-2440
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-19T06:33:44Z
publishDate 2020-07-01
publisher SAGE Publishing
record_format Article
series SAGE Open
spelling doaj.art-cb44724c62c7454e8f82ac3367580da42022-12-21T20:32:17ZengSAGE PublishingSAGE Open2158-24402020-07-011010.1177/2158244020947423Analysis of Composition Change of Public Facility Care Users After the Universal Coverage Scheme in ThailandNatthani Meemon0Seung Chun Paek1Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, ThailandMahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, ThailandThis study conducted a preliminary analysis to examine the impact of Thailand’s Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) on health care use. In contrast with our expectation, no significant increase was found in the use of public facility care (i.e., use of the UCS services) after the UCS because the UCS increased the use of public facility care for the previously uninsured, but at the same time, it similarly decreased the previously insured who were previous public facility care users. Based on a view of this situation as a composition change of public facility care users, this study investigated where and discussed why the composition change occurred. By classifying health care use into four types (no care, informal care, public facility care, and private facility care), descriptive analysis and pooled logistic regression analysis were performed with data from the Health and Welfare Survey 2001 and 2003 to 2005. The study results showed that the UCS largely increased the use of public facility care for the previous uninsured people. In addition, the degree of the increase was relatively larger in lower income, older, younger, female, and rural people. Meanwhile, the UCS decreased the use of public facility care for previous public facility care users, especially those in higher income, middle-aged (mostly age 20–39 years), male, and urban people. This was probably due to an imbalance between the scaled-up UCS implementation and the resources allocated for improving the capacity of public facilities. This may have created circumstances that did not serve the needs of users (e.g., long waiting time) and pushed those previous users to the private sector.https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020947423
spellingShingle Natthani Meemon
Seung Chun Paek
Analysis of Composition Change of Public Facility Care Users After the Universal Coverage Scheme in Thailand
SAGE Open
title Analysis of Composition Change of Public Facility Care Users After the Universal Coverage Scheme in Thailand
title_full Analysis of Composition Change of Public Facility Care Users After the Universal Coverage Scheme in Thailand
title_fullStr Analysis of Composition Change of Public Facility Care Users After the Universal Coverage Scheme in Thailand
title_full_unstemmed Analysis of Composition Change of Public Facility Care Users After the Universal Coverage Scheme in Thailand
title_short Analysis of Composition Change of Public Facility Care Users After the Universal Coverage Scheme in Thailand
title_sort analysis of composition change of public facility care users after the universal coverage scheme in thailand
url https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020947423
work_keys_str_mv AT natthanimeemon analysisofcompositionchangeofpublicfacilitycareusersaftertheuniversalcoverageschemeinthailand
AT seungchunpaek analysisofcompositionchangeofpublicfacilitycareusersaftertheuniversalcoverageschemeinthailand