Public Health Ministry assures government will continue to cover covid treatment costs — for critical cases

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul assured Thai citizens that their Covid-related costs will continue to be covered after planned changes to the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients scheme — or UCEP — takes effect in March.

He also dispelled rumours that the existing scheme would be abandoned altogether, reaffirming that citizens infected with Covid-19 can still be treated under the programme. The changes were approved on February 18 and will begin on March 1.

The minister said the changes are intended to improve budget management, while maintaining a certain standard of Covid-19 treatment. But the public has expressed alarm toward the government’s recent removal of Covid-19 from UCEP’s list of the list of covered conditions

Under the current UCEP scheme, patients can seek treatment at any medical facility for three…