Medical Benefits for Employees of State Enterprises,Public Organizations,Independent Administrative Organizations,and Local Administrative Organizations (สวัสดิการรักษาพยาบาลของพนักงานประจำในรัฐวิสาหกิจองค์การมหาชน หน่วยราชการอิสระและองค์กรปกครองฯ)

Government employees are covered by the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme which is financed by general revenue and centrally managed by the Comptroller General Department, Ministry of Finance. However, there are other types of state agencies, i.e. state enterprise, public organization, independent administrative organization, and local administrative organization, providing medical benefit for their staffs by using individual organization’s budget. This study aims to assess current situation of medical benefit provided by these other state agencies. A postal survey was conducted during January – July 2011 and data was analyzed by using percentage and frequency.Results show that all other state agencies (100%) independent administrative organizations (47%) provide medical benefit to their staffs and family members, parents, spouse, and children; moreover, some state enterprises, public organizations and independent administrative organizations (11%, 78%, 16%) purchase private health insurance for their staffs. In general, the benefit package provided by them is similar to that of the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme. However, most of these organizations limit access to only those contracted public or private health facilities (80%). Local administrative organizations provide medical benefit without ceiling; however, state enterprise (>8%), pubic organization (>55%), and independent administrative organization (20%) provide medical benefit with ceiling of use and expense. Major problems include lack of adequate risk sharing in small organizations resulting in shortage of budget and burden of out-of-pocket expenditure among beneficial according to the ceiling limited by individual organization. Key words: medical benefit, state employee, state agencies