State welfare cardholders will be eligible for medical services from state hospitals without having to pay Bt30 fee per visit, following the Cabinet’s approval on Tuesday, said a government spokesman.
The Cabinet approved the move to help low-income people reduce their basic cost of living, said Nattaporn Jatusripitak, the spokesman attached to the deputy prime minister in charge of economic affairs.
The welfare cards allow holders to buy necessities worth up to Bt300 to Bt500 a month, as well as their mass transit costs up to Bt500 monthly.
Nattaporn said the exemption from the Bt30 fee would cause the state hospitals under the universal healthcare programme to lose up to Bt61.7 million a year.
The spokesman said some 3.6 million elderly people over 60 years old are eligible for fully-free medical services.
