The Medical Board and Social Security Board have approved benefits for the treatment of insured persons who "lose an eye." This is through surgery to insert a personalized eye prosthesis.
Ms. Kanchana Phunkaew, Secretary-General of the Social Security Office, revealed that the office prioritizes upgrading medical benefits to comprehensively care for the quality of life of insured persons. Recently, the Social Security Committee approved, based on the Medical Committee's resolution, benefits for insured persons who lose an eye through personalized eye prosthesis treatment. This benefit will take continuous effect from 4 April 2026 GMT+7 onward to provide those who lose an eye with opportunities for sustainable physical and psychological rehabilitation.
The target groups eligible for this benefit include three main categories: patients with congenital eye atrophy, patients with atrophy following eye rupture, and patients after enucleation surgery. The Social Security Office will pay medical service fees to registered medical facilities at specified rates, such as 500 baht for evaluation and trial fitting, 500 baht for eye mold printing, 600 baht for the day of prosthesis fitting, and 5,000 baht per customized eye prosthesis. Also included is the cost of a clear conformer prosthesis for socket expansion at 1,500 baht per piece, as medically necessary.
According to operational data up to 31 March 2026 GMT+7, the Social Security Office has paid compensation benefits to 250 insured persons, totaling over 1.1 million baht. These services were provided through leading capable medical facilities such as the Faculty of Dentistry at Mahidol University, Faculty of Dentistry at Chiang Mai University, the Prosthetic Eye Center at Metta Pracharak Hospital (Wat Rai Khing), Siriraj Hospital, Phramongkutklao Hospital, Chulalongkorn Hospital, Ramathibodi Hospital, Prasert Eye Center at Thammasat University Hospital, and Songklanagarind Hospital. For 2026, it is projected that around 185 new insured persons will access this service, with a budget of approximately 1 million baht.
Since losing an eye affects not only vision but also deeply impacts mental health and presents significant obstacles to employment, the Social Security Office is committed to providing personalized eye prosthesis technology to insured persons. These prostheses offer realism, proper fit, reduced friction, help restore confidence, and maintain facial structure balance, enabling insured persons to feel proud and improve their quality of life.
Furthermore, the Social Security Office remains dedicated to continuously sourcing new medical innovations to care for Social Security family members, enabling everyone to return to work and become vital contributors to the country’s sustainable economic growth.