The Cabinet has approved guidelines setting expenses for emergency critical patients, ensuring they receive timely treatment with continuous care covering 72 hours, reducing costs and improving survival chances.
On 15 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Ms. Ploytale Laksamee Sangchan, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, announced that the Cabinet approved the principles, methods, and conditions for setting costs for emergency critical patient treatment (Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients: UCEP) as proposed by the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH).
Ms. Ploytale summarized the key points of the UCEP guidelines as follows.
1. Healthcare facilities are required to provide emergency treatment to critical patients promptly to prevent danger, according to professional standards and their capability, without charging treatment fees. Facilities must promptly notify the relevant health insurance funds or authorities entitled to cover the patients. Legal acts aimed at waiving patients' rights are prohibited under law.
2. Licensees and operators of healthcare facilities must provide professionals to triage patients' emergency levels and offer care based on urgency. If triage diagnoses are problematic, consultation with the Emergency Medical Institute of Thailand (EMIT) is required. Patients disagreeing with triage results may appeal to EMIT within 90 days from signing the triage assessment form. EMIT must resolve appeals within 60 days of receipt; if necessary, this may be extended by up to 30 days. EMIT's decision is final. If the appeal confirms the patient is emergency critical, the facility must refund any fees collected within 30 days of notification.
3. Facilities must provide care to emergency critical patients until they are stabilized and continue treatment for the cause or symptoms of the critical condition up to 72 hours from admission. Facilities may transfer patients to other hospitals only under specific conditions.
(1) When the facility lacks sufficient capability.
(2) When the patient is no longer critical and another facility can provide care.
(3) When the patient or their representative wishes to transfer to another facility.
4. Facilities will receive payment for care provided from admission to 72 hours at rates specified in the attached fee schedule. During this period, charges are billed to the National Health Security Office (NHSO). Expenses incurred after 72 hours are billed according to the patient's healthcare entitlement fund or relevant agency, or directly to the patient, as per agreed rates.
5. The NHSO is responsible for verifying and summarizing expenses and notifying the relevant insurance funds or agencies within 30 days of receiving complete documents. These funds must pay the facilities within 15 days of receiving NHSO's verification and summary.
6. If an emergency critical patient is transferred from one facility to another within 72 hours from initial admission, the receiving facility will be paid for care during the entire 72-hour period, counting continuously from the first facility's admission time, at rates in the attached schedule. Exceptions apply if the patient retains healthcare rights under the receiving facility's system.
1) If a Social Security Office (SSO) contracted facility receives a transferred patient with Social Security rights, it must follow SSO procedures.
2) If an NHSO contracted facility receives a transferred patient under the Universal Coverage Scheme, it must follow NHSO procedures.
3) If a government facility receives a transferred patient entitled under the Royal Decree on Welfare Funds for Medical Care (e.g., civil servants), it must follow guidelines set by the Comptroller General's Department.
7. Emergency critical patients are responsible for treatment costs in these cases:
1) When the facility refers the patient after stabilization to another facility with capacity, but the patient or representative refuses transfer.
2) When the patient or representative chooses to seek treatment at another facility independently.
8. The Minister of Public Health, with approval from the Hospital Committee, may review and adjust the fee schedule to ensure appropriateness and prioritize patient benefits. The results must be submitted to the Cabinet for approval.
9. These guidelines take effect from the date of the Cabinet's resolution onward.
10. Facilities admitting COVID-19 patients before these guidelines take effect may charge fees according to the Ministry of Public Health announcement on emergency critical patient expenses for COVID-19 cases, until patients are discharged as per Department of Medical Services discharge criteria.
11. Any cases in progress under previous UCEP or COVID-19 UCEP guidelines before these guidelines take effect shall be considered under the new UCEP guidelines going forward.
In cases where emergency critical patients are entitled to coverage under laws protecting road accident victims, life insurance, or non-life insurance, those rights are applied first.
Ms. Ploytale said that updating the UCEP guidelines will better align patient assistance with current emergency medical system management, ensuring emergency critical patients receive timely care, increasing survival chances, and reducing emergency treatment costs.