Improved financial risk protection
According to the evidence, UHC hasimproved financial risk protection inThailand. Since the accessible districthealth system is the main service provider, health services are pro-poor,as is government health spending.
Out-of-pocket payments for health carehave dropped substantially, from 33% oftotal health expenditure in 2001 – beforeUHC – to 14% in 2010. This fractionputs Thailand on a par with countriesbelonging to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD). The high level of financialrisk protection is reflected in the lowrates of catastrophic household healthexpenditure and health-related impoverishment.
Recently, an independentexternal assessment of the first 10 yearsof UHC found positive results, both interms of equity and efficiency.
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If the OECD definition is applied, in 2010 theunmet need for outpatient and inpatientservices was as low as 1.4% and 0.4%, respectively, and on a par with the fractionobserved in selected OECD countries.
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8,20
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