Efficiency of Thai provincial public hospitals after the introduction of National Health Insurance Program

Many international institutions, including the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO), have recommended that countries adopt universal health care coverage, believing that adequate health care is a basic human right. Thailand became the first developing country to introduce universal coverage (UC) in 2001. Six of 92 provinces adopted UC in April 2001, while the remaining provinces implemented UC in October of that year. During the early phase, Thailand has struggled with implementing universal health coverage. One of the primary problems is the financial stress of public hospitals due to the mostly unfunded government mandate requiring these hospitals to meet the service needs of the enrolled population.