On May 27, Dr. Weerasak Putthasri, Chair of the Dental Benefits Standards Taskforce for Social Security, revealed that the recent taskforce meeting on May 22 reviewed two major proposals from the Medical Subcommittee of the Social Security Office.
- Social security members should receive dental care benefits at least equal to those under the Universal Coverage Scheme (gold card), which allows treatment in public hospitals beyond just fillings, scaling, extractions, and dentures. To avoid co-payment, the taskforce supports requiring public hospitals to charge based on the Comptroller General’s Department price list and forbidding any additional charges. An MOU with the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) is being pursued to ensure this service delivery.
- The subcommittee supports building a national oral health database. The proposal includes incentivizing dentists and clinics to conduct oral checkups and record treatment needs. This data would help individuals manage their dental health and aid the Social Security Office in refining its health fund policies. An initial budget of 100 baht per person, in addition to the existing 900 baht benefit, is proposed. Denture costs would also be covered without upfront payment, but only for eligible cases—specifically, replacements no more frequent than every five years.
Dr. Weerasak added that a significant concern is access to dental care in Bangkok, where public hospitals are limited. Even with expanded rights for unlimited treatments, access may remain problematic. Therefore, the Social Security Office will explore whether private dental clinics can provide care based on government pricing, or if a reasonable middle-ground fee can be established. This model would follow the gold card system, which already includes private dental clinics as partner providers without charging patients extra. The next meeting on this topic is scheduled for June 17, 2025.
He concluded that the taskforce must finalize proposals in collaboration with the Medical Subcommittee before submitting them to the Social Security Board.