Expanding fund to cover spouses, kids "too costly"

       Expanding the Social Security Fund to cover spouses and children of subscribers will put too much strain on the fund,say experts and labour groups.
       Panas Thailuan, chairman of the Trade Union Congress of Thailand, yesterday said the government's proposed expansion of the SSF would incur a huge financial burden for the fund.
       There would be at least 3 million additional beneficiaries and the SSF would also have to pay for the extra equipment,personnel and management to meet the expanded coverage.
       Mr Panas was speaking at a discussion on the integration of health security services at a Bangkok hotel yesterday.
       The burden would be too great for the fund despite the government's pledge to transfer some of the health care funds from the National Health Security Office (NHSO), Mr Panas said.
       "It is impossible. Representatives of employers and employees disagree.Social security is a tripartite system. If employers and employees disagree, it's the end of it," Mr Panas said.
       Contributors to the SSF are employees,employers and the government. The NHSO covers medical insurance for the general public who are not employees.
       The SSO runs health care schemes for staff of private companies and the NHSO helps the unemployed.
       Charas Suwanwela, head of the medical committee of the SSF, said the government's intentions were good in expanding coverage but it should do so only when it is ready.
       He said the expansion would double the number of people depending on the SSF and that would affect the quality of health services offered.
       Academic Ammar Siamwalla, who heads the NHSO's financial subcommittee, said the policy of integrating the health services of different social and health security systems should not be rushed.
       He suggested health services under different systems be improved and standardised before a merger takes place. Now is not the time to integrate them.