Limit on medical allowance raised to allow for better treatment
The cabinet agreed on Tuesday to raise the limit of the medical allowance granted by employers from 50,000 to 65,000 baht, deputy government spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek announced.
The draft amendment to the 2020 labour ministerial regulations aims to reflect current medical expenses and reduce the financial burden on employees, she said.
The cabinet also approved amending the definition of ‘severe head injuries’ under the ministerial regulations by removing the requirement that the injury must be treated by craniectomy (open-skull surgery).
With the surgery requirement removed, employees suffering from a head injury who are unable to resume daily activity for more than 20 days, or have spent more than 3 days in intensive care will be eligible for the medical allowance.
Ratchada said the amendment of the definition of head injuries is in line with current medical technology that can treat injuries with non-invasive approaches. However, these approaches could be too expensive for most employees, hence the rise in the allowance limit.
The Labour Ministry estimated that raising the medical allowance limit to 65,000 baht will increase the expenses of its Labour Compensation Fund by around 2.2 billion baht during 2023 and 2024.
