PROPOSED HEALTH SECURITY MODEL FOR ELDERLY IN THAI AGING SOCIETY USING CITIZEN JURY METHOD

Abstract

Background: Citizen jury is one of public consultation tools in deliberative democracy helping policy makers and general public to access information, discuss, and decide for participatory public policies. Objective: to develop the policy proposal for health security model for elderly in up-becoming Thailand aging society using citizens jury method  Methods: using qualitative approach to develop policy proposal.  Twenty juries or participants were randomly selected from Thai population respected to sex, age, and health insurance scheme. The 4-day meeting was organized during 23 – 26 September 2018 at Nonthaburi. 

               Results: Participants were provided information, alternative model options from invited experts. They were allowed to ask, discuss, reflect on, and decide over those possible options. The citizen jury verdict guided that budget for basic package should be centrally managed. Ear-marked tax for elderly care is another approach to ensure sufficient budget. To get any service beyond the basic package one, the beneficiary could be asked to extra-pay their own. From interview, participants pointed that entering the citizen jury process is benefit and empower them to be an active citizen.   Conclusion: Citizen Jury could be adopted for participatory public policy development. It was allowed any lay-person for open-wide discussion and dialogue in certain concern issue.