โครงการศึกษาวิจัยเพื่อจัดทาข้อเสนอแนะนโยบายหรือมาตรการเพื่อคุ้มครองและส่งเสริมสิทธิของผู้สูงอายุ :1111 กรณีการเลือกปฏิบัติในผู้สูงอายุ | xxix 8) Problems in discrimination on age: health and quality of life dimension (1) Health support: 1. The laws concerning the rights of older persons to health support are not specifically addressed to the older persons. The National Public Health Act of 2017, Section 6, Paragraph 2 states the rights to public health support in general. It needs a subsidiary laws to specify specific criteria for public health support fot the older persons, as well as concrete measures to promote and protect the health of older persons. Besides, the enforcement of the existing laws and policies are not effective in terms of medical price control or equipment support for the older persons. 2. The unequal and limited access to the health services by the older persons: Despite the better acknowledgement of the rights to health care by the older persons, the problems of health service coverage still exist, especially the acknowledgement and understanding of their rights by the older persons themselves and the equal access and provision of health care between the older persons in rural and urban areas. In addition, the processes/procedures to access to health services are complicated, high cost, and unequal treatment, as well as the problem of travelling to the hospital. 3. Health insurance system : There are 3 health welfare systems, i.e., the health insurance system, the health welfare system for government officials, and universal health care system. Under these systems, health care including long-term care is not equally provided, hospital choices are limited, and service qualities of hospitals and emergency transfer are not trusted. 4. The problems of health care data base connection : The health care data base system of the patients, especially of the older persons, are not connected among the health care units/hospitals. It is a social customary practice of the older persons to get treatment with specialize medical physicians or hospitals. Their treatment data in each case are not connected. In consequence, the patients often receive a polypharmacy that might affect or have side effect on their health. 5. The problem of discrimination on age when access to the health service : The old person surveyed recalled the discrimination against them when utilizing the health services by the hospital personnels. They were treated unfairly, verbally abused. However, there is another side of the opinion about the service providers that the service providers should also have the rigths to be protected. This clearly reflects that the administration in the health service sector should be reformed.