Guidelines for Determining Employment Conditions for Mature Age Employees by Being insured with the Social Security or Having Private Health Insurance: A case study of mature age employees of Private University and Private Vocational Institutions in Chiang Mai province.

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to study the legal framework of the labor protection law, the social security law and the health insurance law concerning the employment of mature age employees. This research also wanted to find out what mature age employees, employers who are juristic persons, health insurance companies and administrative agencies’ opinions are on terms and conditions of employment, regarding whether or not mature age employees should be eligible for the social security or to be insured with a private health insurance company. The participants were mature age employees of private universities and private vocational education institutions in Chiang Mai province. The research instruments used in collecting the data were documents, questionnaires and group discussions. The data was analyzed, classified and summarized by content analysis. The quantitative data is presented using descriptive statistics. The results of the study revealed that mature age employees are not protected by The Labor Protection Act of 1998 and The Social Security Act of 1990. As a result of that, mature age employees don’t receive the health insurance  benefits from the social welfare. In some cases mature age employees are eligible for social security, according to terms and conditions of The Social Security Act of 1990. Mature age employees have to pay contributions in full.  If mature age employees are required to buy private health insurance, the insurance premium is often too high for the employees to afford. The study has also found that mature age employees prefer using government social welfare benefits for the National Health Insurance to being insured by social security or getting private health insurance.

Therefore, this research would recommend that mature age employees should be protected by The Labor Protection of 1998. In addition, The Social Security Act of 1990 should be amended to allow mature age employees to be insured and the contributions would be paid by the employers and the government.  There should be a special law to control the rates of the insurance premium.