M Fund – a migrant micro insurance program

While Thailand is one of the few countries to have made concrete efforts to include undocumented migrants in their national insurance coverage, there exist barriers to access for up to two thirds of the estimated migrant population. Supported by UNICEF, European Union and the Global Fund, Thailand created the Migration-Fund (M-Fund) Health Insurance Program, which is a voluntary, low-cost and non-profit health insurance scheme for migrants operating along the Thailand-Myanmar border in Thailand. The M-Fund aims to protect the health of migrants uncovered by existing government insurance schemes.

As of November 2019, a total of 13,383 people have enrolled in the program. Reach researchers are examining best practices, challenges and the value of a voluntary health scheme for vulnerable and stigmatized undocumented migrants in Thailand.