A patient’s relative pays hospital fees at a hospital in Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)begun increasing hospital fees for patients who do not hold health insurance
cards from this month.
In Circular No 2/2017/TT-BYT, the Ministry of Health has regulated the maximum
price of and treatment services which are not covered by the
health insurance fund.
Specifically, nearly 1,900 different services and products at public hospitals
will have new rates, which are 20-25 percent more expensive. Patients who have
no or use medical treatment services not in the pay list
of the health insurance fund will therefore have to pay more.
The maximum price of medical treatment service includes the price of medical
examination, day-bed service, technical and testing services.
The medical examination cost at hospitals and health clinics will range
between 39,000 VND (1.7 USD) and 29,000 VND (1.2 USD) per person. Some
technical surgeries will increase by 20-30 percent.
A representative of the Ministry of Health said the new hospital fees would be
introduced to localities as Vietnam tried to reduce subsidies from the State
budget.
The increase in hospital fees would encourage more people to join the health
insurance fund.
As scheduled, 30 other cities and provinces will apply the hospital fees hike
in August, 15 localities will implement it in October and 18 localities in
December.
The new hospital rates will be announced by the People’s Council in each
locality.-VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
