The Ministry of Health liaised with the Ministry of Finance to soon issue health care service charges for insurance cardholders, said Nguyen Nam Lien, deputy head of the Health Ministry’s Planning and Finance Department yesterday.
Following the rumor that hospital charges will increase soon, Mr. Lien said that the new health care service charges would be applied nationwide.
The new charges are in accordance with the Health Insurance Law approved by Vietnamese National Assembly on June 13, 2014 and take effect on January 1, 2015, he added.
However, the new charges will be just applied on drug, blood transfusion, fluid transfusion, material, electricity, water and maintenance. The new charges also take consumer price index into account but not exceed the pricing framework set by the ministries health and finance.
In addition, the new charges will include allowance for around-the-clock shifts and operation bonus.
The Ministry has considered the effect of the new charges to the society. In fact, when the new charges take effect, people will benefit much from it as they can enjoy a high quality medical service. More medical services have been launched as hospitals have fund to carry out them; accordingly health insurance cardholders will have chance to enjoy them.
The government has bought health insurance cards for more than 14 million poor people who live in the poverty line and close to poverty line and are members of ethnic minority groups in disadvantaged districts.
Moreover, to help them overcome illness difficulties, according to the Ministry of Health’s plan approved by the government, the Health Insurance Fund will cover treatment fee for needy patients and ethnic minority residents. In conclusion, these people will not be affected by the new health care service charges.
