Medical service fee to increase in some cities, provinces

Medical service fee will increase in next time but the price hike was made in eight to twelve of the five step road map for raising medical service prices in a bid to reduce impact on people head of Financial and Planning Department of the Ministry of Health Nguyen Nam Lien yesterday said.

Medical service fee will increase in next time but the price hike was made in eight to twelve of the five step road map for raising medical service prices in a bid to reduce impact on people head of Financial and Planning Department of the Ministry of Health Nguyen Nam Lien yesterday said.

For instance, the first hike will be made in the end of August, 2016  in localities with the rate of health insurance participants of 95 percent of the whole population; the second hike will be in October, 2016 in provinces with the proportion of health insurance buyers of 90 percent of the whole population and less affected the province's consumer price index (CPI).

The third will be in November, 2016 in areas with the rate of health insurance card holders of  85 percent of the whole population.

The fourth in December, 2016 in districts with the rate of health insurance buyers of over 80 percent and the fifth in 2017 in the rest provinces.

Medical clinics will implement the new medical fees which include doctors and nurses’ salary.

Mr. Lien said that the new medical fee will just affect CPI less than 2 percent from now to end of the year. Importantly, the new fee has included medical workers; accordingly unreasonable increased fees hospitals will come to an end. Hospitals are not allowed to collect more from patients except for what included in the fee.

Additionally, hospitals must allocate an amount of 5 percent of the fee to repair facilities including buying more beds and medical equipments to improve examination and treatment quality. In addition, in this time prices of paid services maintained the same because it is supported by social contribution.

Before, from March 1, the inter-ministries of Health and Finance allowed to change more than 1,800 medical services  in public hospitals across the country and the new hike is just applied on health insurance  card holders in a bid to improve treatment quality yet it will not impact on social policies, the poor and people in disadvantaged districts. 

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