 |
Medical services for insured patients surge by 10 percent |
The Ministry of Health has just issued Circular 22/2023/TT-BYT regulating the uniformity of prices for medical examination and treatment services covered by health insurance among hospitals of the same class nationwide and guiding the application of prices, payment of medical examination and treatment costs covered by health insurance in some cases.
According to the new circular, the price of medical examination and treatment services covered by health insurance includes the prices of medical examination and consultation services, the price of hospital beds, and the price of technical services and testing. The Ministry’s circular also has several additional notes of some technical services.
Moreover, following the new circular, a patient with insurance health cards will pay VND42,100 (US$1.7) when visiting special class and class I hospitals for medical examination while they must pay VND37,500 and VND33,200 if they go to class II hospitals and class III hospitals each person.
Plus, insured patients just pay VND30,100 for medical services at class IV hospitals and commune health stations each. Compared to the old regulations, medical examination prices for people with health insurance cards increased by about 10 percent.
Similarly, patients each will pay VND867,500 for staying a day in special-class hospitals - the highest price and VND64,100 a bed a day in commune health stations - the lowest price.
Along with that, the Ministry’s Circular 22/2023/TT-BYT also regulates the prices of nearly 2,000 technical services and most of the prices of these technical services have increased compared to the prices previously regulated. For instance, a simple ultrasound service price is VND49,300 whereas the old price is VND43,900 or the price of an X-ray is VND53,200 while the old price is VND50,200.
The Circular also stipulates that medical examination and treatment facilities must coordinate and arrange human resources and the number of medical examination tables as required to ensure the quality of medical examination. If a doctor examines over 66 patients a day, the social insurance agency will only pay 50 percent of the medical examination price from the 66th patient. During a maximum period of one quarter, if a doctor still provides examination and treatment for more than 65 patients a day, the social insurance agency will not pay for medical examination from the 66th patient.
Medical workers’ basic salary increased from VND1.49 million to VND1.8 million following the Government’s regulations from July 1, 2023.
