A press conference yesterday was convened to answer question meeting following public concern of new insurance policies issued by the Ministry of Health which will take effects on January 1, 2015.
The state-run health insurance agency has decided to lower its payments for 25 special medicines as of next year. The new policies regulates payment rates for 25 medications, most of them are cancer drugs with big charges in order to make medical workers re-consider upon writing it in their prescription and ensure interests of insurance cardholders as well as the fund’s payment ability, said a representative from the Ministry of Health.
Head of the Department of Health Insurance under the health ministry Tong Thi Song Huong said out of 25 above-mentioned medications, five had not been paid by the state-run insurance fund but now will be included by the insurance with payment rate of 50 percent of medicine costs.
Some 11 new specific anti-cancer drugs will be included in the index paid by insurance fund and patients will also just pay 50 percent of the medicine charges.
Moreover, the Ministry decided to cut down half of the payment rates of 9 drugs including cancer medicine, rheumatism, hepatitis C and growth hormone deficiency.
Upon concern of cancer patients over the new regulation of payment Nguyen Minh Thao, deputy head of the Vietnam Insurance Company, confirmed that the ministry has set up a scientific council to re-consider the cutting down of payment rates over these medications.
Families who were serving the cause of the nation’s revolution and under six –year- old will enjoy free of drug charges. Patients who were taken to hospitals before the date January 1, 2015 will pay as per the old regulation.
The fund for supporting poor patients in treatment will give help to disadvantaged people as per the Prime Minister’s decision No. 14.
