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Transparent regulation for ambulance ride costs is needed |
Although many transportation companies transport are licensed to carry patients, they don’t have a fixed price list that regulates the fees for this type of service, leading to price fluctuations while patients’ relatives have no choice.
According to a representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, nine establishments are currently licensed emergency services according to the Decree 155/2018/ND-CP.
In addition, thousands of ambulances have been operating to provide transportation services for patients registered by the Ho Chi Minh City Police and licensed by the Department of Health. However, no one agency has assumed responsibility for controlling this service, so the costs of ambulance vehicles fluctuated affecting patients.
The 115 Emergency Center in Ho Chi Minh City has publicly listed the price of ambulance transportation, hospital transfer and patient transportation on request on the center's website. Specifically, the price is calculated according to the actual number of kilometers according to the vehicle's meter, which is VND20,000 per km.
The 115 Saigon Company in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 10 also published the price of ambulance transfer of VND 300,000 within the first 4km and the price will gradually decrease to VND 10,000-VND25,000 per km for the following distance.
The Ho Chi Minh City Family Clinic Company announced the list price of an ambulance ride. The cost of an ambulance to transfer to a hospital in the inner city of Ho Chi Minh City for a daytime emergency (from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.) is VND 3,820,000 and a nighttime emergency (from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. next day) of VND 8,065,000. That’s the price of a basic life support ambulance transfer.
Deputy Director of Hanoi-based 115 Emergency Center Tran Anh Thang said that currently, the Hanoi People's Committee decided the cost of emergency vehicle rides for patients in 2018. Specifically, the distance of 5-10km to perform on-site emergency and transport patients to the hospital is VND750,000. A nurse and a paramedic will accompany ambulance services. Patients do not have to pay any other costs except transportation fees.
Many transportation companies have not listed the prices of a single emergency vehicle ride. The 115 An Tam Company in Binh Chanh District has not clearly publicized price lists on the company's website. The company just announced VND 1.5 million for a single emergency vehicle ride without a nurse and VND 1.7 million for a nurse.
Used to use emergency transportation services, 68-year-old Vu Thi Anh in District 11 said that ambulance service is necessary for a family with elderly relatives. Most patients and their families do not pay much attention to the cost of transportation, so whatever price the transportation company proposed was also acceptable. However, ambulance ride costs will be a burden for poor and low-income people amid the lack of a specific regulation on emergency transportation costs.
Many people also pointed out that the absence of a specific price frame will lead to inconsistent service prices; patients’ relatives are hence forced to charge high prices from service providers. Without regulations of management agencies, it will create loopholes and opportunities for units and individuals providing ambulance services to take advantage of patients.
They proposed that the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance need to coordinate to come up with a frame rate for ambulance services outside hospitals.
According to the Ministry of Health, although there is currently no specific price bracket for emergency transportation charges, the Ministry has regulated transportation support for patients in its Decree 146/2018/ND-CP on the implementation of the Law on Health Insurance
