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| A patient’s relative pays hospital fees at a hospital in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo |
Viet Nam News
HÀ NỘI — More than 50 public hospitals in Hà Nội and HCM City have begun increasing hospital fees for patients who do not hold health insurance cards from this month.
In Circular No 2/2017/TT-BYT, the Ministry of Health has regulated the maximum price of medical examination and treatment services which are not covered by the health insurance fund.
Specifically, nearly 1,900 different services and products at public hospitals will have new rates, which are 20-25 per cent more expensive. Patients who have no health insurance cards or use medical treatment services not in the pay list of the health insurance fund will therefore have to pay more.
The maximum price of medical treatment service includes the price of medical examination, day-bed service, technical and testing services.
The medical examination cost at hospitals and health clinics will range between VNĐ39,000 (US$1.7) and VNĐ29,000 ($1.2) per person. Some technical surgeries will increase by 20-30 per cent.
A representative of the Ministry of Health said the new hospital fees would be introduced to localities as Việt Nam tried to reduce subsidies from the State budget.
The increase in hospital fees would encourage more people to join the health insurance fund.
As scheduled, 30 other cities and provinces will apply the hospital fees hike in August, 15 localities will implement it in October and 18 localities in December.
The new hospital rates will be announced by the People’s Council in each locality. — VNS
