According to the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance, health insurance participants enjoy more benefits when seeking medical examination and treatment.
According to Vietnam Social Security, one of the notable new points is that people with 62 diseases, groups of diseases belonging to dangerous diseases, rare diseases or requiring intensive treatment can go directly to specialized medical examination and treatment facilities without needing a referral letter, but are still paid by the health insurance fund according to the correct benefit level. This regulation is applied according to Circular No. 01/2026/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health.
The list includes many diseases related to cancer, cardiovascular, neurological, blood disease, metabolic disorders, organ transplantation... Expanding the target group is expected to help patients reduce referral times, save travel costs and access treatment more promptly.
The Ministry of Health said that in cases where patients go for self-examination and treatment at a specialized level and are diagnosed with 62 diseases above, patients also enjoy benefits according to regulations right from the first examination and treatment.
The Ministry of Health has also assigned medical facilities to advise and guide health insurance participants on diseases that can be examined and treated at basic and specialized level medical examination and treatment facilities without having to carry out referral procedures.
Below are the list of 62 diseases, groups of diseases that do not need a referral letter but are still fully entitled to health insurance from July 1:
Vietnam has about 100 rare diseases with 6 million people suffering, of which up to 58% are rare diseases in children, 30% of children with rare diseases die before the age of 5. Access to treatment for rare diseases is still slow and faces many challenges.
The abolition of referral procedures for some diseases and groups of diseases will reduce procedures, create convenience, reduce pocket money for people, and save costs for the health insurance fund.
Representatives of Vietnam Social Security affirmed that the rights of health insurance participants must be given the highest priority, without interrupting the rights of health insurance cardholders during times of changes in the Health Insurance Law.
