The Ministry of Health is developing a voluntary supplementary health insurance (HI) policy to expand access to high-quality healthcare services and reduce the burden of out-of-pocket spending for people when examining and treating patients.
Management agencies are designing new insurance packages so that people have more options besides compulsory health insurance. Additional health insurance is determined not to replace but to operate on the social health insurance platform, applicable to those who have participated in the mandatory type.
The draft initially proposes 4 groups of benefits, including: Support for co-payment of compulsory health insurance; payment for services outside the scope or on request; packages for serious illnesses, large treatment costs; and separate agreement packages between participants and the providing unit.
Although the coverage rate of public health insurance has exceeded 95%, the current basic benefits package has not yet fully met the increasingly diverse needs of the people, especially with high-tech services, preventive care and management of chronic diseases. Meanwhile, Vietnam's health insurance contribution rate is low compared to the region, not keeping up with the growth rate of medical costs.
Current health insurance is quite comprehensive compared to the contribution level, but has not met the needs of people with good and high incomes. The development of additional health insurance is expected to create more financial tools, contributing to ensuring more sustainable and equitable health insurance.
