At the conference to deploy new regulations of the Law on Health Insurance organized by the Ministry of Health on March 27, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan emphasized the outstanding policies of the Law, including regulations on health insurance benefits when implementing the health insurance examination and treatment (HI) level in the direction of not distinguishing administrative boundaries by province.
According to this regulation, patients are paid 100% of the benefits when receiving initial medical examination and treatment nationwide, 100% of the benefits when receiving inpatient medical examination and treatment at the basic level nationwide, 100% of the benefits when receiving medical examination and treatment at any basic and specialized medical facility that before January 1, 2025 is determined to be a district level. In particular, in some cases of rare diseases, serious diseases, etc., patients are allowed to go directly to specialized health care facilities.
The amended Law on Health Insurance also adds a mechanism for payment of drugs and medical equipment transferred between medical facilities and payment of paraclinical service costs transferred to other facilities in case of shortage of drugs and medical equipment, at the same time, stipulates handling measures for cases of late payment and evasion of health insurance payment.
Deputy Minister Thuan said that the Ministry of Health has submitted to the Government to issue Decree 02/2025/ND-CP to overcome difficulties and obstacles in implementing previous Decrees on health insurance; remove shortcomings in payment for health insurance medical examination and treatment costs, in case of adjusting the scale of hospital beds; paying for health insurance on medical equipment donated or donated but unable to be locally owned; paying for drugs, medical equipment, and chemicals for private medical examination and treatment facilities.
"The annual health insurance fund has almost balanced the fund from the reserve fund of 5%, this fund has increased day by day, with an excess of 58,000 billion VND in some years. Currently, the outstanding fund is about 40,000 billion VND" - said a representative of the Department of Health Insurance (Ministry of Health).
The law also adds specific regulations on late payment, evasion of health insurance payment and handling measures for these cases and many other important regulations.
Mr. Thuan also said that the Law on Health Insurance takes effect from July 1, 2025, in which, a number of important provisions have been applied from January 1, 2025, to ensure the timely implementation of some benefits for patients receiving health insurance examination and treatment.
