Vietnam Hanoi Likely to Double Hospital Fees Starting Aug 1

Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi is likely to double the fees of 819 health services at all state-owned hospitals from August 1, 2013 under a proposal of the municipal People’s Committee sent to the People’s Council. The new fees will be 70% of the Health Ministry’s ceilings starting August 2013 and rise to 100% from 2016. The purpose of the price hikes is to get money to improve the infrastructure of hospitals, purchase more advanced medical equipment and train healthcare workers. So far, only Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have not yet applied the new fees, Nguyen Nam Lien, deputy head of the ministry’s Planning and Finance Department said, adding that to ease burden of healthcare expenses on the public, the ministry has required Hanoi and HCM City not to apply their new fees concurrently. The southern economic hub of HCM City plans to apply their own fees in the fourth quarter of this year, he added. Last year, HCM City health authorities said that new health service fees will be at least 80% of the ministry’s maximum rates. Analysts raised concerns that the higher hospital fees will push inflation higher, causing difficulties to businesses and individuals alike. Only 68% of the national population has to date bought health insurance. (Tuoi Tre – Youth June 24, http://ndhmoney.vn June 24)