The Vietnamese Ministry of Health is seeking the government’s approval to impose fines ranging from VND500,000 to VND20 million on people who violate regulations on health insurance payment, the Dat Viet newspaper reported Aug 27. Employers will be fined between VND500,000-VND2.5 million if they do not pay health insurance for each worker while hospitals that abuse the service will face punishment of up to VND20 million. The move is aimed to limit negative impacts of health insurance payment and raise effectiveness of the state’s management in health insurance. Vietnam overspent nearly VND2.5 trillion ($128.21 million) on health insurance as of Aug 5, including VND1.3 trillion for compulsory social insurance participants and VND1.2 trillion for children aged under six. Up to 53 million Vietnamese people or 62% of its total population have bought health insurance policies so far. Vietnam now has nearly 8,000 healthcare facilities covered by healthcare insurance. The Southeast Asian country targets to collect VND20 trillion from health insurance premiums this year, up 50% from a year earlier, and to provide health insurance services for all locals by 2014. (Dat Viet – National Land Aug 27 p6, sggp.org.vn Aug 27)
