Authorities in Vietnam’s two biggest cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh will postpone an increase in the prices of a number of medical services that was earlier scheduled for Sept, in a move to ease financial burden on patients. Deputy Head of the Health Ministry’s Department of Planning and Finance Nguyen Nam Lien said the price hike will still occur later in the year, but was being delayed to ease financial strain on families at the start of the new academic year. As planned, the two cities will apply the price rise plan gradually so that it is in line with people’s payment capacity and the balance of the health insurance fund, Mr. Lien added. The price increase will be applied for 447 out of over 3,000 healthcare services, so it will not cause big impacts on people, particularly health insurance card holders who accounted for nearly 68% of the total population, he noted. Children under six and families of those who rendered services for the nation’s revolutionary cause were provided free health insurance cards by the state and will have their medical services fees totally covered by the health insurance fund. The government also provides free health insurance cards for retired people, the poor and ethnic minorities who will only have to pay for 5% of the hospital fees while the remaining will be covered by the fund. Meanwhile, other health insurance card holders will have to pay only 20% of the fees. To mitigate the impact of the fee hike, the prime minister decided to raise the government’s financial support for low-income earners buying health insurance from 50% to 70% of their annual premium. The ministry’s Planning And Finance Department reported that from last June, 61 out of the 63 localities have started raising the hospital fees for nearly 450 medical services, with prices rising by two to six times, following the ministry’s roadmap. (Vietnam News May 2 p5, http://baodientu.chinhphu.vn [1] April 28)
