International experts have proposes measures at a meeting in Hanoi on Mar 4 to help Vietnam raise the coverage of medical insurance, which is currently at about 70% of the population. Of the experts, Keizo Takemi, president of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD), talked about Japan’s experience in implementing policies for healthcare insurance. Vietnam targets to raise the coverage of medical insurance to 75% by 2015 and 80% by 2020. The low rate of medical insurance is attributed to discrimination against those using medical insurance in checkup and treatment. Medical staffs normally cause troubles for medical insurance holders as they prefer direct cash to insurance. Patients with medical insurance normally receive poor healthcare services and medicines. French doctor Philippe Jacob said that medical insurance is yet to share the risks with the patients as it is supposed to do. Vietnamese people need to pay up to 46% of total medical fees by their own annually, Prof. Pham Manh Hung, head of Vietnam Medical Association, said at a conference in January. When local people still need to spend on a huge amount of money on their own for healthcare services, it shows imbalance in the health sector and a big gap in social welfare for vulnerable groups, Mr. Hung said. (Thoi Bao Kinh Te Viet Nam – Vietnam Economic Times March 5 p3, Vov.vn Mar 4)
