The People’s Council in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi approved a plan to nearly double the fees of 819 health services at all state-owned hospitals from August 1, 2013, state media reported. The new fees will increase in a roadmap with 70% of the Health Ministry’s ceilings starting August 2013 and 100% from 2016. Particularly, the service fees will range from VND15,000 ($0.70) to VND6.6 million ($300) for neuro-imaging services. The price hikes is to get money to improve the infrastructure of hospitals, purchase more medicine, advanced equipment and train healthcare workers, said Deputy Head of the municipal Department of Health Luu Thi Lien. The Department has urged its hospitals to keep improving service quality and simplify administrative procedures to better serve patients when healthcare fees are set to rise by 100%. So far, the ministry has required Hanoi and HCM City not to concurrently apply their new fees to ease burden of healthcare expenses on the public, an expert said. HCM City plans to apply its own fees in the fourth quarter of this year. The fees will be at least 80% of the ministry’s maximum rates. Analysts worried that high hospital fees will push inflation higher, causing difficulties to businesses and individuals. Only 68% of the national population has to date bought health insurance. (Kinh Te Do Thi – Economy & Urban July 8 p2, Giao Thong Van Tai – Transport July 8 p12)
