The Ministry of Health is seeking comments for a draft plan to increase medical fees at state-owned hospitals nationwide in a move to better healthcare services for local residents. Under the draft on regulating maximum services fees at hospital, either the ministry or provincial People’s Committees will set the fees for ministry-run healthcare facilities, or these facilities will set the fees as long as they are below the ceiling prices. The new fees will be calculated based on prices of four out of seven services such as maintenance and repair of fix assets, training and science research of applying new techniques and interest payment of loans for buying medical equipment. While the price hikes will help local health facilities upgrade their equipment, they will also cause financial burdens on patients, mostly the poor, amid the rising prices of basic goods. In addition, analysts raised concerns that higher hospital fees will push inflation up, causing difficulties to business activities and lives of local residents. To mitigate possible impacts of the fee hike, the prime minister decided to lift 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. (Giao Thong – Transport Sept 4 p12, Thoi Bao Kinh Te – Economic Times Sept 3 p3)
