Nghe An plans to increase prices of nearly 2,000 medical services

Comrade Nguyen Thi Thu Huong - Member of the Standing Committee, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department, Head of the Provincial People's Council's Culture and Social Affairs Department chaired the inspection. Attending the meeting were Comrade Cao Thi Hien - Member of the Provincial Party Committee's Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; representatives of a number of relevant departments and branches. Photo: Mai Hoa

On the afternoon of November 7, the Culture and Social Affairs Committee of the Provincial People's Council held a meeting to review a number of draft resolutions to be submitted to the Provincial People's Council at the 11th session, term 2016 - 2021, scheduled to be held on November 11, 2019.

Based on the draft Resolution regulating the prices of medical examination and treatment services not covered by the Health Insurance Fund in State-run medical examination and treatment facilities under the management of the province, submitted by the Department of Health, members of the Provincial People's Council's Culture and Social Committee reviewed and requested the drafting agency to clarify the legal and practical bases for issuing the resolution, principles for determining service prices, scope of adjustment, applicable subjects as well as impacts after adjusting service prices.

According to the explanation of the Director of the Department of Health, Duong Dinh Chinh, the adjustment to increase the price of medical examination and treatment services not covered by the Health Insurance Fund at public health facilities managed by the province aims to ensure fairness in the payment of medical examination and treatment services between the two groups of patients. Because currently, people without health insurance cards when participating in medical examination and treatment at public health facilities are paying lower prices than people with health insurance cards (paid by health insurance) because the prices of services stipulated in Resolution No. 24/2017/NQ-HDND are built on the basis of a salary of 1,150,000 VND, while the new Circular of the Ministry of Health adjusts service prices according to the basic salary of 1,490,000 VND.

Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council Cao Thi Hien gave her opinion at the meeting. Photo: Mai Hoa

On the other hand, the issuance of this Resolution also aims to encourage people to participate in health insurance, aiming for universal health insurance with the goal of having over 95% of the population participating in health insurance by 2020 (currently only reaching 87%).

The prices adjusted according to the draft include 1,951 types of services. Apart from some lower medical examination, treatment and ultrasound services, the prices are basically higher than the current prices according to Resolution No. 14/2017/NQ-HDND.

Specifically, out of 10 medical examination services, 6 services decreased from 0.77% - 5.17%; 1 service remained the same; 4 services increased but mainly health certificate examination.

Director of the Department of Health Duong Dinh Chinh clarified a number of issues of concern to the Provincial People's Council. Photo: Mai Hoa

Regarding the group of treatment bed days, including 5 services, the average price increase was 6.2%; the technical and testing group including 1,937 services had an average increase of 1.25%.

The draft resolution regulating the prices of medical examination and treatment services not covered by the health insurance fund in public health facilities, when approved by the Provincial People's Council and taking effect, will directly impact 13% of the population in the province who do not have health insurance cards, without affecting the poor, near-poor, social policy beneficiaries, ethnic minorities living in difficult areas...

Laparoscopic surgery to remove kidney stones through the skin using a small tunnel at Vinh City General Hospital. Photo: Mai Hoa

Also this afternoon, the Provincial People's Council's Culture and Social Affairs Committee reviewed the draft resolution on financial support to encourage communes, wards and towns to achieve and continuously maintain achieving the National Health Criteria by 2020.

Accordingly, the level of financial support for communes, wards and towns that meet the National Health Criteria by 2020 in Nghe An province is 40 million VND/unit (including communes that meet the criteria for the first time and continuously maintain meeting the National Health Criteria).