60 out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide have implemented the new hospital fee rates.

According to Mr. Nguyen Nam Lien, Deputy Head of the Planning and Finance Department (Ministry of Health), 60 out of 63 provinces and cities have had their new hospital fee rates approved by the People's Councils, and 45 out of 63 localities have collected the new fees in 2012.

Currently, three provinces and cities – Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Tay Ninh – have not yet received approval from their People's Councils to implement the new hospital fees.



Illustration photo: Do ​​Thoa

In addition, three central-level hospitals—the Central Dermatology Hospital, the Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, and the Institute of Maritime Medicine—have not yet implemented the new hospital fees. It is expected that these hospitals and localities will adjust their fees this year.

According to Mr. Nguyen Nam Lien, as of now, 67% of the population has health insurance cards. The remaining approximately 33% of the population who do not have health insurance cards will find it difficult to cover the high treatment costs if they fall seriously ill.

Currently, the Ministry of Health is submitting a proposal to the Prime Minister to allow 100% support for newly lifted-out-of-poverty near-poor people and near-poor people in difficult mountainous provinces to purchase health insurance cards.

It is known that previously, on June 26, 2012, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 797/QD-TTg on increasing the subsidy for purchasing health insurance cards for people in near-poor households to 70% and allowing localities with sufficient budget to increase the subsidy so that near-poor people can participate in health insurance.

(According to the Communist Party of Vietnam) - LH