Removing obstacles in health insurance payment for technical services performed by borrowed or installed machines

On April 12, 2018, the Ministry of Health issued Official Dispatch No. 2009/BYT-KH-TC requesting Vietnam Social Security to direct Social Security at all levels to continue paying health insurance examination and treatment costs for technical services performed using machines lent or ordered by winning bidders for materials and chemicals according to the results of contractor selection in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Bidding and signed contracts.

Based on the guidance of the Ministry of Health in Official Dispatch No. 2009/BYT-KH-TC, Vietnam Social Security has a document guiding Social Security of provinces and cities, Social Security of the Ministry of National Defense and Social Security of the People's Public Security to pay for health insurance examination and treatment costs for technical services performed by borrowed and installed machines.

On May 9, 2022, the Ministry of Health issued Official Dispatch No. 2348/BYT-KH-TC on abolishing the above Official Dispatch No. 2009/BYT-KH-TC.

Implementing the direction of the Ministry of Health in Official Dispatch No. 2348/BYT-KH-TC, Vietnam Social Security issued Official Dispatch No. 1261/BHXH-CSYT dated May 12, 2022 to Social Security of provinces and cities, Social Security of the Ministry of National Defense and Social Security of the People's Public Security on stopping payment under the health insurance regime for technical service costs performed from borrowed machines and machines ordered from companies that won the bid for chemical supplies.

Official Dispatch No. 2009/BYT-KH-TC of the Ministry of Health is a document guiding the payment of technical services using borrowed machines and machines ordered by winning bids for materials and chemicals. Official Dispatch No. 6807/BYT-BH of the Ministry of Health is a copy of the Notice of Conclusion of the meeting between the Ministry of Health and Vietnam Social Security. The content of the Official Dispatch does not have specific instructions on implementation. Therefore, when the Ministry of Health abolished Official Dispatch No. 2009/BYT-KH-TC, Vietnam Social Security issued a document directing Social Security of provinces and cities to stop paying under the health insurance regime for technical service costs performed from borrowed machines and machines ordered by winning bids for chemical materials.

The Ministry of Health has just issued a document abolishing Official Letter 2009/BYT-KHCT on payment for technical services using borrowed machines and machines provided by units that won bids for materials and chemicals. Illustrative photo

However, currently, Vietnam Social Security has received petitions from many medical examination and treatment facilities and provincial People's Committees requesting to continue to be paid for technical service costs performed from borrowed and ordered machines according to Official Dispatch No. 2009/BYT-KHTC of the Ministry of Health until the end of the current contract.

The viewpoint of Vietnam Social Security is to always accompany medical examination and treatment facilities, promptly remove difficulties and obstacles for medical examination and treatment facilities with the aim of ensuring the rights of health insurance participants. Therefore, Vietnam Social Security has immediately sent a document to the Ministry of Health proposing the following contents:

1- Give your opinion on payment of expensesmedical examination and treatment health insuranceof technical services performed by machines lent or ordered by companies that won the bid for materials and chemicals according to contracts signed with medical examination and treatment facilities.

2- Timely guide units to urgently convert from borrowing and depositing forms to the forms prescribed in Decree No. 151/2017/ND-CP dated December 26, 2017 of the Government (giving, donating; leasing; establishing ownership rights). At the same time, determine the mandatory roadmap to complete the conversion of the above forms.

Immediately after the Ministry of Health issues a new guidance document on this content, Vietnam Social Security will guide provincial and municipal Social Security, the Ministry of National Defense Social Security and the People's Public Security Social Security to promptly implement it./.