From March 2016, hospital fees will increase nationwide.

After many delays, the Ministry of Health has officially decided to increase hospital fees from March 2016, hospital fees will increase from 2 to 7 times compared to before.

On January 20, Mr. Nguyen Nam Lien - Director of the Department of Financial Planning - Ministry of Health said that the Ministry of Health - Ministry of Finance has just issued a joint Circular regulating the unification of prices for medical examination and treatment services covered by health insurance among hospitals of the same rank nationwide.

Accordingly, the price of medical examination and treatment services includes: price of medical examination and treatment services, price of treatment bed days, price of technical services. In which, the price of medical examination and treatment services currently includes 4 factors: Direct costs (medication, infusion, chemicals, consumables, replacement materials, electricity, water, fuel, waste treatment, environmental sanitation; Cost of equipment maintenance, repair, purchase of replacement tools and instruments; Cost of regular allowances, surgery and procedure allowances; Salary costs. However, currently only 3 factors are calculated (not including allowances and salaries).

The new, spacious facility of the Provincial General Friendship Hospital meets the medical examination and treatment needs of the people.

As expected from 2015, this time there will be more than 1,800 medical services with prices increased, with the increase from 2 to 7 times. Specifically, the maximum examination fee at a grade 1 hospital is 20,000 VND/visit, the new price will be 40,000 VND/visit.

At level 3 and level 4 hospitals, the examination fee is 7,000 VND/visit, the new price will be 30,000 VND/visit. The fee for a class 1 internal medicine bed, level 1 hospital is currently 80,000 VND/bed/day, the new price will be 215,000 VND/bed/day, level 4 hospital increases from 55,000 VND/bed/day to 165,000 VND/bed/day. Intensive care beds at special hospitals increase from 335,000 VND/bed/day to 677,000 VND/bed/day. The price for gastric lavage service increases from 30,000 VND/time to 106,000 VND/time. Peritoneal dialysis service for people with kidney failure increases from 300,000 VND/time to 379,000 VND/time.

In addition to the costs of medicine, chemical infusion, consumables, electricity, water, fuel, waste treatment, maintenance, equipment maintenance, purchase/replacement of instruments, etc., the price of medical examination and treatment services also includes special allowances, salary costs according to rank, position, allowances, and contributions according to the regime prescribed by the State.

Hospital fees increase from 2 to 7 times depending on the service.

The price including direct costs and special allowances will be implemented from March 1, 2016, while the price including direct costs, special allowances, and salaries will be implemented from July 1, 2016. Private medical facilities will also implement the price including direct costs, special allowances, and salaries from March 1, 2016.

For people who have not participated in health insurance, in the coming time (from March 1), the cost of medical examination and treatment services will be lower than for patients with health insurance cards, because they will still be paid at the old price (not including salary and allowance costs). The Ministry of Health believes that if the medical examination and treatment fees for people who do not have health insurance cards are increased immediately, it will cause a great burden for them when they are sick, and at the same time, it will take time to encourage them to buy health insurance cards.

It is expected that in the near future, the Ministry of Health will issue a price list for medical examination and treatment services for patients who do not participate in health insurance. In addition to direct costs and salary costs, there will also be management costs and fixed asset depreciation costs. At that time, people who have not participated in health insurance will be most affected because they will have to pay for the price components previously subsidized by the state.

According to Infonet