On the afternoon of October 20, the Ministry of Health held a press conference to provide information about the decision that COVID-19 is no longer a group A infectious disease but has been transferred to group B of the 2007 Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases.
Many concerns have been raised such as what the treatment will be like, who will pay the hospital fees, and whether COVID-19 treatment facilities will be dissolved or transferred to other functions.
Responding to the above issues, Mr. Nguyen Trong Khoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management (Ministry of Health) said that when COVID-19 belongs to group B, there can still be severe cases, so the treatment regimen still follows the latest updated guidelines as of June 2023.
The COVID-19 Treatment Hospital (abbreviated as COVID-19 Hospital) under Hanoi Medical University Hospital, located in Hoang Mai District, Hanoi, has been dissolved and is being considered for conversion of function, receiving normal patients.
Regarding Field Hospital 13 in Binh Chanh (HCMC), the HCMC Department of Health is still maintaining and ready to receive patients in case the COVID-19 epidemic returns, or new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus appear. However, after reassessing the COVID-19 epidemic situation in the area, the Department and the Ministry of Health will also consider dissolving and converting the function of this facility.
Regarding payment of COVID-19 treatment costs when COVID-19 becomes group B, Mr. Phan Van Toan, Deputy Director of the Department of Health Insurance (Ministry of Health) said that payment of hospital fees is divided into 2 situations: if treatment is performed before October 19, the state budget will pay, but from October 20, the Health Insurance Fund will pay.
In case the patient is admitted to the hospital before October 20 and discharged from October 20 or later, the Health Insurance Fund will still pay according to the principle of group A.
This follows the principle that COVID-19 treatment costs are covered by the budget when it is group A, and by health insurance when it is group B and the patient pays jointly. In this case, if the patient does not participate in health insurance, he/she must pay for it himself/herself.
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